AAA Article [Archive]

jillmac

03-13-2003, 07:28 PM

This is what I e-mailed to the author:

(by the way - if you go to www.aaaworld.com and put Segway in the search box the article comes up at the top of the list).

Mr. Case:

Apart from the importance of getting people to a destination without using valuable resources, taking excessive time, and arriving hot and sweaty, you missed one very important application for the Segway.

There are already a lot of the 'early adopters' who consider having been given back their freedom. Why - because we are disabled - but not to the extent of needing or wanting a wheelchair. Some of the applications for the Segway include people with:

MS
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
ALS
Osteoarthritis
Need of hip/knee replacements
Epstein Barre
and just even plain old age!!!!! (several in their 70's and 80's are buying the Segway).

I can assure you - the list goes on and on.......

I belong in one of the categories above and although Dean Kamen probably didn't have me in mind - to me this man is brilliant and yes, a visionary.

I have had my Segway for 10 days and have done things and gone places that I had to give up years ago!

I can accompany my husband walking the dog, 'walk' to the town, coffee shop, tour the Getty, 'walk' the boardwalk by the beach, 'run' to the bank during my lunch hour and on top of this - can save gas! I went and watched my daughter run a 5K and managed the crowds just fine.

To someone who is able-bodied and able to ride a bike or walk without problems this may not seem a lot, but for the huge numbers of us who thought our days of enjoying the fresh air and walking were over - well you just cannot imagine the joy in my life right now!

Don't knock things before you think it all through Mr. Case!

Jill McAlester

bicycledriver

03-13-2003, 07:40 PM

quote:Originally posted by BruceWright

Wayne, take the period off the end of the url that the link is to.
Really wild that the Automobile club would be anti-Segway. I've been an auto club member for nearly 20 years, and I thought they were just about free maps and towing. I didn't know they ridiculed other means of transportation.

Actually, much of your AAA membership money goes to political lobbying to promote motoring and highway issues regardless of their impact on transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists. Sometimes they get a little nasty, like trying to abolish spending progams for pedestrian safety projects.

See http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/breakdown.html
quote:
Forty-five million Americans belong to the American Automobile Association (AAA), now in its 100th year. Very few of those members realize that AAA does more than just provide roadside assistance and handy maps. That "more" may be less of what you want. AAA uses membership dollars to lobby against federal environmental and auto safety laws, as well as public transportation initiatives. If AAA had its way, that bus you need to flag down might never come.

In 1990, AAA fought against strengthening the Clean Air Act. They claim to represent members even though three quarters of Americans supported the measure and the vast majority of club members have little awareness of and virtually no say in AAA's lobbying agenda. The news about AAA's political arm even surprised the nation's most well-known dispensers of auto advice, Tom and Ray Magliozzi - better known as "Click and Clack" of National Public Radio's hugely popular Car Talk. Said Click (or maybe Clack): "We had no idea that part of our AAA dues were being spent on lobbyists who oppose just about everything having to do with public transportation. If AAA thinks that it's a good idea for every single person to get to work in 3000 pounds of iron, we sure don't want to help support such a silly idea."

If AAA doesn't sound like your kind of club, you do have a choice. Introducing Better World Travelers Club, a new auto club with a conscience. Launched in the spring of 2002, Better World Travelers Club touts itself as "the only socially responsible, environmentally friendly roadside assistance and travel club in the country that's working to help clean up the environment." Club President and Working Assets Co-Founder Mitch Rofsky explains: "Primarily, what we're putting together is a greener, cooler version of AAA."

If I used such a service, I'd use these guys per recommendations from many cycling friends:
http://www.betterworldclub.com/

-Steve Goodridge

fredkap

03-13-2003, 07:43 PM

I called the toll free number & stated that the article did not reflect the quality of AAA.
Happy glidings,
Fred

PoloAk

03-13-2003, 07:59 PM

It's always interesting to find out the motives of organizations we previously thought harmless.

Also interesting is how quickly people are to offer up opinions upon which they have too little information to form one.

Kelsey

jacoplen

03-13-2003, 08:24 PM

Another warped mentality!

It’s going nowhere, yet he still felt the need to write an article about it!

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. - Samuel Johnson

2totango

03-13-2003, 08:43 PM

I emailed AAA and told them I was insulted by the article and am seriously considering dropping my membership and asked why they would publish a story that is trying mightily to create enemies for AAA.

johnpowers

03-13-2003, 08:44 PM

I like your letter, jillmac. Here is what I sent to Mr. Case:

13 March 2003

Dear Mr. Case,

I read your article about the Segway HT. Your objections to the device are, as a matter of your opinion, certainly justifiable. However, you have criticized Mr. Kamen simply for trying to achieve something. To scorn not merely the product but also the creative force that produced it is the characteristic of an intellectually impotent journalist. In this world, you may either recognize the greatness of such attempts -- even if, ultimately, they fail -- or condemn men for seeking productivity, creativity, and achievement. With your attitude, you will never be anything but a writer for a trade publication that is forgotten shortly after it is read.

Sincerely,
John Powers

2totango

03-13-2003, 09:00 PM

Well said John. Much superior to mine. May I quote you?

BruceWright

03-13-2003, 09:01 PM

Here's my letter:

Dear Mr Case and Editors of AAAworld,

I'm writing about your article in AAAworld.com about the Segway.

I have been a member of the Automobile Club for over 15 years. I agree with the mission of the Auto Club, which is to promote road safety and automobile travel (as well as other travel-related services).

That's why I was caught off-guard when I read Mr. Case's article which in my opinion, seeks to ridicule a form of transportation that I use daily.

I am an Auto Club member, I drive a car. But I also use a Segway for many local trips, as well as commuting 6 miles to work. I chose to do this because I am concerned for the environment, and this was a less-expensive and less-polluting choice than the Toyota Prius.

In the first sentence, the article goes right for the throat and calls riders of Segways lazy.

It goes on to say that I'm slothful, lack personal dignity, I look silly riding it, etc. Well, thanks very much for that. I'm using it to ride 12 miles a day to work and back. Certainly that is far more active than driving a car that same distance.

I wonder what the reaction from Members would be if you ran an article accusing car drivers of being lazy, slothful, and silly-looking. Now add polluting, wasteful supporters of Alaskan oil-drilling. Or how about just the ones risking others lives by driving SUV's. Or the ones who don't carpool.

I'm sure that this article was meant to be a nice "It'll never fly, Orville" type of piece where somebody ridicules something that they expect everyone to have a good laugh at. And that's certainly fun for a read. But it's far from my experience with the device.

My Segway is a substitute for driving, not a substitute for walking. If I was going to walk to a place, I'd still walk. It would be easier on foot, and be I'd be able to handle more without a machine in tow.

But half of all America's car trips are one person and less than 5 miles. And those first five miles are when cars pollute most. How do you get people to give up those trips?

Here's how I did it: it's fun. Remember when you were a kid and you went to the dentist, and afterward you got a lollypop? The enjoyment I get out of riding a Segway is the lollypop that gets me to give up my car for a day.

I know a number of people who, like me, use a Segway to either commute to work, or use in multi-mode transportation. They ride it to the local commuter-rail station, take it on-board the train, and then ride to their work once they are downtown, passing up the gridlock altogether. Others use it to run local errands, or make up for mobility lost to age or disease. It'll probably shock you to learn that most Segway owners are over 40, and a good number are over 50. I know owners in their 70's.

Why doesn't the AAAworld run a story about how we are taking a car off the road, reducing pollution and congestion for the car commuters? Surely that's better than a mean-spirited snickering piece that serves only to ridicule those of us fed up with the urban chaos that our car-culture has birthed.

Sincerely,

Bruce Wright
Sherman Oaks, CA

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

BruceWright

03-13-2003, 09:07 PM

quote:Originally posted by johnpowers
To scorn not merely the product but also the creative force that produced it is the characteristic of an intellectually impotent journalist.

Too true.

The impotence is particularly obvious in his first sentence. Butching, without attribution, the cliched H.L. Mencken quote.

But then again, nobody ever went broke betting a hack writer won't find another way to rip off Mencken!

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

johnpowers

03-13-2003, 09:12 PM

Sure! -- but do it in the proper context. Sometimes, printed words have to be sharper than they would be if spoken. I would never speak in the frosty manner of my letter to a bystander who casually mocks my Segway (IF someone does, WHEN my HT arrives!). But we don't want Segway users to appear too good to address complainers, either.

quote:Originally posted by 2totango

Well said John. Much superior to mine. May I quote you?

halon

03-13-2003, 09:19 PM

I sent my comment to AAA through their web site and informed them that when I receive my membership renewal I will treat it like this article (trash).

johnpowers

03-13-2003, 09:21 PM

Good one! Ha ha! That is probably the simplest, most elegant way to express it.

quote:Originally posted by halon

I sent my comment to AAA through their web site and informed them that when I receive my membership renewal I will treat it like this article (trash).

BruceWright

03-13-2003, 09:23 PM

Hey, with a Segway, who needs a tow truck anyway?

Steve,

That's very interesting information about the dark side of the Auto Club. Those sneaky little weasels...

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

03-13-2003, 09:51 PM

you can also use this "action alert". make sure to change the text and put in your text if you plan to send a note to aaa.

http://www.capwiz.com/newdream/issues/alert/?alertid=1050501

so it seems about 10 or so people won't be aaa members now, many folks are members for 10-20 years. that's not a huge dent or anything, but in this climate it's just not cool to lose customers over an article that really doesn't belong in an aaa endorsed mag.

i'm really not sure how i feel about the article(s) like that, it's kinda sad and exciting. with these types of reactions and emotions, that usually means it's something amazing-- at least that's been my experience with new things. i wish i documented when i first got a cell phone many years ago, there were so many people telling me how it was too expensive, it'll never work out, there are pay phones all over...who would i call. ah well. same with pdas, dvds, pcs, robot vacs ;-]

cheers,
pt

http://www.bookofseg.com

Brooster

03-14-2003, 12:47 AM

As I mentioned in the "flat tire" thread, I'm looking for the e-mail address for AAA Chairman Willis B. Wood, Jr. If anyone can find it, please shoot me an e-mail with it. Thanks!

Brooster

mzokc

03-14-2003, 01:04 AM

The article was shocking for AAA. If it appears in your local printed AAA publications, there will be more feedback that what occurred today.

Mark Z in OKC

god1138

03-14-2003, 01:24 AM

Allright, gang... hold your breath. I decided to stoop down a level or two and really attack Mr. Case in his own fashion. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, so they say. If he can attack Segway users by making pointed and smart-aleck statements, so we can too back at him. If you are in the least offended by my words, please forgive me. I just figured you'd all like a good little laugh... and chances are good you'll at least get a smile out of it. Here's what I just sent him via email:

Dear Brian,

You're a moron. I haven't found any way to say such a thing without being blunt, so there it is.

That's just for starters.

Next up, your article is an insulting, trite, inconsiderate piece of garbage full of misinformation and disinformation which does not accurately reflect the Segway HT and does not accurately reflect the user base (to date) of the Segway. The way you slander, bemoan, and carelessly throw insults to your readership about this device leads me to conclude you either haven't done enough research on the Segway, never ridden one and experienced its magic firsthand, and/or that you just completely fail to comprehend what is so amazing about this revolutionary invention. There's also the possibility that your company pressured you into writing a propagandist Op/Ed piece because their money is made in the automotive industry, which is in loose competition with the Segway, and they don't want to lose customers because that's bad for business, isn't it?

Having just been to orientation in Dallas this very week and having that first ride on it ever, I can tell you it is magical, amazing, fascinating, practical, functional, incredible, and the most awesome experience I've ever had next to the birth of my child. It evokes a powerful emotional response that makes you feel great, a condition that spreads a smile on your face that doesn't go away... it's often referred to as a "Segway Smile" or a "Perma Smile". You can't make it go away, no matter how skeptical you may be of the device beforehand.

Thanks to your off-putting article, I've decided not to renew my AAA membership, as it is currently up for renewal. I will not support a company that allows asinine writers such as yourself a chance to chastize a client like myself, knowingly or otherwise. Make sure to let your supervisors know that you caused a loss of renewal for me, will you please? I hope they don't fire you, but it could open up new doors for you as well -- I hear tell the Enquirer is always looking for some deadbeat, uneducated half-wit hack writers like yourself to cover stories of Jesus appearing in bowls of Cheerios!

Yours truly,

-rmo

My other car is a Segway!

Stan671

03-14-2003, 01:29 AM

Don't hold back - say what you really feel - let it all hang out. <grin>

Stan Dobrowski

Stan671

03-14-2003, 01:32 AM

I would call the guy that wrote the article a dope but that would just be insulting to dopes.

Stan Dobrowski

03-14-2003, 01:37 AM

for those of you really motivated here are the other email addresses and physical addresses.

email:
letters@mail.aaaworld.com, memberrelations@national.aaa.com

physical mail:
Member Relations
1000 AAA Drive
Heathrow, FL 32746

the guy:
Brian Case
Editor-in-Chief
AAA World Magazine

i'll probably write a letter and send my membership card with it (i'm using progressive roadside now any way).

cheers,
pt

http://www.bookofseg.com

Brooster

03-14-2003, 02:18 AM

Let's please keep it clean as far as sharing the e-mails in the forum, folks. I'm a AAA member as well. I appreciate the feelings of disgust over this article, and I've written my own e-mail to Mr. Case ... and forwarded it to AAA's top management. And I do mean top. :)

Brooster

PoloAk

03-14-2003, 02:33 AM

Yes, I agree w/ Broo here. While its fun to sling mud and nasty insults, it only makes us look stupid. I sent my own email (see below) but I'd rather not be marked as a fanatical owner. I respect his opinion, but feel that he shouldn't have been allowed to publish the article without doing at least some preliminary research and information gathering.

[my email]
Mr. Case,

Thank you for an interesting article. I completely disagree with you,
but understand your point of view.

When you wrote this article, did you interview Mr. Kamen and ask why
the Segway was invented? You portray it as just another toy for the
wealthy, but did not show the other facets to the machine. You made an
assumption about its intended purpose without facts to back it up,
which would hardly be allowed in an entry level college english class.
Outside of the "official" purpose that Segway, LLC or Mr. Kamen would
tell you, did you ask an owner why they had one? As a mechanical
engineering student, my budget is not large, and the Segway is a more
economical option for me than a car.

Also, looking at www.amazon.com, you should notice that the Segway is
122 on their list of most popular items; not at the bottom by any
measure.

But really Mr. Case, why are you so opposed to letting those of us who
own a Segway to have fun? If you don't like the HT, then just ignore it
and it will, if your predictions are correct, simply fade out of the
spotlight. When I read your article, I had the option of writing a
scathing email or simply stating my point of view. I don't see your
article as a threat to my personal enjoyment, and I don't understand
how you could view my segway as a threat that would warrent such a
caustic article.

One last question: Have you ridden a segway?

I understand you have a freedom to express your opinion, and I'm glad
you've exercised that right. In disagreeing with you, I've exercised
mine.

Sincerely,
Kelsey Frazier

Kelsey

lipinsky

03-14-2003, 11:45 AM

I wrote to Dennis Crossley (DCROSSLEY@AAANY.COM) the CEO. Aim higher folks!

Dear Mr. Crossley:

I can not begin to tell you how appalled I am at the article "Going Nowhere Fast" by Brian Case and found at http://aaaworld.com/pages/JF03extramile.html.

NO ONE EVER WENT BROKE OVERESTIMATING THE WASTEFULNESS of the American public would be a better way to start this article. AAA obviously has no regard to conservation or the US economy. That would explain why in "Time Out in Fairfield County" in Driving There (February) you espouse the Hummer H2 which gets all of 10 or so MPG but trash the Segway in the cited link. So poor is the performance of this monster that GM does not officially report it hiding behind the fact that being so heavy it doesn't have to.

The Segway is not designed to replace walking.

Obviously Mr. Case has never seen a Segway, never researched data about the Segway, didn't contact Segway, never spoken to a Segway owner and certainly has never ridden one. He writes from a point of ignorance and proves he does not investigate topics before writing about them. While the Segway was introduced about a year ago delivery to the public started only this March. AAA's credibility is severely damaged by Mr. Case.

Mr. Case curiously selects an example of Segway use on a cruise ship as an example of something amusing. What would be a better example is how I no longer need to take my 3,000 pound Toyota Camry the four miles to work anymore and use a Segway instead. I can run local errands via Segway. I no longer use Taxi's or the subway in NYC but rather glide on my Segway. I am not trading walking or exercise for Segway use, but rather filling a needed gap for traveling distances too long to walk but too close to drive.

The real waste that you should discuss are the people who drive their children to school getting stuck behind the school bus which would take their child. The real waste is taking a SUV to a train station or local errands. Why not write about that stupidity?

I know of no private company that provides sales and other financial details. Why Mr. Case focuses on this issue is baffling.

When IBM introduced the PC in August of 1981 it was priced at about the same as the Segway today (inflation adjusted) and sales were not as good as the Segway's. The IBM XT was more than $7,500. Now look where PC's are today -- both in terms of commodity pricing and pervasive use. Mr. Case blew it again with his comparison.

Mr. Case continues his drivel by pointing out ONE article about an Atlanta Police Officer who "banged up" his knee after falling off a Segway. People trip when walking, my niece broke her wrist while riding her bike last week. I guess Mr. Case isn't aware that according to the NTSB 41,730 died in car accidents in 2001 -- so common is injury and death that it rarely makes the news anymore. I am happy that a slip from a Segway is still unusual to make the press -- thank goodness!

The energy and terror situation that America finds itself in decade after decade is partially due to the dependence we have on Middle East oil. Your organization's continue support (and Mr. Case's probable ownership and use of) gas guzzling SUV's is of no help to this situation. The Segway is one way to start to chip away at this problem. My personal Segway use will save approximately 90 gallons of gas annually.

Certainly you should be concerned that between the Segway and the writing skills of your reporters, AAA's usefulness will be questioned by many. I have already had personal conversations with two members of Congress about introducing legislation to encourage the closing of downtown metropolitan areas to cars to encourage walking and the use of Segways. Maybe the AAA and Mr. Case does have a reason to be concerned and misrepresent the Segway.

[Grid]

cc: Brian Case (bcase@aaaworld.com)
Peter Cresenti, Car & Travel Editor-in-Chief (pcrescenti@aaany.com)
http://www.aaa.com/suggestions.html

03-14-2003, 12:45 PM

No matter... There will always be people out there that shy away from anything new. Just keep riding and smiling at everyone you see. Eventually it will be no more out of the ordinary than watching someone ride by on a bike.

Granted I have only been riding my Segway for a few days now, but
my personal experience when others have seen me thus far is as follows:

The person-
Uncontrollably starts jumping up and down = 10% (mostly kids) ;)
Drops what they are doing and walk over to me (not jumping) = 15%
BIG SMILE = 40%
Dazed and Confused = 20%
No Response = 15%
Negative comment = 0%

I can see that it is frustrating to see someone publish something like that and have it get to so many eyes. However, that is precisely why we need to publish positive articles when we can...

Segway = Clean Transportation

BruceWright

03-14-2003, 01:26 PM

Lipinsky! Great letter. WOW!!!!!

JT, I love your statistics. They are SO the truth.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

cstull

03-14-2003, 02:35 PM

Yes, it was a great letter.

Why does Brian Case's article remind me of the French? Maybe it's because the French are rejecting proposals before the officials from Iraq have even had a chance to respond? Not much thinking going on in either case.

Same solution though... boycott.

"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." --- General George S. Patton

Craig

tombarnes

03-14-2003, 02:44 PM

The article was an appalling piece of trash. I was not really surprised to see it though. Remember the source. Autocentrics are everywhere. Tom Barnes

Tom

John F

03-14-2003, 02:47 PM

You know, CSTull. if we are going to bring politics into this, I will now post my very blunt, very politically driven letter to Mr. Case:

"So you see, the product is just starting to hit the market and therefore
it's a failure"

So tell me, Brian, how much does the Bush administration pay you? I mean,
being a fellow conservative with absolutely no forthsight has to get an easy
6 figures from a fellow group of stooges who want nothing more than to prop
up the auto industry with wars for oil.

Mail it in or post it up -- Segway-open mailing list on Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/segway-open/)

03-14-2003, 02:55 PM

gents--

if you're going to chat about that stuff, there's a great place for bush-iraq-french-oil-stuff. the off-topic area :-]

cheers,
pt

http://www.bookofseg.com

lipinsky

03-14-2003, 03:16 PM

My replies so far ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: Re: Comments

Dear Mr. and Mrs. XXXXXXXX Lipinsky,

Thank you for your comments. We appreciate your feedback and we will respond to you very shortly.

AAA National Member Relations

TRACKING NUMBER: A00000024201-00000077197

----------------

This communication (including all attachments) is intended solely for the use of the person(s) to whom it is addressed and should be treated as a confidential AAA communication. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, distribution, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you received this email in error, please immediately delete it from your system and notify the originator. Your cooperation is appreciated.

BruceWright

03-14-2003, 07:07 PM

Wooo....

You just posted confidential AAA communication.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

lipinsky

03-14-2003, 07:41 PM

No, the disclaimer reads in part: "This communication (including all attachments) is intended solely for the use of the person(s) to whom it is addressed [and I am using it to post on this site] .... If you are not the intended recipient, any use [you are not using it, you are reading it], distribution [I did, you didn't] , printing [okay, don't print it], or copying [I didn't "copy" it, I "posted" it] of this email is strictly prohibited."

They will have a tough time justifying that the content of the email is confidential!

I am not worried JUST PISSED!

PoloAk

03-14-2003, 09:07 PM

Thanks for the other email addresses. As a conservative Alaskan engineering student, i'm pissed too and will be rewritting my email for these new recipients. Hmm. . .maybe if the conservatives get pissed at them they'll listen. Nah, kinda hard to hear when your head is stuck . . .well, you get the pictue.

Kelsey

2totango

03-14-2003, 09:29 PM

My reply was from JanetRay@aaawin.com.

Claims she has nothing to do with Case---no reason to disbelieve her---and is unaware of the article. Could I please furnish her the date published.

Interesting that seemingly she can't do a search of her own organization's publication.

PoloAk

03-14-2003, 10:32 PM

Here's the one to dcrossley et all. . .boy was it fun to write!!!

quote:Mr. Crossley

I am terribly concerned about a recent article that I read in AAA’s online publication. Specifically, I reference “Going Nowhere Fast” by Brian Case.

Mr. Case’s article was offensive and poorly written. I am a student and would be unable to pass a class if I submitted an essay whose facts were biased, unfounded, and so poorly expressed.

In the first paragraph, Mr. Case says that the Segway was “designed to walk for non-paralyzed folk.” I take seriously question this comment. The Segway has two wheels and rolls like a bike, a scooter, or moped. Does Mr. Case also include these vehicles in his argument? Don’t they also provide the “non-paralyzed” a method for not walking? The intention of this device is not keep me from walking, or driving for that matter, but to fill a niche that Mr. Case is too close minded to see. Yes, my first reaction was the same as his, but after careful contemplation, I have changed my view to one of acceptance and understanding.

I had the opportunity to discuss the Segway with its inventor Mr. Dean Kamen, and the purpose for creating the Segway is the polar opposite of what Mr. Case presented. I seriously doubt Mr. Case ever asked either Mr. Kamen or Segway, LLC about its intended purpose, which is to his detriment as a reporter.

The comment in the second paragraph that despite a “shiny Christmas promotion” the Segway is doing poorly also causes me to question the validity of Mr. Case’s statements. The HT currently sits as the 132nd seller on the amazon.com website, not a bad ranking for any product, especially considering there are over 10,000 products sold under the “Electronics” heading alone.

Further, Mr. Case states that “Pedestrian young and old want to know how mobility will improve by turning crowded sidewalks into a high-speed, high-tech chicken fights.” Did Mr. Case actually ask the young and old about their opinions? He doesn’t appear quote anyone. As for the chicken-fight reference, little thought seems to have been used in the formation of this idea. Let’s see, my Jeep will go 140 mph. I could, if I chose, drive out onto the street and “play chicken” at 140 mph- the top limit of my vehicle. Is that practical? No. It’s also illegal and would most likely result in my death. I CHOOSE to obey the speed limit, just as I CHOOSE to go slow on sidewalks crowded by pedestrians. Sure, I could run them down at 12 mph, but I won’t. Also, when I run, I go anywhere from 4 to 6 mph, which is slightly faster than when I ride my Segway around pedestrians. But we don’t ban people from running, now do we?

Lastly, Mr. Case objects to not knowing how many Segway’s have been sold to date. Out of interest, it might be nice to know these numbers, but Segway, LLC doesn’t need to post that information just as I don’t have to tell the public how much my taxes were last year. As an individual, or a private corporation, personal information is protected.

I volunteer countless hours to help students learn to love and pursue interests in science and technology, and through them learned of the Segway. The Segway sparked their curiosity and led them to want to know how gyroscopes and tilt sensors work. But Mr. Case didn’t mention this.

There are numerous individual I’ve met on the internet that profit from their purchase because they suffer from MS. The Segway allows them more mobility than they had previously, increasing their personal mobility. But Mr. Case didn’t mention this.

The Segway doesn’t pollute, is quiet, and easy to maneuver. Most importantly, it doesn’t require a fossil fuel for power. As a Republican and as an Alaskan, I value the sale of oil, but as an American and as a Patriot, I detest our dependency on a foreign supply. My Segway won’t help my state, but it will darned well help my country. I don’t want anyone governing the United States of America except for the people I elect. But Mr. Case doesn’t mention this, either.

Maybe I do look funny on my Segway, and maybe Mr. Case just thinks this is all a fad. Then why does he feel so threatened as to attack this creation? I feel slighted by his article and take personal offense to it. I feel as though I should be ashamed for my purchase, that it will make me appear lazy. I know, however, that this is simply not true, but still I am hurt.

I have taken enough of your time, though, and I thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Kelsey Frazier
University of Alaska Anchorage
Mechanical Engineering student

Kelsey

Brooster

03-20-2003, 12:21 AM

Just to let everyone know, I've received the following e-mail from Lynn Bertrand, at the request of AAA's National President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. Her message is reproduced below:

Thank you for your email of March 13 conveying your concerns about the Segway Human Transport article you recently read on AAA World.com. We sincerely regret that you found the article to be offensive.

A AAA National Office representative has spoken to Brian Case, the editor-in-chief of AAA World. Mr. Case assured us that the purpose of the article was to give readers feedback on the status of this particular mode of transportation, and was not intended to demean the product or its owners. AAA World is a publication of the AAA Mid-Atlantic club, based in Philadelphia, PA. We have shared your comments with Allen DeWalle, the club's president and CEO.

Thank you for letting us know about your concerns. Our ongoing goal is to
provide commentary and information that is relevant to the interests of AAA members.

Sincerely,

Lynn Bertrand

Lynn Bertrand, CTA
Supervisor, Businesslines
AAA National Member Relations

Brooster

Brooster

03-20-2003, 12:30 AM

I've communicated my sincere thanks for AAA's prompt attention to the matter. I think they've done the right thing, and I can't fault the organization as a whole for an error in judgement on the part of one individual.

Brooster

pam

03-20-2003, 08:38 AM

quote:Originally posted by Brooster

Just to let everyone know, I've received the following e-mail from Lynn Bertrand, at the request of AAA's National President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. .....
A AAA National Office representative has spoken to Brian Case, the editor-in-chief of AAA World. Mr. Case assured us that the purpose of the article was to give readers feedback on the status of this particular mode of transportation, and was not intended to demean the product or its owners. ......

Goodness Brooster, you're a lot more forgiving than I am. Given the tone of the article Mr. Case's "assurance" that "the purpose of the article was to give readers feedback on the status of this particular mode of transportation" and that he not "to demean the product or its owners" I would think 1) Case lied outright and 2) you've been hit with marketing BS. I'll believe it when they print a retracting, more balanced article. It's easy to admit to one irate customer that they "were wrong" (which I still don't see them doing), but it's not easy to come out and admit to the world.
Pam

Brooster

03-20-2003, 09:22 AM

Pam, I absolutely agree that case is scrambling to cover his bee-hind. I agree that he may have lied in order to do it. I've done what I'm willing to do, having made my feeling known to AAA's top management, and sharing their response with you. I'm ready to "let it go" at this point. Onward and upward.

Brooster

lipinsky

03-20-2003, 01:08 PM

(I like the personalization "(INSERT DATE)")

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:

Thank you for your email of (INSERT DATE) conveying your concerns about the Segway Human Transport article you recently read on AAA World.com. We sincerely regret that you found the article to be offensive.
A AAA National Office representative has spoken to Brian Case, the editor-in-chief of AAA World. Mr. Case assured us that the purpose of the article was to give readers feedback on the status of this particular mode of transportation, and was not intended to demean the product or its owners. AAA World is a publication of the AAA Mid-Atlantic club, based in Philadelphia, PA.
Thank you for letting us know about your concerns. Our ongoing goal is to provide commentary and information that is relevant to the interests of AAA members.

Sincerely,

AAA National Member Relations

TRACKING NUMBER: A00000024201-00000077197

BruceWright

03-20-2003, 02:45 PM

I didn't even get that much.

"Feedback on the status of a particular mode of transporation"?!!?

What kind of transportation feedback requires that riders be called lazy, slothful, chicken-fighters that look like a rolling dip-station without personal dignity?

Anyone got a phone number for these losers?

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

lipinsky

03-20-2003, 05:31 PM

That would be Robert Darbelnet, AAA National President, 407-444-7000. His email would not be given out - I guess they get too many complaints :-) . They pointed me to Bob Hoffman, Director of Member Relations (same phone number).

REALTIME UPDATE. Lynn Bertrand intercepted the call to Bob. "While it is not our policy to give out email addresses you may contact me." She is at LBERTRAND@national.aaa.com ... which means that Robert Darbelnet is Rdarbelnet@national.aaa.com :-) (you got to love social enginerring!)

Suggest that anyone who sent a letter resend it to Robert and Lynn.

lipinsky

03-20-2003, 05:41 PM

Here is the intro to the email I just sent (the rest is the email I appended previously.

To: lbertrand@national.aaa.com, rdarbelnet@national.aaa.com
Subject: AAA should support energy efficient transportation

Here is the correspondence I sent. I also did not get an appropriate reply -- my reply included, "Thank you for your email of (INSERT DATE) conveying your concerns about the Segway Human Transport ..." Not exactly what I call personalized.

I am also displeased that AAA uses membership dollars to lobby against federal environmental and auto safety laws, as well as public transportation initiatives. If AAA had its way, that bus you need to flag down might never come. In 1990, AAA fought against strengthening the Clean Air Act. I had no idea that part of my AAA dues were being spent on lobbyists who oppose just about everything having to do with public transportation. I don't understand why AAA thinks that it's a good idea for every single person to get to work in 3000 pounds of iron.

Why trash the Segway?

[Grid]

motleyorc

03-20-2003, 08:29 PM

The AAA corporate offices are just down the road a piece from Celebration. We should arrange a picket on our Segways. I wonder how many people in Florida have Segs already. I know there's over 100 in Celebration already.

I'm really surprised that nobody else from Celebration is using these boards...

http://www.segwayceleb.com
motleyorc@hotmail.com

Brooster

03-20-2003, 10:08 PM

So it WAS a form letter, huh? Nice ... <sigh>

Brooster

Peter iNova

03-20-2003, 10:36 PM

quote:Originally posted by god1138

Allright, gang... hold your breath. I decided to stoop down a level or two and really attack Mr. Case in his own fashion. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, so they say. If he can attack Segway users by making pointed and smart-aleck statements, so we can too back at him. If you are in the least offended by my words, please forgive me. I just figured you'd all like a good little laugh... and chances are good you'll at least get a smile out of it. Here's what I just sent him via email:

Dear Brian,

You're a moron. I haven't found any way to say such a thing without being blunt, so there it is.

That's just for starters. . . . . . . . . .

Yours truly,
-rmo

My other car is a Segway!

Any letter like that is bound to win you the trash can award of the day. You show yourself to be as naive of the writer's mind as he has shown naivite about the Segways.

When somebody writes an article like this, they're all swept up in the entertainment and current-hot-topic-ness of the subject. In short, they think they are the cutest, most clever writer ever. I know, because I AM the cutest, most clever writer ever.

So my note to him was short and sweet, connecting with the very things that journalists treasure most: accuracy, or at least a feeling that they are in touch with the truth;
----- ----- ----
Brian,

The spins you put on your researched points show that you are much more interested in introducing a sneer factor than getting to the bottom of things.

It is painfully obvious that you are a total virgin to the Segway and have not one whit of useful experience to draw from as you type. Gee, get a clue. Try the thing for a few hours before coming to such ridiculous conclusions.

Or would that be requiring too much research for a responsible journalist?

-Peter iNova

http://www.glidewalk.com

Linc2000

03-21-2003, 11:59 AM

Hey lipinsky! Brian Case is writing for the sour grapes audience. And right now he probably has a big audience. My Segway would be fun to ride even if everyone had one. The less people who have a Segway the more people I can talk to. The more I ride my Segway around town with hardly anyone else out there with one the more I can pick and choose who I talk to. Words. Words are very important. Lincoln [8D]

<center> http://www.wwwebhosting.com/tm3wwwlogo.gif</center>

Lynn Bertrand

03-21-2003, 07:15 PM

Good afternoon, all! I was doing some in-house research on the Segway HT and stumbled across your forum.

I wanted to explain the "insert date" in the response that was sent to several Segway owners. The following is an excerpt of my reply to Mr. Lipinsky's follow up e-mail and also was sent today to everyone that took the time to email our office about the Segway HT article.

"First of all, please accept my personal and sincere apology for the incomplete response. It was written to specifically address a small number of similar-minded concerns relating to the aaaworld.com article that were received in the National Office over a period of several days. To ensure consistency in our reply, the same response was issued for each concern. Regretfully, we omitted the date of your original email, thus lending the perception of a generic, impersonal message."

In no way was a form letter used. This response was written by our President and CEO.

For those of you that would like additional information on AAA's lobbying efforts, please contact me directly at lbertrand@national.aaa.com.

Thanks for your time!

BruceWright

03-21-2003, 07:43 PM

Lynn,

Thanks for writing, and thanks even more for coming online here and doing this research. I think it reflects well on the AAA and the job you do for them.

I think you can see that what Mr. Case wrote as a humorous piece has upset more than a few of us. I'm sure when Mr. Case wrote it, it seemed like a victimless joke. To him, the only ones who could possibly take offense was Dean Kamen and his small group of engineers.

He didn't seem to realize that people actually own them, and use them to cut down on gas usage and pollution.

The perception that the Automobile Club is somehow against transportation alternatives is an abstract concept, and I'll be interested to study the Club's lobbying efforts and history at my next renewal period.

This, however, was a much more emotional reaction, based on quite direct insults, not to the machine, or the inventor, but to RIDERS of the machine. I.E. me.

"lazy, slothful, chicken-fighters that lack personal dignity"

...to put them all together.

Again, not the kind of "feedback on the status of a particular mode of transportation" that I'm used to getting from the Automobile Club. I've never seen anything with that nasty a tone in my California magazine "Westways."

Anyway, I don't mean to lambaste you again for comments that Mr. Case made. I'm glad you came here and read our feelings on the matter. You can see them here in their uncensored glory, so you can be sure of our sincerity.

You can see that a lot of people here are using the Segway as a transportation option. Some are regaining mobility lost to age or disease, others are using the Segway purely for recreation. Still others, like me, are using it to commute to work or reduce many short, higher-polluting, car trips.

I'd love to read about THAT in Westways.

Commuters need more options, not fewer. Thanks for coming here and learning about us, and our thinking in the matter.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

Brooster

03-21-2003, 08:28 PM

A big thumbs up, Lynn. Thank you, and welcome to SegwayChat.

Brooster

attydog

03-21-2003, 09:46 PM

excellent reply!

quote:Originally posted by johnpowers

I like your letter, jillmac. Here is what I sent to Mr. Case:

13 March 2003

Dear Mr. Case,

I read your article about the Segway HT. Your objections to the device are, as a matter of your opinion, certainly justifiable. However, you have criticized Mr. Kamen simply for trying to achieve something. To scorn not merely the product but also the creative force that produced it is the characteristic of an intellectually impotent journalist. In this world, you may either recognize the greatness of such attempts -- even if, ultimately, they fail -- or condemn men for seeking productivity, creativity, and achievement. With your attitude, you will never be anything but a writer for a trade publication that is forgotten shortly after it is read.

Sincerely,
John Powers

lipinsky

03-23-2003, 03:52 PM

Thank you Lynn for taking the time to read and learn about the Segway.

Here is the reply I received in full.
---------------------------------------------------------------
March 20, 2003

Dear Mr. Lipinsky,

Thank you for your feedback and for providing the opportunity to address the additional concerns raised in your email. Your passion for the Segway HT is evident in your correspondence.

First of all, please accept my personal and sincere apology for the incomplete response. It was written to specifically address a small number of similar-minded concerns relating to the aaaworld.com article that were received in the National Office over a period of several days. To ensure consistency in our reply, the same response was issued for each concern. Regretfully, we omitted the date of your original email, thus lending the perception of a generic, impersonal message.

AAA is a federation of independently managed automobile clubs, each fully responsible for operations and delivery of services within their territory. Association bylaws provide that club management has full authority for design and content of the member publication in their area. Your comments concerning the Segway HT will be shared with Allen DeWalle, president and CEO of AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The issue of AAA using membership dollars to fund lobbying efforts has been addressed by Susan G. Pikrallidas, Vice President, Public Affairs. I offer you the following excerpt from her response:

"AAA has received a number of emails regarding our advocacy activities. Unfortunately, it appears that the writers have received incorrect information about AAA from a source that has deliberately misrepresented AAA's work.

AAA is very forthright about the work done on members' behalf, and we report on our activities frequently to the public through the media, and to our members through our own publications, which reach each AAA member household regularly throughout the year. Information about AAA's advocacy work also can be found on our public affairs Web site: www.aaapublicaffairs.com.

The assertions in the email messages we received alleging AAA ties to big oil, lobbying against the Clean Air Act and opposition to public transit are simply not true. AAA supports multi-modal transportation solutions and seeks ways to facilitate mobility in an environmentally sensitive manner. We are guided by the views of our members, which we solicit regularly using surveys and other means of feedback.

The most serious error in this site's report on AAA's advocacy, however, is omitting our significant work to improve traffic safety. More than 42,000 people lose their lives every year in crashes. Millions more are injured. Approximately 80 percent of AAA's advocacy efforts are focused on addressing a critically important, but largely un-recognized, public health issue in America: deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes and other traffic accidents. For example, AAA's advocacy has been instrumental in enacting stronger teen driving laws and closing loopholes in child restraint laws leading to fewer fatalities among children and teens.

As AAA begins its second century of work on behalf of the traveling public, we remain committed to ensuring our members have access to safe transportation that gets them where they want to go, when and how they want to get there, regardless of the mode of transportation they choose. But our primary focus will always be on safety."

Mr. Lipinski, while I realize this may not completely address your concerns, I nevertheless hope it provides some insight into our position. Again, thank you for taking the time to bring your concerns to our attention. I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Lynn Bertrand

Lynn Bertrand, CTA
Supervisor, Businesslines
AAA National Member Relations

c.c. Robert Darbelnet, President & CEO, AAA National Office

CVINTON

03-23-2003, 05:06 PM

I happened to notice this part of the article with interest:

ABC News reported that when Jeff Bezos first saw it, he laughed so hard that he fell off his chair. Bezos is the CEO of Amazon.com, where Segway is being sold to the public.

Maybe a good reporter would have checked with Amazon to find out that they themselves have ordered a nimber of HT's for their own Seattle warehouse operation and are taking posession of them next month according to my contact at Segway...

JohnHHarrington

03-24-2003, 01:13 AM

I wrote to AAA World:

I hesitate to write this letter, because I do not want the author to receive any accolades for writing a "great article" that drew a large reader response, but my anger over the article and it's short-sightedness and lacking in accuracy overrode my hopes that the article's author would take what little talent that is possessed to the local grocery store circular.

As an AAA member in Washington DC, I look forward to the day when the Segways make life better, with less congestion on the city streets, less pollution, and a more efficient population. I sat through my own training session as a soon-to-be owner of a Segway, and saw two elderly men, who I walked slowly behind as they shuffled down the hotel hallway in Baltimore, victims of age, but not disabled. Once they stepped on the Segway, you could see the joy in their faces, as they were just as able to control the Segway they stood on, as the 15 year-old next to them. And, while it is not supposed to be a medical device, another boy moved past me leaving a previous training session as I arrived for mine, two canes working in each hand, a victim of multiple-sclorosis, having been freed, if only temporarily during his training, from the bonds of his disease. I know he'll benefit far more than I will from the Segway he's getting.

This invention will change the way we interact with society. Able to experience the paths and roadways we travel more, and the bashing that was visited on the Segway was just uncalled for. Kamen spent his own, and venture-capital monies, and Segway is a privately-held company, whose success (or failure) is of no concern to the general public, only the few people who are invested in the company. To sing the demise of a device when less than a handful of the general public are in possession of it is irresponsibly premature.

Sincerely,
John Harrington

god1138

03-24-2003, 01:52 AM

quote:quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by god1138

Allright, gang... hold your breath. I decided to stoop down a level or two and really attack Mr. Case in his own fashion. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, so they say. If he can attack Segway users by making pointed and smart-aleck statements, so we can too back at him. If you are in the least offended by my words, please forgive me. I just figured you'd all like a good little laugh... and chances are good you'll at least get a smile out of it. Here's what I just sent him via email:

Dear Brian,

You're a moron. I haven't found any way to say such a thing without being blunt, so there it is.

That's just for starters. . . . . . . . . .

Yours truly,
-rmo

My other car is a Segway!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any letter like that is bound to win you the trash can award of the day. You show yourself to be as naive of the writer's mind as he has shown naivite about the Segways.

Peter,
With an article as inflammatory as Mr. Case's surely was, there's no doubt in my mind that he received a lot of very tasteful and poignant replies from our forum members here. Instead of attempting to be 'one of the many', I decided a knee-jerk reaction (like his) deserved one back. He began the name-calling, labelling us what he did, and so I felt it appropriate for me to stoop to his level and talk to him like he so casually 'spoke' to us through his article.

I've never been one to mince words, and I've always dealt with things through humor and jest. I love to smile, be a smart-aleck, and I have a very dry wit.

I'm also one to try and draw some attention through provocative voice, especially when someone has demeaned a demographic I belong in. When I called Mr. Case a moron, I meant it and I wasn't joking about it. I wanted him to understand I thought he was a jerk, pure and simple, because after reading his trite and worthless 'opinion editorial' he deserved to have the shot made back at him.

The old saying "getting a taste of your own medicine" comes to mind... But I meant everything I told him in the most sincere way. I knew writing what I did to him would deviate from the normal disdain and scrutiny everyone else here would likely send him, but that was also my motivation.

I'm not above or below stooping or standing on tippy-toes. I can talk to anyone on any level, and I'll talk to them pretty much the way they talk to me. I can hold my own, and if Mr. Case ever decides he wants to play with a straight hand, I'll engage him on that level as well.

-Robert

And that's all he wrote...

Except:

One more thing, Peter. Correction: I am the cutest, most clever writer ever, but I'll let you go on thinking it about yourself so you don't get mad at me.

; )>

Just kiddin'!

My other car is a Segway!