Defending Segway

[Stutoonz]

Strange thing---As one of the early purchasers, I took to heart Dean's message about being Segway's Good Will Ambassadors. I lost count of the number of demo rides that I have given---never an accident---never an unhappy face, yet now we are called upon to do one more task---DEFEND SEGWAY as a machine and as a company!!
I feel that ALL of us happy wayseggers should do so without any equivocation, reservation or self-evasion in mind and spirit whatever.
May we all keep happily gliding and woe to the naysayers !!

SO IT GOES !!-Kurt Vonnegut, author
WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND HE IS US!- Pogo

[pt]

we're all pioneers. there's gold in them thar' hills if we all keep moving, and not get caught up with people shooting arrows.

be nice, ride safe, be ourselves...don't let the "man" let cars continue to be the only way to get around.

cheers,
pt

[stevew]

it may be tough for a while dealing with the immediate fallout of the recall, but memories are usually short and fade with time, yes I say keep gliding as usual, tough it out, continue to prove how safe and handy the Segway is, and yes patiently explain to skeptics why it's so.

[Neelix]

You know, a while ago whenever I told someone about the Segway (and I tell. A LOT) one of the first things that they would say was "But if you're the President you can't ride them" or something like that. Now, what do I get "Oh, they were recalled three people were KILLED using them" Not a word spoken about Dubya, anymore. It'll be the same thing.

Though, at the Bay Area SEG meeting, some kids (i.e. people my age =)) walked by and and said to each other "Thats the thing that was on Tom Green!" First I'd heard about THAT incident. ;) @ toybuilder

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[q]

today was my first day
of gliding since the
recall announcement.
quite frankly, i've
never felt more proud
to be a segway owner
(and my firmware won't
even be upgraded for a
few more weeks).

surely, the people at the
gym mentioned the recall,
but they _all_ "got it"--
"stop gliding when the
batteries are almost
"empty." (i was im-
pressed by that bunch.)

then i went to the bank.
whilst locking up the seg
outside, at least half-a-
dozen bank employees were
"ooo-ing" and "ahh-ing."
i was 1 of 2 customers, so
the bank wasn't busy.
the employees were "all
over me" with compliments
and adulation. i think
the seg "made" their day.

whatever the "fallout," i
think it'll turn out to be
diminimus for several rea-
sons:

1) llc was "stand-up" about
it;

2) most people realize
the general principle
that it's not a good
idea to keep using a
commuting item whose
power source is basic-
ally exhausted; and that
a segway would apply
to that principle; and

3) "today's news wraps
tomorrow's fish"--people
don't "cling" to _old_
headlines very long.

so, faithfully and with
aplomb, i renew and con-
tinue my seg "ambassador"
duties, not only in spite
of the recall, but because
of it.

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3d.jpg
(plz click the image to enlarge.)

//

[pt]

q,

amazing post, thanks for sharing that-- i love your posts!

cheers,
pt

[jgassor]

This week has surprised me with the number of people who had only just heard about the Segway, due to the recall. Once I have explained that mine is already patched, but also explaining the reason for the recall, and then finally onwards with the explanation of the machine and the odd demo, balance is restored!

Jim

Live life to the full, get Tivo and get a Segway! http://segway.gassor.com

[statmed]

All the people who approach me about the recall seem to be really concerned and interested in it. I've not had to defend Segway at all.

I usually give them the explanation that if a motorcycle runs out of gas it will stop and fall over and if the Segway depletes its battery, it cannot stay balanced and will go down. Then I mention that the recall is really a software upgrade to give more warnings to those that ignore the warnings in the previous software.

Everyone I've spoken to has been very encouraging and when I mention that I've already had the software upgrade they can't believe how responsive Segway has been in getting this done.

H.M. Stern
statmed@optonline.net

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together (Hannibal Smith)

[Sal]

As H.M. Stern so eloquently analogizes, that is the same explanation I use. And people generally smile and then ask me if I have juice left.

i have even gotten folks who yell out "check the battery level!" as they see me pass. Not the usual "how much does it cost?"

I think the word "recall" as a sense of stigma associated with it, something bad, something unwanted, and unexpected. Maybe Segway and/or the media could have used "safety upgrade." A note for the future.

But once I explain to those who comment, that there already was a thorough warning about riding on low batteries in the manual and the training, and those who chose to ignore the warning fell, the commenters usually say Segway is doing an admirable thing.

-Sal

Think Different
www.apple.com

Answers that Matter
www.lilly.com

[fireballfive]

Q. Whats a Segway?
A. Oh, about 85 pounds

Fireball Five

Everything Should Be As Simple As Possible,But Not Simpler

[q]

quote:Originally posted by pt

q,

amazing post, thanks for sharing that-- i love your posts!

cheers,
pt


//

hi pt,

thx.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3g.jpg
(plz click the image to enlarge.)

//

[GadgetmanKen]

This opens up a whole new ad campaign or common phrase :)

"GOT JUICE?"

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[Sal]

Hmmmm..... Got juice?

http://home.nycap.rr.com/saleelkulkarni/gotjuice.jpg

Think Different
www.apple.com

Answers that Matter
www.lilly.com

[dhugger]

salkulkarni, I LOVE IT!

-Derek Hugger-

[statmed]

[/:)] GOT JUICE!![/:)]

[/:(]NO JUICE!![/:(]

H.M. Stern
statmed@optonline.net

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together (Hannibal Smith)

[pt]

quote:Originally posted by salkulkarniI think the word "recall" as a sense of stigma associated with it, something bad, something unwanted, and unexpected. Maybe Segway and/or the media could have used "safety upgrade." A note for the future.


you actually can't, with the cpsc.gov that's the only term. there are tons of "recalls", each month- we're just deaf to the them.

cheers,
pt

[Sal]

Thanks PT. I didn't know that the term "recall" was set in stone with the cpsc.

-Sal

Think Different
www.apple.com

Answers that Matter
www.lilly.com