M Series Segway: Day 2

[Neelix]

Woke up this morning, did regular morning activities, then went and rode the Segway around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes before I left for school. Got to school, took a couple Finals, and talked with some people about the odd keys around my neck and what they were for. At 2:15, school was over, so I went out to the parking lot to my find my dad so I could go out for a glide. No studded tires today, didn't want to dirty my school uniform. I pulled it out of the car, threw my backpack in, and started on my first ever Segway errand; returning library books. I segged the mile and a half or so to the library, getting comments from people in cars. Saw one other person on the sidewalk the whole way, and she was jogging. I rolled up the library, just as another person was getting back in their car from returning her own books. She froze and stared at me as I segged up to the book return slot, shoved my books in and rolled out of the parking lot. On the way back, I discovered that on a gently curving sidewalk you can ride hands free by shifting your weight a little bit to either side to compensate. It must have been confusing to people driving by seeing me glide along the sidewalk on the machine with my hands in my pockets! I got back to school, went up and visited the elementary campus as everyone was leaving. One of the mothers picking up her child realized that it was a Segway and started talking to another mother about Dean Kamen and the iBOT and how it would change the world, etc. I didn't get a chance to talk with her, but I'll cruise by there some other day and see if she's there. Went back to the junior high/high school campus and let my brother ride around a bit. He hopped off and I rode the battery to death. As we were loading the Segway back into the car, a guy came over and started asking us questions about it. It was too bad the batteries were dead, or we would have given him a ride! Came home, moved some stuff around in the garage so we'd have a more convenient parking spot. I parked it there, plugged it in, and here I am!

I'm hoping to get off road some more tomorrow, as I have an early school dismissal due to finals.

Until tomorrow...
Neelix, over and out!

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

[Zorba9]

Chris! On long back stretchs of quiet streets you can easily do all of your steering by shifting your weight from side to side. I don't think those batteries have been dump-cycled in a while, so by running them down to nothing today I'll bet tomorrows journey will last a noticable bit longer. I always try not to scare people when I come up from behind them, slowing down to their speed and sometimes even excusing nyself from behind them (usually the first time they know I am there).

KOG

Zorba9.....

[Phil]

Neelix,
Glad your having fun on, and getting good use out of the HT.
When reading your post, I noticed the comment: "It must have been confusing to people driving by seeing me glide along the sidewalk on the machine with my hands in my pockets!" While we all "feel" very comfortable when on the HT due to the "stability" that is designed into it, there are sometimes unseen / uneven surfaces or some other hidden mogle that can/will catch us by suprise when riding that can rock the HT side to side and can be a little unsettling even with our hands firmly attached. With your hands in your pockets if you happened upon one of the "disturbances" you could be seriously injured while trying to get your hands out of your pockets, when they could be used to fend off the ground in a fall. I know from your previous post that you are very mature young person that i'd hate read about getting hurt. Please take this warning to heart and have many more happy glides out there.
Sincerly
Phil

P.S. I do sometimes (most) show people that hands are not used to make the HT "GO". By letting loose of the grips ala "hands free" while moving back and forth 8-10 ft.

Phil Webb
"Cherry IT Driver"

[Neelix]

Phil, I was aware of the danger, and I was going pretty slowly. It was a fairly smooth length of sidewalk that I had jogged and walked along many times before. I'll keep your advice in mind, however, for less familiar stretches of sidewalk.

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

[jrmiller]

Neelix, See, it's only getting better! I am anxious to see if you battery time has increased with running them "dry". I have yet to completely dump mine and have been happy with time and distance they have given me so far. I'll probably dump them and recharge them in a few days, shouldn't hurt anything. You may want to put a bicycle bell or something like that to give pedestrians some kind of warning as the HT is so quiet. I have found that in a crowd you have less time for avoidance tactics and an audible signal may help. Enjoy ENjoy ENJOY SEG-ON SEG-RIGHT JR :>)

[ZoliHonig]

Hey neelix,
Does Zorba plan on lending out anymore segways?


[8]-Zoli[8]

[statmed]

Neelix, you better start saving your money because when you have to return it to Zorba you'll never be the same.

After owning my HT for almost a year, I could not see life without one now. It just wouldn't be the same.

I hope you can get your own by that time.

I think Zorba offered to start the Neelix fund. Maybe we all can throw in a few bucks to help him out. I'm game, anyone else willing to help him out.

Within our growing community, perhaps we can help Neelix now, Sunday next and so on.

Any feeback.

H.M. Stern
statmed@optonline.net

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

[ZoliHonig]

I'd love to help, but I'm in need myself!

[8]-Zoli[8]

[gotseg]

Hey Neelix, ill giva ya 20 for ur fund if you can drop in 20 for mine :)
Sounds like your havin a ball! (where in the world did that expression come from?) Anyway, im sure your enjoying every moment of it and cant wait for it to recharge!

Keep us posted as always!

gotseg?

[brina]

not terribly related but having a ball is a reference to balls held back in the day, ya know grand partys for the cultural elite, so to have a ball is haveing fun as if at a party, thats all

[gotseg]

Learn somethin new every day :)

gotseg?

[Zorba9]

Bad news my friends, I will post a thread in a few minutes. Neelix's house has been robbed in San Francisco today.

Zorba9.....