From the folks over at Amazon:
amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de … 68-7315920
“You won’t find Segway anywhere else.”
We beg to differ, Jeff.
I don’t know when I can afford one of those–a must-buy!
ax
I was wondering when that thing was gonna come out. They were maknig a big fuss about a few years back. Saying it was better than sliced bread.
I heard a lot of hoop-la when they gave some to some US police department to test last year, but nothing since. I can just imagine how difficult it will be to use these things on Taipei’s sidewalks, quite apart from the “total dweeb” factor that will be attached to owning one.
USD5000? No-no …
Don’t worry,
When it reach China’s toy factory, the price will downlow itself.
ax
Dweeb factor? In a country where no-one walks anywhere (hence the mess on the pavements) and where a musical phone ring is considered a sign of culture and sophistication?
A Taiwaner without one of these will be like a Taiwaner without a mobile phone - unable to function in society. Before you know it you’ll be being jostled on the MRT platform by eager little wheels gone onto autopilot, while their jockeys happily discuss aunt Ma’s operation/ancestors/wedding/new business venture with someone at the other end of an antenna.
These bloody things will be specially adapted for the Taiwan market - lots of flashing lights, downgraded ability to avoid pedestrians, enhanced pseudo-exhaust noise, and a ghost money/incense burner. No effort will be made to ban their use in public places, and no effort will be made to accomodate them. They’ll just saunter up an down the escalators, through the department stores, on and off the trains, and get right up my nose!!
They’ll meander along the pavement in line abreast, oblivious to the needs of people who continue the arcane practise of ‘walking’. They’ll deliver shopping monsters to and from their fave haunts without the expenditure of any energy, and thus contribute to the final demise of Taiwan as a society/culture with any dynamism or character whatsoever.
This is the end.
(And where did they get the name?)
“ghost money/incense burner” 
[quote]These bloody things will be specially adapted for the Taiwan market - lots of flashing lights, downgraded ability to avoid pedestrians, enhanced pseudo-exhaust noise, and a ghost money/incense burner. No effort will be made to ban their use in public places, and no effort will be made to accomodate them. They’ll just saunter up an down the escalators, through the department stores, on and off the trains, and get right up my nose!!
[/quote]
Made me laugh. You deserve some karma!
OK, I know that it is supposed to have sophisticated gyros and shit inside, but you look at it and there does not seem to be room to fit US$4,950-worth of anything inside. You could barely even get that much money in cash stuffed inside.
[I love the movie…particularly the part where the dweeb glided past a guy fly fishing. Totally bizarre.]
I saw this guy on the way home tonight and snapped the shot with my PDA then told him “good” as thats about it for my conversations.
Can these be purchased in Taiwan. I assume it is a copy of the Sedgeway.
You mean Segway. Yes, the company sells them here for 200k. Their office is on Zhongshan North Road Section 1, just north of Civil Blvd. I forget which building and which floor, though…
Great picture Ironman – quick reactions there! 
I remember seeing them on TV when the inventor first made his big unveiling. Never seen on in person though. As I recall, none of the background scenery I saw in any of the PR footage looked much like your photo!
Maoman: 200k? Wow, that’s some serious cash. I wonder if the place on Zhongshan would let you take one for a “test-drive”?
Somehow I doubt it… 
[quote=“Hobbes”]Great picture Ironman – quick reactions there!
I remember seeing them on TV when the inventor first made his big unveiling. Never seen on in person though. As I recall, none of the background scenery I saw in any of the PR footage looked much like your photo!
Maoman: 200k? Wow, that’s some serious cash. I wonder if the place on Zhongshan would let you take one for a “test-drive”?
Somehow I doubt it… [/quote]
Okay 200k finishes the discussion. At 20k I would get serious about one for fun and when my kids come over.
It looked so cool as the guy was gliding up the road and easily manouvered around things, guessing he was doing 15-20kph.
Something akin to the way the nun in The Blues Brothers moved around.
I saw my first Segway yesterday – in fact, a pair of them, being ridden about at Bitan by a couple of guys. They looked like a lot of fun, but would hardly be worth paying NT$200k for.
I wonder about their status on the roads here: Would one need to have any kind of licence to take one on the road, and would it be illegal to ride one on the pavement/sidewalk?
I can’t imagine there’s anywhere in Taiwan smooth enough that you could use one without faceplanting every 100m…
Except maybe the hard shoulder on the freeway 
[quote=“hsiadogah”]I can’t imagine there’s anywhere in Taiwan smooth enough that you could use one without faceplanting every 100m…
Except maybe the hard shoulder on the freeway [/quote]
It’s kept up by gyroscopes and you shouldn’t lose your balance because of rough terrain. There’s one that can go up and down stairs. Just pay extra for that handy feature.
Had a ride on a Segway today!
They were demoing them at the Yuemei/Malawan theme park area to the north of Taichung (Malawan a good water park but avoid on weekends as HUGELY crowded).
I think a Segway dealership has opened in Taichung so this was a good way to get publicity.
It is a curious feeling – at first it feels very unnatural but you get used to it fairly quickly. Something that I found a bit strange was that you lean forward or backward to go or stop (or indeed to go backward) but you don’t lean to steer – you twist part of the handle. You kind of expect a two-wheeler to have the dynamics of a scooter but it doesn’t at all.
The further forward you lean, the faster you go, but as you reach maximum speed the thing actually won’t lean any further and tilts the footboard backwards.
The oddest thing is standing upright, balancing easily on two wheels and going nowhere. You hear some little whirring sounds as the gyros & motors keep you stable, but you don’t feel much – just the occasional twitch.
The ones on display today had been temporarily limited to 20kmh for safety reasons (we were trying them out in an area with quite a few pedestrians). The boss gave a few minutes training and held the thing steady until he felt I had the knack. I think he could do with upping the training time though.
I was told that they’re legal on public roads, without a license plate but with driver wearing a crash helmet. I’d want to get a second opinion on the legality though.
Anybody know if theres a Segway dealer in Taiwan? I checked their website and showed one in Neihu but they’re closed down now. I’ve see them on the road 2-3 times a week so there must be one around.
Thanks in advance any help you can provide.