Stanley Blumenthal took his Segway Personal Transporter for a spin around his condo complex Tuesday. It will be one of his last rides on the two-wheeled device if the condominium’s board of directors has its way.
When Blumenthal got his one-person set of wheels two years ago, the condo’s board wrote a rule banning the device…
“We feel that he’s a danger to the people that live here,” board member Al Smith told CBS4’s Nelson. “He can be coming around the corner and run you over with that 100 pound vehicle. I just think it’s a danger to everyone here.”
Blumenthal points out that golf carts are permitted to scoot around the condo complex, as are people in motorized wheel chairs, bicyclists and riding lawnmowers.
“I’ve never had an accident,” he said. “I’ve never hit anybody, never hurt anybody.” He argues that his electric-powered ride is environmentally friendly and gives him independence. “It’s a quality of life thing,” he said. “I’m trying to enjoy life at 83, the pursuit of happiness. Why should I give up the pursuit of happiness?”
One of the delights of republican democracy is that you get to turn over your governance to meatheads.
The condo board is screwing the man. The condo board is not a constitutional republic. Condo boards are simple tyranny in the form of little local fiefdoms.
He’s using it to visit his girlfriend. Somebody’s jealous….ewww!
So many condo directors are little dictators. Unfortunately, the courts have allowed them that leeway.
>>One of the delights of republican democracy is that you get to turn over your governance to meatheads.
As a condo dweller for 20+ years I know how it is to deal with meatheads who think they know what’s best for everyone. And they’re often the same people who break the rules. We have a no pet rule, but one board member who lives above me has a cat. All attempts to make him get rid of the cat have fallen on deaf ears.
#4 Gary – You should take matters into your own hands. Cats make good eats.
Reason #1 why I hate HOA’s, which are Condo Boards for those of us with houses.
I know that JD thinks they’re geeky. He never rolled on one more than a minute or two… but when you own one of these (I do), it becomes quickly apparent that your old legs are suddenly 20 again.
The whole contraption suffers from two things that strike fear or derision into the hearts of the ignorant (like John):
1. It’s big-ish. Big wheels that look like they will crush you like a bug. A base full of mass that will mow you down from sheer momentum.
2. It makes you taller, more dominant, more barbarian like—able to frighten away bears and moose.
Reality:
1. The entire device is virtually momentum-free. It not only compensates for its own weight, it compensates compeletely for YOUR own weight. The effect is intuitive, weightless floating. It stops as quickly as you do when walking. You can roll over someone’s bare foot with the wheel (15 pounds pressure—hey, that’s atmospheric pressure, too) without damage. We tested this on purpose. Collisions with other pedestrians is rare, but not zero. I don’t know of any considerate Segway pilot who has caused someone damage. Woz plays a version of Polo with his, so maybe he has bashed up someone, but the most damage comes from falling off one, say, on wet grass. [I’ve done that!] My worst injury: grass stains.
I have, however, had people run or walk into ME. Same as it ever was in sidewalk traffic.
The whole FEAR IT-IT’s DIFFERENT argument is empty. It takes up less than five extra inches of your footprint, to/fro and side/side and produces its own weightlessness. It’s a magic carpet that flies a few inches up, and I’m not kidding about the legs suddenly reverting to undergraduate status.
2. You are eight inches taller. For the average sized pilot (me), that makes you big enough to see over most non-basketball players. In thick crowds, you can inch along literally slower than a toddler can crawl, but you can see more of the obstacles ahead. Everyone I know who has one is aware that people don’t know what to expect from them due to near-universal ignorance, so they—and I—take extra pains to glide in a non-threatening way, announcing one’s self as pedestrians are overtaken, showing how utterly slow they can be when someone unnecessarily steps aside, and showing folks how they can be a wheelchair for people who can stand.
What Segway should do, especially for cases like this, is to arrive with ten of them for the next condo meeting. Half an hour later, fears will have evaporated.
PS: John, the offer still stands. You or your son: an hour on a Segway at Venice Beach boardwalk. Free. Just don’t bring preconceptions.
My dad rode around on a scooter for years in his retirement community as do many others. In the 12 years he’s been there not one vehicle-person accident. Several have run into furniture but no one has been hurt.
HOAs are a bad thing for things like this but often a necessary thing for a small community to function. Every HOA that I know of that was abolished either resulted in a steep decline in the standards of living for that community or they vote to form a new HOA within 2 years.
Everyone knows, including the condom board, Segway Personal Transporter will make you gay. Blumenthal’s condom does not allow gays.
>>One of the delights of republican democracy is that you get to turn over your governance to meatheads.
Why can’t it read…
>>One of the delights of democracy is that you get to turn over your governance to meatheads.
Sounds like you are slighting the Repubs. I understand you are not. But not everyone who stumbles across the blog is as smart as the rest here. They won’t understand that the courts have propped up HOA’s and boards into becoming extremely powerful entities.
Crossing paths with a HOA or board is not for the faint of heart.
But this part got me…
>>When Blumenthal got his one-person set of wheels two years ago, the condo’s board wrote a rule banning the device…
Sounds like there was a vote. And Stanley was on the losing side. Board’s are elected. Throw the bums (and the cat) out and put people in that support Segways. That’s how a democratic society works. You might not get that elsewhere.
I don’t know which is wores. Fifedom Condo boards or Segways. The world would be a better place without either.
Didn’t the ppl of SF complained about the same thing even before the segway was out there?
Eidy, do you always think nanny-state rules come from conservative types? It’s a condo board. The unfortunate part is that they became necessary in many cases because people let their properties go to Hell next door to your place or mine, but once they’re in they go into regulation-creep. Now, instead of just making sure you keep your lawn mowed and your yard free of car parts they govern how you decorate for the holidays and other things…and now what you may or may not ride around on.
This relates to a pet peeve of mine: those daytime TV advertisements for scooters paid by Medicare.
I see people in those scooters who seem like they’d be better off walking.
Don’t get me wrong — I don’t mind my tax dollars paying for handicapped people to get more mobility.
But it seems like my tax dollars are being used to encourage MORE obesity.
My generic anti-BS rule applies here: every institution, plan, regulation, rule has drawbacks and multiple errors and mistakes and disagreements can always be found.
In short, any idiot can complain about anything.
A rational person will complain and then offer the solution or better way to go.
Here it appears people it it appropriate that individuals in a democracy should be able to do whatever they want to regardless of the majority will.
Thats called being a self centered child. Something one should have grown out of by this age, but I see it doesn’t.
I live in a HOA. Guy next door drives a loud motorcycle that is upsetting everyone. I don’t like it either. I declined to sign a petition to have the cycle removed/fixed as while I don’t like it, I know he does. Live and let live. Others may disagree, and isn’t that what freedom is all about?
Go, Stanley, go!! Be patient, keep gliding, you will persevere. Don’t allow the un-informed board members to impinge on your rights of mobility. And God Bless you for your service!
#14 Greg – Same goes for those Handicap parking decals. My daughter has CP and we have a decal. Sometimes when we go to the mall or where ever, all the handicap spaces are taken. We expect to see a slew of people in wheelchairs and walkers when we enter the establishment but when we go in, there are few to none. Where are all these handicap people??
#11 Dave – What’s wrong with Segways? I’ve driven one and enjoyed the heck out of it!
Odl people bitching and moaning about other old people
My 87 year old father bought one of these it is great. I would like to see someone take it away from him. His knees may be gone but he still packs a punch.
This issue is a shame…Shame on the members of the condo board. It has been my experience that the ONLY people that compalin about Segways are those that have never ridden one. When they do, all preconceived notions disappear and the realization of how practical, safe, intuitive and zen-like this marvelous transportation device is becomes strikingly apparent.
Live your life, Stanley!…You deserve it!
Glide on,
SegwayJay
http://www.ListwithJayforaFreeSegway.com