Flutterby™! : Sidewalk SUV 2006-07-25 20:54:46.807827+00

Sidewalk SUV

2006-07-25 20:54:46.807827+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

Maybe my calling Segway a failure is premature: WSJ: Make Way for the Sidewalk SUV (apologies to whomever I stole this from, I don't remember my source right now):

On a recent afternoon at Walt Disney World, Dennis Robles was cruising around on an electric "mobility scooter" that the park usually rents out to people with disabilities. Mr. Robles doesn't have a problem walking -- he says he was simply saving up energy for late-night dancing.

"I'm pretty healthy," says the 37-year-old truck driver from Brooklyn, N.Y. "Just lazy, I guess."

If all of these "get a scooter for free from Medicaid" ads keep up, then maybe the stigma against using scooters on the sidewalk will be worn down and Segway users won't be seen as lazy dorks.

The wheelchair analogy is closer than you think. Kamen's balance module in the Segway was originally designed for the IBOT, his stair-climbing wheelchair. Unfortunaltly, Medicare won't approve it which means Medicaid and most insurance plans won't either. Of course, it does cost as much as a Chevy, and I can see why HHS is a bit leery.

I witnessed this myself when we were at Disney World a few months back: I noticed a group of young, hip[-hop] teens entering the park about the same time as us. Later, I watched the whole pack cruise by on those scooters. And yes, the guys were leaning back and to the left with their right hand on the handlebar.