Human-Transporter Reviews

I don't own the Segway or this taillight, but in the spirit of so many other Amazon reviews I have read, I would certainly support buying a taillight for a Segway were I to purchase one!

This sleek, stylish, and very red taillight has only your safety in mind as a Segway rider. For all those nightly jaunts to your favorite coffee house or local eating establishment, this safety conscious tail light will make you stand out like a lifetime bachelor at one of Reverend Moon's group weddings.

As you dart dangerously down the uneven pavement of your local sidewalk or public street, this LED tail light is sure to show all those people walking their dogs and shuffling down the street the old fashion way (with their legs no less) that you are not only cool enough to be riding an electric scooter, but cool enough to let those you pass in the dark know you are riding an electric scooter.

Slap this tail light on your Segway and let the world know that you will not only pass them by, but you will do it while shining a red LED light in their Segwayless faces.

I'm not sure if this is the exact same lock, but I bought a Kryptonite lock directly from Segway for $19.99.

Many people pay the same for bike locks for $200 bikes. It is hard to find a decent lock for under $30.

If you are parking your Segway in a high crime neighborhood, you will have to worry about it, as with everything you leave there.

Segways in general are well-worth the money, and so is this lock if it gives you peace of mind.

I doubted that any lock could be worth $80, but once you see this one you'll appreciate the quality. If you want a lock that attaches in seconds, rather than trying to wrestle one of the coiled types through the wheel and fender, this is for you. But don't purchase it from Amazon if you need one anytime soon. After waiting four months, I checked with Segway, and found that they've been in stock there right along. It took two days to get one. Wonder why Amazon still can't get any.

I agree with the other reviewers who don't understand where the animosity against the Segway comes from. Sure, it's expensive - it does some pretty amazing and impressive things, and all that technology is packed in a small footprint. If you think it's too expensive, don't buy it. A lot of people don't blink at paying $5-10K for other types of recreational vehicles that are loud and smelly (ATVs, snowmobiles, Jetskis, etc.) and not nearly as useful. I thought long and hard about the cost, but after riding one a couple of times, I had to find a way to own one.

Here's a purchasing tip: if you're within driving range of the Segway plant (Bedford, NH), you can pick it up right there. You won't have to pay sales taxes or shipping costs, and they'll even help you take it out of the box.

A note on the invention: the Segway is an outgrowth of the research and development done for the Ibot, the wheelchair that climbs stairs and does other cool things. The Ibot is the "Fred" to the Segway's "Ginger" :^}

I LOVE my HT! I cannot express how much I love this thing. Finally, no more walking! I hate walking. Now all my troubles have disappeared. I don't even walk to the car anymore. I drive my segway right on out to the car, my driver sets me in my seat, stashes the HT someplace and off we go. I even ride it around my house. No more hurrying to the kitchen for a snack during a commercial, now I just hop on my HT and ZOOM, I'm there! I find shopping around town to be a breeze. I zip into a store, browse, buy and zip out. Just to warn you, though, most store owners frown upon bringing the HT inside, but I find that if you possess strong powers of persuasion you won't encounter many problems. My only concern is the lack of horn (or maybe I just can't find it). I find that having to raise my voice to shoo people off the sidewalk to be a real problem. If I had a horn I could pleasantly beep the bothersome peds out of the way. Riding the HT is such a thrill. I love the wind in my hair and the freedom from that infernal walking! I even took my HT on a hike! The trail was too steep to ride, so I just puttered around the parking lot until my companions returned. Now that I have my HT I find that I enjoy activities I once despised. Such as going along with my partner on her daily runs. I can now speed along side her shouting words of encouragment. I really do love my HT and highly recommend getting one for yourself, you WON'T regret it!!

"A toy for rich people which does not improve human condition, November 16, 2003
Reviewer: An electronics fan from USA
I did not like the way this was first announced to the world on Good Morning America. They got lots of free advertising on the morning talk shows and I think that was wrong, there are many other good products in the world, first of their kind, inventions that help sick people, and they don't get free advertising. It's not fair. Sure it's unique but it's not something that helps to save lives, or help sick people, or anything like that. Why is the inventor of this so special that he should get free advertising? It's just an expensive toy for rich people.

I also did not like the way this was in the Fraser TV show. But I guess it belongs with that class of people, it belongs with a bunch of rich snobs. The thing with this device, since it is so expensive and portable, small compared to a bicycle, it would be easy to hijack so anyone who buys one should be willing to have it stolen, you'll be out 4 grand and bicycle thief's will be able to have a new career. "

To address the concerns of theft of this reviewer, each Segway HT comes with a set of three keys. Each one unlocks a greater ability of the Segway. But each set of keys is unique to the Segway! It has a 64 bit key code that works only for that Segway. So what's the theif gonna do? Oh wow! He's got a Segway but no way to work it!!! Well it's real useful to him now isn't it? What's he gonna do? Just roll it around??? Oh wow!!! I don't think any idiot would try to steal this... of course then again maybe you would....

I use my HT every day, and have found it to truly live up to all the expectations that have been generated for it. What's interesting is that the claims the company makes for it are not exaggerated. They say that it is designed to triple the distance you would usually walk, or, conversely, cut the time by 2/3 that it takes to go a given distance...and that's exactly what I've found. I use mine in New York to effecively replace taxis, and in addition to saving money it has opened up an interesting number of new options. Where I would usually walk to something within, say, five or ten blocks, and take a cab or mass transit for anything more than a couple of miles away, I now find myself using the Segway for everything in the range of about 1/3 to 3 miles, which means I'm getting more done in less time, and I'm frequenting things that otherwise would have been just a bit too far to walk and a bit too close to cab. Finally, this thing is just *fun*! With the price of the P series now down to something approaching reasonableness (certainly a lot better than the original $8K for the industrial version), the only real 'drawback' is that it is still new and eye-catching. That means you should be prepared to spend about half your time answering questions and doing demos...which, if you're single, is about the best conceivable way to get a date! [grin]

Unlike Steven Cavins (joke? review posted below) I'm not rich or a frivilous spender and that's why I ended up buying a Segway. I think the rich and frivilous folks are those who spend $30-50K to buy a large car or SUV to commute the 5 miles to work each day. And yet *that* is very acceptable behavior in my state. My story: My wife and I tried to get by with only one car for awhile, but I was not happy when stranded and the bus system was sometime great and sometimes not. I only need to commute 5 miles to work so after looking at various cars, I became facinated with the concept of a Segway. I got a p Series and love it. Riding to work is so nice on a summer day, I can't help but smile all the way.

By the way the price for a new p Series is only $2,995 at Segway.com and any place other than amazon.com during July. It's also $1-2K on ebay.com.

I commute 5 miles to work each day on my little Segway and love it. Most people drive their $35,000 SUV on the same commute I take to work each day, really. In fact, I've watched them leave my neighborhood, drive into my office park, and then drive around looking for parking. Remember the SUV/Minivan/Car is just a gasoline-powered device that substitutes for a bicycle, or walking.

I suppose I'm crazy, but I thought paying 1/10th the price and having no maintenance costs would be better for me. The Segway can substitute for a car or motorcycle if you want it to. Do people find motorcycles acceptable, how is this different?

Someone posted this previously "American drivers take approximately 900 million car trips per day. The EPA estimates that half of all those trips are less than five miles (8 km) long and transport only one passenger."