|
|
| THE SEGWAY TRANS-POOR-TER: THE MYTHOLOGY
AND THE OBVIOUS TRUTH! |
|
THE SOLUTION TO A
PR0BLEM THAT DID NOT EXIST!
DEAN KAMEN
BAMBOOZLES AMERICA (My Personal Opinion): From all
that I have read concerning an invention by Dean Kamen, the
Segway Transporter is an ingenious device, and as far as
performance goes, it does almost/exactly what he says it will
do, if you overlook the fact that it is an ATTENTION-GETTING
oddly shaped device intended to be used in places where it
should be outlawed--on the sidewalks of America. Yes,
according to the reports of those who have tried it, or used
it for any period of time, it is an interesting two-wheeled
(side-by-side) scooter-like device, the ingenuity of which is
intriguing, but beyond that, what is it?
And that's all it is, a scooter, simply a
scooter with a fancy name to make it appear that it's
something else. No matter what the inventor wishes to call it,
it is a scooter with a different type motor for propulsion,
and since the wheels are side by side instead of front and
rear, it needs a gyroscope and computer in order to help
balance the rider and keep the both of them upright.
Platform scooters are the only form of
transpoortation (a typo, but a hell of a good pun) on which
the rider must constantly stand, unless you count crowded
subway cars or buses, and then you have straps and rails to
hang onto.
If it wasn't for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, it would sell for a few hundred dollars
instead of the thousands that's the current price ticket.
If it weren't for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, it would not need a gyroscope to maintain
balance for the rider, and expensive computers inside to make
adjustments for them as they speed along the sidewalks of the
nation, the human rider would keep it upright with his natural
sense of balance.
If it were not for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, they could probably put a seat on it, so
that the rider would not have to constantly stand while this
ultra-expensive-thing-a-ma-jig and rich-kid's toy (which is
what it will end up being) is in motion.
If it were not for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, you could probably zip around the streets on
it at 20 or 30 miles an hour, instead of being limited to
speeds "up to 12.5 miles" an hour.
If it weren't for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, the Inventor would not need to have his
high-powered highly paid lobbyists brow-beat, finagle or
seduce (and who knows what else) the legislators of 24 states
to pass special laws for the benefit of just one man, Dean
Kamen, and a single invention, his highly priced scooter
(called the Segway Transporter), so that it could be used on
sidewalks instead of the streets where it
belongs. |
|
IT'S A "POOR" CHOICE TO PUT ON A SIDEWALK, TO
COMPETE FOR SPACE WITH PEDESTRIANS.
These special laws are endangering pedestrians,
especially small children, the elderly, infirm, and the
handicapped, laws that have been created for the
enrichment of a single person, Dean Kamen.
If it were not for the fact that the two wheels
are side-by-side, one would not pay any particular attention
to it. It would be the same as any other scooter and relegated
to the streets, as this one should be, and it would not be
granted the special privilege of being allowed on the
sidewalks where it definitely does not belong.
Who will insure it? Who is financially
responsible if someone is seriously injured while one of these
fancy toys is racing down the sidewalk at 10 to 12.5 m.p.h.,
with some fourteen year-old kid riding it? Isn't it risky for
the legislators to grant special permission through
legislation to a personable, but perhaps a bit nutty,
inventor*, without thoroughly testing it, or consulting the
city councils around their state to get their input?
Was there any reason to rush through such Laws
before we had time to investigate the safety issues and give
the matter proper consideration, with hearings and testimony
from concerned citizens, as definitely should have been
done? Don't we have enough problems with sidewalk safety
because of roller-blades, razor scooters, BMC bicycles and
skateboards, without adding a 65 to 100 lb. "up to 12.5 miles
an hour" side-by-side two-wheeled motorized scooter, costing
up to $8,000, to the mix?
These were poor decisions, poor choices, poor
judgment, poor policies by State Legislators to give anyone or
any company such an advantage, hence the typo, trans-poor-ter,
seems an apt name for it.
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION:
I recommend that a Congressional Committee look into the
question of: How can one man gain so much influence so rapidly
that he get more than 30 State Legislatures to pass a law for
his/company's special benefit? There was no emergency
situation that called for it, no proof that the Sledge-weight
scooter was of any particular benefit to all mankind,
no fair trial safety records offered, and absolutely no reason
to circumvent cities and counties in the regulation of what is
and what is not good for the protection of pedestrians on
their sidewalks. |
|
Where will Dean Kamen fly next in his personal jet
to have special laws passed, just for his own, his sole
personal financial benefit alone? Germany? Italy?
England? I doubt if they will be just as foolish and
inconsiderate over there and to do what America's State
Senators and Representatives have done to us! This was a
dangerous precedent to set, one that I do not believe
has ever been granted to a single other person in the
history of this country. iT WAS MONEY AND MONEY ALONE
THAT ENABLED DEAN KAMEN TO EFFECTIVELY CIRCUMVENT NORMAL
PROCEEDURES AND HAVE SPECIAL LAWS ENACTED FOR HIS and
his company's SOLE BENEFIT.
This might potentially be called the most highly
dangerous toy on the sidewalks
today. |
Copyright © 2006
Howard's Views. All Rights
Reserved.
| Send to a friend: www.howardsviews.com/custom3.html |
|
COMPARED TO
THE SLEDGE-WEIGHT** SCOOTER, A BICYCLE IS THE PERFECT
PEOPLE-MOVER OR TRANSPORTER, FAR MORE BENEFICIAL,
MANEUVERABLE, FUEL-CONSERVING, LESS-DANGEROUS, LESS-COSTLY,
MORE CONTROLLABLE AND FAR BETTER TESTED AND SAFE FOR ALL
CONCERNED. PLUS, IT DOES NOT NEED SPECIAL LAWS AND PRIVILEGES
THAT BENEFIT AND ENRICH SOLELY ONE CITIZEN IN A NATION OF 290
MILLION CITIZENS. THESE SEPCIAL PRIVILEGES SHOULD BE
REVOKED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE; THEY ARE NEITHER FAIR NOR WERE
THEY NECESSARY, AND DEMONSTRABLY A BAD EXAMPLE FOR OUR
HISTORICAL LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE GRANTED
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO A SINGLE CITIZEN TO THE DETRIMENT OF ALL
OTHERS. SEE MY TAPED TV PRESENTATION ON THIS
MATTER. HELL, YOU CAN BUY A USED BICYCLE FOR LESS THAN $100
AND BEAT THE SLEDGE-WEIGHT TRANSPOORTER IN EVERY DEPARTMENT,
SAFETY, COST AND EASE OF OPERATION, MANEUVERABILITY, NO
LENGTHY CHARGE-UPS, IF IT RUNS OUT OF POWER YOU WON'T GO FLAT
ON YOUR FACE AND YOU'LL GET DAILY EXERCISE. AND, OH YES, YOU
WON'T NEED TO BAMBOOZLE THE STATE CAPITOLS TO GRANT YOU
SPECIAL "RICH BOY" PRIVILEGES!
|
|
| |