Thursday, September 27, 2007

Following the Segway

I went to blockbuster on my segway today. My roommate, Lindsay, followed on her bike. We had a good time, but the scariest thing happened (we actually laugh about it now). Some guys in an old van followed us back to the dorms. At first we saw them going the opposite way of us. Then, we saw them cross in front of us. We saw them a third time (I guess they like zigzagging) and when we got back to the college a friend told us she saw an old van behind us. We got back safely and reported the van to campus security. Maybe they were just trying to get a better look at my segway, but they looked very creepy.

On the bright side, I got a few good reactions to my segway. One little girl yelled out, "Cool" and "Sweet!" Another guys stopped me. He was walking his dog, and he asked a couple of questions. He wanted to know how far my segway could go. I told him that it can go up to 20 miles on a battery, but if you go slowly it will probably only go 10-15 miles. He thought that was cool and was surprised it could go so far. He aksed how fast it could go, I told him it can go 13 miles per hour but the fasted I've gone is 12.1 miles per hour. He said he saw commercials for segways when it first came out. I told him it costs about $5000 for a used one. The technology is still fairly new. He said he's never seen one except on TV. They are getting more popular. Some cities give tours on them. Police and security officers use them. I even saw a guy giving out information at a casino in Las Vegas on one once. Anyway, I talked to the guy for a while and petted his dog. He's originally from San Diego. He was very friendly. We had to stop talking because it was getting late and dark out. Considering cars and bumps on the sidewalk, I wouldn't reccomend riding at night. I do, however, have reflectives and a light that I can put on my segway if I ever need some light.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They probably just wanted to check out your cool wheels, or maybe they wanted to talk but knew they would scare you. On the other hand, if you want some rules to consider so you can prepare for or even scare away trouble:

1. Don't go out alone at night. You're easy to identify, you may look vulnerable, and you have an expensive toy that they think means you're rich.

2. Don't go out out by yourself again for a month or two.

3. Always have your cell phone where you can get to it in seconds, such as in a holster on your belt. If a holster doesn't work for you, tape one to the post of your Segway. (Remember to take the phone with you by taping a ribbon to it and letting the ribbon hang out of the holster.)

4. If you see those particular creeps again, or any other suspicious behavior, get your cell phone out and enter the number of the local police. Sometimes, being faster than your opponent requires getting a head start.

5. Let suspicious people see that you are ready to hit "Send."

6. If you see that van again, take its picture -- suspicious behavior or not. If you only think you see that van, take its picture. It's better to have suspects than to have victims.

7. If you see suspicious behavior like that again, don't ponder. Don't think. Don't wait. Hit "Send." It's better to have an officer on the way than to wait until you've already been assaulted. If someone would come after you, chances are, they've already gone after others and they'll go after more in the future.

8. Keep track of the street you're on and the last street you crossed. Read the street signs and say the names out loud. Calling 9-1-1 won't help if they don't know where to find you.

9. Don't fall off your Segway fooling with your cell phone.

Anonymous said...

The point of a headlight is as much to help others see you as it is to help you see. That's why I switch on my headlights before sunset, especially if the sun is at my back.