Make way for the Segway

MANILA, Philippines - When gliding around town on a Segway Personal Transporter, expect heads to turn. People find the thing interesting: two wheels mounted on a platform, a vertical steering handlebar, no gas lever or brake pedal, and the absence of an exhaust pipe make the Segway PT a truly unique mode of transportation.

And when the Segway you’re gliding around in is wrapped in a giraffe-print decal, the stares are sure to double.

Sure, it’s not as serious looking as one that doesn’t have any stickers on it. The grown-up feeling, high-tech look of the machine takes a big hit with the kiddie safari motif. It’s probably something used in a jungle-themed family tourist destination sort of place. Or maybe it really does come with that option as brand new unit — “for the wild thing in you.” Who knows? More importantly, though, who cares? It’s a freaking Segway. Get out of my way and let me drain the battery of this mechanical giraffe in peace.

Random questions from people on the street come up like: “Ano yung gasolina niyan?” “May suspension ba ‘yan?” “Paano ba talaga pinapa-andar ‘yan?” And, of course, there’s the one question that sounds like it’s on repeat: “Kuya pasubok naman, o?”   

Driving a Segway isn’t difficult. Shift your weight forward, you move forward. Shifting your weight to the back makes you slow down and go in reverse when at a full stop. Moving the handlebar to the left turns left and vice versa. Computers and motors in the base of the device keep the Segway upright when powered on. No need to balance. The Segway notices, as it balances itself, the change in its center of mass and first establishes and then maintains a corresponding speed, forward or backward. Gyroscopic sensors and fluid-based leveling sensors are used to detect the shift of weight. Science is the best.

It’s a different kind of freedom on the Segway. It feels nothing like a bicycle or a skateboard, first of all because you don’t have to exert any effort or worry about balancing. And it’s not like a motorcycle or an ATV either because there’s no noise or exhaust fumes. Segways are fully electrical, battery-powered vehicles that produce no emissions or loud traveling noises.

Of course, there are limitations. On a full charge, a Segway can only travel about 38 kilometers. It takes  eight  to 10 hours to charge a fully discharged unit, which can create a potential dent on your electricity bill depending on how often you use it. And then there’s the price. These things aren’t cheap. Locally, the basic model i2 costs P380k. Its larger, off-road variant, the x2, costs P450k. That’s far from chump change.

But if everyone had the extra scratch to burn, my guess is that Segways would be a regular fixture on our roads. Our air would be cleaner, the roads would be less noisy, and everyone would be a bit jollier simply because it’s so fun to ride. And the amount of high-speed accidents would take a nosedive since Segways only go up to approximately 20km/H.

So where would be the best places to use it? Anywhere, actually. Taking into consideration how far it can go and how much juice is left in the battery, of course. Taking it on the expressway or main thoroughfares would not only be dangerous, it would be pretty dumb. So instead take it to a nearby grocery. Cruise down the aisles and pick out cereal and whatnot. Visit your neighborhood bank to make a deposit or pay bills. At some point just cruise around aimlessly. Or use it, slowly, to walk the dog around the subdivision. Or even as a pace setter for your jogger friends. Eat a greasy hamburger while moseying along and watching them all salivate.

Speaking of hamburgers. Use the Segway to go to the drive-thru. You’ll surely put a smile on all the attendants’ faces. It’s been tried, tested, and confirmed.

Always, always remember: Safety first. Stop, look, and listen. Look both ways before crossing the street. Give way to faster moving vehicles. Now go out there and give the Segway a go.

For a complete lineup of Segway-related products and services visit www.segway.com.ph.     

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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com

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