Please do not allow segways in parks- thanks

Allowing Segways in our National Parks is one of the dumbest ideas that ever came down the pike. Perhaps a case could be made for allowing disabled people to use them, in which case the Segways should be clearly marked as conveyances for the physically disabled. Being overweight and lazy should not be an acceptable excuse for using a Segway in a national park. If you want to lead the lardass parade -- in a park or anywhere else -- you should do it on foot.

No, no, no, no and no.

"Perhaps there are places in the national park system where Segways make sense..." That'll be another no.

Segways, the conveyance of the future. That is all well and good. I can see ones with handicaps using such a vehicle to get around in. I understand that. But.....National Parks!!! Please. The object of a National Park and the reason so many of us go there is to see and experience the outdoors. Which means walking, using those 2 branches of the human body that the "Big guy upstairs" gave us. For so many people and so much of government agencies touting "health" and all that it can give us, why then would this be a good thing. Wouldn't this be a "step" backwards? A step mind you, not on wheels....which is the whole point isn't it?

They are more environmentally friendlier than cars and motorcycles. If they could be used in such a way to cut automotive congestion in the parks, I'm for it. Also, they would be a handy tool for park rangers in certain areas. The Chicago police department use them to patrol the city parks.

Let's be realistic here.

Segways are not an off-road vehicle. I doubt they can even go on a lawn, much less a trail.

So, that limits their use to the following:
-- roads
-- sidewalks
-- paved or well-graded interpretive trails

I made my visit to Yosemite this past fall, and I don't recall too many well-graded interpretive trails. In fact, I remember none, but I didn't go everywhere.

So that leaves roads and sidewalks. And, based on my relatively off-season (early October) visit, there wasn't a heck of a lot of room on those, either.

From a practical perspective, there's nothing "park related" that can be done on a Segway in Yosemite, nor most of the other parks I've ever been to. You can't go into the woods, you can't see the sites, Segways don't help you experience the natural wonders at these sites. So, the only purpose would be to play with toys and joy ride. Those are activities that can be done anywhere.

The park system has many missions, one of which is preserving the natural beauty of specific places for appreciation by the public. Segways don't enhance that mission at all.

I could possibly see Segways on the carriage trails in Acadia, but they're hilly, I don't know how the Segway does on hills. Otherwise, I can't think of a park where Segways could help in the appreciation of nature.

OTOH, I could see them being useful in places like Gettysburg or Antietam or other historical sites, but in those cases, you're also sharing roads with locals. I'm sure they'd love to see hoardes of Segways clogging traffic during lunch hour ...

Maybe they need to have baskets on them also so people can carry their candy, cigarettes, soda and Big Macs around.

Just, please make then available for the Handicap!!

I see a perfect place for these – as an alternative to the summer shuttle in Zion (or other shuttle-only roads). But the rental must be economical – and not Xanterra economical, either.

Might as well throw another tire on the fire. Another not very brilliant idea actually receives the validity of controversy. Must we really even entertain this hair- brained idea? There is no practical use for a segway in the parks. The Handicapped can't stand on a segway, and if they can, they should just walk or take a shuttle.

Segways are toys. They aren't transportation. They aren't for the handicapped. Little old ladies who need wheelchairs because of their hip replacements or osteoporosis won't be using Segways as an alternative.

Segways are just toys. Take them to your city park to play, but don't put up another building housing another concessionaire or more paved trails so that people who want to play with a toy have another place to play with a toy.

Segways in the National Parks...how tacky! Next we'll have conveyor belts to help the super obese get their fat butts around the parks. Parks are for wholesome exercise: physically, mentally and spiritually.

This fall I was on the waterfront of the SF Maritime museum building that is being renovated and Golden Gate Park. I was enjoying a very nice evening walk along with several other walkers/runners when along came a Segway tour. I can only assume this group had a commercial use permit to operate within the park. This tour didn't slow down or detour and actually the tour leader honked a horn at those of us in his way and shouted as us to move! How's that for a friendly tour? If this is the future of the Segway in the NPS I say no way in addition to all of the other reasons stated above.
Also, if you've ever had the chance to be on a Segway, you might find out that they might make parks more accessible for some with disabilities, but many will not be able to use them due to the stamina and fine motor skills needed to operate them. As it has been pointed out you must stand and in addition have excellent balance since the movements are controlled by the operator leaning forward, backward and twisting side to side.

Wow kurt you have brought out the longest list of comments on any article i have read so far. good job. segways like many products have a place in the market, is the National Parks a viable market? maybe. would it be better to fire up a 4x4 pickup truck to run next door or use a segway? less fuel no pollution. Do we need segways running around a park like mopeds on a island in the caribbean? NO.

It is wrong., goes against my personal ethics that Our National Parks are considered a source of profit for private corporations.

I agree with all the other previous posters here. However, should we ask the reason that people visit the parks? I used to look down on people who experience the park from the inside of their car, or those who never venture more than 100 feet away from their motor homes.

Is the goal for people to get value out of their park? Yes. Can people get value from Yosemite without ever leaving a car? Yes. Can people enjoy Lake Mead while drinking beer in a motor boat? Yes. These people may not get as much value as people who go for a hike or camp in the backcountry. Personally, I would say that you can't really experience a park unless you get out in it, (e.g., going for a hike), and that drinking beer in a motor boat on Lake Mead is not the best way to experience one's park, but I can't say whether those other uses of a park are necessarily wrong or bad. It may not be the perfect way to do so, and I would say that people who ride a Segway around Yosemite Valley would not get as much out of it as I would on a hike.

So, NO, I don't think Segways are a worthwhile way for somebody to "experience their America." At least not for me, but if somebody gets some extra appreciation of Yosemite while riding on a Segway, is that a bad thing?

I cringe at the thought of hordes of Segways jostling for position in Yosemite - or any other large park - while the operators make a mint. They would be a nice alternative to the eternal traffic jam at Cades Cove in Great Smokies, though, if done properly.
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jr_ranger
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Emerson
http://tntrailhead.blogspot.com

I absolutely love the National Parks. Although Yosemite is amazingly beautiful, it does not rank in my top ten favorite parks as it does for many people. Why not? It was too crowded. Adding Segways would only contribute to the congestion and detract from the purpose of National Parks and the beauty that they preserve. We need to encourage the National Park Service to prohibit Segways from becoming a part of the National Park System.

No, A simple answer to a simple question.

One of the reasons people go to National Parks is to escape the noise and hubbub of everyday life which I believe is one of the reasons the parks are becoming more and more crowded. If they add Segways, they may as well start adding carnival rides, Starbucks, shopping malls, and start tearing up beautiful land for condos and Qwik-E marts.... We need areas where we can escape this. I wouldn't want to see them in Cades Cove either. I don't know if I'd want to ride a Segway through there anyway with the higher bear activity - "Meals on Wheels". Sometimes I get nervous just riding my bike in there.

For Cades Cove and maybe other parks where people just like to ride through and look, stopping occasionally, I think a sort of electric trolley or bus system where you sat facing out. You would pay fare like a bus and it would have certain stops. Though I have not visited Yosemite yet, I know that in the Smokies, most people drive through the park stopping at different points of interest such as historical buildings, overlooks and trailheads. We usually hit Cades Cove very early in the a.m. to avoid the long lines of traffic. I don't know if something like a trolley would help eliminate it but many of the vehicles going through there only have a few people in them and maybe by taking larger groups through at different times would help restore some of the peacefulness of the area, eliminate congestion and maybe generate some revenue....

There once was a Jetson named Judy,
But modernity made her quite moody.
Said she, "In Yosemite,
You must use each extremity...
Yes, to walk in the park is our duty!"

(C) 2008, Jon T. Merryman, All rights reversed.

Almost all of the comments so far are clearly from people who have never been on a Segway and know nothing about them.

Let's clear up some misconceptions:

- You do not have to balance a Segway; it balances itself.
- Segways are smaller, quieter, safer and more environmentally-friendly than many other types of "contraptions" that are allowed in national parks, including cars.
- Segways are smaller, go slower, stop faster, turn more safely, and more-easily blend into pedestrian traffic than bicycles.
- Segways make almost no noise. The ratcheting sound of a coasting bicycle is louder.
- Segways handle hills and loose terrains just fine.
- Segways can have a handlebar bag to carry purses, packages, cameras, cell phones, and other material that would otherwise cause a safety hazard.
- Segways are recognized in at least 42 states as "Electric personal assistive mobility devices" (or EPAMDs) and are not classified as motor vehicles.
- There are lots of people who can stand but have trouble walking, balancing, bending or sitting. Victims of Multiple Sclerosis, Postpolio Syndrom, Altzeimers, and amputees, are among those who use Segways to improve their mobility. If it seems odd to you that such people can or would use Segways, then that should tell you how little you know about Segways! Do a little research at http://www.draft.org, among others, before spouting off.
- Segways can also be fitted with a seat for those who have a different kind of disability.
- There are many "for-profit companies" that operate tours and other businesses in national parks using conveyances other than Segways.
- Segways allow riders to enjoy not just the sights but also the sounds and smells of national parks without being cooped up in a car and contributing to the problems.
- Segway riders pay taxes too.

What do you think banning Segways would solve? Do you expect (or demand) that those people will not visit national parks at all?? No, many of them will get in a _CAR_ instead. Duh. That won't solve congestion, pollution, parking, or noise problems, only exacerbate them.

The same people who call Segway riders fat and lazy seem to have no objections to fast-food eaters riding around a national park in a car or motorcyle, burning fossil fuels, generating noxious emissions, making much more noise, and causing much more congestion. If their complaints about Segways were sincere, then those who claim that you should be getting exercise in a national park would be arguing just as strongly against every other kind of conveyance. But, of course, they don't. People are simply afraid of what they don't know.

It would make just as much sense to complain that people with RED cars shouldn't be allowed in national parks because the mere sight of them offends you.

Get over it.

Actually they're toys for tikes! For god sakes fat Americans...start walking & hiking more!

I'm 6'5", 200 lbs, and in good health but I ride a Segway because I have bad knees ... and because it is cheap, green, and efficient way to get around. I too like to experience the national parks that my taxes pay for ... if you judgmental people don't mind too much, that is! What nerve.

You don't know anything about me but you can't make a reasoned and informed argument for your position so you resort to all you have left -- name calling.

Easy Bob! No offense, just trying to make a point. Bob, just take a hard look at your local supermarkets, the shopping malls and parks...most Americans are horribly over weight...and out of shape! Why? I just assume for two basic reasons: diet and lack of a good exercise regimen. We have many allied medical professionals out there that warn us of a pending epidemic in the future of young folks that will be most prone to heart disease, diabetes and crippling orthopedic problems from being severely over weight. We need a full comprehensive physical fittest program on the national level to get this point across and put into place. Maybe we can start at the National Parks level and start breathing in some clean air and take in some good rugged hikes.
In your case, I have compassion for your physical demise and I wish you well. It's that I'm really worried and deeply concerned about the lazy younger generation. Shouldn't we all?

My previous response was not cleared by the moderators for some reason so I will try again.

If you are asserting that Segway riders have worse weight/health issues than people who ride in cars, motorcycles, RVs, etc., then I'd be interested in any evidence that you have to that effect. If not, what is the relevance of your observation in a discussion about whether one (and only one) of those conveyances should be banned in national parks?

In other words, why is the poor health of the entire population justification for banning one segment of that population and not the others?

I think all this hatred towards the Segway is true ignorance. Finally an invention has come along that not only makes life easier, cheaper, and safer, but it asks nothing of us, and here you are rejecting it. The Segway is like that "nice guy who finishes last".

Let me make some points of ignorance:

1. "It's for Lazy People." FALSE: Standing, leaning back and forth, and keeping balance for 15 minutes+ threw changes in terrain requires a lot more energy then sitting in a car. Maybe not as much as walking, but would you really walk 2 miles for a gallon of milk, or are you going to drive? That's right you lazy polluting jerks. You're gonna jump in your car.

2. "It's for Rich people" FALSE: Since when is a $5000 scooter (that requires no further costs, no fuel, registration, insurance, license, or mechanical maintenance) for "rich" people, yet a $12,000 motorcycles are for the average blue collar American?

In conclusion, it is in my personal experience that owning and driving a car is many times more stressful, more dangerous, more extravagant, unnecessary, and more expensive for the average American , and we don't even realize it. It's like a dimension we can't see. I ride a Segway (3 years now) and rent cars when I need one. I spend less money then EVERYONE I know on transportation and I'm always driving something nice.

DISCLAIMER: I work and live with in 4 miles of each other. However, I refused to get work outside of a 5 mile radius from where I live.

i been walkin trails since i could walk!!! it crazy that you would want to roll instead of useing your good ole legs
leave your stuff inside and hit the trail running feet first!!

I still call it a fat man's toy. If you can't walk your dead!

Walking is beter for you, of course.

It seems that you'd have to watch the trail constantly rather than lifting your head and eyes to view the sights around you on a bike trail. No?

Except for those with bad knees, back, etc., why? What's the point of it?

"It seems that you'd have to watch the trail constantly rather than lifting your head and eyes to view the sights around you on a bike trail. No?"

No. Why don't you try it before forming an opinion? Do you constantly watch the ground when riding a bike?

"What's the point of it?"

It is fun, inexpensive to operate, consumes no fossil fuel, produces no fumes, is quieter and safer than a bicycle, and requires no maintenance. Why not?

Well this "lardass" also happens to be diagnosed with ms.... So does my "lardass" status discount my disabled status????? Rude and tactless people like yourself make going out in public with obvious disabilities that much harder... You look and see a "lardass" and not a person who has been fighting ms and fatigue that continues to add to weight problems... Guess fat people should just stay at home or out of the national parks at least right? Traveling the national parks is a passion of mine and this disease has slowed me down... Segways would be rather helpful along with any other scooter/mobility device that could handle the long distances and cover rugged terrain.

I'm open to argument on the issue of persons with physical disabilities being allowed to use Segways in the national parks. That's why I used the word "perhaps" in my comment. Anon has made a strong case for it. I realize that dealing with ms is very difficult, and I do wish him the very best.

This method of conveyance adds nothing to the NPS. As is currently stands, the vast majority of visitors come only to "see" the parks, and if that is to be ones specific intent, the Segways might have a limited market. However, the real pleasure and benefit of visitiing any NPS unit is the "experience" one gains from explorations beyond the parking lots and campgrounds, to which these vehicles are impractical, ill-equipped and dangerous. I don't think you can adequately outfit the current version of this contraption, as engineered, and have any hope for successful navigation on the vast majority of current hiking trails Kurt. If that is indeed the intent of the promoters, to have their units traversing the South Kaibab, etc. then the Apocalypse is indeed at hand. I sincerely hope whoever might be the test pilot for such a lame-brained stunt has their life insurance paid in full by these same promoters in advance. And if we get to the point where "Segway Trails" are to be built, and my tax dollars are involved, somebody's in for the legal battle of their life.

I cannot believe the number of thoughtless people out there. I have a degree in zoology and used to be an avid bird watcher and hiker, an avid lover of all things wild. Five years ago I was diagnosed with MS and have now become basically housebound. I can manage to get to work and the store, but can't even take a walk in my neighborhood. What REALLY hurts is that I thought I would never be able to again enjoy the wilder areas and national parks. Then I discovered that Segway makes an off-road version of the popular people mover. These are NOT toys. And many people like me are able to stand, but walking while dragging one fairly useless leg means I can't really go far. So, the feasibility of again being able to get out and see the semi-wild areas has lifted my spirits. I realize I will never be able to again visit really wild areas, but the maintained trails in the national parks would certainly be possible on one of these off-road Segway models. Technology can give me back a little of what I have lost, as long as self-righteous clods don't legislate us to the "back of the bus".

It's a motorized vehicle. NO. How is this different that a motorized scooter or bike? There's a reason bike paths don't allow motorized vehicles. It's to keep the speed down to make it safe for others. If you're handicapped, maybe, like in the case of a motorized wheelchair. Otherwise, get off your ass and walk or peddle. This is nuts. I liked the comment from whoever it was that said that they should have baskets to carry their candy bars and Big Macs. Bike trails is for health exercise, not electric motorized vehicles. Get a car and stay on the road if you want a powered vehicle. Yosemite has no place for motorized vehicles on bike paths.