Two Segway entrepreneurs have their sights on Yosemite and Sequoia national parks as the next frontier for these two-wheeled contraptions. Steve Steinberg and Darren Romar, who operate Segway of Oakland, want to offer fleets of these "human transporters" to the two parks.
"We want to expand rental operations into the U.S. National Park Service, and we're ready to take on bigger things like Yosemite," Mr. Steinberg said in a PR release. "Our goal is to work out partnerships where we supply Segway units to start your own turnkey operation, and support for when you are running the operation. We are already looking into a partnership with a concessionaire and we are excited about the Parks. We can only take on so many locations, but right now we're looking for good partnerships"
Of course, the rhetorical question is whether Yosemite and Sequoia and other national parks need Segways tooling around their roads? Another question is why the National Park Service would want to invite Segways into the parks?
It wasn't too long ago that former NPS Director Fran Mainella was touting the healthy benefits of recreation in the parks. It was back in June of 2006 when Ms. Mainella talked about the Park Service's efforts to "advance the physical and mental health of the American public by encouraging additional, appropriate physical activity during visits to national park units."
Riding a Segway around a park doesn't exactly seem terribly physical.
Beyond that, can anyone demonstrate a need to do away with the traditional ranger-led tour of a park? Or are we to assume that rangers will continue to lead tours, but only involving herds of Segwayians? Of course, the savvy Segway fleet owner could equip his units with "electronic rangers" and do away with the living and breathing ranger entirely.
Seriously, though, do we really need to add to the congestion that already exists in Yosemite Valley, where cars, hikers, joggers, cyclists and regular pedestrians already eat up most of the available ground space? Should the Park Service be advocating against walking and hiking? Should the agency be encouraging younger generations to avoid using their feet to explore the parks?
In their drive to "take on" the national parks, will Messieurs Steinberg and Romar lobby to see that Segways gain access to paved trails? And if that's accomplished, will they then outfit Segways with more rugged, knobby tires to conquer hiking trails?
Perhaps there are places in the national park system where Segways make sense, but I hope the Park Service doesn't believe Yosemite, Sequoia, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and the other 54 "national parks" are among them.
Comments
I think segways are neat and look like a lot of fun.
Its rediculus to say restrict it only for handicap citizens.
Cudos too for its "greenness" as an alternative mode of short distance travel.
But having said that, the Segway unfortunately further entrenches our society into our increasing obesity problem because it is a passive mode of transportation unlike a walk or a bicycle ride.
So, still our two feet and a bicycle are best. It gets you there and it gets you fit.
Yes you will sweat on a bicycle. You have to shower anyway at the end of the day.
Yes you will get tired, its called exercise. Nothing a proper diet and rest can't take care of.
To imagine where compact PT or PUMA segways are taking us just watch the pixar movie wall-e. Notice what became of the occupants on the Axiom space ship? Do those compact transportation devices look familiar?
Okay, so I am a little late to this discussion but I just found this site. Let me say "WOW!!!" I can't believe how passionate some people can get over something they have never even tried out for themselves. The point I would like to make about the Segway and obesity in America is simply this, the Segway is not designed nor recommended for anyone over 260 pounds! 260 pounds is a lot if you are 5' 9" but not so much at 6' 5". In addition, it does take physical ability to properly opporate a Segway. Is it going to be a person's primary source of exercise? I hope not!!! For those who want a different, fun and exciting way to see ANY sites, not just our beautiful NPS sites, the Segway can't be beat. The previous comments bashing the use of Segways in our national parks are obviously options formed from ignorance of the Segway. There are currently 2 basic Segway models... the I2 which is more of an urban use device while the X2 has big knobbie tires designed for going off road. In addition the X2 can be outfitted with turf tires for use on golf courses and other mainly grass venues. I would suggest all you naysayers go out and take a Segway tour and then come back and tell us all how terrible they are! Bet you won't be able to... like momma used to say, "Try it, you'll like it"!!! And if you don't, you must be dead!
In closing, riding the Segway through our national parks isn't about people needing exercise (go to the GYM!!!). Its about giving people who have an interest in preserving the environment and those who may not be able to negotiate the terrain well on foot a new and innovative way to see the sites. A Segway is easier to ride than a bicycle. And for people like my mother-in-law, who have COPD, it is a way to see the sites at all.
I've ridden a Segway a few times. Neat gadget. I'd be glad to ride a Segway a couple of miles vs driving my car. I'd also be glad to ride my bike for the same distances and more. I'd also ride an electric bike.
Would I rather see a gaggle of Segways, pedestrians and bikes (pedal and electric) on the Cades Cove loop than a traffic jam of SUVs and RVs? ABSOLUTELY.
On the trails? Not so much.
The Segway and bicycles would be a great way to get people out of their cars. It would make a place like Cades Cove an all day destination for more rather than just a place to ride through in a car sipping on a soda or eating some snacks.
People could roll through these areas IF they weren't competing with all the &%$@# traffic on a bike or a Segway and HEAR nature rather than some obnoxious motorcycle rider nearby revving their engines after idling for a few minutes.
Modern Americans aren't going to exert themselves very hard. Too many of us want luxury and easiness in all things. However if people were going slow and outside on a Segway or bike they might rediscover the joys of being outside and want to venture further from the road on foot or carry a picnic and stop somewhere for hours to lay in a field and listen to the mtns rather than worry about how slow they are going or how badly the other drivers are operating their vehicles or how badly their FM channel reception is.
I'm for ANYTHING that removes the automobile from the center of every attraction. I like cars don't get me wrong but I can't walk or bike without breathing all those exhaust fumes and listening to the slow rumble of cars puttering through the parks I visit.
Time to move away from car-centric America a little in certain places. I'd like to see the NPS ban cars a few days per week in places like Cades Cove for us Americans who want to stroll, pedal or even Segway our way around the loop.
DO I want a bunch of tacky concessions? No. I don't go to the mtns for the Pigeon Forge circus. That's what Pigeon Forge is for. I go for a little solitude, a chance to see the mtns a little, and a chance to lay in the grass and just listen. Around where I live I get to hear traffic and sirens and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. No thanks...
My sense is that there are a whole lot of people who would like to think that they're into physical fitness spending 15-30 minutes on a Stairmaster, but bypass one or two flights of stairs in favor of an elevator. Perhaps it's not necessarily a matter of fitness level, but what's cool (working out in a gym) versus some anonymous activity (climbing a real set of stairs as practical self transport).
You folks make me so PROUD that I spent 20+ years of my life defending the rights of ignorant people to make uninformed, opinionated, stupid statements. Did I see any of you “healthy” folks in Operation Northern Watch?? What about Bosnia?? Kosovo?? Anyone?? Anyplace??? What about even trying to support your troops from home??? How many of you have spent weeks or months away from you loved ones living in horrible conditions, with limited ability to let your family know you are still OK?
I was actually considering buying one of these “contraptions”, so that I could actually get out and see some of these wonderful parks and enjoy them after 15 years of not being able. But after doing some reading I am reconsidering this idea. If this is the type of pompous people I am going to meet in our National Parks, than I am definitely better off staying at home! Thanks for saving me the money.
Maybe you consider researching the topic before you start blowing your opinions out of your pie hole as fact? Maybe you should get off you high horse, and sit in a wheelchair and see how you like it? I guess that I am not deserving enough to enjoy YOUR national parks.
And you wonder why the rest of the world views Americans as arrogant….
I have spent many years in the National Park Service and it is amazing to me the number of comments in here that refer to "lazy fat americans". Evidently most of these people have no respect for anyone who is not like them. They do not recognize that there are people who are disabiled, but who long to have some of the experiences in our National Parks as others who are physically fit and able to walk in the beauty of the Parks. Reading some of these comments makes me feel as though I have visited Natzi Germany of WWII, where there were people who felt the same way about those who are disabled, and who made sure they were "taken care of". Are Segways for every Park? Perhaps not, but they may be for the disabled and for those Parks who do have roads and trails that are handicapped accessible. I just wish some of these folks would think of others as much as they seem to think about themselves.
thanks to all you haters out there who have no understanding of what is it like to spend and active life then be house bound by bad knees or hips, heart conditions, diabetes or other things that keep you out of the out of doors. Keep up your elitist demands that nothing disturb your purity of walking. We vote too. And many of you will realize that one day you will not be able to do what you once could do. You will wish a thousand times that you had a seqway to allow you to get out. I have never seen so much hate in my life. This is a country that is supposed to be willing to help those who are older or disabled. We aren't idiots you know, we can control a segway down to a crawl if we need to. What is wrong with you people.
This really isn't about the use of the Segway for those with mobility problems. The discussion is about using them as organized "tourist vehicles" as seen in some places, with a guiding permit for the company. It sort of looks like a motorized mule train. If you notice - some of them even have deep treads designed for off-pavement use.
I recall senior citizen organizations in San Francisco were requesting a ban of them on sidewalks because they were fearful that people tooling down the sideway at 8 MPH could very well run into those with mobility difficulties (on foot or wheelchair).
As it is now, motorized scooters are allowed on paved areas.