Segway tycoon dies in cliff fall

[metalman 21]

This presumably won't help sales much, and a Darwin award possibly beckons too.

[HeadingNorth 11]

It's possible he had a heart attack/stroke/something while aboard, and was carried off the cliff; otherwise, yes, it's going to look pretty bad in the sales literature.

[Tony 10]

Ironically his main business interest is (was) protective barriers.

[HeadingNorth 11]

Was it actually a segway he was riding, or a scooter?

 

(Just never seen the segway described as a scooter before)

 

A "Segway-type vehicle" is how I've seen it described. Given that the man owns the company making actual Segways, it's not likely to be a cheap rip-off of one.

[mj.scuba 10]

I saw this on Look Leeds. What an amazing fella.

A redundant miner, he invested his redundancy money in starting his own firm making the mesh type barriers that can be filled with rocks and were used to prevent coastal errosion, something he came up with after seeing houses falling into the sea on the Yorkshire coast. Another one of his designs was used for blast barriers by the Army in Iraq etc. And he gave £millions to charity. God bless.

[purdyamos 10]

A "Segway-type vehicle" is how I've seen it described. Given that the man owns the company making actual Segways, it's not likely to be a cheap rip-off of one.

 

I saw it reported that it was a trial model of a new cross country version of the Segway. I think that's just had its Ratner moment.

 

I don't think I have ever seen anyone using a Segway in real life. I thought they'd gone to the great C5 scrapyard in the sky to be honest. And now so has the boss. RIP.

[HeadingNorth 11]

I don't think I have ever seen anyone using a Segway in real life.

 

They're not legal for use on the roads in Britain, and it's also illegal to use them on the pavement. This has made it rather difficult for them to catch on!

[purdyamos 10]

They're not legal for use on the roads in Britain, and it's also illegal to use them on the pavement. This has made it rather difficult for them to catch on!

 

In that case I'm surprised it took them this long to develop a countryside version!

[HeadingNorth 11]

In that case I'm surprised it took them this long to develop a countryside version!

 

I can only assume that it sells well in America and is legal for public use there - or somewhere, at least.

 

This particular chap only bought the company out last year, and that is probably when designs for an off-road version were begun. Prior to that, it was American-owned.

[xdbx 10]

I've seen loads of them in most tourist areas of the US and did a tour on one in San Francisco, I think that some citys police and traffic wardens use them. You'll also find them in many tourist destinations world wide even Sheffield http://www.segwaysheffield.co.uk/

Edited September 28, 2010 by xdbx

[Boblet 10]

I've seen loads of them in most tourist areas of the US and did a tour on one in San Francisco, I think that some citys police and traffic wardens use them. You'll also find them in many tourist destinations world wide even Sheffield http://www.segwaysheffield.co.uk/

 

The police in Hawaii used to use them - they also used to let tourists try them out - that was a couple of years ago though

[tslogf74 10]

They're not legal for use on the roads in Britain, and it's also illegal to use them on the pavement. This has made it rather difficult for them to catch on!

 

I've seen one being used on the road in England. Didn't know they were illegal.