Segway Company Owner Dies Riding Segway
 

I knew those things were dangerous! ;)

Richard :munchin

Jimi Heselden, the owner of the Segway company, has died after riding one of the two-wheeled machines off a cliff and into a river.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...off-cliff.html

Sorry, I laughed when I heard that just like I do every time I see a mall cop speeding along on one.

I wonder if his family will sue the manufacturer?

God Bless his little heart. And them starvin' pygmies in New Guinea. Amen.

TR

Guess his airbag did not deploy in time. Also wonder if his seat belt was fastened?:rolleyes:.

RF 1

Ironic...he just segued from this life to the next.

Pat

And I thought I was an inconsiderate SOB this a.m. when I heard the details of his untimely death and could not resist a chuckle (okay, more like a guffaw). Nice to be among my own.... :D

My damn department got some of these to use in the uptown bar district. They then force-fed them to other districts. I work in the damn ghetto and they brought three to us, and had to force officers to take the certification course. That's right, a CERTIFICATION to be a damned Segway cop. Last time I saw them, they had cobwebs on them in the corner.

Yay grant money!!

I just blew friggin' sweet tea out of my nose.

Story time!

Shortly after the big Segway unveiling, I think Dean Kamen stopped walking. He rode that dang thing everywhere, constantly pimping the thing. He lived the "death before dismount" creed.

In addition to inventing things like insulin pumps and bizarre scooters, the man is the driving force behind the FIRST program (a robotics competition for high school students). The program has its national competition at Epcot (or at least it did "back when"), and regional competitions around the country. The Mid-Atlantic Regional was held in the VCU basketball arena - some bleachers for spectating, with the rest of the floor set up with the match arenas and team workshop areas.

Well, VCU's arena has this luxury suite area, for the school prez, big donors and the like. It's a decent sized area for a cocktail party, with a "Look at me, I'm Caesar!" sort of balcony overlooking the game and the huddled masses. During the FIRST regional, the space was used as a reception area for VIPs (and possibly some team coaches that bluffed their way in).

So, folks are noshing on the appetizer buffet and socializing. Dean's doing the same thing, except he's doing it tooling around on his Segway. Someone asks for a picture, and he's happy to oblige, pulling off his jacket and producing a camera. This is where he hits a sticking point - he needs to do something with his jacket so he can shake hands and such for the picture. He looks around, looking slightly confused, then realizes he's got a perfect horizontal rail right in front of him. So he drapes his jacket on the rail and prepares to have the moment immortalized. Except.... the rail is the Segway control rod. Tilt it forward, and you roll forward. Pull it back and you go in reverse, simple as can be.

Now, Dean really is one of those movie-style mad inventor types, always fiddling, and his jacket contains roughly enough tools to stock a decent auto mechanic. So his fully-laden coat has some significant heft. The control bar feels a heavy press down and forward.... and it's off to the races! Naturally, he's aimed straight for the balcony.

He did manage to regain control before hurtling over the precipice, but I think a few of his jacket contents tried to emulate the Wright Brothers, all the way to the hardwood.

I laughed out loud at the diner this morning, reading the paper. Seems he rolled off the cliff while riding on his "Estate".

When can I call the ranch an "Estate"? Do I need servants to qualify?

I kinda like the idea of Wanye Manner, a.k.a. Batman.

What was that guy's name? - Oh ya, Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin.

I would buy one if they can get them to make those Jetson noises.

I guess riding one of those things takes a little skill. I saw a kid on one the other day near the high school and he was wearing a large backpack.

I didn't like the looks of them when I first saw them.

Funny, does anyone remember unicycles?

I truly thought the headline was a joke then when I read the article and realized it actually happened, I laughed and appreciated the irony of it all. Does that make me a bad person? So will the funeral procession walk behind the hearse or will said procession use Segways?:D

I'd love to see the pallbearers using Segways!