In his letter (The Mail, 6/6) defending the Segway scooter (Dept. of Media, “A Nice Ride,” 5/30),

Gustavo Coronel compares it to a bicycle. That is exactly the point that most pedestrian advocates make. With a speed of 12 mph, the Segway scooter is more like a bicycle than a pedestrian, and it should be regulated like a bicycle.

What are the implications of being like a bicycle? First and foremost, you do not belong on downtown sidewalks. You belong in the bicycle lane in the street. You ride with traffic, and obey traffic signs and signals. On Metrorail, you are restricted to certain hours and have to walk your vehicle through the station.

Yes, I have ridden a Segway scooter. It’s an ingenious piece of technology. I have no problem with people trading in their automobiles for Segway scooters. But they are not high-tech pedestrians, and they do not belong in pedestrian spaces. As long as the Segway corporation tries to impose its product on pedestrian spaces, it will be opposed by pedestrian advocates.

Producer

Perils for Pedestrians TV