Never mind the bicycles, here come the segways

Segways were supposed to “profoundly affect our environment and the way people live worldwide”, and they haven't quite done that yet; but they are making inroads. If you hang out downtown in the summer you're likely to see a group of helmeted tourists riding them around town. (Would you be surprised to find out it's the same group of tourists every day, just riding around and around?)

The segway was never meant to replace the car.

Instead, Segway is intended to fill the gap between pedestrian travel and car travel; its niche is for those trips that are inconveniently far to walk but annoyingly close to drive.

So, it was meant to compete with the bicycle. And in at least one field, it’s doing so effectively – law enforcement. The University of Maryland Police department purchased six new i180 Police model Segways at just under $5,000 each.

"Police departments all over the state are getting them," said Police Capt. John Brandt. "BWI, Bell Air, Annapolis, Washington D.C., we're just basically going with other police departments and looking into them."

And it’s more than just following the crowd

According to a Segway case study at Duke University, Segways are used for special events because "officers can move around much easier in the congestion than they can in a cruiser or on a bike."

The case study said that a chief benefit of the Segway is that it raises officers off the ground, making them more visible in crowds.

Brandt agreed. He also said Segways are more useful than bike patrol in a dense area.

"[The Segways] are not much bigger or wider than a human standing and the maneuvering is much better than a bike," Brandt said. "An officer can also carry 30 pounds of gear like first aid and CPR kits on a Segway, which makes a big difference at large campus and athletic events."

UMD students are none too pleased if you read the school paper. Such as this

I would hope students would contact Police Chief Ken Krouse and express their dissatisfaction with the decision. Suggest bicycles: They are cheaper, faster, use less energy, can go over more terrain and provide officers with some exercise.

And this one

Less than half the cost of a Segway could have afforded a high-tech ultra-light mountain bike capable of handling stairs and rough terrain. Bicycle technology has made remarkable advances to the point where bikes rarely electrocute a rider while being used in the rain, and a bottle of Gatorade is a much easier and faster way to refuel than parking a Segway for 12 hours atop a battery charger. Even the chunkiest member of the pork patrol can easily overtake most of the Terrapin track team whilst atop a bike, and repair and upkeep are negligible as the university’s own Outdoor Recreation Center houses a repair shop for bicycles.

I think the Police's arguments make sense and that there's room for both bikes and segways in law enforcement. Police officers on bikes didn't get rid of police officers in patrol cars or on horseback, and segways won't spell the end of any of these either.

I will say this, a TV show about Segway equipped police officers ("Gyroscopic Blue") will never be a hit - unless the cops are all female and wear skimpy outfits.