RSS FeedSegway Face
We won’t lie; we thought we had coined a new phrase. Google quickly proved us wrong, Segway Face has been mentioned at least once before back in 2007, and there may be times other than that. While we love the definition on that page (especially this part: “Doesn’t everyone ride one of these to pick up the mail.”) it does not define what we have in mind.
Neither does the phrase Segway Smile quite match the phenomenon we see on the street. What we’re talking about of course are the tourists on Segway tours throughout the city. They look like fun tours, and everyone seems to be having a good time, but they all seem to have the same look on their face (we’re calling it Segway Face too, dammit!). Not a big smile, but not a cocky smirk either. It’s somewhere in between, like the person is both excitedly thinking “I can’t believe I’m riding on a Segway” and also thinking “don’t smile, look cool, nothing out of the ordinary here.”
Want to break them out of our version of the Segway Face? Catch them while stopped and talk to them. They’ll almost always loose the cooler side and bust out a smile or start to laugh as they address you. Again it’s cute; we like to see people having a good time, just a little quirk we’ve noticed with those on the tours.
We’ve yet to go on one of the Segway Tours, but once the warmer weather is here to stay we’ll give it a try. Only please don’t make eye contact with us or talk to us, we don’t want to lose our Segway face.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I just want the segway riders to stop rocking back and forth when they stop at the corners. If you are trying to go by them, they almost run into you. And pqresident — I want a picture of you on that segway when you do your tour. That one will be frameable.
Columbo — great post.
These flocks of motorized high-speed heavy devices on city sidewalks aren’t only not safe, but also specifically prohibited by the same regulations that prohibit bicycles from being on the sidewalk in the downtown area. Thanks for providing the link to the Segway tours site – I’m planning on being especially aggressive this year on complaining to them and the police to get their machines off the sidewalks.
I wouldn’t be caught DEAD on a Segway. Hmmm, interesting. But it would be pretty cool to have a funeral procession with these.
Wow, who knew that a sweet and funny post about Segways could spawn such latent hostility? What’s next? The person who lives across from the elementary school yelling about those noisy loud kids? Or his son, who sets up a basketball hoop in his driveway, and then passive-agressively grumbles about the pickup games going on in the front yard?
I’ve found if there is a topic, any topic, around here(DC area) it will be met with latent hostility.
So a business makes its money by routinely breaking the law and creating unsafe conditions for everyone else – and to point it out is to show “hostility” – right.
I took my husband on one last year for his birthday. It was a blast – who cares if it is touristy. Almost every pedestrian we passed greeted us with interest and smiles. Have a good time. I think segways are legal on sidewalks here.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Please do not give it a try. These flocks of motorized, high-speed, heavy devices on city sidewalks are not safe.
My favorite Segway story is one of a fat guy on a Segway, zipping along H Street. His final destination? Five Guys Burgers and Fries.