Apr. 6, 2010: Should Boston ban Segways?

>> Rooney: I'M EMILY

ROONEY, TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON," SEGWAYS

ARE BREWING BATTLE OVER

WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE

ALLOWED.

AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR

BULLYING, AND THIS OLD

HOUSE TAKES ON A

FORECLOSURE.

COMING UP NEXT.

 

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON," A

SHOWDOWN OVER SEGWAYS.

ARE THE MOTORIZED SCOOTERS

A HAZARD.

PLUS, CRACKING DOWN ON

BULLYING.

SHOULD THERE BE A CRIMINAL

PENALTY?

AND "THIS OLD HOUSE" TAKES

ON A FORECLOSED PROPERTY

AS IT COMES HOME TO ITS

BOSTON ROOTS.

GOOD EVENING.

SEGWAYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE

A TRANQUIL MODE OF

TRANSPORT.

HERE IN BOSTON, DEBATE IS

RAGING OVER WHETHER THE

MOTORIZED SCOOTERS SHOULD

BE ALLOWED TO ROAM, AND

WHETHER THEY BE ALLOWED ON

THE CITY STREETS AND

SIDEWALKS AT ALL.

CALL IT A THE SEGWAY

SMACKDOWN.

IN ONE CORNER, THE CITY OF

BOSTON, WHICH DOESN'T WANT

SEGWAYS CRUISING UP AND

DOWN THE ROSE KENNEDY

GREENWAY.

IN THE OTHER CORNER,

BOSTON GLIDERS, WHICH

OPERATES SEGWAY TOURISM

AND SAYS IT IS THE VICTIM

OF VEHICULAR

DISCRIMINATION.

 

>> WE COMPLETED LAST YEAR

OVER 8,000 TOURS.

TO DATE, THERE IS ZERO

INCIDENTS OF ACCIDENTS, IN

ANY PEDESTRIAN, BIKE, OR

VEHICLE.

 

>> Rooney: SIGNS POSTED

ON THE GREENWAY SAYS

SEGWAYS AREN'T ALLOWED.

BUT ALLEN ADMITS THEY

IGNORE THEM.

 

>> IF A POLICE OFFICER

SAYS YOU NEED TO STOP, I

NEED TO TALK TO YOU.

THE IDEA THAT SOME

EMPLOYEE FROM THE GREENWAY

RAN OUT WITH HIS HANDS

FLAILING, OH, MY GOD, YOU

BETTER STOP.

YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE ARE

LIKE, YEAH, WELL, NOT TIME

FOR TODAY.

BYE-BYE.

 

>> Rooney: WITH NO

BOSTON SEGWAY ORDINANCE ON

THE BOOKS, STANLEY SAYS

FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS THE

VEHICLES TO GO ANYWHERE.

 

>> THE FEDERAL LAW SAYS

THEY BELONG ON THE

SIDEWALK.

I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I

BELONG.

 

>> Rooney: AND THAT'S

GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE

TOURISTS FROM MILWAUKEE,

WHO WANTED AN EASY WAY TO

GET AROUND WHILE ONE IS

RECOVERING FROM THE FLU.

 

>> WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE

A QUICKER, MORE EASIER WAY

TO SEE EVERYTHING IN

BOSTON THAN TO TAKE CABS

OR WALK THE ENTIRE TRIP.

YOU KNOW, YOU'D GET TIRED

OUT.

 

>> Rooney: HOWEVER,

LOCALS MAY WANT TO GIVE

SEGWAY DRIVING VISITORS A

WIDE BERTH.

 

>> I WOULDN'T PUT ANY

BABIES OR OLD PEOPLE IN MY

PATH.

 

>> Rooney: IN THE

MEANTIME, THEY NOT ONLY

FIGHTING WITH THE CITY,

BUT THE MAKERS OF THE

SEGWAY.

 

>> THE SEGUE CORPORATE IS

UPSET BECAUSE AS THEY

REFER TO IT, I'M BECOMING

THE FACE OF SEGWAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW,

AS A TOUR OPERATOR, WE'RE

PROBABLY ONE OF THEIR

LARGEST BUYERS.

SO THEY CAN HAVE --

CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR

HATERAID AND DO WHATEVER

IT IS THEY'RE GOING DO DO.

 

>> Rooney: AND UNLESS

BOSTON PASSES A LAW THAT

KEEPS SEGWAYS OFF THE

SIDEWALKS, BOSTON GLIDERS

WILL CONTINUE TO DO

WHATEVER ITS DOING.

JOINING ME NOW IS BOSTON

CITY COUNCILLOR SALT

LAM -- SAL LAMATTINA, AND

REINA ELLIS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY'S

PIECE MAY BE MORE WITH

ALLEN DANWAY THAN WITH

SEGWAY.

IT IS THE WAY HE OPERATES

THE BUSINESS OR THAT IT IS

A SEGWAY?

 

>> ACTUALLY, I HAVE

NOTHING AGAINST THE BOSTON

GLIDERS.

I HAVE CONCERN ABOUT

SEGWAYS BEING USED ON THE

SIDEWALKS.

PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTH

END.

FOR ME, IT WASN'T -- IT

WAS CONCERN ABOUT IT.

I WAS IN CHARLESTOWN, AND

A 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN TOLD

ME SHE WAS SQUARED WALKING

ON THE STREET BECAUSE OF

THE SEGWAYS.

I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS

BACK GOING TO TEST THE

SEGWAYS IN MANCHESTER, AT

THE MANCHESTER, NEW

HAMPSHIRE, AND I REMEMBER,

UM, TESTING IT, AND I HAD

THE COMMISSIONER AT THE

TIME HIT ME WITH A SEGWAY.

CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMEONE

WEIGHING 250 POUNDS

COLLIDES WITH A SENIOR

WOMAN.

I HAVE CONCERNS OF A

LITTLE KID RUNNING OUTSIDE

A STORE.

I DON'T BELIEVE THEY

BELONG ON A SIDEWALK.

PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF

THE STREETS IN THE NORTH

END.

 

>> Rooney: YEAH.

I THINK IT DOESN'T WORK AT

ALL IN THE NORTH END.

IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL IN

THE BACK BAY.

AND, BY THE WAY, THERE ARE

NONE IN THE BACK BAY.

 

>> YES.

 

>> Rooney: THEY'RE JUST

NOT THERE.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THIS

SAYS A SALES MANAGER?

DO YOU ADVICE PEOPLE WHERE

TO USE THEM?

IF THERE ARE NO ORDINANCES

ABOUT IT.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY

ABOUT IT?

 

>> THAT'S A GREAT

QUESTION.

WE WORK PRIMARILY THROUGH

DEALERSHIPS, AND

DEALERSHIPS GOING THROUGH

EXTENSIVE TRAINING WITH

US.

WHEN THEY FINISH THAT

TRAINING, THEY'RE SEGWAY

AUTHORIZED DEALERS.

THEY UNDERSTAND THE

ETIQUETTE, AND THE SAFETY

PARAMETERS.

MOST OF THEM RUN THEIR OWN

TOURS, AND THEY DO IT WITH

THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE

TOURS' REQUIREMENTS THAT

WE SET UP.

 

>> Rooney: BUT IT SOUNDS

LIKE THAT IS WHAT ALAN IS

DOING.

HE ONLY PUTS SIX PEOPLE IN

A TOUR.

GIVES EVERYBODY A 20

MINUTE LESSON.

THEY ONLY GO AS FAST AT

9.5 MILES PER HOUR, WHICH

IS A GOOD CLIP ON A

SEGWAY.

 

>> IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT

TO US WHEN THESE TOURS

START UP, THEY'RE IN A

LOCATION THAT MAKES SENSE.

IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT

THIS LOCATION DOESN'T MAKE

SENSE.

I'VE HEARD THE PEOPLE FROM

THE NORTH END SAYING THEY

HAVE TO GO OUT ON THE

STREET WITH THEIR BABY

CARRIAGES.

THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

PART OF BEING A SEGWAY

AUTHORIZED TOUR OR DEALER

LIKE SEGWAY OF BOSTON IS,

IS MAKING THOSE GOOD

DECISIONS.

WHEN THEY'RE NOT GOOD,

YES, THAT'S MY JOB TO

ADVICE THEM.

 

>> Rooney: IT SOUNDS TO

ME LIKE, COUNCILLOR, YOU

DON'T THINK THEY BELONG IN

THE NORTH END AT ALL.

IF THEY'RE IN THE ROADS,

THEY'RE GOING TO BE A

HAZARD.

 

>> 10 TO 15 MINUTES AND

ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU PUT

SOMEONE ON A SEGWAY --

 

>> Rooney: THAT'S WHAT

YOU GET ON A JETSKI.

 

>> THE MASSPORT POLICE USE

THEM, AND THEY GO THROUGH

A TRAINING SECTION BETWEEN

ONE AND FOUR HOURS BEFORE

THEY GET ON A SEGWAY.

 

>> Rooney: BUT THEY'VE

GOT TO DO CHASES AND DO

POLICE WORK.

 

>> YEAH.

BUT IF YOU'RE OUT THERE

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU

HIT A BRICK ON A SIDEWALK

AND YOU GO FLYING OR YOU

JUST FORGET OR YOU'RE

WAVING TO SOMEBODY, IT

COULD BE DANGEROUS.

MY CONCERN IS VERY SIMPLE:

ON THE SIDEWALKS -- AND

BOSTON IS A WALKING CITY,

IT'S FOR PEDESTRIANS TO

WALK, AND I'M REALLY

CONCERNED THERE IS GOING

TO BE A COLLISION, AND

SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET

HURT.

THERE IS NO REGULATIONS.

I SEE THEM OUT TODAY ON

THE STREET, JUST TWO GUYS,

NO HELMETS.

IN TRAFFIC ON A STREET.

SO AT LEAST THERE SHOULD

BE AN AGE REQUIREMENT,

MAYBE A HELMET, MAYBE A

VEST.

WE HAVE NO REGULATIONS IN

THE STATE OF

MASSACHUSETTS, OR THE CITY

OF BOSTON, AND I WANT TO

SEE SOME KIND OF

REGULATIONS.

 

>> Rooney: WHAT KIND OF

REGULATION WOULD YOU LIKE

TO SEE?

 

>> MAYBE ON A BIKE PATH.

I DON'T WANT THEM ON A

SIDEWALK.

SORRY.

IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A

TOUR, MAYBE THEY SHOULD

HAVE A ROUTE THAT THE CITY

APPROVES.

THERE -- NEEDS TO BE SOME

KIND OF REGULATIONS.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,

I THINK IT IS REALLY

HELPFUL --

 

>> Rooney: THEY'RE NOT

AS INNOVATIVE THAT DEAN

CAIN SAYS THEY WOULD BE

YEARS AGO.

IT WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE

TRANSPORTATION, BUT

THEY'RE TOO CLUNKY.

 

>> MY CONCERN IS IF WE

DON'T CONTROL THEM NOW IN

THE CITY, WHAT IF MORE AND

MORE OF THE TOUR COMPANIES

COME IN.

 

>> Rooney: THAT'S TRUE.

 

>> I WANT SOME KIND OF

REGULATIONS FOR PEDESTRIAN

SAFETY FOR PEOPLE IN THE

CITY.

 

>> Rooney: IS ALAN

DANLEY A THORN IN YOUR

SIDE.

HE SAYS THAT SEGWAY

DOESN'T LIKE THE FACT HE

IS THE FACE OF SEGWAY

BECAUSE HE IS COMBATIVE.

 

>> THAT'S A GREAT

QUESTION.

WE'RE COMPLETELY

UNAFFILIATED WITH AL

DANLEY, AND WE WANT TO

KEEP IT THAT WAY.

WE WANT TO ALIGN OURSELVES

WITH PEOPLE WHO USE THE

SEGWAY RESPONSIBLYLY WITH

ETIQUETTE, IN HARMONY WITH

THE COMMUNITIES WITH WHOM

THEY RIDE.

 

>> Rooney: YOU MUST SELL

THEM TO HIM?

 

>> ACTUALLY, WE DON'T SELL

DIRECTLY VERY OFTEN.

HE CAN GET THEM ON eBAY,

HE CAN GET THEM FROM

DEALERS OR POTENTIALLY

FROM SEGWAY.

 

>> Rooney: BUT JUST TO

ANSWER MY QUESTION, IS HE

A THORN IN THE SIDE OF

SEGWAY?

 

>> I WOULD HAVE TO SAY HE

DOES NOT GIVE US A GOOD

REPUTATION IN THIS CITY,

AND WE WANT TO CHANGE IT.

 

>> Rooney: HAVE THERE

BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS?

 

>> YES, IN CHARLESTOWN.

WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE

INSTRUCTIONS, THEY'RE

DOING IT ON THE PUBLIC

SIDEWALK.

WE HAVE PICTURES OF

MOTHERS WITH BABY

CARRIAGES ON THE STREETS

BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WALK ON

THE CROSSWALK TO A

SIDEWALK.

AND THEY'RE DOING THIS IN

THE NORTH END, TOO.

LIKE I SAID, WHEN A

70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN OR

80-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IS

SCARED TO WALK ON THE

STREET, THAT SCARES ME.

 

>> Rooney: WAS THIS PART

OF THE ORIGINAL INTENT, TO

MAKE THEM AS A TOURIST

TOY?

I THOUGHT OF IT AS PUBLIC

SAFETY, POLICE WORK,

TRANSPORTATION FOR THE

ELDERLY.

I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS?

DID SEGWAY?

 

>> IT IS INTERESTING.

I DON'T THINK WE REALLY

DID.

IT REALLY EVOLVED IN EACH

OF THESE CITIES AND TOWNS

WHERE SUDDENLY SOMEONE HAD

THE GREAT IDEA THEY DIDN'T

WANT TO BE STUCK IN A BUS

ANYMORE IN THE SWELTERING

HEAT, SPEWING DIESEL

FUELS.

WITH THE WHOLE GREEN

REVOLUTION, THEY THOUGHT

WE'RE GOING TO JUMP ON AND

BUY A FLEET OF SEGWAYS AND

LET PEOPLE EXPERIENCE ALL

THESE GREAT CITIES.

A LITTLE FURTHER OUT, AND

DOING IT WHILE THEY'RE

CONNECTED WITH THAT CITY,

AS OPPOSED TO INSIDE

SOMETHING.

 

>> Rooney: IT SEEMS TO

ME, THOUGH, THE CITY --

THEY'RE ALWAYS IN THE

BUSINESS OF LEGISLATEING

THE FUN OUT OF LIFE.

REMEMBER THAT PARTY SAYING

THAT USED TO GO AROUND --

 

>> YEAH.

 

>> Rooney: THAT WAS

GREAT, AND THE MAYOR GOT

RID OF THAT.

 

>> WELL, THAT WAS KIND OF

DANGEROUS.

 

>> Rooney: COME ON, YOU

CAN'T LEGISLATE AGAINST

DANGER.

 

>> BUT THEY WERE

PARTLYING.

 

>> THEY TOOK A HUGE

FOOTPRINT.

THE SEGWAY IS THE SAME

SIZE AS A PEDESTRIAN.

 

>> Rooney: AND NOW

THEY'RE GONE FOR SURE.

 

>> BUT TO ANSWER YOUR

QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT

TOURISM WAS PART OF THE

ORIGINAL INTENT?

NO, I DON'T THINK IT IS.

BUT I STILL DON'T THINK IT

MAKES IT A TOY.

I THINK IT MAKES IT A

VALUABLE TOOL.

MY PARENTS ARE IN THEIR

70s, AND THEY CAN'T WALK

THREE OR FOUR MILES TO SEE

ALL OF THE SIGHTS.

 

>> Rooney: YOU THINK IT

COULD BE USED IF IT IS

DONE RESPONSIBLY?

 

>> I AGREE WITH THAT.

I THINK IT IS AN

INNOVATIVE DEVICE --

 

>> Rooney: BUT IT DOES

NOT GO ON THE SIDEWALKS?

 

>> NOT ON SIDEWALKS --

THERE ARE SOME SIDEWALKS,

BUT --

 

>> Rooney: IN FRONT OF

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

BUT YOU CAN'T GO THERE

BECAUSE THE "T" IS TAKING

ALL OF THOSE SPOTS.

 

>> YOU SAW IN YOUR CLIP

THAT THE MOTHER HAD TO

PULL THEIR CHILD AWAY FROM

THE SEGWAY.

SO I HAVE CONCERNS ON THE

SIDEWALKS.

MAKE ON A BIKE PATH AND

THEY WEAR HELMETS AND

VESTS.

 

>> Rooney: SAL

LAMATTINA, AND REN

ELSIPOGTOG -- REN REINA ELLIS,

THANK YOU.

 

>> Rooney: WHEN WE COME

BACK, A FORMER JUDGE

SPEAKS OUT.