Today it was an article in a big newspaper called Dagens Nyheter (DN) about a disabled person who wanted to use a SegWay personal transporter to increase his mobility. Unfortunately the The Swedish Road Administration (Vägverket) has declared the Segway to be moped. However, they also decided that it had not all the equipment needed to be used as one so it is not allowed on public roads. And if you are using one in a closed area you are required to use a moped helmet since it is almost a moped. So this disabled person needs a special permit to be able to legally use his beloved Segway. Apparently a lot of paper work with doctor’s statement and all.
This is so typically Sweden. The Segway is ok to use in the US and a lot of European countries but not here of course. I had the pleasure of using it several times and my experience is that it is far different from a moped. And you usually ride differently and more carefully than a moped. Show me a moepd that can maneuver that precise and to be able to stop almost as once. No, that is just stupid. I had actually been thinking of getting one if I eventually get accepted at the National Defense College here in Stockholm. It would be so cool and so “me” to ride one to work for that year. Well, I guess not…I have to go to Disney World to ride one again I guess. Swedes will certainly miss a whole lot of fun with those futuristic machines…