I love someone who was, many years ago, in a car accident. He was stopped at a light. The teenage girl lost control of her car on the ice.
"There were cars ahead of me and behind me. There was a guard rail on the right. I saw her coming, but...there was nowhere to go."
So, she crashed into him and crumpled up his car. He, of course, crumpled up inside it.
The guys came, pried the wreckage open and hauled him out. The hospital fixed the broken bones and tried to help with the pain. But the pain didn't go away.
He flew all over the country. He paid doctors who were so good they could require cash and not screw around with insurance companies. He had like 8 surgeries (I think it was eight...I honestly can't remember...there may have been more) and spent more trying to get fixed than many people make in a lifetime.
But they couldn't fix him. And they couldn't stop the pain.
At one point, he was told that they could sever the nerves, but it would leave him paralyzed. So he decided to go that route. Then they told him there was a chance that he'd be paralyzed and still have the pain. The idea of not being able to change position to stop the wildly painful shooting pains was too much. He didn't have the nerves cut.
He's always in pain. Every minute of every day...day after day, year after year, decade after decade. Sometimes it shoots and he cries out. We all have to pretend not to notice, because he doesn't want us to. So we do. But we notice. And we hurt every time he cries out.
Since 1986, he hasn't slept more than 90 minutes in a row...and can only accomplish the 90 minutes with morphine.
He can sit for a while in certain recliners, but not in any chair that would require anything near 90 degrees. And sometimes he has to get up, because the pain won't allow too much sitting.
He can stand for a while and walk short distances, but has to sit back down.
He can't run anymore, lol. They recruited him to play minor league ball once upon a time. He was a very athletic guy. But he hasn't run since 1986.
His company refused to allow him to bring in a recliner and work while swallowing pain pills, so he started his own business...and I'm happy to say, nearly put those guys out of business, lol. They gave him millions just so he would stop competing with them.
but they had accountants review the paperwork and he had a lawyer...so he made the deal...and then went back to putting them out of business. They tried to say he couldn't, but legally, he could. (Always hire a lawyer for legal stuff, lol.)
But his life sucks and the pain will never, ever go away unless there is some breakthrough with nerves, which I doubt.
Now, Segway or nomsegway, I don't think he could ever handle Disney World.
But he exists. He doesn't choose to not be able to sit, stand, walk or sleep for extended periods. He just can't.
But he isn't the only person out there with some weird condition that prevents the use of a wheelchair. Maybe a Segway would help some of them.
I understand that some people just don't want Segways in the parks. I'm not even arguing that now.
There are people who want to use them because they can't use ECVs and chairs. If you don't want them to be able to do that, fine. Whatever.
Just, please...don't make fun of these people. Because it isn't funny. It's mean and hurtful.