One guy had his pelvis crushed and now has a titanium pelvis. It hurts when he sits. Another has disc problems that are alleviated by standing. Sitting all of the time is not good for organs such as the kidneys and digestion.
Others prefer to use a mobility device that they use 365 days a year so that they are safer around children and other people. A crowded space is not the place to use a device that you aren't familiar with. These are not Disney employees that have been using the Segway for a relatively short period of time but experienced users. An experienced Segway user can "stand" still in a tight crowd for an hour or longer, lines are not a problem.
I won't presume to tell you what type of chair is appropriate for you, why would you feel it appropiate to tell others what their mobility device should be?
Because until this rule is law, a Segway is NOT an approved mobility device and as such Disney did not have to let them in.
I expect Segways to NOT be allowed in any queues or attractions, as those are not "pedestrian" areas (there are already many queues in which wheelchairs of a certain size or type and
ECVs are not allowed in - there is a reason I do not ride Pirates anymore!). There are also restrictions about height and body shape to get on rides, and people who are unable to ride due to height restrictions are NOT allowed in the queue. So all these people you suggested if they cannot walk for the queues are going to have to transfer to a wheelchair when they get to the queue. Or not ride. This ruling will just make things more complicated.
And it is not the experienced user that worries me. It will be all the people who rent one "for fun" from the companies that will spring up over the next 6 months.
I am also pretty sure that any place where a CM has to move the wheelchair from entrance to exit will not allow Segways, since a CM would not know how to move one. So they will have to park it at the exit and either walk around to the entrance and wait in the queue, or take a wheelchair...
The reason you are the very first person on this board to support the use of Segways in the parks is that pretty much all of us were offended by the wording of the people behind the original lawsuit. They called the use of wheelchairs "demeaning." Since most of us here use wheelchairs or
ECV or who have family members who do, we are offended since we are not "demeaned" by our way of life.
Yes, you should not choose what wheelchair I use, but you DO have the right to ask places you go not to allow me to use unapproved mobility devices, such as Segways or my PT Cruiser. my car is easier to use and more comfortable than my wheelchair - can I use that on Mainstreet? What about a 2-person golf cart since my wife also has problems walking too long?
Yes, Segways are now going to be "other mobility devices" but we have to be careful how we define things... And what language we use...
Just a question - a 6'6" tall person get a segway, which makes him 7'6" at least. Are the bus doors tall enough? Including a lift bus? What happens then? I suppose the person has to get off and allow the person to walk on, and a member of their party get the Segway on. A bus driver is not allowed to move the mobility devices on.
How does one secure a segway on the bus? It must be tied down and the person must sit in a regular bus seat. The person "holding on" would not be acceptable for a device that tall and heavy.
A bus is not a "pedestrian area" and I am not sure if there is anything in that new law about public transit. Can anyone figure that out for us?
The law also says that the device must be able to be safely stored (as in at the end of the ride) - that rules out a lot of rides that do not have room to store them - even RnR puts the ECVs all the way at the exit ramp past the store, so the person with one leg will have to walk that far.
I will NOT be okay with them allowing people to park a Segway in the handicapped spots in the theatres and then sit in a regular seat - those spots are for people who CANNOT transfer, and obviously the person cannot stand on their segway the whole time (it will be a safety issue during 3D shows especially) and sometimes the accessible seating is in the front of the theatre, so THAT will not work.
These are just the issues I can come up with within 10 minutes of getting up...