Nearly A Crash

Thursday on the way back to the kids' school I had a near-wipeout on the Segway.

I was coming up to a small side street green light which was about to change to red for me and I knew it. I rushed up to the intersection at full speed. As I hit the wheelchair ramp the light was yellow, so I was going to JUST make it.

At the bottom of the wheelchair ramp, where the concrete meets the asphalt, there is usually a 1-inch to 4-inch "bump" of asphalt. There was a small one here, but I was going 12.5 miles per hour. When my left tire hit the bump, the Segway "bounced" quite a bit, in part because my briefcase was in the right side cargo pocket, making the right side heavier. So when it HOPPED, it HOPPED HARD. I was bounced off to the right side, and kept my feet under me, and held on to the handlebar guard with my right hand the whole time. The Segway continued bouncing left to right a little bit for about 8-10 more feet, slowing when my hand on the handlebar guard actually pulled back a little bit. I was holding on for dear life with that right hand, because that was my sole connection and control point to the Segway now, and I did not want it to roll across the street and crash into the curb. I got full control and stopped it about half way across the small street, and re-mounted and headed on. There were no cars waiting for me, thank gosh.

From that I was reminded to be safer: SLOW DOWN a the wheelchair ramps, and don't try to beat every light EVERY time !!!