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Safety Trumps Segway At Disney Parks

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 13, 2007

A Segway transporter is a fantastic invention and by many accounts, fun to ride. But the two-wheeled device is dangerous in crowded places, and that includes Florida theme parks.

Three disabled people are suing Walt Disney World for banning the Segway from its theme parks. But Disney - which goes to great lengths to accommodate guests with disabilities - is right to refuse these stand-up motorized scooters, which move at speeds of up to 12 mph.

If you've spent any time at a Disney park, you know the crowds are thick and children often dart from here to there. Adding a new motorized vehicle to the mix only begs for a horrible collision.

The American Council of the Blind advocates a Segway ban in public places because they feel the device is hazardous to visually impaired people and those who use guide dogs.

Disney offers a Segway tour of Epcot, but only before the park opens to the general public. If the device were safe to handle in a crowd, you can bet Disney would have found a way to make it work.

The lawsuit was brought by people who have difficulty walking long distances. The plaintiffs say they don't want to spend their days sitting in wheelchairs, but since they're able to stand, nothing says they can't occasionally get up.

Disney has a right and a responsibility to ban motorized vehicles, particularly devices that are not approved as medical devices.

It's too bad that some people with disabilities are using the courts to try to put others in danger.

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