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Whenever we talk about Segways, it seems that people fall into two camps. There are those who love them, and those who think they are the most ridiculously superfluous gizmos on the planet. Even here at Chicagoist we are divided on the merits of them. Regardless of their pros or cons, whenever we hear of a good deed done by someone on a Segway we tend to applaud the rider.
Yesterday Officer Thaddeus Martyka heard some gun shots while on traffic patrol on his Segway. After seeing two men running west on 21st he began chasing them, but not on foot. With his Segway capable of a top speed of nearly 13 mph, Officer Martyka managed to chase one of the suspects until he tired of running. After he hopped off his Segway and slapped the handcuffs on the exhausted perp, he radioed for backup to pick up the .25-caliber that was ditched in an alley during the chase. The gun was recovered, and the second suspect is still being sought.
The moral of this story, as much a some people may not like to admit, is that Segways actually do have potential to fight crime in Chicago. Segways don't get tired. They may not be able to take an officer in pursuit everywhere they need to go, but Officer Martyka's example is undoubtedly going to change the rules.
And trust us, when CPD begins training officers to use Segways specifically for the pursuit of suspects, we're going to try our best to sit in on that class and take as many photos as possible. We can only imagine what that obstacle course will look like.
Image courtesy of Brett Gustafson via Wikipedia.org.
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Wouldn't running up or down a simple stair or two put the Segway cop out of business?
wouldn't running up or down stairs put regular chicago cops out of commission?
this should be interesting to see in the future.. 13 mph doesn't sound very fast, until you compare it to average walking speed.
Mini bike, dirt bike, inline skates, roller skates, skateboard, bicycle, Heelys, scooter, 4 wheeler, motorized wheelchair...
What are, examples of things that will also allow one to eventually overtake a person on foot? Correct!
Were I on a bike being chased by officer Segway I would have time to not only break into hysterical laughter but also make whatever lewd gesture toward him that I desired. I fail to appreciate in any way the need for or usefulness of the Segway in the enforcement of our laws. Gooo---feeeee.
Officer Martyka??
STEP BY STEP! HEART TO HEART...! TOY SOLDIERS...
The officer indicated that he believed he could have outrun himself on the segway.
Additional things to consider here.
Shots fired at 21st and Michigan? The low rises south of cermak cannot come down fast enough! Aside from those lowrises, there is not one single place for an offender to run in that neighborhood anymore. The whole place is filled in now with expensive new or renovated housing.
Do you require two hands to drive a segway? I can't imagine any officer, let alone an experienced officer, not reaching for a radio when pursuing a person with a gun. And if you are chasing a person with a gun in that area you will have 20 or 30 units respond as backup within 3 minutes. So back to the original question. Do you require two hands to drive a segway?
Nope, one hand works well. You can even ride hands-free depending on the model and your skill.
"Shots fired at 21st and Michigan? The low rises south of cermak cannot come down fast enough!"
I agree! There was a gunshot in my neighborhood recently and I immediately called for all the houses to be knocked down and replaced with expensive, crime-free houses (and residents). Stupid poor people with their crime and guns and dark skin and foolish desire to have shelter... Kudos to you oh enlightened Chicagoist poster. I suppose that's too close to your new Pilsen digs (the white part, not brown, of course).
The CPD will shell out $3000 for one Segway. Ludicrous. They should spend the money on more bikes. They could buy 10 good bikes for the price of one Segway.
Bikes go faster and can get places a Segway can't. The cops are being lazy scooting around on Segways, plain and simple.
Oh come on!
Some one's cribbing!
Unless it's not being disclosed that the "perp"
has either: one leg,a backwards club foot, weights 500 pounds,is a blind person sans a seeing eye dog, or preformed this "crime" under coercion and threat from other CPD officers.
This story is clearly a plant, probabaly by a Segway investor inside the department or on the 5th floor of city hall.
Cops on segways are about as effective as that big fat pink jabba the hut sized Irish Cop, who props himself up on the concrete bottom of the green fence on the corner across the street from the north side of the Chicago Public Library on State street infront of the bus stop.
...dark skin... the white part, not brown...
Well, that didn't take long! Congratulations for standing up in the defense of the only source of shooting for 1 mile in any direction of Cermak and State. In defense of the only source of significant violent crime statistics for anything north of 26th street east of the Ryan. The only source for last year's numerous overdoses by fentanyl-tainted heroin.
Kudos to you for your bright eyes oh young one. You my friend would make a fine public servant.
Stop! or I'll....follow you at a slightly faster than walking pace unless of course you deviate from this straight and totally flat walking surface!
Until you have had to walk around a building 12 times in a day, or bike around for 8 hours straight, or done something so physically repetitive, high-impact, tiring, and exhaustive for 45+ hours per week, DO NOT say &@#$% about people who do that for a living. Police get paid probably more than they're worth and they probably don't deserve awesome Segways, but still I can't imagine any person besides Lance Armstrong working 40-60 hours per week patrolling on a bike, and THEN having the energy and physical ability to chase after a suspect and apprehend them.
Just a correction to some very misinformed posters:
1.) 12.5 mph is not "slightly faster than walking pace." It is the speed of a world class marathon runner.
2.) A bike is faster -- a Segway is much faster uphill and probably close to the same speed as a cop on a mountain bike carrying 30 pounds of gear. And, if on a bike all day, the cop would be too tired at the end of a chase to cuff the guy.
3.) Bikes can work just as well -- I'm a cyclist and I still haven't figured out how to ride a bike into a building and up an elevator
or through a warehouse, to chase somebody.
4.) A step or 2 would stop a Segway. Wrong!
Although it has become a popular pastime for some people on the Web to make fun of something/anything they don't understand, tthe main thing they don't understand is that a Segway is not an alternative to walking or biking -- it is an alternative to an automobile.
For those at Chicagoist who don't have the whole story, what would you think of a product which:
1. Reduces our dependence on foreign oil and thus the perceived need to involve ourselves (and our soldiers) in every Middle Eastern conflict. This further reduces the negative esteem in which we are held elsewhere in the world.
2. Reduces emissions into our atmosphere, helping with the global warming problem and pulmonary health -- under certain conditions it can produce zero emissions.
3. Significantly reduces the cost of transportation for short trips by one person.
4. Gets commuters to work in nice clothing without raising a sweat.
5. Takes an automobile off the streets lowering congestion, parking problems, and ultimately, the cost of infrastructure. Perfect alternative to a car for trips of 1-24 miles.
6. Creates no noise pollution.
7. Requires almost zero maintenance.
8. Gets people out of their house for at least mild exercise.
9. Solves mobility problems both indoors and out†for a large number of older people without committing them to a sedentary wheelchair/scooter, and allows them to enjoy much more of the beauty of this country.
10. Has a purchase price 1/3 or less of a new car, requires little or no insurance, and has no registration fees or license.
11. Is limited to a speed range lower than that of a healthy pedestrian.
12. Has a 5-year history of nearly perfect safety record regarding injury to pedestrians in buildings, on elevators, bikepaths, and sidewalks.
13. Occupies essentially the same footprint as a standing person.
14. It can stay upright at a standstill and turn in place, unlike a bicycle.
15. Refills its "fuel tank" in your own house or garage.
16. Is fun to use!
Can you tasar the bad boys off that?
Too bad Darth Daley won;t allow "Cops" to filmed on location in Chicago!