Yesterday, Jimi Heselden, 62, the owner of the Segway company died tragically after riding his rugged Segway off of a cliff and into a river on his estate. The accident is one of those freak accidents that are hard to make sense of.
That said, we can't help but use this as an opportunity to put our two cents in about Segways and the safety involved in using them. We feel like Segways have gotten a bad wrap over the years, but you know what - you shouldn't bash it until you've tried it. They're so much fun! And they really are relatively safe "vehicles". The next time you visit a new city, we recommend opting for a Segway tour instead of a traditional walking tour, you're sure to have a blast. We've been doing just that for years. Personally, I've done Segway tours in San Francisco (along with our good friend Judie Lipsett of Gear Diary), Disney World, Washington D.C., Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Boston and even Israel. But like with anything on two wheels - there is always some danger involved. The poor guy could have just as easily rode off the cliff on his bicycle.

Jimi Heselden
We do wish his family well during this undoubtedly very upsetting time for them. We're also really grateful to Heselden for ensuring sure that the Segway business has continued to thrive. No matter what anyone says, we think it's one of the coolest gadgets ever. So if we hear someone trash Segways and their safety because of this incident, we'll roll over there and teach you a lesson! We just won't turn to fast or roll over a pebble to get to you.