Wednesday, May 18, 2011

What's the deal with the second Segway co?

Update: I should add that on their Facebook page, Boston Gliders posted the Patch article and wrote:

Well we only wrote the law, and have had tour guides and approvals in place since last November?


If the did "write the law" doesn't that raise a whole different set of problems and questions? If they've had their approvals, why doesn't the city clerk know that?




One of the "deals" available on Groupon today is a discounted two-hour Segway tour of Salem with Salem Seggliders. I have to say, I'm not sure I'd invest in this, for a few reasons.

1. Last I heard, and it was just two weeks ago, there was one Segway company properly permitted to be offering tours in Salem, and it's not these guys. The city clerk was quite clear that Witch City Segway was the only permitted operator.

2. Check out their website. Not a single Salem picture on it.

3. Check out their address. I mean, which one? Their website used to list 10 Blaney Street as their address. It's now been changed to 76 Lafayette Street. 10 Blaney? That's the Salem Ferry terminal trailer. 76 Lafayette? Howling Wolf and an as of yesterday empty former video store are all that can be found. Their Yelp page lists the 10 Blaney Street address still.

4. Speaking of their Yelp page, which lists 10 Blaney Street, they used to have an announcement up on that page inviting everyone to their grand opening celebration on May 1. I hope you didn't try to go. All you'd have found was a chained up construction site.

5. I just called them, and tried to make a reservation for this week, you know, since they opened on May 1 (without permits?), according to the Yelp page. The Patch article stated that tours would start on May 15. I was informed that no tours were available until next week. I also asked what their location was. After about a minute of hemming and hawing I got the 76 Lafayette Street address.


I'm not saying that these guys aren't legit. I am saying that based on some of the things I've seen and read at this point, I wouldn't buy the Groupon before I saw them up and running. Maybe they've straightened out the licensing issues. Maybe the address issues are just start up pains. If it were me, I'd take a wait and see approach before booking my ride.

5 comments:

  1. So nothing in the West Coast Video storefront?

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  2. Not the last I noticed, which was probably Monday.

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  3. These things are not good for Salem and not good for tourism here, in my opinion. They are a hazard to pedestrians trying to enjoy the city on foot and ought to be banned here, in my opinion. I hope 5 of them open all at once so that they drive each other out of business. I don't mind saying it plainly: I hope they fail and I predict that they will.

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  4. The Witch City Segway guys have been around since fall with no problems.

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  5. The people who rent them are as stupid as they look riding them. They detract from the pleasures of an exploration of Salem on foot. This is a very small city. Everything worth seeing can be visited on foot or by tram for the older folks. I hope they all go belly up - and quickly.

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Don't forget, keep it klassy!