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City hauls Segway-tour operator into court
By adamg on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 8:19am
UPDATE: Danley actually faces 21 violations of the city Segway restrictions - and a hearing that could mean 70 to 90 more, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports. Boston Municipal Court Judge Raymond Dougan continued his arraignment until Feb. 24 - the day after a hearing on a motion by Danley's attorney to dismiss all the charges.
Allen Danley, owner of the Boston Gliders Segway tour company, is scheduled for arraignment today on six charges of violating the city ordinance against Segway operations in city parks and on city sidewalks, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.
A Boston Municipal Court clerk magistrate found six violations of the limitations on "electric personal assistive mobility devices," such as Segways, the DA's office says. Danley faces fines of up to $500 per offense.
The city council voted in June to restrict Segways to in-road routes designated by police and the city Transportation Department. Enforcement, in the form of tickets handed out to tour leaders, began in August and continued through the fall.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Off With His Head!
Off With His Head!
Works for me
You can't drive scooters and cars on sidewalks, and bikes also have their own state and city ordinances they have to obey.
This little snowflake isn't any different, and his loop holes were closed. Apparently he didn't think it necessary to grease the right wheels on the city council and mayors office, so the residents won out this time.
There is one issue
The law is in direct conflict with the ADA and ADA case law in that people are expected to demonstrate disability in order to use a segway as a mobility aid.
This isn't an issue with the segway tours, however.
The real issue is that the city council enacted a law without much real data on injuries and issues. That's pretty common, though. Not greasing the city council and Mayor though? Oh please.
I like . . .
. . . that little business and the tours passing back and forth on the sidewalk when I'm hanging out- make for good people watching. I don't see the problem.
You don't share the building with them.
I work across the hall. The guys who work there are sleazy, creepy, dirty, and rude. They've wolf-whistled at my female coworkers, sworn at me when we cross paths, and their tour guides have deliberately interfered with the tours that my company runs (on bicycles). Oh and I've heard from some of their customers that they sometimes have vulgar music playing in their shop. Did I mention that their office is next door to a day-care?
I mean, these are all pretty much social infractions, but still.
Yup
A friend of mine lived in that building a while back and one day I was over there while she was having some furniture delivered. When the truck came up, we found the owner of the Segway place parked right in the middle of the clearly-marked loading zone, eating his lunch in his car. When we asked him to move he yelled something about being handicapped and refused. So the delivery guys had to wedge the truck in as best they could and hurry the furniture upstairs. This douchebag sat there and watched as they held up traffic trying to parallel park into a space that was too small, and cars having to swerve around the front of the truck to get down Commercial Street. About two minutes after the truck left, he drove off without having gotten out of his car. Yeah, I tell everyone I know not to go near his company.
Skeevy.
If he's handicapped, it's only because of his disgusting weight. Christ, the gall of it...
sound like sociopathic behavor
not surprising- seeing as he's made an effort to not work with city or residents this whole time.
He'll probably be the first to complain bout the big guv'mint out to get him and ruin his business. When in reality he made no effort to actually be part of the community he wanted his business to operate in.
$10 on him not even being a city / neighborhood resident. NTTAWWT.
I third that emotion
I too have had multiple (negative) interactions with employees of this company, not in their office building, but at locations around the city. The person who has hassled me has all the charm of a Mafia enforcer. Their routine response to criticism is a threat of physical harm. The comment about deliberate interference with other legitimate businesses is right on.
Normally I sign my postings on this site but in this case I am afraid to do so. Providing any identifying information would only invite them to carry out the threats they've already made to me.
Really Mr. Collins
Please there is no validity to your post.
First every girl who works at Urbam is nasty. Second go back to being a drop out bike messenger. Second someone would have to care or you would have to be interesting to be noticed both apply to you. You and the bike geeks need to get a life. Yes we all know you peddle your self around. That is what college dropouts do. We understand you need a way to get back and forth from Alston to Boston.
Your company blocks the sidewalks everyday with bikes lined up on both sides of the sidewalk. Then you head over to the park where it is posted no bikes allowed!
The road goes both ways be careful the city may go after urban next.
Makes me long for the North End of yore
While I don't condone vigilantism and thuggery, I note with some amusement the changing times and with some amazement the fact that Mr. Glider hasn't yet been taught a lesson with a tire iron.
Really, Mr. Danley
How was that court appearance today? Got you a bit irked?
Oh my god.
I am actually crying a little bit right now.
From laughing, sorry, I'm not intimidated in the least, Mr. Danley.
Good detective work though! You missed one vital fact though, I live in Brighton, not Allston. Actually, no one I work with lives in Allston.
It's not the danley you have worry about.
I guess you are not as good of a detective.
How intimidating.
So I take it you were the one who also wrote The typos seem to match up pretty well.
Oh yeah! How did the court date go? Doesn't look too good for the Segway Cafe...excuse me, "Urban Adventures North End Welcome Station".
Allan Danley is known for his grasp of the English language
This is what he does. Every story that has something to do with the segway issue has the exact same illiterate rants. Sometimes he signs his name, sometimes he doesn't. Check out the comments on NorthEndWaterfront.com. He has signed his name to a lot of them. Same stuff.
Learn to spell Danley...and then get lost.
Now let's get bicycles
off the downtown city sidewalks, too. If a bicyclist has to use the sidewalk, he or she should get off the bike and walk it until it's safe to use the street again.
Everything in its right place
Agreed 100%!
Lets also get cars and pedestrians out of the bike lanes, too.
don't be afraid to educate yourself on the matter
I realize you don't drive a car, so you might want to read up on the matter. There are some sections of bike lanes where cars need to briefly enter in order to make a turn. As for the rare occurrence when a pedestrian or runner is in bike lanes: if you are not skilled enough to handle this then you should stick to riding your bicycle in the 'burbs.
Go Bite Yerself Anon
#1: Like most cyclists, I own a car and do drive now and again. I have driven all the way across the country twice, even! (I actually own two cars, but one was my late father's and isn't in Boston yet).
#2: Educate yourself. I'm not talking about moving cars in the areas with the little ------ dashed lines -----.(Or the FACT that drivers are required to YIELD to cyclists when moving into and across that lane where there are dashes.)
I'm talking about "oh looky here! A bike lane! I can pull over and have my very own special-me 10 minute self-important person parking spot right here!" behavior. I'm talking about the "there's a bike symbol - that makes it a Cab Stand!" behavior. Both examples may be found in just about any downtown bike lane at just about any time of day.
#3: You really should bike downtown before you touch your keyboard. It is VERY DANGEROUS when some pedestrian with the street manners of a blindered cow wanders suddenly decides to pass another ped on the sidewalk and wanders into a bike lane without looking. You might find it damned hard in 3-5 feet of space to "just maneuver around" that when there are these things called cars moving alongside?
But, hey, that might be too much exercise for you to actually investigate the environment before posting something.
Do not be proud of owning two
Do not be proud of owning two cars and driving across the country twice. Ever heard of pollution? Waste? Etc?
There 's something wrong with driving across the country?
Where's your sense of adventure? Jeesh, get out of the city every once in awhile, will ya.
I've done it.
I recommend it to everyone at least once!
Ever hear of Carbon Calculators?
Four people going cross country in a 35mpg car is actually carbon efficient relative four people flying in planes. Way more efficient - like 2 tons of carbon dioxide for driving (total) versus 9 for 4 people flying.
Also, my two cars serve 5 people (my household and my aunt's household), 4 of whom are of driving age. Despite the sharing demand, together they total about 10K miles per year - that's 2.5K per person of driving age, and only 2K miles per person.
Cars are not automatically inefficient. Multiple people in a car is even more efficient than public transit. It is solo commuting by car that is wasteful, which is why I bike and use the T.
Not sure what the relative efficiency of a Segway is versus a motor scooter or bike or moped.
How else would the city.....
.... control the hipster population on bikes other than make it difficult to ride them?
Love of the all black everything look
Add that to a lack of use of head and tail lights and long winter nights and the herd will soon thin out by natural selection.
reduced expectations
I'd just be happy to get the cars off the sidewalk and have jaywalkers actually move faster than a "screw you" saunter/swagger when in the middle of the street.
Agree-
. . . When jaywalking through traffic it's polite form to at least mimic increased effort.
Can't see
Anything to disagree with here.
100%
I actually agree completely. Bicycles are more of a danger to themselves, pedestrians, and particularly children when they're on the sidewalk.
my favorite is when I ask someone why they're biking on the sidewalk when there are bike lanes everywhere, and they say that they "thought those were for mopeds"
If only!
I've had to dodge mopeds on the sidewalks, too, both in the financial district and Jamaica Plain.
this is the most ridiculous
this is the most ridiculous law.
One asshole ruins it for everyone
It may be a ridiculous law, but it would never have been passed had the owner of the tour company not chosen to be an asshole... not only to be an asshole but to go out of his way to annoy his neighbors.
It's the few NIMBY
Why is the city wasting time and money? It is clear the law has issues and violates several parts of DOT and Federal Laws. So why not get things on track.
Why have there been no routes approved?
Or tour licenses issued?
Just tickets!
It is clearly looking like a witch hunt.
Most people use "NIMBY" to refer to toxic waste dumps
Most people use "NIMBY" to refer to repugnant things like toxic waste dumps, sewage treatment plants, etc. Not Allan Danley, he uses it to refer to his own repugnant business...over and over again. Sometimes he signs his name, sometimes he doesn't. The spelling is always atrocious.
Stick to the important subject me!
Thanks
P.S. try to get some facts straight.
Danley
Danley will win. The city went to far and have no basis.
It said in the globe they are moving to put it on the 2012 city ballot and the 2014 ma state ballot.
Watch all the politicians fry when that public debate happens.
Taking a brave stand
Yes, lord knows our legislators should really be feeling the intense, surface-of-the-sun white heat of the Segway lobby and its detractors. Because they really have nothing else better to do than try and fix (just within the transportation sector, forget about jobs, education, environment, crime or anything else) policy regarding yet one of just a number of moving objects in the city conducted by self-centered douche-nozzles that can't seem to navigate life with the other humans, let alone the streets, sidewalks, bumpers and pedestrian heels of Boston.
What was that someone said about a tire iron...?
Riiiight
I've worked on a couple of initiative petitions and it takes a TON of effort just to get it certified and on the ballot - don't forget, those legislators you think are terrified of the Elite Segway Lobby have to give all ballot questions the thumbs up. Twice. If they're scared, all they have to do is not vote on it.
And let's not even talk about how much work it would be once it's on the ballot. No single group can do it alone, not without a whole lot of backing. I don't see anyone flocking to the defense of tourists who are too lazy to walk a couple of blocks after their fourth cannoli. Frankly, if Danley had the initiative to do all the work required to get a question on the ballot, he'd have put in the effort to run a company that doesn't antagonize his neighbors and then ignore laws.
Segways are killers!
Remember, the guy who owned the company fell off a cliff while on his segway!
We almost lost a president too
(But being serious, imagine a 5 year old on that bike getting hit by a 12mph Segway and Bush. The things are dangerous to those unfamiliar with them, just as bikes, scooters, motorcycles and cars are. They are not toys.)
Bought.
The guy bought the company, then fell off the cliff. or at least that's how I remember it...