This & That, Ceci et Cela

Police at Midway and O’Hare airports will patrol in an unusual fashion: on Segways, two-wheeled, electric-powered, self-balancing scooters. Touted as the wave of the future on their release in 2001, Segways never really caught on. (Urban trend-setters complain that they are heavy and expensive.) But America’s municipal governments have been unexpectedly enthusiastic. Atlanta; Seattle; Los Angeles; Hartford, Connecticut; Lexington, Kentucky; Ocala, Florida; and now Chicago have all put the Segways to use, sometimes for policework.

The administration of Richard Daley, Chicago’s mayor, signed a $128,000 contract to buy 28 Segways, mostly for use in airport patrols. Segways run on electric power and, with a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour, are faster than running. Policemen also say that, like horses, they have popular appeal. But policemen who frequent doughnut shops may be left behind: the scooters have a maximum weight-bearing capacity of 250 pounds (Economist).

–Y’know, so if you ever wanted to trip a cop cop passing by…