Atlanta police still undecided on Segways

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department has ended an experiment with the Segway Human Transporter without deciding whether it will purchase any of the futuristic scooters. <br> <br> Six of the devices that were lent to the department for a trial period of patrolling downtown areas over the spring and summer will be returned to the company in August. <br> <br> The decision whether to purchase any of the Segways will be made by new Police Chief David Pennington, who has not had a chance to evaluate the performance of the electronic, two-wheeled vehicles, police spokesman John Quigley said. <br> <br> The Central Atlanta Progress Ambassador Force, which bought six of the vehicles for $9,000 apiece, said they have been useful. Segways allow Ambassadors to cover more ground and provide a more visible presence on sidewalks, said Richard Reinhard, president of Central Atlanta Progress. <br> <br> The Atlanta Regional Commission bought two Segways in April. It is using its employees to test the devices from a consumer point of view: by attending meetings, running errands, even hopping on MARTA trains with them. <br> <br> Robert McCord, a project manager for the commission, said the models extend the range a person is willing to travel and can also cut a 15-minute trip on foot by one-third. <br> <br> During Segway training earlier this year, one Atlanta police officer twisted his ankle. And in early May, an Ambassador hit a bump while on a Segway and took a spill. <br> <br> Sally Flocks, president of Atlanta-based Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety, said the vehicles may intimidate some pedestrians. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s also not good for health if it&#39;s used to replace walking trips,&#39;&#39; Flocks said. <br> <br> Others say prices of $3,000 to $6,000 for consumer models may prevent the Segway from transforming urban transportation the way inventor Dean Kamen predicted. <br> <br> ``For $3,000, I can buy a top-of-the-line bike,&#39;&#39; said Mehran Islam, 21, a student at Georgia State University. ``It&#39;ll let me do everything a Segway does, but unlike a Segway, I won&#39;t have to charge it at night.&#34;