When the Segway first appeared, in 2001, it seemed like science fiction had sprung to life. Quiet, compact, efficient, and utterly mesmerizing with its ability to self-balance on two wheels, the U.S.-made "personal mobility device" promised to revolutionize transportation as we knew it.
And yet, eight years down the track, and on the other side of the Pacific, in Japan, you could be forgiven for thinking that Segways really were a fiction after all. Chances to see, let alone ride, the machines are extremely rare.
But that doesn't mean people have lost interest. As I learned recently, riding a Segway is a fast track to celebrity. Put simply, the machines have the power to captivate onlookers. Which makes the question of why they haven't caught on all the more intriguing.