Scatcat Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 9 hours ago, exoplanet said: By the way. If I had a car and were chosing to ride the euc, there wouldn't be a problem with me judging myself. The problem is that this is my best option. I could use public transportation, but compared to the euc it is horrendously expensive and doesnt take me where i want to go. Looking forward to becoming rich. By the way. The era of the car is over very soon. There will be an alternative soon. Public transportation here, is about $75 a month with a monthly periodical pass. I've (so far) spent more than $2750 on my EUC, counting protection. I've saved <$450 on public transportation in the same time-frame, which means an imbalance so far of about $2300, which kind of kills the economic part of it. I know that while we Gothenburgers happily complain about our public transportation, it is actually pretty decent compared to a lot of other places. It's worse than for example London, but better than just about every American city there is. It's also not something only the poor uses. If you use it or not is more dependent on where you live. If you live in the suburbs in a house, with the closest bus-stop a couple of miles away, there is a lot to be said for using a car. If you, like me, live in the city, a car would mostly be a nuisance and a black hole for your wallet. Just permanent parking inside the city costs >$120 a month, so adding that to taxes, insurance, fuel and repairs, you can easily hit $500-$600 per month for a reasonably economical car or more if you go wild. For me this EUC thing is partly convenience, no queues, reasonable speed, low running costs. Part is just fun, or I would have bought an electric bike. None of it is "I couldn't afford anything else". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Hoffmann Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 8 hours ago, LanghamP said: Really, so long as you don't expose yourself to the extreme danger of divorce (don't get married), and so long as you graduate from college, then honestly you're golden. Taking out debt to pay for an expensive car isn't a big deal, or credit card debt, simply because those are fairly minor debts compared to the two major debts of most Americans. I already guessed you live in some upper/middle class suburbs in the states, where having a car is often the best option seeing the insane distances you have to cover daily. I'm downtown in a mid sized European city. Kinda like living in downtown San Francisco. Everything is in public transport, bike, or walking distance. Everyone has a car, but they hate taking it. Gas, insurance, maintenance, and not to mention traffic jams is everyone's nightmare here ^^ Heck, you're actually often faster on a bicycle than in a car around here :-) Also most eucs you can get in shops go for around $2000 ..so it's definitely not a poor-mans device :-) I got my gt16 on Ali for around $1000, but still way more than most ppl would be willing to put down on a bike around here (...more like $100-350) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exoplanet Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Actually I live somewhere on the fringe. Cars are costly here and around where I live most people around me have nice cars. That is porsche, merc, bmw, range r, lexus, Could be because I grew up with a class identity problem. we had a lot of money at some times and at others no money. We rented cars for the most part. Aha. Now i know the problem. I didnt want to ride with my father unless i had to when i was younger because he would make it a hassle to drive me around or something. (I will have to have a talk with my parents when i get a car i think. lol) so i opted for public transport and when seeing the other kids being driven to practice as if it was the most natural thing, i felt like shit. Now that i am older and still dont like being driven by my father (that has access to cars) and now i dont have a car yet (because I am a lazy nogood loser that hasnt taken responsibility for myself fully yet) I have been using public transportation and now recently the electric unicycle. Maybe this gives me tinted glasses when I view other peoples reactions, but from close friends, they would rather be seen dead than with me riding the thing next to them or them being associated in public with a person that actually uses and thinks it is a viable transportation solution. IT is a joke. And I do agree, but my current poverty and the lure of significantly cheaper transportation has made me use it. Damn it. I only want a chauffer driven rolls royce to make up for it. A long wheel base phantom. A black or a dark green one. The driver should be named james or charles I think. The nice thing though is that I can ride where pedestrians walk and cars and motorcycles are not allowed. A trolley handle would be nice though. Perhaps a couple of wheels should come down when the trolley handle is lifted because it would be nice to set the machine aside while looking at things in the store. Also anything above 5 kg is a drag. preferably the device should be under 3kg I think that can be done with another fuel source. check out the new fuel cells that run on gasoline. Could use that to charge a super cap. Also the device should be small enough to not be noticed when you carry it in your hand. A sphere in stead of a wheel would be nice as well. This would circumvent all stifling rules like having lights, speedlimits or whatever other burdensome shit regulators make up. Also a sphere would allow you to stand still at an intersection. also i want shock absorbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Hoffmann Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Lol, maybe you need to move somewhere where "normal" ppl live, and it's not just about social status and more about if you're interesting or an a*hole or not ^^ The context of where one lives has a high influence on oneself ...be it upper class or ghetto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatcat Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 10 minutes ago, exoplanet said: Actually I live somewhere on the fringe. Cars are costly here and around where I live most people around me have nice cars. That is porsche, merc, bmw, range r, lexus, Could be because I grew up with a class identity problem. we had a lot of money at some times and at others no money. We rented cars for the most part. Aha. Now i know the problem. I didnt want to ride with my father unless i had to when i was younger because he would make it a hassle to drive me around or something. (I will have to have a talk with my parents when i get a car i think. lol) so i opted for public transport and when seeing the other kids being driven to practice as if it was the most natural thing, i felt like shit. Now that i am older and still dont like being driven by my father (that has access to cars) and now i dont have a car yet (because I am a lazy nogood loser that hasnt taken responsibility for myself fully yet) I have been using public transportation and now recently the electric unicycle. Maybe this gives me tinted glasses when I view other peoples reactions, but from close friends, they would rather be seen dead than with me riding the thing next to them or them being associated in public with a person that actually uses and thinks it is a viable transportation solution. IT is a joke. And I do agree, but my current poverty and the lure of significantly cheaper transportation has made me use it. Damn it. I only want a chauffer driven rolls royce to make up for it. A long wheel base phantom. A black or a dark green one. The driver should be named james or charles I think. The nice thing though is that I can ride where pedestrians walk and cars and motorcycles are not allowed. A trolley handle would be nice though. Perhaps a couple of wheels should come down when the trolley handle is lifted because it would be nice to set the machine aside while looking at things in the store. Also anything above 5 kg is a drag. preferably the device should be under 3kg I think that can be done with another fuel source. check out the new fuel cells that run on gasoline. Could use that to charge a super cap. Also the device should be small enough to not be noticed when you carry it in your hand. A sphere in stead of a wheel would be nice as well. This would circumvent all stifling rules like having lights, speedlimits or whatever other burdensome shit regulators make up. Also a sphere would allow you to stand still at an intersection. also i want shock absorbers. A sphere would be very cool, even though it would probably mean you'd have a very wide stance. But the idea to have balancing in all directions... wow. I think some of your close friends are rather fucked up, being so concerned with their "image". For me, my boss thinks I am a true original, vaping and running around on a EUC at 51 years old. But he says so with some appreciation, thinking I'm both a nerd and cool at the same time. Sitting myself in a Porsche, a big Merc or a Beamer would make me feel like an idiot. While I love the wild tech of a supercar, actually driving around in a gas-guzzler, that would feel weird. Give me a Tesla Model S on the other hand, and I would smile from ear to ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Hoffmann Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Oh yes a tesla s, or maybe a "ehang 183" ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 19 hours ago, exoplanet said: People would switch to a cheaper car immediately if they could. the problem is that the euc is not a real substitute. It is like living under a bridge and portraying it as a house. Basically it shows you have low self worth since you are willing to risk everything just to save pennies or to get your adrenaline high. I assume you spoke for yourself and I am sorry to hear about your feelings about your self worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatcat Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 I would f-ing ride a EUC even if I was a f-ing billionaire. So there I said it! I would probably have it custom made to my specifications, with all the bells and whistles that personally makes my drool leak out all over the place, but that's neither here nor there. The point is: It's not about the money, it's about the sheer exhilarating fun of it all. If you don't have fun, don't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Given the ridiculous nature of his other posts, exoplanet might be trolling. -- Still, I own a V8, and don't ride it anywhere for utility. In fact, I make it a point to ride in an un-useful, purely-for-sport manner -- specifically to keep things fun. Exoplanet's lament is somewhat akin to being embarrassed for having legs, since... you know... rich people never walk across their own homes. I hope nobody shows him the Leiftech eSnowboard; or worse, an acro parawing. Who knows what might happen if he paused the misery, and clicked "play" ! -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 20 hours ago, exoplanet said: The real reasons though is that they are or are perceived (both) to be dangerous. You are supposed to suffer and bicycle or use public transport til you can get a car. It's a stigma. It says you are not a productive member of society because obvioously you would have gotten a car if you could afford one. [...] how do we remove the stigma? That may be the case where you are living. There are places in this world where riding a bicycle is just normal and considered as responsible behavior towards your neighbors and the environment. Removing the stigma can probably only be done by proper education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tudordewolf Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 I would say I've had a great experience: I've been told by complete strangers, "that's awesome" (or something to that effect) every day for most of this year. My self-worth has never been better. I work downtown in DC, so there's always tourists and often school groups on their big DC trip. I've gotten a whole chorus of "whoa!"'s as if I'm performing a magic trick instead of commuting home. It's interesting how different people react: kids, with universal fascination, adults are either politely curious or completely unaffected, and older folk are again more open about showing their interest. The busy business types of DC are often too wound up in their business to even glance up, though sometimes I'll hear a conversation stall mid-sentence as I pass. As for criticisms, I've gotten one, "it's a sidewalk" from an elderly gentleman who didn't seem bothered by the cyclists going either direction, and "you're gonna kill someone!", which I think is unfair as a criticism because there's a 99% chance it would be me. I've heard, "get a bike," but that almost seemed good-natured. Part of it may be that I ride as politely as possible: even when there's plenty of space I'll slow down below 10mph to pass a pedestrian from behind, and make a point of steering in wide sweeps around people rather than zipping by within a few inches, (even though I'm quite certain of my 'envelope' and not clipping anything). After all, compared to basically every other form of transportation, EUC's have an almost negligible start/stop penalty, and can regain any lost speed in a second or two. Come to think of it, it's had a really positive effect on my psyche. A ride home from work is mentally and physically relaxing, even providing a sort of privacy as you glide along by yourself. I can take it easy to cool down or ride a bit aggressively to blow off steam. It's given me more personal freedom to get around than I've had before (finances and life make a car untenable for now), not to mention the money saved. Riding the bus to work and back over the past 6 months would've taken twice as long or more, required walking to and from the bus stations, and cost $700 just for work, not counting the parties, events, and places I've gone free of bus schedules and routes. Ridesharing would've cost more and often isn't faster once you factor in waiting for them and rush hour traffic. So, An EUC has been one of the most cost-effective purchases of my life, with unforeseen positive consequences all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 6 minutes ago, rue said: Given the ridiculous nature of his other posts, exoplanet might be trolling. I had the same thought too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Hoffmann Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Tonight I'm gonna go meet up with the guys that do roller skating. Might try roller-hockey with the euc just for fun, and then follow the others on their 15km roller walk :-) Life's too easy ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 40 minutes ago, Mono said: That may be the case where you are living. There are places in this world where riding a bicycle is just normal The Netherlands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 21 hours ago, Keith said: However, any new tech does seem to have a “nerd” effect. I was using electronic organisers in the 80’s, when the Psion Organiser range was streets ahead of anything else. I reckon I got more work done on the train commuting then I ever did actually at work yet people did look down at me as some sort of geek. Now days absolutely everyone has their noses seemingly permanently stuck in a very similar device that, actually isn’t anywhere near as productive. Can you imagine typing an entire technical manual on an iPhone for example? Or in the end of the 90's, when mobile phones started to appear. If you were the guy that received a phone call on his mobile while in a store, everyone would look at you in anger, "poser" "look at that spoilt brat" .... Fast forward 4 years and you are the loser if you DIDN'T get a phone call in the store Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Nope - no ridicule here either - generally people are nothing but impressed by the wheel. And cyclists are often impressed against their will if you overtake them Of course if you wear the sort of body armour I do there will always be the odd giggling group of schoolgirls pointing and laughing, but that really is as much ridicule as I get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exoplanet Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Damn. That snowboard thing looks fun. Btw. why cant i draw directly in the comment with a pen.? I had a genious idea for a flying unicycle. I wasn't trolling. I know it looks ridiculous. I was just venting totally uncensored. I want to avoid the giggling of schoolgirls. It hits me the hardest. lol. serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbfrese Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 4 hours ago, exoplanet said: but from close friends, they would rather be seen dead than with me riding the thing next to them or them being associated in public with a person that actually uses... Doesn't sound like you need a new way to get around, it actually sounds like you need real friends, not these people you hang around with. I'd like to know, where is it that you live that it is acceptable to treat their "friends" this way? What culture are you a part of? It will help us to give advice. And we all are pretty sure it really isn't p.luto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exoplanet Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Btw. Funny how this thread attracted so much attention. Maybe I hit a soft spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exoplanet Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 The thing about rather being dead than be associated or seen with was an exagggeration. But not much. They would in fact prefer to not be seen with me riding that next to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatmike Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 We feel ridiculus because we are afraid of freedom and we are addicted to others opinions. Being cool is a state of mind and does not depend on what are you wearing or driving. The border between coolness and "ridiculness" is always very subtile. Just relax and enjoy your wheel. If you don't mind about being cool, probably you are. (only my opinion) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatcat Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 1 hour ago, exoplanet said: Btw. Funny how this thread attracted so much attention. Maybe I hit a soft spot. More like "wtf is he talking about?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Hoffmann Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circuitmage Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 In general, I get WAY more compliments than jeers, especially when I am going 20mph. I received a couple jeers over my first 4 months, mostly kids driving by. If lots of people aren't doing something, then you are on the fringe. It's interesting, psychologically speaking, to see how different people react to these. Some people just think they are stupid, but most people are curious. Few really dare to ride one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 23 hours ago, exoplanet said: People would switch to a cheaper car immediately if they could. the problem is that the euc is not a real substitute. It is like living under a bridge and portraying it as a house. Basically it shows you have low self worth since you are willing to risk everything just to save pennies or to get your adrenaline high. Riding an EUC shows one has low self worth? I have not heard such nonsense in a long time. You must be trolling. I have never heard anyone say that people who buy EUCs do so because they are too poor to afford a car. In fact, everyone I know who has an EUC or similar (Segway, electric skateboard etc.) is generally more wealthy than the average person and so can afford expensive toys such as these. Look at the forum members here; most people here have cars, own homes and have plenty of disposable income. Poor people usually don't have $1200 to spend on a niche and difficult to learn personal transporter like an EUC when they could instead spend $60 on used a bicycle or just get the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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