I'm in L.A. but my friend in Santa Monica bought one ... they are banned on the sidewalk (which is where Segway wants them) but okay on the street. Another problem ... where do you park them? Do you chain them to a post so that someone can't lift it onto another vehicle? They do start with a key but that is no guarantee against theft as anyone can tell you who has had a car stolen.
They do start with a key but that is no guarantee against theft as anyone can tell you who has had a car stolen. A car can run without a computer. The Segway computer will not operate without a smart card key. Eventually those will be hacked, but not for a while.
I understood that the top speed would be 12 mph, not 17. Is there a typo somewhere? Also, they have "gears" which can limit their indoor or sidewalk speed to 4 mph.