(Photo from PR Newswire)
Target has just bought a fleet of Segways to patrol parking lots of its stores in several cities including ours. Gotta wonder if they will be deployed indoors too; per the police reports we read 2 or 3 times per week, their security team is pretty busy chasing – and often catching – shoplifters. (We’d call to ask but they might not take our call.)
Just another sign about the crime level in laid back West Seattle. Target wouldn’t spend a dime unless the problem was significant.
Mike J…just remember…Target is doing this nationwide, not just here in little ol’ crime ridden West Seattle…the Westwood store wasn’t singled out for this honor, they’re starting in Redmond…and the crime here isn’t as bad as some make out…really…
Saw one a couple weeks ago there. I asked for a ride to the front doors ( c’mon, it was raining so hard out) and was snubbed :)
My concern is how they move so quietly and swiftly that people might not be able to spot them while driving amongst the chaos there.
I find any uniformed official riding a segway impossible to take seriously. It just reminds me of Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy” video.
And really, do those thing actually move quickly enough to catch anyone who is serious about running away?
They’ve been in the Westwood Target since the Christmas shopping season. I agree, it’s hard to take someone riding a Segway seriously.
If cops are going to be chasing possibly gun-wielding criminals on those things, is it wise to have a bulls-eye right in front of the crotch?
Arb, just figures, large organizations do seem to be late to announce things … somehow our paths haven’t crossed theirs yet, though.
Security patrols on bicycles would be faster, cheaper, use less energy, and contribute to global cooling instead of global warming.
I saw one last week too. Frankly they are so “out of the norm” that I’m afraid that they are going to get hit by cars moving in and out of parking spaces…
Maybe they should put sirens on them too so we could hear them coming (I am joking of course:)
They could put one of those orange pennant flags on a long pole on the Segways to increase visibility. I often see seniors on scooters using these. This guy would look even more bad-ass with a flag…
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White and nerdy indeed.
As we reported on Sunday to the Blog, a customer in our business was attached and robbed on Saturday night, so I am all for any additional security measures other businesses can provide. Unfortunately our business is not in Westwood Village, but every little bit helps.
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