Segway dorks

The disability placard law is different, because it requires medical documentation to get one.

But the right to take a wheelchair or a service animal basically anywhere is granted under the ADA, a federal law. In order to exercise this right, one just has to present with a wheelchair and/or a service animal. One doesn't need any license or documentation in most circumstances to exercise these rights. A business owner can't require someone to present a wheelchair license in order to use it on the property. The ADA requires nothing whatsoever to be able to use a wheelchair. To use a service animal, the animal has to be performing specific tasks that help the person be more independent.

A Segway is going to be different though, because some people do use them because of limited stamina, but most others use them just for fun, utility, whatever.

Not many people use a wheelchair just for fun or have a hobby of taking an animal everywhere while keeping it under extreme control and giving it commands to perform tasks for them. Very few people abuse their right to take a wheelchair or service animal somewhere, because it would frankly be a pain in the ass to use these supports if you can do the tasks without them.

So, if you had a law that people could only use Segways for mobility reasons, people who use them for mobility reasons would then need to produce documentation or at the very least explanation that it's tough for them to walk long distances, and this would mean that the local law was violating the ADA by requiring people to explain their disability (asking for explanation or documentation is only allowed in long-term circumstances such as renting a house or asking for accommodations at work -- it isn't generally allowed for the right to take your animal or wheelchair onto property). If the Segway law was similar to the service animal law (where all that can be asked is "is this a service animal?"), then this wouldn't deter very many people from using Segways, since people know they can't be asked for documentation. "Is your Segway for mobility purposes?" "Sure is."

http://1smootshort.blogspot.com

As eeka explained elsewhere, Cambridge can say whatever they like about where segways can and can't go. HOWEVER, if the device is for mobility assistance for a person with mobility limitations, the city has no legal authority to restrict such segway use.

City ordinance is trumped by Federal Law.

I may be wrong, but I could have sworn I saw two officers on Segways in Harvard Square last year during a festival... I can only guess that Harvard Square is a business district, although I may be wrong.