There's a throughline the author would like us to follow: the fate of the Segway might end up being the fate of Lime/Jump/Bird/etc. This might be true, but a major reason Segway failed was the price tag. $5,000-$10,000 (the price of a Segway) is how much a solid 200-500cc motorcycle would run you.

Scooters look kind of silly, too, but they at least won't break the bank.