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A Battle Between North End Residents And Tourists On Segways

BOSTON (CBS) - There's a battle rolling onto Boston's sidewalks pitting pedestrians against tourists on futuristic wheels.

Residents in the North End have been complaining about an onslaught of Segway riders invading their neighborhood.

"They're a pain in the butt, especially on like Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays," said John Gargano. "It creates a nuisance. It creates a hazard."

That's why the Boston City Council members voted unanimously to ban Segways from city sidewalks.

Joe Ingram, who's with a Segway tour company called Boston Glides, says that would push them right into the streets. "It would be a nightmare. I mean keeping everyone together in a line and close and safe and watching their wheels to make sure their wheels don't tag a car or a curb."

WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports

He says it would put the company out of business. "We already have tours booked through the summer. I don't know what we'll do."

Mayor Tom Menino tells WBZ he plans to sign the Segway sidewalk ban into law.

Boston Glides has filed an injunction in federal court to try to block the new law.

Tourists say they hope the Segway tours stick around. "It was really easy, took 2 minutes to learn how to do it, and you can see a lot of the city in a short period of time," said Gail Lewis who was visiting with her family from Phoenix.

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