Segway has asked its customers around the globe to return their "personal transporters" for a essential software update intended to eliminate an unfortunate glitch which, in the words of the manufacturer, "can unexpectedly reverse the direction of the wheels which can cause a rider to fall".

The company said the bug affects all Segways sold to date. Segway's latest model, the i2, is now shipping with the software update, as will the x2, the company's 'off road' version, when it is released later this month. If you already own an i2, you'll need the update, the company said.

Segway didn't say whether any user had indeed fallen off their motorised pogo stick, at least not because of the software bug, anyway. To reverse the wheels as described, users need to tilt back the machine to slow it down and stop, hop off the back, then get back on "within a short period of time", as Segway puts it.

Anyone who tries this manoeuvre does so at their own risk. And we're not taking any responsibility for any reader who soils themselves at the thought of tearaway Segway owners trying to use the technique to do noisy wheel spins to terrorise quiet suburban neighbourhoods. A game of Segway Chicken, anyone? ®