Earlier today, I sort of felt like a Valkyrie on my way to Vallhalla - never mind the fact I’m the wrong sex and don’t have a flying horse or wolf. Perhaps it was the smooth ride, but more likely it was Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walküre) playing in my mind that left me with my perception.
Anyway, on my home from IslandFest, I ran into, well, not literally, Allen County Commissioner Bill Brown tooling around a parking lot on his Segway. With Bill was his wife and Mike Waskiewicz, Marketing Director of the Downtown Improvement District who was also riding a Segway in the parking lot.
After watching Mike ride around the parking lot a few times…
…I was offered a go. Mounting/dismounting a Segway can be a bit tricky. You do it one foot at a time. You lean forward to move forward and lean back to slow/stop. Turning is as simple as turning the handle in the direction you wish to go. I was a bit jerky at first, but things soon smoothed out – they move at a pretty good clip! According to Bill, he gets about 40 miles on a single battery charge!
I’m warning you before you click on the next image. It’s the first and possibly last photo of myself I will post on the blog. If your computer malfunctions or you go blind, don’t email me! In fairness to Bill and Mike, however, I’m including one of me on the Segway.
Apparently there has been some interesting in bringing a group of Segways to Fort Wayne for use on a rental basis. Sign me up! If you ever have a chance, take a spin on one the Segways - you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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