Rediscover Freedom --- Choose the Glide that fits your stride!

One of the highlights of my trip to the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair was learning how to drive a SEGWAY BY KAR !!

The postcard advertisement says, "Rediscover Freedom...Choose the glide that fits your stride"

What a great invention the SEGWAY is! I felt a little unbalanced and nervous at first but Kathleen Russel, MSW (contact Kathleen) is a great trainer! I did not know that these vehicles are propelled by body motions. The operate with your shoulders pushing forward to make it go and pulling the shoulders back to make it stop. Kathleen had me go forward and back several times to get the feel of this contraption. It felt a little awkward at first -- maybe a little scary when it first gained a speed I wasn't comfortable with! I had to remind my brain to pull the shoulders back to slow it down!

Then just when I started feeling comfortable Kathleen showed me how to turn. The nervousness started all over again! I do think it is something I could get used to, though! What a cool way to scoot around town and save gas money!!

Locally, Rockford Police Department has added SEGWAY's to their fleet of patrol vehicles, making them the first city police department in West Michigan using the new vehicle. It is also used by the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, according to the article I read in the Advance Newspaper. I wouldn't have thought about it but one benefit is that it puts the police above the crowd, a birds eye view if you will, at large gatherings.

I did not have much time to interview Kathleen as she was very busy training people to ride. Kathleen did share with me that she commuted with it all year last year to and from work. I find that amazing with the amount of snow fall Traverse City Michigan gets each year ...LOTS! according to this website! 125 - 142 inches per year!

I understand that they even make a SEGWAY for Golf that carries your bag as well as your person! How Cool! I know what I'm putting on my Christmas list!