Our group making our way past the Capitol.
by Laura
Triangle Glides has got the local Segway market cornered, so although Raleigh may not be the most scenic place to see on two well-balanced wheels, we decided to take a historic tour of downtown via this almost-revolutionary technology.
I have always wanted to ride a Segway, but leading up to our tour, I was getting a little nervous remembering:
- All the famous people who have fallen off one (G Dubs, Paris Hilton)
- The cop I saw getting stuck on a slight uphill riding one though Central Park, as thousands of people in Sheep Meadow laughed at his ineffectual mode of crime fighting transport
- The man I saw falling off one in front of a different thousands of onlookers in Chicago
- The fact that one of Segway’s former executives DIED when his went over a cliff (!!!)
However, the folks who led our adventure were extremely safety-conscious and shepherded us over the most treacherous sidewalk bumps, keeping us well-clear of any potential hazards via the headsets we wore under our helmets. After a little bit of training, I realized that the Segway is pretty neat (and easy to handle) in that it finds your center of gravity and adjusts accordingly, leaving you to focus on adjusting your speed and direction. Definitely worth experiencing at least once!
Laura
Harold
