Anyone ever do a Segway tour?

[ZellaLamb]

This may sound like a crazy idea but has anyone ever thought about joining a segway tour with your scooter? I would love to do that. My husband could ride the segway and I could just tag along on my scooter. Would that be do-able?

 

We are booked on the Celebrity Solstice. It will be going to San Juan, St. Martin, Tortola and Labadee. Any other ideas for tours?

 

Kate

[kitty9]

It's probably possible, but there has been some recent problems for those on the Segway tours being robbed. I would never go anywhere outside the tourist areas. I just think that seeing someone who's physically challenged on a scooter could be a prime target for criminals.

[arlodog]

We did a segway tour in San Juan and it was wonderful! I bet that they would work it out with you so your husband could go. Just google segway san juan and contact them. Wonderful to work with and great people! Even though you are not using a segway I would think there would be some charge for you to enjoy the tour. They give history of the island and of the sights.

[ZellaLamb]

Thanks Arlodog! I'm gonna try it. It seems to me that the scooter should be able to go everywhere a Segway goes. My scooter goes about 5mph so it should be able to keep up.

[Starr Mtn]

Does the tour originate at the port ? If not, you

need to consider transporting your scooter to the tour

location . Sounds like fun - hope it works out for you.

[Queenie2]

depends on your ability.

 

wrote an article about it at http://www.moveoverms.org/featured-columnists/candy-harrington/hop-on-a-segway-on-your-next-vacation

 

Candy

[dsal]

I've been on a few Segway tours, and love them! You mentioned that your scooter goes about 5 mph, so it should be able to keep up. On the tours we went on, we started off slowly until people got used to them, and then we would zip--about 10-13 mph I think. Unfortunately, I'm not sure your scooter could keep up. But perhaps you could book a private tour with the Segway group where the instructor/guide would be able to accommodate a 5 mph speed limit request from you.

 

hth,

dsal

[Sequim88]

Was searching around for San Juan, PR info and saw this. Had also seen posts elsewhere about Segway tours in San Juan. My wife is partly paralyzed on right side and has terrible balance. I have always figured she could do a Segway as long as one handed operation works. If the StearFrame is just moved side to side to turn and not rotated (like a bike handle bar) it would work but she would not be able to "twist" the handle. Just use one hand to move it laterally. Leaning from the waist would also be OK but not from the ankles because one is fused.

 

With all that does it sound like she might be able to do it? She can walk up to 1/4 mile pretty easy with cane but not fast. I think going fast on a Segway would be as close to running (something she really misses) as she could get.

[dsal]

Hi, Sequim88,

Sorry to hear of your wife's paralysis. A good sense of balance is necessary to ride a Segway because that is how you steer and move forward as well as stop. Just a short shift in balance gets things going.

 

You'd probably be best off calling a Segway tour place and discussing your wife's abilities and limitations and see what they say.

 

Good luck, and hope it works out for both of you!

 

dsal

[Sequim88]

Darned, I was expecting the sensors and magic in the Segway did all the balancing. Saw a TV think about what's in them and the mercury contact levelers and the computing power of six home PCs. Pretty amazing. I can see though where if she overreacted to a sensation of falling while tilting to go it might confuse the controls. The knock on her head 36 years ago that scrambles signals to her right side also did something to the right inner ear that affects balance as much as lack of muscle control in her right leg.

[dsal]

Sequim, I wouldn't give up hope on this just yet. I still think you should call a Segway tour place and see what they say. It's possible there is a place in your home-town that does small tours, and maybe you and she could start with one of those and she could get used to it. Then, if you wanted to do a group tour on a vacation, she would already have experience with it.

 

Perhaps your local Segway place could even give her a private lesson on one to see if it would work for her.

 

This probably sounds totally geeky, but I really wish Segways would catch on. Of course walking and biking, etc. is great for exercise--but these things are just plain fun to buzz around on. A group of friends and I bought a private Segway tour that took place in a local metro-park, and we had a blast. Just plain fun!

 

I don't own one of my own, but I would love to--however my family thinks that it would look stupid to ride around on one, lol. I think these would be great to use instead of always hopping in the car when you want to go run an errand that is somewhat close-by.

 

dsal

[Scrufsmom]

Wow, how interesting to hear how everyone has been able to do this type of tours. My DH has been in his scooter now for 5 years and when we have tried to join these segway tour, we've been told "NO". I want to go, experience the excursions, the educational seminar part of each trip; but I guess I have to either decide which is important. Give up tour, not leave DH alone or go off to experience such tour with worries on what he is doing and feeling? As you can see I stay with him.

 

What information do you have to supply when booking such tours? Were you treated any differently when you told the booking agent of the disability? Please I am curious cause next time I am going to demand better service.

 

Just to let you know that when we've been told "no" it was then presented to us that he couldn't even keep up with the tour, caused a liability to the tour and not intended for such tour jsut the segway alone. I've always felt alittle discriminated towards. We even said he would pay the full price just so I could experience the fun......nope!

[dsal]

Scrufsmom, I'm not sure what you mean when you said that you're wondering how everyone is doing the Segway tours. (?) I've done Segway tours, but do not have any disability issue. Sequim was asking if his wife could handle a Segway, and I merely suggested that he inquire about it with a Segway tour company.

 

I'm guessing that scooters are not allowed on Segway tours because the Segways can go about 12 mph. And on the tours I've been on, we're encouraged to build up to that speed and then continue @ that speed while going to and from the different sites on the tour. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think that the mobility scooters do not go that fast. That being said--perhaps there's a chance you could schedule and pay for a private Segway tour where a guide and you would ride Segways slowly, and your hubby could accompany you in his scooter. Of course you couldn't cover as much ground and see as many sites, but still sounds like fun! Wouldn't hurt to ask!

 

hth,

dsal

[norcalal]

This is just for information...I do not know of a Segway tour that has them but my daughter, who has CP and has never walked, rode a sit down Segway. Took only about 5 minutes of instruction and guidance and she was off and running. Segway had a rep at the last "No Barriers" get together at Squaw Valley Ca.

[Scrufsmom]

Dsal I guess you overlooked the initial question from ZellaLamb who wanted to know if she could ride her scooter while her DH did the tour. Maybe I missed understood the after reactions from the rest of the posters. My DH is in his scooter, he has the ability to walk; but it is very hard on him after about 15ft. Not so sure he could even withstand the standing portion of the segway. Years ago before being injured he learned how to use a segway while visiting Disney. They were just incorporating those into a new tour being developed. Since then I've wanted to do a tour, but no one seems to allow the tag along. Most scooters seems to go about 4 mph and yes, it wouldn't be fast enough if you are trying to cover as much ground as possible. So food for thought and I thank you for this I never even thought about a private tour. Guess my mind doesn't go in that direction very much.