Fun on the Riverwalk

I usually don't work on Sunday, but I made an exception today.

I got to ride a Segway Personal Transporter. You've seen those contraptions.

They kind of look like an old-fashioned push lawn mower. Only you ride on them upright.

The first time I saw one was on television when my favorite actor, Russell Crowe, was on "The Tonight Show." The Dean Kamen, the Segway inventor was also on, and he brought several. Host Jay Leno and Crowe were riding around that stage. It looked like so much fun.

Then we were at the Atlanta airport and noticed airport security riding around on them.

Last summer, my friends at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau said they'd started a Segway tour of downtown Atlanta.

A few months ago, I saw a brochure for the Chatt Glide Tours and told everyone I worked with that I was going to do the story. Then it got busy and I put it aside.

Well, I decided it was time to do the Segway ride.

I went last Sunday but I'd forgotten to turn in a photo assignment. But owner John Partin showed me what to do and I got to ride in a straight line and go around the traffic cones for practice.

Today, though, I did the whole thing. Well, not the entire two hours, but it was a good long ride.

It's a blast! You're gonna love it.

Right now, John and his wife, Vicky, have eight Segways for people to ride. They have their personal Segways, and they always ride with the group. One leads and the other is the last in line in case something goes wrong.

I'll be writing a story about this later, and there will be plenty of photos by Philip Wartena and even a video by Joe Paull for our Web site.

In the meantime, if you want to try a Segway ride, it's $55 for a two-hour tour. That includes a safety video, training and a helmet.

The Chatt Glide Tours is in the old Chattahoochee Outfitters location at 1000 Bay Ave. You know, the place where Greta used to reign supreme and you could rent bicycles, canoes and kayaks from Greta's owner, Ed Breitfelder. By the way, the bicycles are now at the old Bulldog in Rotary Park.