photo: David Olsen
The Segway Personal Transporter, a self-balancing electric mobility device invented by American entrepreneur Dean Kamen, caused quite a stir when it was first mass-produced for the public in 2002. President George W. Bush famously fell off one of these so-called “idiot-proof” machines. Segway polo leagues were formed. The Segway scooter gained popularity among police departments and on business park campuses. A minor Segway craze erupted.
Denise Russell, owner/manager of Roll With It! Segway Guided Tours, has intensely personal reasons for adopting the Segway PT as her preferred mode of transport. After battling cancer and suffering the effects of chemotherapy, she struggled to get back on her feet before discovering that the Segway offered her the freedom to travel independently again. Seeking to share her enthusiasm, Russell mapped out “safe and interesting” rollable routes around downtown Tucson to take locals and visitors alike out for a spin. She began offering guided tours in mid-2006, and the takers keep coming.
After a brief instructional session and safety training, Russell’s two hour “Shake, Rattle & Roll” tour takes Segway gliders through the historic West University area and past the house on Second Avenue where American outlaw John Dillinger was captured by Tucson law enforcement officers in 1934. Continuing towards the University of Arizona campus and across the rattling Diamondback Bridge before winding through the Pie Allen and Iron Horse neighborhoods and up Fourth Avenue, Russell stops frequently to mark points of interest.
Speaking through a headset microphone, she explains the nuances of desert vegetation and xeriscaping along the way and charts the Old Pueblo’s path of development over the years. A knowledgeable and disarming host, she is a delight to zip along with on city sidewalks and streets.
“It gives you a new perspective,” Russell says, to discover the details behind Tucson landmarks like Main Gate Square’s Geronimo Plaza. Will Rogers once lived in a bungalow here, she tells her Segway riders. Russell takes pleasure in reflecting on the “romanticism” of these special spots that are “so unique to Tucson.”
The Segway PT allows her guests to easily traverse miles of urban desert in a short time, much further than would be possible on foot. And it’s a blast! Russell’s tour concludes with a creamy milkshake at Delectables Restaurant and Catering, next door to the Roll With It! headquarters. A new, bigger map may be needed there soon, with its numerous pins marking the hometowns of the Segway tourists.
This writer only fell off once! Roll With It! Segway Guided Tours also offers “Presidio Trail” and “Coffee and A Roll” tours. Call 749-5325 or make reservations at TucsonRollWithIt.com.'
