Segway

Had a chance this week while in Chicago to experience that two wheeled wonder, the Segway. Took a 2 hour plus tour that began at Millenium Park and went south, just short of McCormick Place. What a blast!. We started with a short orientation session then hit the trail. Between the steering handle and weight shifting one can go up to 12 mph. Some of the skyline views from the lakefront were awesome. We took the 7PM tour so the temp was acceptable after a hot day. The network of walking/biking paths in the area is impressive, pedestrians, bikers and segwayers(?) coexist without any mayhem, at least during my tour. http://www.chicagosegway.com/

Speaking of mayhem, a friend stopped for a howdy in front of our house the other day when a lawn mowing rig approached going pretty darn fast. They had to slow down to navigate around...I took the opportunity to flag them down and explain the speed limit was 25...I don't think their primary language was English, but at least they continued on at a lower rate of speed. I usually give the "slow down" hand signal once a week to vehicles speeding down Potomac. Many don't have City stickers, yesterday the car had KS plates. One routine lead foot is a neighbor who lives just down the street. Loves his cell phone as he plows down Potomac. The worst, a distracted, speeding driver. Lots of kids on bikes on our street, many strollers and some runners like me. Unlike Millenium Park in Chicago with its dedicated paths, we all share the streets here at WL. 25 mph might be a pain for us motorists, but to me it is the absolute max based on our roadway with no sidewalks.