As much as I love this job, I must admit to usually, being the outsider; following those who are “doing”- running behind with my trusty recorder, notebook and pen, ever after the story. Saturday night was different. I had to have my hands free, my eyes focused and my feet firmly on…the Segway! Yes. I spent a remarkable, and unforgettable two hours taking a Halloween Tour of my city. I did, indeed, glide with ghosts http://bit.ly/CCfkW.
Believe me when I say that I am a clutz. Even before I got on the Segway, I had trouble adjusting and securing the safety helmet. And yes, this company is very safety conscious. Everyone is required to wear a helmet. There is a weight limit. No one is allowed to go out ‘on the road’ without some basic introductory lessons on how to operate the Segway; start, stop, turn. We practice until we are comfortable enough to be able to start, stop and turn.
The feeling of being on a Segway is what I imagine surfing to be like. You use your body to navigate. It’s a great feeling, because you quickly become so much in synch with the machine that you feel part of it. Move your body forward to go forward, back to go backwards. To stop, you lean back and then return to a standing position. The guides were careful with their explanations and made sure that each of us not only knew what we were doing, but were comfortable doing it. After the ride, company co-owner, Mike Kettinger, who helps train the tour guides, explained, “Every tour guide who is going to be training people knows exactly what they are talking about. People will ask, ‘How long does it take to learn?’ And the answer is, well, it takes one minute, if you listen.”
Did I say the guides were patient? I really enjoyed turning; leaning my body forward and into the direction that I wanted to go. Stopping- not so much. I am someone who does not like rocking chairs, or anything that might move beneath me unexpectedly. It seemed that I held on to the idea that if I just relaxed, and leaned my entire body back, I would slow down and fall off. So moving forward, turning this way and that was fine. After some practice, I did learn the motion I needed to stop. I was not the most graceful rider in the group but I forgot about being a clutz. I definitely agree with Mike when he told me “I think that this company has more of a balance between experiencing the Segway and having the tour guides have a very extensive knowledge, whereas some of the other companies really like to stress that they will play more on the machines.” If you are not athletic; if you are afraid, if you cannot even imagine yourself doing this…do it anyway. “It’s incredibly safe as long as you don’t do anything stupid.”
In no time at all, we were ready to head out into the haunted city. No rain ponchos needed (Yes, the company provides these for unexpected bad weather.) With one last warning to all; to try not to go backwards too often, because we had no rear-view mirrors, each of us turned on the small headlight on the front of our Segway, and we were ready to go.
The two tour guides, dressed in costume, introduced themselves as ‘Terrence, the undead’, and Theodore. They were careful to glide along beside the lagging riders and to watch out for every single one of us along the way. As we glided along, we heard about the mysterious room #666 that is always kept locked at the Congress Hotel, saw the site of the Eastland disaster, rode through the most haunted alley in Chicago, and more. Just the ride was such an adventure, that the storytelling was a bonus.
Everyone was disappointed when the tour came to an end. We hadn't noticed the chilly weather and had completely lost track of time. I did have a chance to talk to some of the group. I wasn’t the only rider who enjoyed the experience. When asked, fellow segway rider, Kari Hawes, had this to say, “I thought it was fantastic. I’ve never been on a Segway. I thought it was very instructional. I learned a lot. And it was a great way to see Chicago- on a Segway. I’m from Kansas City. My Aunt actually found it online, and heard good reviews.” Would you go again? “Oh totally. I would go again in a second.” Chris Czerwien agreed. “I think the tour was excellently presented. There were a lot of spots that were (visited) that were beautiful, especially in the nighttime with the city being lit up. And I think another advantage of going at night is because there are less people.” Have you ever been on a Segway before? “No.” Do you think you’ve mastered it now? “Yes. I think- if I had to do it again- it’s like riding a bike; I think you always remember.” Are you from Chicago? “Yes.
I think the tour guides had as much fun as we did. “I just actually created the character tonight when I put on the costume, and put on the makeup. I am also an actor, and this is really fun to do for me.” ‘Terrence the undead’ is actor, Alex Knapp. “I’ve worked for three different Segway companies, and this one, I have to say, is the best. The atmosphere is delicious; it’s a great atmosphere, working for great people…It’s a really great environment and it’s fun to ride gyroscopic machines around. It’s a really intuitive machine after you get comfortable on it, so I just try to communicate that to people and they get it usually. My favorite part is probably just hanging out with the people because it’s really fun; it is a tour, but it’s mostly just we’re having a really good time on Segways.”
Mike Kettinger, “It’s been great meeting people like Alex and others who work here. On a day to day basis, I like meeting the people who come on the tours. I mean, I meet people from around the whole world, and I wouldn’t be able to do that otherwise.”
What I was especially impressed with, in addition to their patience with me, was their professionalism; their consciousness of safety and the precautions and care they took in ensuring that everyone was at all times safe, and also, having a good time.
The guides were all experienced Segway riders. “There is one guide per 8 to 10 people so if we have a tour of 24, there will be a total of three guides that go out on that tour. We will take one person out or two dozen. Whenever you would like to go, give us a call." Owner of Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours, Timmie Cortina likes what she's doing, “I love it. It’s been fun”, and she says that people who have taken the tour have enjoyed it so much that they tell others.
Now, I’m going to tell you that you would be missing out on something if you did not go on this ride at Halloween, and that’s true. But if you can’t make it on Halloween, book the Segway tour sometime soon. This is one of those experiences that should definitely make the list of “Things to do before you die”. Seriously. I have lived in Chicago all of my life. I’ve seen the city from bicycles, from boats, from trains, planes and automobiles. This has got to be the most ethereal way of seeing the city at night. Once you are on the move, you forget that you are riding anything. And you are gliding through the most beautiful city. There are the parks with the fountains; Buckingham Fountain is orange and yellow at this time of year. All of the buildings are silhouetted against a dark velvet blue sky. The Christmas lights are nothing compared to the beauty of a mid-October night. I’ve seen my city like I’ve never seen her before, and I invite you to do the same.
For more information about Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours: http://www.chicagosegway.com/
Alex Knapp will be performing in ‘The Winter Pageant”, which opens in November at Red Moon Theatre. Stay tuned, perhaps, for more about the experience of being an actor in Chicago.
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