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Christina Murphy has zoomed around Naples, logging more than 3,700 miles and never spending a penny on gas.
She’s done it on a two-wheeled Segway, which she describes as “the ultimate green machine.”
Murphy is a lead guide for Segway tours in downtown Naples. She works for Naples Transportation, Tours and Event Planning, which also sells the personal transporters, or PTs.
“If I’m not touring around, then you could probably just find me tooling around town,” said Murphy, 50.
With gas prices topping $4 a gallon and likely to go up, she said there’s more reason than ever to use the stand-and-ride Segways to get around. They run on batteries with zero emissions.
With gas prices rising, more people are showing interest in Segways across the country — and in Southwest Florida. When they first came out in 2001, they mostly appealed to police and security officers at malls and airports. Now they’re becoming more popular with commuters.
“We are probably getting twice as many inquiries weekly than we did in ‘07 and I think a lot of it has to do with fuel going up so quickly,” said Randy Smith, the owner of Naples Transportation, Tours and Event Planning.
In its first year as a dealer of Segways in 2007, his company sold 24 units, including a few to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, which uses the off-road model for patrolling in wooded areas, and other remote places, Smith said.
This year, there have been a dozen sales, but Smith expects sales for the year to be up as more people learn about the self-balancing, electric Segways.
Segway of Sanibel, which offers tours and sales, has also noticed more interest from people looking for ways to deal with skyrocketing gas prices.
“It’s not so much that we have been seeing a lot more sales, but we are getting a lot more inquiries. A lot of people are calling us and wanting to know a lot more information about them,” said Sara Kramer, who is in sales and marketing.
Over the past few years, the dealer has sold more than 100 Segways, she said.
It probably could have sold more if Sanibel didn’t have a ban on the personal use of Segways on public streets and sidewalks. The city has prohibited them for safety reasons, and only allows public tours in limited areas.
“It certainly plays a significant role in our sales and our business,” Kramer said.
Most of the dealer’s buyers come from Cape Coral and Fort Myers.
Kramer, who used to give Segway tours herself on Sanibel, is a huge fan of the scooter-like transporters.
“It’s definitely a great way to get around,” she said. “I’ve got over 1,000 miles on a Segway. It’s very easy and safe to use.”
Segway Inc., headquartered in Bedford, N.H., is a private company and it keeps its sales numbers to itself. But a spokeswoman said sales are definitely up. There are now more than 250 dealers in 61 countries.
“I can tell you that we saw a 25 percent increase in sales in the first quarter,” said Sarah LaLiberte, Segway’s public relations manager.
For the second quarter, sales are expected to be up by about 50 percent, she said.
The demand is now evenly split between individual commuters and commercial users, LaLiberte said.
There are two basic models for Segway: the i2 for personal transportation on the street or sidewalks, and the x2, the all-terrain vehicle with larger tires.
The use of the Segway is limited. Unlike a car — or even a scooter — it’s not designed for long-distance travel. It can go up to 24 miles, or about 480 city blocks, before its two batteries need a recharge, which takes four to six hours.
Murphy lives close enough to downtown Naples to drive a Segway to work. But for good reason she chooses to go by car, which takes her all of five minutes.
“I’m standing for a living,” she said. “I love to sit in my car to go home.”
Some are turned off by the cost of a Segway. They start at $5,300. But with gas at more than $4 a gallon, owners can quickly realize savings, LaLiberte said.
Commuters could easily spend $250 a month on gas driving a car and Segways can be financed for $150 a month, she said.
Two months ago, the police department at Florida Gulf Coast University bought a Segway to patrol its parking areas and buildings. But fuel efficiency wasn’t the main driver.
“It’s to get our officers more in tune with our students, staff and faculty,” said Herb Caudle, deputy director.
He said the gas savings is an added bonus.
“The university community has endorsed it pretty good,” Caudle said. “They like it. So I’m sure we will get some more.”
East Naples resident Tad Spink, 40, purchased a Segway a little over a month ago to get to work. He’s a meat manager for Publix in the Kings Lake shopping center.
“I just got tired of paying so much for gas,” he said.
He was driving a gas-guzzling truck to work five days a week.
He got hooked on Segways after taking a recent tour on them at Epcot in Orlando.
On the Segway, he gets to work in about seven minutes. He lives a little more than a mile away.
His co-workers, he said, think he’s nuts.
“The cost is a little expensive on them,” Spink said. “But they are fun to ride.”
They’re definitely attention-grabbers.
“Some just stare,” Spink said. “They just look at you like ‘what are you riding?’ ”
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It's illegal to ride a bicycle on the 5th Avenue sidewalk. But on the other hand, why should the Segways be allowed to ride on these same 5th Avenue sidewalks....The current City of Naples by-laws should be enforced for both modes of transportation!
Don't you agree?
#1 Posted by dooley on July 24, 2008 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are you serious? Because I've seen the police ride bikes to patrol the area.
But I can see why bikes are not allowed...if they indeed aren't allowed...because it' s supposed to be pedestrian friendly.
Haven't seen a segway zoom past me on Fifth either, though.
#2 Posted by beetlejuice on July 24, 2008 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Segway's are crap anyway...
#3 Posted by techie on July 24, 2008 at 10:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beetlejuice,
Last year I was stopped by Officer Davis for riding on the 5th Avenue sidewalk! He was polite and we had a civil conversation about the Naples City Hall by-laws restricting bicycles ONLY on the 5th Avenue sideway. It is OK to walk the bicycle but pedaling is restricted.
Segways on 5th? Just last week I saw the Segway Tour riding on the sidewalks....
#4 Posted by dooley on July 24, 2008 at 10:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Christina Murphy has zoomed around Naples, logging more than 3,700 miles and never spending a penny on gas." As stated in the article, Segways run on batteries that must be recharged by electricity. Most electricity in the US, about 70%, is generated using fossil fuels, especially coal. So, Christina has never spent a penny on gas? And the Segway cost less to operate? "Commuters could easily spend $250 a month on gas driving a car and Segways can be financed for $150 a month". Excuse me - that isn't much of a comparison. A Segway is a one person mode of transportation versus a vehicle that you can sit four to five people in. Do the math!
#5 Posted by blefebvre on July 24, 2008 at 11:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
dooley...I've not seen the Segways on Fifth...but I'll keep my eyes peeled for these two wheeled machines.
It's interesting, as I assumed these were on the streets, more than sidewalks.
Segways are greener blefebre....especially compared to the gas-guzzling SUV's on the roads today.
Other modes of transportation are needed here.
The visitors to Naples get a new view of the streets...and they don't have to take a taxi.
Can't beat that.
Took a taxi in Greece to see ONE touristy SPOT.
The guy charged me a TON...and this was well before the U.S. dollar was weak.
Every time I see the Greek photo, I cringe to think of how much he ripped me off.
Segways seem more cozy than taxis to see Naples.
#6 Posted by beetlejuice on July 24, 2008 at 11:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If these dummies are charging the batteries via electricity, these individuals are either naive or two-faced. Lastly, who has a plan to safely disposeof the batteries generated by this alternative method- which creates other problems...
#7 Posted by sancho on July 24, 2008 at 11:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet all of the negative posters have never even been on a Segway!
Why don't you try riding a Segway before making an uneducated comment about something you know nothing of!
First of all, we own a Segway and they are a blast to ride on. Our kids ride them, their friends, our friends, everyone that has ridden on our Segway LOVES it!
Second, they are legal to ride on the sidewalks.
Lastly, yes they use electricity but the consumption of this energy source compared to the gas we are not using is miniscule, so this is helping the environment. What are you negative posters doing to help? Didn't think so!
#8 Posted by GoGators1 on July 25, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok,Ok!. Lets solve the issue here!. Segway rental station install a solar panel on top of the building and everyone is happy. ;)
#9 Posted by Naplesheart on July 25, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I work on 5th Avenue, and these jerks are everywhere. You can't walk down the street without getting run over. I'm not sure what's worse, the woman who leads the group yelling over her headset or the people following her who do not know how to properly operate the Segways.
#10 Posted by marcoislandgal on July 25, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I recently went on the Segway Tour of Naples with family visiting from South Carolina. It was very informative as well as alot of fun. The Segway does three tours a day, so they are not everywhere and the guides discuss being respectful of Pedestrians. They also mentioned that they are moving toward individual head sets, so that the narration won't annoy those around the group. In researching the amount of electricity consumed to fully charge a segway is miniscule and Collier County has a plan for disposal of batteries. It seems to me that the negative blogging is a result of those ever vocal residence that don't like change.
#11 Posted by TOPDMC on July 25, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow - maybe I should rethink this! I could go to the grocery store and tie a wagon on the back for the groceries. I could use one everyday to go to work (approx. 10 to 12 miles) - so I read they go 13 mph - I would need to get up early to allow for an hour of travel. Also, Segway does 8-12 miles on a full charge and to re-charge it takes roughly six hours if the battery is completely drained and you want to fully charge it. Hopefully, it would not stop working at 8 miles - or I'll be pushing it to work. I could recharge it at work - but what if I wanted to go out at lunchtime? HMMMMM.............
#12 Posted by blefebvre on July 25, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Segway tours are just another money-making operation by the same company which has developed dozens of other ways -- and employees fleets of trollies, buses, vans and limos -- to put "tourists on tires."
Now, this company has a Segway tour guide with an amplified megaphone booming loudly throughout the City, including residential areas, as she leads a train of tourists woobling on Segways as they tear down sidewalks at 25 mph or so. These vehicles consume the entire sidewalk, often for hundreds of feet as they race along, often shunting pedestrians out of their walk. Occasionally, there have been near misses with pedestrians.
It would seem that there are motorized vehicles which should not legally be operated on public sidewalks to begin with. It seems that the City of Naples has three cops on every block these days. Not one of them has apparently seen fit to "serve and protect" the public against these rampaging trains of machines.
What's next? Can we operate golf carts on City sidewalks? How about motorcycles?
#13 Posted by bow7809 on July 26, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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