Aug 31, 2006 5:12 am US/Pacific
Montana Campus Cops Enforce Traffic On Segways
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) ―
Campus police at the University of Montana have added a new vehicle to their fleet. The $5,400 Segway Human Transporter will be used mainly by UM traffic enforcement officer Audrey Kramer-Jorgensen in writing parking tickets.
A Segway is a two-wheeled electric scooter on which the driver stands upright. It is operated by body movement and balance: To make it go, the driver must lean forward; to make it stop, lean back. Its top speed is 12.5 mph.
Ken Willett, director of public safety at UM, described the new machine as "cooler than cool."
"If it did nothing more than look strange, it changes the image of ticket-writers," he said. "It's a lot friendlier, and the oddity of it makes for conversation."
Kramer-Jorgensen said driving the Segway took about a week and a half to get used to, but now is both fun and useful.
"It gives me accessibility to campus," she said. "I go across campus instead of having to go around it when I'm in the van. And I like the economical part of it. I'm glad we are stepping up with the times as far as saving energy."
While the new Segway is designed for pavement, UM is hoping to get a second one that can be driven on campus trails and lawns.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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