Wheels on fire

A work trip gave this Star2 writer the opportunity to do something she had tried to do – but failed – for decades.

I DON’T drive. Actually, I can’t drive. I have no idea how a car works apart from the fact that most cars need petrol to get the engine running, and that you need to push some pedals to get the car to go forward or backward.

I also can’t ride a bicycle. When I was younger I desperately wanted to learn how to ride one, but it seems like the bicycles we had at home were always too big for me – my feet could never reach the pedals!

We had a pair of old school roller skates, too, only back then, they weren’t considered old school yet. They were adjustable to fit a range of shoe size but, somehow, I don’t recall ever trying to put them on as a kid. When I finally wanted to test them out, they were already broken and, not to mention, outdated, as roller blades had become all the rage by then.

So, basically, I can’t do anything on wheels. And I am fine with this, as I don’t really need to drive for work (or leisure) thanks to public transportation and ride-hailing and -sharing apps.

I also don’t want to ride a bicycle anymore and my desire to roller skate/blade is completely gone as I embrace all the aches and pains I get in my body from just sitting, standing and walking every day.

However, a week ago, I was introduced to another “vehicle” that I never thought I would ever be able to, um, drive. As part of a media trip to South Australia, I went on a short tour of a winery riding a Segway.

A Segway is a self-balancing, battery-operated “personal transporter”. It has been in existence for about two decades now, but we rarely see it being used in public areas mainly because it costs about RM30,000 per scooter! There are also some safety issues – which have nothing to do with the scooter itself, but perhaps more with a city’s road system, for example – that discourage people from using it as it was originally intended, a daily, personal transporter.

The tour was operated by Segway Sensation South Australia (segwaysensationsa.com), and on that particular day, our instructors were Shane Camilleri and Cindy Chynoweth. We were at Seppeltsfield, one of the oldest wineries in Australia located in the Barossa Valley, about one hour’s drive from Adelaide. The winery is a huge place that consists of galleries, processing rooms, cellars, restaurants, souvenir shops and large hillside vineyards.

Perfect for a sunny afternoon Segway tour.

Camilleri and Chynoweth started us off with a lesson on how to activate the Segway, get on it and ride away. To get the scooter to move forward, we had to lean forward ever so slightly; to stop, we had to lean back a little bit and press on our heels. If you press on your heels too much, the Segway will go in reverse, which is not something you want. If that happens to you, immediately re-position yourself – lean forward again and then stand straight to stop the scooter.

This really wasn’t easy for me as I kept digging in my heels, a reaction similar to clutching a handrail when you’re riding a rollercoaster, for instance. Needless to say, I was scared.

With her years of experience riding the scooter and conducting the tour, Chynoweth quickly recognised what I was doing wrong and proceeded to calm me down. Both she and Camilleri gave us clear instructions and lots of encouragement, not just during the lesson but throughout the whole tour.

When all five of us finally got the hang of things, we started our journey through Seppeltsfield with Chynoweth telling us about the winery’s founding family, the history of the company as well as some of the buildings in the area, what grapes are grown in the fields and other colourful stories.

It was an interesting ride, and we grew more confident on the Segway with each turn we made and bump we went over. We even managed to make our way over a single-lane bridge and past a few tourists without having to tell them to get out of the way!

By the end of our session, we were doing donuts on the Segway and showing off our skills (though nobody was watching us, really). Everyone was happy and grateful that we did not have to walk through acres of land just to see some buildings and grape vines.

And, after more than four decades, I finally drove/rode something with wheels and actually wish that I could do more. I don’t think any of my close friends and family ever thought that would happen. Heck, I didn’t think it would happen.

Now how do I get my hands on a Segway here?

Touche is a monthly column in which team Star2 shares its thoughts.