A "Mall Cop" in training

Even though we're waiting til this weekend to see "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," I've already got something in common with the security guard.
As you can see in this promotional photo released by Columbia Pictures, the over-anxious mall cop loves to scoot around on a Segway.

Well, as it turns out ... so do I!

On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon this past October, my GF and I had an awesome time riding Segways up and down the eastern shore of the Hudson River. I'm not overstating things here when I tell ya this: This is the coolest way around here to spend three hours on a weekend!!! Additionally, it was also probably the best b-day present I've purchased in a long time.

There are so many things that were cool about our Segway-ing tour, it's hard to begin to explain them all, but here goes...

First off, anyone can do it! You don't have to be an athlete. You don't even have to be that coordinated. You just have to be patient. While I took to it from the first time I stepped on my Segway (seen here), some others in our group needed a few more minutes to feel comfortable, but that was OK. Our guides with Segway of the Hudson Valley were extremely patient and made sure our safety came first. (You saw that snazzy helmet I'm wearing up there, right?!) They also made sure we didn't go too fast — just fast enough to see all the sights and be safe.

Want to see how easy it is to do? Check out this video of me practicing in an empty lot along the riverside.

Seriously, does that look hard?!

Want another reason to try the Segway tour? How about this: You see some of the best scenery the Poughkeepsie area has to offer! Zooming up and down the riverside just feet from the water's edge, you get this close to the picturesque waterfront.
To prove that point, I snapped this picture of the autumn sunlight reflecting on the river as we rode up near Longview Park alongside Marist College. Sure, I'm biased 'cause we went in October, but I'd recommend trying a tour in the fall.

And this might be the clincher: When you're riding around on a Segway, people look at you like you're a rock star! We'd seen people taking a Segway tour at Epcot on a previous trip to Walt Disney World, and as I looked in awe I thought, I wish I could do that! but thought it was too expensive. Well, we got tons of those same looks as we zoomed by people in cars and walking along the river.

As my lil' 3-year-old buddy Junior would say, the whole Segway experience was kewwwwwwl!