A scenic history tour at 6 mph

Good weather inspires a Florida foray into the human transporter business.

By DEMORRIS A. LEE
Published July 8, 2007

For James Cooney and his family, it was one of the more exciting tours they had taken.

Sure, the vacationing family of five from Massachusetts learned about the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and how in its heyday it was one of the city's most exclusive hotels. And, yes, there are the storied banyan trees in North Straub Park and the sprawling waterfront and Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, where the first commercial aircraft took to the sky.

But this city tour was different. It was aboard a human transporter.

"It was great, " Cooney said of the tour. "We were really interested in the (human transporter). We covered a lot of area, and there was lots of good history of the area, " said Cooney, who was actually vacationing on Clearwater Beach but spent the day in St. Petersburg.

For Rory Carney, the 25-year-old owner of Tampa Bay Segs, that was the intent: to combine the novelty of riding a human transporter with a thirst for local history. Located at a kiosk in St. Petersburg's BayWalk, Tampa Bay Segs has offered tours of downtown St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach since 2005.

"It's a great way to get around, " Carney said. "It is easy, fun and you will not be sore the next day."

It was the pain of sore muscles that planted the seed for Carney, a May 2005 graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh who got a degree in business. Having gone to Las Vegas on vacation, he walked everywhere viewing the local attractions. The next day after doing so much walking, Carney's muscles ached.

"That's when it popped into my mind, " Carney said. "It's really a great way to check out local attractions and to put it together with where you do all the sightseeing without having to do all the research, work."

With an idea in mind, Carney researched cities throughout the country. He discovered that the Tampa Bay area had sunshine 361 days a year, a major plus for conducting outdoor tours.

"So, I didn't have to worry about weather, " he said of the continuous sunshine. "I then learned that the sidewalks are really safe, there's a lot to see and that tourism is high with all the events that go on."

With that information in hand, six months out of college, Carney purchased a one-way plane ticket from Pittsburgh to the Clearwater/St. Petersburg Airport in 2005. He's been in the area ever since.

Tours are $45 for 90 minutes and cover 7 miles of city sidewalks. Riders are given about 10 minutes of instruction to learn how to operate the human transporter, which can travel as fast as 12 miles per hour.

Depending on the rider's comfort level and for safety reasons, Carney usually regulates the speed to 6 miles per hour at the beginning of the tour, upping that to 8 mph at the tour's midway point.

In Florida, human transporters are considered Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices, and no special license or insurance is needed to operate them. The two-wheeled standing transporters can be taken on bike paths, streets where bikes are allowed, crosswalks and sidewalks.

The St. Petersburg Museum of History offers tours on human transporters, and the city's Police Department has five that are used mainly for traffic control and special events.

For Cooney, whose children are 8, 12 and 14, the human transporter experience was one worth having again.

"The tour was great, " he said. "It was in-depth. But the next time, I think I'll just rent the (human transporter) for an hour rather than take the tour. My family had a great time."

Visit tampabaysegs.com or call 772-3639.