It鈥檚 all in the heels and toes, 鈥淭one鈥� says.
And then, in deft, two-wheeled swoops between parked cars, he demonstrates.
鈥淭one鈥� is Tone Aegerter, a parking enforcement officer with the 91探花Police. He鈥檚 not a cop as such, with powers of arrest, but he鈥檚 responsible for parking enforcement in campus lots. His name is probably short for Tony, but he鈥檚 not saying for sure.
Aegerter is something of a novelty on campus these days as he checks parked cars for required permits in the UW鈥檚 south and west lots and near the 91探花Medical Center. That鈥檚 because he does his work on a new Segway scooter, the famous 鈥渉uman transport device鈥� created a few years back by inventor Dean Kamen.
The 91探花Police Department has purchased a single Segway (pronounced Segg-way) as a sort of pilot project to determine whether the scooters match the needs of the department. All seven of the parking enforcement officers were trained on the Segway, Aegerter said 鈥� so, how did he get chosen for this cool gig? Simple: 鈥淚 liked it the best, and no one argued.鈥�
Aegerter has a set of keys that determine the scooter鈥檚 speed setting: beginner, medium and advanced, which offer speeds of 6, 8 and 12.5 mph. respectively.
Once started, the scooter gives off only a low hum as Aegerter demonstrates how he accelerates forward or back by shifting his weight toward his toes or his heels. The scooter obeys instantly, as if reading the driver鈥檚 intention to move as clearly as the weight shift itself. The turning mechanism is located on the left handlebar 鈥� a quick twist of the wrist complements the weight shifts to enable Aegerter to soar effortlessly from one car to the other. 鈥淭he footprint is narrow,鈥� Aegerter adds, 鈥渋f you can walk up to something and not hit your shoulders, you can ride.鈥�
The scooter 鈥� the only one on campus so far 鈥� cost in the ballpark of $5,000, said Brian Ho, parking enforcement manager for the police. The money was paid by the UW鈥檚 executive vice president鈥檚 office as an energy conservation project. Ho said, 鈥淚t has served us well. The ability for parking enforcement officers to learn and use the equipment has been very good, and the equipment鈥檚 very simple to operate. There鈥檚 a safety factor there.鈥�
Aegerter has worked at the 91探花for about five years. Before that, he ran a food bank for the Salvation Army, worked at Boeing and in ground transportation at SeaTac Airport. He鈥檚 glad for his job on campus. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a beautiful place. I come from a small town in Nebraska, and it鈥檚 like being back in a small town again.鈥�
Aegerter says he covers about half his area on the Segway and uses a department car for the other half. He feels safe on the Segway, he says, and has never taken a fall.
Is there any downside to the Segway Scooter? 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 found one yet,鈥� he says.
Turning up a street and into a gravel parking lot, Aegerter shows that the scooter isn鈥檛 slowed by a bit of rough terrain. Still, Ho says, not all places and routes on the 91探花campus are appropriate for such a vehicle; four-wheeled patrol cars enable officers to carry traffic cones and other equipment needed on the street beat. He said issues of funding and 鈥渁ppropriateness for patrol鈥� will help the department decide whether more such scooters are in the UW鈥檚 future.
But in the meantime, Tone Aegerter seems to be enjoying his new wheels thoroughly. 鈥淧eople are just totally flabbergasted鈥� he said. 鈥淚 let them pose on it and they take pictures of each other all the time.鈥�
Aegerter said he also appreciates the fact that the scooter underscores the accessibility that reflects the department鈥檚 attitude toward community policing. People tend to notice and talk more with him on the curiosity-inspiring gadget, he said, and plus, 鈥淚t sends the message that the 91探花is about doing things for the environment.鈥�
And above all else, how does Aegerter like his new ride?
鈥淚t鈥檚 the closest thing you鈥檒l come to a magic carpet,鈥� he said.