Seeing the Sights on a Segway

There is a man cruising the paths around Downtown Columbia on his Segway. That’s Joel Broida, and he’s not a police officer or security guard, although he’s sometimes mistaken for one. Often, he’s with his wife, Gail, and they’re just out for a ride.

On a nice day, they leave Vantage House and “glide” around the lakefront restaurants and Whole Foods or make the entire circle around Lake Kittamaqundi.

Although the Segways are more for fun than serious transportation, the Broidas have used them to go to meetings around town. The Segway will go 25 miles or run for three hours on one battery charge.

The Broidas got their first Segway several years ago, when Gail used it to attract attention to an election. It started many conversations then, and it still does.

Both Joel and Gail are licensed pilots but opt for gliding along the ground instead of through the air these days.

“The Segways are fun,” Joel says. “They’re a way of getting some exercise, and we enjoy them.”