ANNOUNCEMENT
- Savannah Now: Tess Scheer sells Segways and loves it!
05/29/2011
Our own Tess Sheer talks about the ease of operating a Segway
Read the entire article on SavannahNow.com
By Lanie Lippincott Peterson
Name: Tess Scheer
Occupation: "I’m tour guide, office manager, sales - the whole shebang" at Segway of Savannah. She’s also a part-time tour guide for a horse-drawn carriage firm.
What’s a Segway? "It’s a two-wheel, self-balancing personal transportation vehicle. It’s managed by the rider simply leaning in small shifts in weight … There are buttons under each foot. They read constantly your shift in balance. There are buttons under your toes to go forward and buttons under your heels to stop."
Safety: "We give a half-hour orientation. We show a video … Everybody on the tour goes with an experienced guide.” And “no one goes out the door without a helmet."
Is it popular? We’re starting to blow the doors out … We put 4,200 people on this in a year and a half."
Click to watch Tess explain how easy riding a Segway is:
How she got started. "I’ve been giving tours and sharing my love of the city since I was 18. I’ve been a licensed tour guide since January ’06. A year and a half ago, I answered an ad for Segway."
Educational background: Bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern in communication arts with an emphasis on theatre and a minor in music.
First job: "Working as a hostess at Palmer’s Seafood for minimum wage."
Job skills needed now: "First and foremost, you’ve got to be a licensed tour guide. I just love people having a good time. You have to be knowledgeable about the city - more-so than any other tour guide. We cover more mileage off the beaten path. We can go to some alleys and quieter squares. If they want to go into the Victorian District, we’ll go."
Job perks: "Segway is a fun experience. It’s a few hours of fun … I get paid to play."
Plus: "I’ve discovered more of the city. You can get up close and see details like beautiful iron work, hitching posts, gates."
Job drawbacks: "We’ll go home with hurting feet." And "I’ve discovered where all the potholes are."
Advice: "Know your stuff. And pay attention. Open your eyes. You will study (Savannah) more than any other tour guide … We will cover, on a full tour, six miles."
"I love this. You can’t do this and be in a bad mood."
Tess Scheer, of Segway Savannah, rides a Segway near the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
HOW TO CONTACT
Segway of Savannah
102 E. Liberty St., Suite 106
Savannah, GA 31401
Phone: 912-233-3554
Website: SegwayofSavannah.com
Segway of Savannah