GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - When people see Alan Forbes rolling along on his fancy scooter, connected by a leash to his Yorkshire terrier, some wonder if the dog is pulling him.
No, the two-wheeled Segway is powered by an electric motor. The dog - and Forbes - are just having fun.
Forbes and his dog, Dinger, are a common sight zipping around the Sucks Lake area. Late in the day, Forbes takes his dog out for a run, with Forbes keeping up quite nicely on his hands-free Segway Ninebot.
Every morning, Forbes and Dinger go for a walk in the time-honored way. They go for a stroll, with Dinger sniffing everything that seems interesting. “He likes to follow his nose. That’s his playtime,” Forbes told The Grand Island Independent .
Keeping up with the 9-year-old dog isn’t a problem. Later in the day, though, it’s a different story. In the afternoon or early evening, the 12-pound dog gets his running in.
Like all dogs, Dinger is alert to signs of fun. When Forbes gets the Segway out, the dog knows what’s coming.
“He loves it. It’s his machine,” Forbes said.
The Segway is steered by the rider’s knees. Described as “self-balancing,” it has no handles.
A Segway travels up to 10 mph. But a man and a tiny dog, heading down a hike and bike path, look like they’re moving faster than that. “It’s fun to ride,” Forbes said.
The morning walk takes about an hour. In the afternoon, they cover more ground (three to five miles), but their outing takes about the same time.
They head out every day that weather permits.
Forbes and Dinger have put 825 miles on the Segway since he bought it in January. Before that, he had a hoverboard, which is steered with one’s feet.
The Segway, which weighs 30 pounds, has a rechargeable battery. Each charge lasts 14 miles. The Segway cost about $500.
The manufacturer says Segway redefines personal transportation. If that’s the case, Forbes has redefined dog walking.
He hasn’t seen anyone else roll along behind a dog on a Segway.
It’s unlikely, though, that he invented the concept. “I highly doubt that,” said Forbes, who lives on Barbara Avenue.
Forbes, 60, is a fun grandfather. Two of his grandsons own hoverboards. Those boys, ages 9 and 7, live in Omaha.
When they come to Grand Island, they bring their hoverboards with them. “And we ride together,” he said. “It’s pretty funny - Hell’s Angels on hoverboards. We have a ball together.”
Forbes and Dinger were interviewed Thursday at Lamar Avenue and South Harrison Street. The interview was kept short, because Dinger was shivering.
The dog doesn’t have a problem as long as he’s running. “It’s when we stop he gets cold,” Forbes said.
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Information from: The Grand Island Independent, http://www.theindependent.com
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