WESTBOROUGH – Steve Munden was getting ready to take his dog, Pepe, for a walk.
He adjusted the dog’s leash and harness, then he walked into the garage.
There, next to a motorcycle, is his other set of wheels – a hands-free Segway.
He steps on board, turns it on and holds the leash while the dog gets his exercise.
For Munden, the Segway is more than another mode of transport. It’s a necessary way for him to get from place to place.
About 20 years ago, Munden was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic, non-smoker’s form of emphysema.
The disease has progressed to such a point that Munden can no longer work; he used to conduct motorcycle safety trainings and teach skiing.
Even climbing a few stairs can be challenging, as Munden has to stop and catch his breath.
With the Segway, “it makes me almost a normal person,” he said.
Munden obtained the Segway almost two years ago after seeing someone else move about on the device.
“He was selling windows [door to door],” Munden said. “I thought that would work really well…”
Munden and his Segway have become a common sight along Fisher Street, where he’s lived with his wife, Ellen Gugel, for more than 40 years.
He also travels to the center of town (weather permitting), as well as other places.
“I’ve gone to Polar Park, the DCU, shopping, the bank … I can move around again,” he said.
Sometimes when he enters a building, Munden gets challenged about using the device.
“The last time I went to vote at the high school, I was told you can’t use that [the Segway],” he said. “I tell them that it’s allowed under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and they said, ‘okay’ and let me vote.”
Munden said he was also challenged when he first attended Polar Park, but “I’m now recognized enough” so it’s no longer an issue.
“What he learned is that the Segway was classified by the U.S. Congress as a mobility device in 2010 as an amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said Gugel, who’s the chair of the town’s Active Transportation and Safety Committee. “So he’s gone about educating the places he goes about how it is required they can’t turn him away – museums, sports venues and concert venues/halls.”
In addition to providing his own brand of mobile education, Munden is encouraging fellow “alphas” to use Segways.
“It’s a godsend for people like me,” he said.
The Segway is also part of Gugel’s committee work.
“[The] Active Transportation and Safety Committee is all about improvements and safety for active transportation users. We normally think in terms of cyclists and pedestrians, but it includes all forms of non-motorized vehicles, including the Segway (and skateboards, scooters, wheelchairs and road workers),” she said.
“I want people to see that this is useful,” she said. “Steve’s making the most of what he can.”
Learn more about the Active Transportation & Safety Committee via the town’s website, www.westboroughma.gov.
