Scooters catch up to parking scofflaws

Minh Doan zipped along Broadway in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood Tuesday, pausing only long enough to check whether cars had valid parking tickets.

Standing upright on a Segway scooter, Doan, a parking-enforcement officer, covered a lot of ground in a short time. He says the self-balancing scooter has increased his productivity — on some days he has written up to 80 parking tickets during an eight-hour shift.

"I love it. You can get around town nicely," Doan said. "You don't have to fight traffic, you don't have to find parking, and it saves a lot of gas. You cover a lot more ground than you do on foot."

Good news for Doan is bad news for parking scofflaws.

The city has purchased six Segways, the battery-operated devices that gained a strong following when they debuted nearly six years ago.

The scooters let officers speed down the sidewalk at a top speed of 12-½ miles an hour, squeeze into tight spaces and tower above pedestrians.

Doan said the scooter is particularly helpful in pedestrian- and traffic-heavy areas downtown and on Capitol Hill. The scooters, which cost the city about $5,000 each, feature a shrill siren and a light that flashes blue and red.

Doan said that after an overnight charging, the scooters will run for his entire shift. He does carry a wall plug to allow him to charge the scooter during his lunch break.

According to Segway, more than 100 police agencies worldwide use the scooters, including Albuquerque, N.M.; New York City; Tampa, Fla.; and Arlington, Texas. In Chicago, the scooters are used by police officers to patrol O'Hare International Airport and portions of the city.

"At O'Hare, it's such a huge airport it allows them [officers] to get around and see above the crowds," said Chicago police Officer Marcel Bright.

In Seattle, Segways will be used only by parking enforcement, said Police Department spokesman Mark Jamieson.

"I know some security guards are using it, but I don't see an application for police work. We have police cars," Jamieson said. "I think it is a great fit for parking-enforcement officers."

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com