[0]Yesterday morning I noticed someone buzzing around a neighbor's house on what I thought was one of those little motorized scooters. When I got a better look, I saw it was a Segway [1].

The Mrs. and I watched the rider gliding around the neighborhood, darting in and out of people's driveways and around their houses. We wondered what she was doing before realizing that she must be a meter reader.

Sure enough, Laura Snyder is a meter reader for Atmos Energy, provider of natural gas to residents of Maryville and Alcoa. She stopped to talk with us about her Segway.

Laura has been with the company a little over one year. She got her Segway about three months ago, and she loves it. The company purchased three Segways -- one for each of the three meter readers working out of the local office.

Before, she drove through neighborhoods in a truck which required a lot of stopping and starting and getting in and out. Now she parks her truck at the neighborhood entrance and rides her Segway. The trucks are equipped with aluminum ramps, making unloading and loading a simple matter of riding the Segway off and back on to the truck.

She said that the Segway makes her job easier and more enjoyable, and much more efficient, too. Before, it took her about three hours to complete our neighborhood. On a Segway, it now only takes about an hour. Plus, it's environmentally friendly because it generates less pollution than using a truck.

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Laura says the Segways are charged overnight and have a range of about 24 miles, or about 5 hours the way they use them. They are weatherproofed and can be operated in the rain.

She said the Segway works best on paved surfaces, making it better suited for use in neighborhoods with good streets, sidewalks, and level yards. Even then it can be tricky. If you hit a hole or a rut in a yard it can "throw you right off the thing," she says. She still uses her truck and walks in some areas, but says she much prefers the Segway and uses it wherever she can.

Laura said they received about two hours of training on operation and maintenance, consisting of an instructional video followed up with hands-on training by a Segway representative.

According to Laura, most residents are receptive to the idea but noted that a few had complained about possible damage to their lawns. A close inspection of our lawn after her visit indicates there's no more impact than a lawnmower. And, as Laura notes, "It's not like we're out here doing doughnuts in people's yards."

Laura says the Segway has made a huge difference in her work, and that her boss "better not even think about taking away my Segway!"