Photo courtesy of Blame it on Blaine Photography

This is the tour of the future.

Strap on your helmet, hop on your electric vehicle, and think "forward." Instantly, you're whizzing ahead. Someone steps into the road. "Stop!" you think, and silently glide to a halt.

Want a ride? Head for Segway of Long Beach where, in two hours, you can become an expert at driving the Blade Runner-esque vehicle:

Get your Seg legs. You'll learn to shift your weight to direct the Segway (it's a little like getting "sea legs"), perfecting your balance and strengthening your core, legs and feet. The spinning gyroscope inside makes it feel similar to surfing.

Go, Speed Racer. "Driving" will become more natural as you take to the streets on a guided tour through Long Beach, speeding up to 12 miles per hour past the waterfront, The Queen Mary and bemused pedestrians.

Think fast. By the end of the tour, just thinking about where you want to go will reflexively shift your weight enough to move the Segway, so it feels like your mind is controlling it.

That is, it makes your head spin.

Segway of Long Beach tours, 27 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, (562) 437-9348, MAP

Know someone who'd love a ride? Send her this email.