California Boy

Shaun saunters over to us with the easy confidence of a Californian man in his twenties. “What’s up guys?” he asks in a vague Californian accent as he shakes our hands and gives us the once-over. “What brings you guys on a Segway tour?’ We burst out laughing. The Segway tour is an in-joke, a surprise gift to my brother who can’t keep the grin off his face. We try to explain. “Dude,” Shaun laughs, “I just thought you musta been eating some funny cookies before ya came.”

From what I can tell, Shaun is about as Californian as they come. He’s originally from New York, but the sun and surf of San Diego have washed away all traces of the Big Apple. He chats constantly about skateboards, Segways and ‘getting wasted.’ His language is peppered with ‘dudes’ and ‘chicks’, and while he isn’t classically good-looking, he’s attractive in a boyish sort of way. Shaun’s the kind of guy who picks things up quickly, from roller-blading to women. He flirts openly with girls as he glides past them, transforming the Segway from something off the Big Bang Theroy to a toy only the coolest cats can get their hands on. “I found this job on Craigslist,” he tells. “I thought it sounded fucking cool. I get to zoom around on this thing all day and get paid for it.”

Conversation comes as easily to Shaun as silence does to us, but he doesn’t seem to mind our awkwardness. By the time our hour is up he’s said 1000 words to our 1, but perhaps that’s what makes him a good tour guide. We thank him and leave as he shuts up shop and strolls out into San Diego, where bikini-clad chicks and dudes with beer await him.