A Q&A with gitamini owner Robin Shelter, an attorney living the local life in Decatur, GA.

Neighborhood: Decatur

Robot: gitamini in Boardwalk Beige

Longest gitamini trip: A three hour excursion that covered about three miles

Favorite place to bring gitamini: The baseball field to watch her son’s baseball games. gitamini helps bring all the snacks and water from the parking lot to the field.

Times per week using gitamini: about 1-2 times per week but will likely pick up more in the summer

Nickname for gitamini: Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski

What do you love most about your neighborhood?

There is an incredibly strong sense of community in Decatur – there are tons of events, it’s very walkable (just under 5 square miles), and there are great restaurants and shops. There are always people outside – working or playing in their yards, running or walking on the sidewalks or hanging out in the public spaces. It’s a great feeling to walk around and see your neighbors and friends.

What are three things you think others should know about your city in general?

Decatur has some incredible events – from Porchfest (a day of bands playing people’s porches in the Oakhurst neighborhood) to the Book Festival (the largest independent book festival in the country), there’s definitely something for everyone. It’s very easy to spend a day in Decatur – dining, browsing stores, enjoying the parks and trails – and Decatur is easily accessible via our public transportation system, MARTA (which has a train station in the downtown square.)

What’s your favorite gitamini feature?

I love being able to use gitamini to charge my phone – especially during long days at the baseball field.

What do you like most about gitamini’s design?

The sounds and actions make it almost like a little robot person following you. My daughter is obsessed with “The Dude'' and even talks to him while we are out and about!

What kinds of comments do you get from strangers when out and about with gitamini? How do you respond?

gitamini is often – literally – stopping traffic. I have people shout out of their cars to ask me about it. People are often so shocked at how it works – kids especially. It’s always great to see the smiles and laughs – gitamini seems to bring so much joy to people. I love that.

What was most interesting to you about gitamini before you began using it?

My grandmother walked every day – to the grocery store, to church, to visit friends. I firmly believe that’s why she lived as long as she did. I was very interested in something that would help motivate me to get out and walk more – that would enable me to move more. (And it has! Now I find myself asking if I can take gitamini and walk instead of instinctively jumping in the car.)

What do your friends and family think about gita?

None of them really “got” it until they saw it in action. Now they all think it’s the neatest thing and they all brainstorm about ways they could use one.

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