New York City police department confirms hoverboards are illegal

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

New York City police department confirms hoverboards are illegal

Jana Kasperkevic in New York
Thursday 19 November 2015 15.30 GMT Last modified on Thursday 19 November 2015 15.50 GMT

Sorry Marty McFly – not in New York. The Big Apple is banning “hoverboards” from its streets, the New York City police department has confirmed.

The ban on the futuristic-looking self-balancing scooters follows a similar one in London and follows concerns that their growing popularity is causing problems on the city’s streets and sidewalks.

“Hoverboards are prohibited by New York state law since they are considered motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles,” an NYPD spokesman told the Guardian.

Sales of the motorized vehicles are expected to takeoff over the Christmas period (although good luck trying to ride one through a New York winter), spurred on by the enthusiasm of celebrities including Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne.

Now those spotted riding hoverboards through New York City could be fined up to $500 – about the cost of a midrange hoverboard – by the NYPD and the Parks Department. The NYPD spokesman would not comment on whether NYPD officers have been instructed to issue tickets to those spotted riding hoverboards. He also would not comment on how NYPD is informing New Yorkers of this ban – or plans to inform them.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/19/new-york-city-police-department-hoverboards-illegal-nypd

[JonathanRackham]

1. Wouldn't the FAA regulate hover boards? Nt

Nt

[mnhtnbb]

2. No. See photo.

We saw somebody riding one on the streets of Vancouver in October.

[Go Vols]

3. They aren't hover boards

they are more like a Segway with no handle.My neighbors kids have them.

[Javaman]

4. lateral skateboards. nt

[Renew Deal]

5. I've seen a bunch of them in NYC

Seems unfair to fine people, but they throw pedestrian traffic off.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. So where do they belong?

Certainly not on the sidewalk.

Just what drivers need, those wobbly assed thing weaving in and out of cars.

Bikes are bad enough. Last year I had some guy cut across two lanes of traffic going the wrong way to get to the sidewalk before I got to the corner. He hit a sewer and went right over the handlebars in front of my truck. Luckily I had my foot on the brake as I was approaching a light. The guy disappeared out of sight and for a second I thought I hit him and he might be under my front wheels.

Like skate boards and rollerblades, most people just aren't that good at it to be in busy city traffic.