Valentina Del Pino/Contributing Writer
A few months back, hoverboards were all over FIU’s campus. With or without loud speakers, zebra print or regular plain paint, hoverboards could be seen rolling to and from class, crossing the streets or being ridden in the elevators.
It was the new trend, even though these boards are ranged from $400 to $800 dollars, easily.
These boards became the most wanted toy this past Christmas and people started taking over the streets with these “lazy machines.”
On top of being an expensive toy, it’s also a very dangerous one. Thousands of videos have been recorded of people falling in it, ending in a visit to the closest emergency room.
This board, manipulated by the weight put in the heels or toes, goes as fast as 12 miles per hour. A fall from it can lead to severe injury.
The trick is simple: Get off the board by taking a step back, not forward because that’s how you lose your balance and fall.
When cheaply made hoverboards started catching on fire, or exploding while being charged and even while being used, these balance boards made it onto national news. The public was advised not to leave them charging overnight since houses were catching on fire while families were asleep.
Even though this scared people big time and videos of hoverboards exploding surfaced like crazy on the Internet, this didn’t keep the public from buying them. It did spark controversies about safety though, going as far to having them banned from being carried on airplanes.
With this “hover-boom” regulations had to be made in order to keep it under control. Some cities decided to treat these boards as if they were skateboards while others, like Florida, decided to put age regulations in place and require a helmet in order to use them. If these regulations aren’t followed the culprit could be fined up to $250.
FIU also passed regulations on the hoverboards, prohibiting students from charging them on campus and having them in the dorms.
When I received my hoverboard for Christmas, it took me two days to trust the machine. To my little cousins it was a matter of 15-20 minutes. When I finally got comfortable with the board I realized how difficult it is to use outside. A tiny little rock in the way sent me flying a few feet away. Also, this board is extremely heavy. 22 lbs on top of a book bag to carry with you all day is a lot to take care of.
Indeed, it’s a cool gadget to have if you live in a one floor house without a carpet. It gives you a cool sensation of levitation but it’s definitely not worth the $400 to $800 dollars. The weight of the board makes it difficult to transport and you have to have good equilibrium to be able to handle it outside.
This spring semester the trend has definitely dissipated with all the regulations by FIU and the State.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of FIU Student Media Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/135310117@N08/22151932879/in/photolist-zKurTe-zNnT7Q-z5XGDS-BKsh5X-z68368-A2jEyp-A3Zb2g-zKvA8t-zKpHiS-A3XhdD-zKsWuq-zKriJq-zZHWyN-z6a3ax-z5YmPj-A3X3FP-zKo6mL-z69y1B-zKrMvW-A33wSD-diU4qa-7KUFwh-5MHEB4-6RbW3A-DLaT1L-5MHFGV-pWRmG7-pEo4kb-pEmfJe-oZYZMB-pEmg9c-oZW3Ks-3BdDwk-yAMWsS-A3WYct-A33ou6-zKpaEb-z68nCV-zKqTgL-A1Qy8S-y1NGH6-zBD3JZ-zKr6g9-zKoGHs-zT2c3m-DTiYeu-A3TSzd-zBx6cs-zV5tSe-zV5tiZ
