Hovering over the line of safety
The futuristic transportation portrayed in Back to the Future Part II is close to becoming the new normal through newly-developed “hoverboards,” devices that can only be described as hands-free Segways. Hoverboards easily replace walking by simply leaning forward to move straight, leaning backward to reverse and putting more pressure on either side to move left or right.
Some individuals believe that the hoverboard is a revolutionary invention that will shape the world’s future in transportation. However, the hoverboard has the potential to reverse the effects hoped for. Since hoverboards have malfunctioned more than can be ignored and the consumer’s health is certainly at risk, being that twelve incidents in which hoverboards have caught on fire have been reported.
In fact, hoverboards have already posed numerous problems for purchasers. For instance, a 16-year-old in Atlanta, GA suffered a gunshot wound when robbers attempted to steal the hoverboard she received for Christmas. The boards can retail for up to $1799, and their hefty price tag lures potential thieves.
Some sellers are doing nothing to warn consumers of the dangers of the new technology despite tragic news stories surrounding wounds from hoverboard malfunctions.
The idea that hoverboards will become mainstream can only be described as ludicrous. Hoverboards have exploded and caught on fire multiple times while charging, therefore they cannot logically become mainstream.
Rapper Wiz Khalifa was tackled by police when he attempted to use a hoverboard going through airport security, but he insisted that the technology was simply a form of transportation that will be mainstream within a few months.
When explaining why officers took drastic physical measures, the singer said he was attacked because “[he] didn’t want to ditch the technology everyone will be using in the next six months.” Khalifa further advocated for the boards, saying, “I stand for our generation and our generation is gonna be riding hoverboards.”
As “cool” as hoverboards may seem in modern society, they are certainly not the safer alternative to walking or even skateboarding.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission explains that broken bones, sprains and other injuries have been reported from buyers of the hoverboard. It is not worth the risk of machine malfunctions and simply the pure uncertainty. The best choice is nature’s choice— walking.
