Hoverboards appear to be one of the hottest Christmas presents around at the moment, but in case you didn’t know, over in New York City it is actually illegal to ride around in public on one. This means if you are caught, you can expect to pay a fine of up to $500 for it, a fine that could potentially cost more than the board itself.However there is some good news because it looks like State Senator Jose Peralta wants to legalize it. According to Peralta, he seems to think that it is a problem that many youngsters who have spent their money purchasing such a device, only to not be able to use it legally in public. He has proposed some changes that would allow users to ride it in public.
Some of these changes include making it mandatory for hoverboard users to wear helmets or kneepads to keep themselves safe, or limit the use of hoverboards to parks. However not everyone shares his enthusiasm. According to Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, “To be quite frank with you, I think anybody who rides these things is out of their minds. We live in an extraordinarily crowded city; you have a hard enough time walking down the streets, let alone hovering.”
That being said while New York hoverboard enthusiasts might be getting an ally in State Senator Jose Peralta, there are still many who are critical of the device. For example some colleges have banned the use of it, and because of fire concerns, USPS will not be shipping orders by plane. In fact just recently a priest from Philippines was suspended for riding a hoverboard during Christmas mass.
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