Britain bans hoverboards on streets

hoverboard
Britain bans hoverboards on public streets and roads, calling them 'self-balancing scooters.'

British authorities have banned hoverboards -- those two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters shaped like oversized hourglasses.

The Metropolitan Police issued a notice on Twitter on Sunday, declaring them illegal to ride in public because they're considered vehicles, and vehicles can't be driven on sidewalks.

They're also too dangerous to be taken on main roads, so that option is off limits too.

Riders can only use them on private property with permission, which means malls and corporate complexes have to make their own rules.

Reaction to the news came swiftly as Twitter users responded to the Metropolitan Police's announcement.

They accused the British police of being too closed-minded, and they taunted authorities.

"Why do u [sic] hate fun," @stavvers tweeted.

"Come get me," said @Yamin, who also posted a short first-person video while riding one.

This latest iteration of the electric scooter is an offspring of the Segway, which is controlled similarly by a rider's shifting weight.

Segways never gained popularity among the masses, but were also deemed illegal by British law as well for the same reasons that got hoverboards banned.

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