Hoverboards have been seen across PCC campus, but many students are unaware that they are prohibited on campus and can potentially catch fire.
The self-balancing scooter, known as hoverboards to some, has gained massive popularity through 2015 and that popularity has carried over to 2016.
Costing roughly around $300 to $600 depending on models, they have been coming off the shelves of many popular shopping websites such as eBay and Amazon.
Those who ride them attract the attention and curiosity of others as they cruise across the PCC campus to make their way to classrooms and hallways.
First year PCC Pathways student David Duong said, “First time I saw it I was pretty much addicted to it. I was like, ‘I got to have it!’”
Although Duong, a film major, does not often ride it on campus to accommodate his books, he does use the hoverboard to get around in his Highland Park neighborhood and the occasional run to his local Starbucks, which has a unique walk up and drive thru enabling him to avoid dismounting in order to get his hot chocolate.
What many students don’t know is that hoverboard riding, along with bikes and skateboards, is actually prohibited on the school campus.
According to campus police, there will be more rules that regulate on-campus transportation concerning the safety of its riders and pedestrians.
Campus police Sgt. Bill Abernathie said, “Bikes and skateboards are actually not allowed to be ridden on campus, and the hoverboard falls under the same category.”
Hoverboards have also made their way into the news because unknown brands and models are subject to catching on fire from time to time. According to NPR, the combustion is due to lithium batteries cells within them sometimes overheating.
According to an ABCNews report, as of January 1, it is now only legal to ride the hoverboards in bike lanes and pathways in the state of California.
No injuries have been reported regarding the use of hoverboards on campus and none have been confiscated, Abernathie said.
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