Even though hoverboards have been banned in many spaces, it looks like the ROAM Hoverboard is still on sale. At Bed Bath and Beyond. Weird, right?
2015 is the year of the hoverboard, there’s no doubt about that. Why is it, though, that we insist on calling them hoverboards when they don’t actually hover? There’s been a lot of backlash with the release of these gadgets for a multitude of reasons. They have been flagged as unsafe, unfit for public use and banned in certain spaces in less than a year, and it’s only the beginning.
Most Online Stores Don’t Even Sell Hoverboards Anymore
Recently, most major airlines started to ban hoverboards from being brought into their cabins. This is because of many concerns that the gadgets may catch fire because of the unreliability of their battery. This was a particularly pressing concern in the UK, who has banned the use of hoverboards in the city of London recently. New York City passed a similar bill that banned the use of hoverboards on sidewalks.
These Concerns Took Most Hoverboards Out of Stores
Many stores decided to take out all hoverboards from their stores thanks to these laws and incidents. Any stores that did have the gadgets probably ran out of stock, since they’re pretty much the best selling gadget of the holiday season besides the Apple Watch.
Bed Bath and Beyond, Alibaba and eBay Still Sell the ROAM Hoverboard
Bed Bath and Beyond, who is really not best known for selling the latest in tech, has the ROAM hoverboard in stock for $499. This is an average price for the gadgets, and according to their reviews, customers aren’t too concerned about safety. They say that the batteries are safer than other hoverboards and are happy with their ROAM hoverboard.
Where Did These Hoverboard Fires Start?
The fires reported by UK officials were started from leaving the hoverboards to charge for too long. This has prompted a serious warning telling users not to leave their boards to charge unattended. ROAM hoverboard buyers have expressed no such concerns, and apparently, it’s gone so far so good.
There are other retailers that are selling the same hoverboard, including Chinese Alibaba and eBay. They all go for a similar price and reviews also look semi-positive. However, many may not feel so safe anyway.
Here’s the Real Question: Why Do We Call them Hoverboards?
If it has wheels, it doesn’t hover. So why do we call these gadgets hoverboards? They come in a set of wheels and don’t actually let you hover in the air so why are they called hoverboards?
It’s likely just because the trend caught on, and because this is probably bringing us one step closer to real hoverboards. Silicon Valley is probably already hard at work bringing us an upgrade from motorized self-balancing devices that are closer to our imagined view of hoverboards. This would include plenty of space between ourselves and the ground.
Meanwhile, These Boards Make us ‘Lazier’
Another great criticism that hoverboards have faced is that they make people lazy. As if our lives weren’t enough of a commodity already, hoverboards take away the need to walk. To some people, they are a nuisance and discourage physical activity, which we probably all need more of. Never the less, haters gonna hate, regardless of how cool your board is.
Hoverboards have a long way to go before they’re accepted by the general public. There’s a serious issue in regards to their safety, which will probably be resolved within the next few years. After that, they will need to comb through some laws to get more widely accepted, and hopefully, it is all smooth sailing from that point onwards. They’ll probably become the trendiest gadget of 2016 and maybe for a long time to come.
