Reporter
Balance boards, otherwise known as “hoverboards,” are a relatively new, extremely popular alternative to walking, as well as just an exciting device to own. They come in many different colors, and some are equipped with a Bluetooth feature that allows music from your phone to be played through the board’s speakers.
Hoverboards are currently permitted at CSU Bakersfield, but have been banned from many university campuses amid safety concerns.
Universities in several states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Indianapolis and New Jersey, have completely banned hoverboards due to concerns about their usage.
Though CSUB has not banned hoverboards on campus yet, certain buildings such as the Student Union, Runner Café and the Walter Stiern Library have banned hoverboards inside.
ASI President Mike Kwon said that students shouldn’t be utilizing or riding hoverboards inside buildings.
“The library for one is not a good place,” Kwon said. “In the café, it is just dangerous, but as far as outside areas, I think it should be OK.”
CSUB student Andrea Peña does not think that hoverboards should be ridden on campus.
“Students should be getting exercise by walking around campus,” said Peña.
While hoverboards have not been banned from campus, there are signs on the doors of certain buildings that state that they are not permitted inside. One such sign can be seen on the doors of the Student Union Building.
Christian Macias, another student at CSUB, agrees with Peña and thinks that these balance devices should be completely banned from campus because of the videos that have surfaced on the Internet within the past few months.
In these videos, hoverboards can be seen catching on fire and rolling out from under the rider while in use. There is also an array of hoverboard fail videos, in which people are falling off, sometimes resulting in serious injury.
Kennedy Poe, senior, is hesitant about hoverboards because she has witnessed an injury.
“When my sister was first trying her hoverboard out, she stepped forward to get off of it and the board rolled out from underneath her,” Poe said. “She fell head-first into her dresser and had to go to the emergency room.”
Although there are certain dangers surrounding hoverboards, those who have mastered the technique of riding them can be seen riding them virtually everywhere.
“I have seen people riding them in the grocery store while pushing a cart and at the mall while shopping,” said student Chandler Brown. “There are so many videos all over Instagram of people dancing while riding their hoverboards, too, once they have the hang of it.”
As of now, those who own hoverboards are able to freely ride them around campus.
