London Mayor Boris Johnson keeps mum on UK’s exploding hoverboards problem
London Mayor Boris Johnson has gone quiet in the media following news that hoverboards are being detained at the British border because they keep exploding.
Statistics published by National Trading Standards found that thousands of hoverboards, aka electronic skateboards that look a bit like hoverboards, have been detained at customs after being deemed “unsafe” for use by the general public.
More than 17,000 self-balancing scooters, or hoverboards, have been examined at national entry points since 15 October due to safety concerns. Of these, almost nine out of 10 models have been deemed unsafe for use and are being detained at the UK border.
The hoverboards, top of many tech-geeks’ letters to Santa this year, have been prevented from entering the UK due to some issues with their wiring. Many of the boards have been found to have the wrong plugs and no fuses, increasing the risk of them overheating, exploding or catching fire, which is exactly what you want in a Christmas present.
The news has left the mayor a bit lost for words. Back in October, he reacted badly when hoverboards were deemed illegal for public use, slamming the ruling as “nannying”. But yesterday City Hall declined to comment on whether he’s sticking to his guns on this one. We hope so.