A viral video of Mike Tyson falling off of a hoverboard has prompted policy change in Lewiston, Maine.
Deputy City Administrator Phil Nadeau said he never gave the popular self-balancing scooters much thought, until he saw the Instagram video of Tyson taking a tumble off of one, falling hard on his back.
"When I saw [Tyson] fall, I was shocked at how easy it could be," said Nadeau. "They carry an inherent risk because of their design."
It made Nadeau, and other city officials curious about the policies the city might have in place regarding hoverboards. He was surprised to learn there was no rule about skateboards, and other "wheeled devices" inside city owned buildings.
While there have been no accidents involving hoverboards inside Lewiston buildings, Nadeau said he doesn't want to wait for a problem to arise.
"Sometimes it's not always best to wait for something to happen," he said.
Tuesday night, the Lewiston City Council voted to ban hoverboards and other similar wheeled devices from indoor use in city owned buildings. The ban applies to areas such as inside City Hall, the Lewiston Armory, and the Lewiston Library. Only one person in the council did not vote in favor of the ban.
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Library Director Rick Speer said he supports the policy change. He has not seen anyone using a hoverboard inside the building, but patrons have ridden on skateboards in the library before.
"It's just not appropriate for the library," he said.
Staff at the Lewiston Armory said someone has attempted to use a hoverboard inside. There are now temporary signs that read "No Hoverboards Allowed" in the Armory.
Nadeau said the rule change would promote public safety, and help protect the city against a potential lawsuit if someone should be hurt riding a hoverboard, skateboard, or similar device inside a city owned building.
