Hoverboards banned systemwide for MTA riders

[MysteriousBtrain]

Hoverboards Not Allowed. That is the new message from the MTA. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that possession of hoverboards aboard trains or buses or at stations of the New York City Subway, New York City Buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, Staten Island Railway or Access-A-Ride is prohibited. The MTA is promoting the ban through a new MTA advertising campaign using the now-famous “bubble people,” with the headline: Hoverboards Not Allowed.

The MTA’s safety rules have long prohibited the use of personal wheeled vehicles, such as skateboards, skates or scooters, in train stations. The rules of conduct also prohibit customers from possessing hazardous or flammable materials into the public transportation network, and the lithium-ion batteries used to power hoverboards pose the risk of fire.

Hoverboards are regulated by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration. The Administration recently issued an alert “under certain conditions, lithium batteries can pose a heat, fire, and explosion risk,” and found that 80% of hoverboards in a study did not have proper certification of battery testing.

“The safety of our customers and employees is always our top concern,” said MTA Chief Safety Officer David Mayer. “For obvious reasons, it is not safe to use hoverboards, skateboards or other personal wheeled vehicles on station platforms. We’re equally concerned about the safety risk of bringing devices that pose fire hazards into the confined spaces inside trains and buses.”

The prohibition on hoverboards will be enforced by the MTA Police Department on Metro-North, the LIRR, and Staten Island Railway, and by the New York City Police Department on New York City’s subways and buses.

Hoverboards have been banned by Amtrak, American regional railroads including Chicago’s Metra and Los Angeles’ Metrolink, and most U.S. airlines.

Source: http://www.mta.info/news-hoverboard-subway-bus-lirr-metro-north/2016/01/27/lithium-ion-batteries-pose-potential-fire

[Lance]

Good. The trains and platforms are crowded enough without someone cruising around on a so-called hoverboard.

[itmaybeokay]

Good. The trains and platforms are crowded enough without someone cruising around on a so-called hoverboard.

 

I know right? I see those things and am like "yawn, call me when they levitate"

[Q113 LTD]

Well it's a great thing.

[B35 via Church]

Yeah, one guy on the B yesterday brought this up.... He also said, if I'm going fined for using my 'board, then they should fine anyone on wheelchairs also..... Some older guy went off on him.... I shook my head, as I was ready to get up & get off (the train was passing parkside).....

 

Hoverboards.... talk about a misnomer.

 

I know right? I see those things and am like "yawn, call me when they levitate"

Thank you.

 

You'll never see me ride a bus or a train to get around again when that happens..... Of course, I won't hold my breath to have it actually happen in my lifetime....

[QM1to6Ave]

I'm surprised they didn't just ban riding them, but even holding onto them banned. I kind of doubt cops will really bother writing a ticket just for holding one, but you never know.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I'm surprised they didn't just ban riding them, but even holding onto them banned. I kind of doubt cops will really bother writing a ticket just for holding one, but you never know.

I'm not surprised.  These things are known to be a fire hazard.   Makes perfect sense. It also doesn't allow someone to try to sneak around and ride them since they aren't allowed to have them in the first place.

[trainfan22]

Its good the TA did this, as I actually seen people riding these things within the subway system, on the platforms too.

[QM1to6Ave]

I'm not surprised.  These things are known to be a fire hazard.   Makes perfect sense. It also doesn't allow someone to try to sneak around and ride them since they aren't allowed to have them in the first place.

 

I've heard of a few of them catching on fire, but how widespread is the problem? 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I've heard of a few of them catching on fire, but how widespread is the problem? 

Pretty bad... No serious injuries that I know of from them catching fire, but apparently a lot of these are being produced in China at a lower price than the ones of decent quality, which means that the same standards aren't being followed to ensure that they're safe.  Banning them is smart, given how many of them have been found to be defective.

[QM1to6Ave]

Pretty bad... No serious injuries that I know of from them catching fire, but apparently a lot of these are being produced in China at a lower price than the ones of decent quality, which means that the same standards aren't being followed to ensure that they're safe.  Banning them is smart, given how many of them have been found to be defective.

These things are possibly the dumbest invention I've seen to date

[MysteriousBtrain]

These things are possibly the dumbest invention I've seen to date

You can say that again. To me, these things are just for lazy asses who don't even want to walk to the kitchen to get themselves a drink.

[QM1to6Ave]

You can say that again. To me, these things are just for lazy asses who don't even want to walk to the kitchen to get themselves a drink.

I really don't get the appeal. I easily walk faster than many of them, and people are constantly falling off of them without a ton of practice. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I really don't get the appeal. I easily walk faster than many of them, and people are constantly falling off of them without a ton of practice. 

They're like the Segway Patrollers.  Remember when those first came out?  People marveled over them and then they faded away.  I haven't saw one in a while.

[itmaybeokay]

I've heard of a few of them catching on fire, but how widespread is the problem? 

 

 

Pretty bad... No serious injuries that I know of from them catching fire, but apparently a lot of these are being produced in China at a lower price than the ones of decent quality, which means that the same standards aren't being followed to ensure that they're safe.  Banning them is smart, given how many of them have been found to be defective.

 

That's exactly right, to get them made at a price point that allows mass appeal the Chinese firms making the cheaper ones opted to go with cheap batteries. 

 

There are actually a bunch of different Lithium-Ion battery chemistries. IMR or Lithium-Manganese batteries allow for high energy density and high current discharge with good safety. If you discharge one of these at a current higher than it's rating, it might swell and vent gas and destroy itself, but it won't (usually) burst into flames. 

 

On the other hand, you can save yourself a bundle by going with ICR Lithium-Cobalt batteries. These have the highest energy density of any Li battery chemistry around - but that density comes at a cost. Exceed the rated current and you've got yourself a damn-hard-to-extinguish fireball. When these batteries are used they need to have integral protection that ensures the maximum current isn't being exceeded. Trouble is, this protection generally has a low maximum current itself - so in an application like a hoverboard where there will be a huge spike in current draw upon first acceleration, the protection might not be practical.

 

(think about how many amps an EMU train draws from the 3rd rail starting from a dead stop, versus once it's already moving. smaller scale, same principle.)

 

So, if the thinking is well the current spike is inherently limited by the way the device is being used, lets use the cheap, high capacity batteries and eschew the protection circuit - you'd might as well be selling frozen dynamite.  

 

These cheapo hoverboards with cutrate batteries should be banned from the country period, let alone modes of transit. I think they are stupid in general but some people like them, and the sad part is, the irresponsibly designed ones have ruined it for the inherently safe (safe from fire at least) models - since there's no way to tell them apart. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

That's exactly right, to get them made at a price point that allows mass appeal the Chinese firms making the cheaper ones opted to go with cheap batteries. 

 

There are actually a bunch of different Lithium-Ion battery chemistries. IMR or Lithium-Manganese batteries allow for high energy density and high current discharge with good safety. If you discharge one of these at a current higher than it's rating, it might swell and vent gas and destroy itself, but it won't (usually) burst into flames. 

 

On the other hand, you can save yourself a bundle by going with ICR Lithium-Cobalt batteries. These have the highest energy density of any Li battery chemistry around - but that density comes at a cost. Exceed the rated current and you've got yourself a damn-hard-to-extinguish fireball. When these batteries are used they need to have integral protection that ensures the maximum current isn't being exceeded. Trouble is, this protection generally has a low maximum current itself - so in an application like a hoverboard where there will be a huge spike in current draw upon first acceleration, the protection might not be practical.

 

(think about how many amps an EMU train draws from the 3rd rail starting from a dead stop, versus once it's already moving. smaller scale, same principle.)

 

So, if the thinking is well the current spike is inherently limited by the way the device is being used, lets use the cheap, high capacity batteries and eschew the protection circuit - you'd might as well be selling frozen dynamite.  

 

These cheapo hoverboards with cutrate batteries should be banned from the country period, let alone modes of transit. I think they are stupid in general but some people like them, and the sad part is, the irresponsibly designed ones have ruined it for the inherently safe (safe from fire at least) models - since there's no way to tell them apart. 

lol... Thanks for the advice, but I wouldn't buy one unless it was "Made in USA" or perhaps made in Western Europe where safety standards are actually enforced and exist.  People want everything cheap, but there's always a price for that.  Same deal with food.  Remember the outbreak from food from China? I buy all of my organic fruit and other organic food from the U.S.... I'd rather pay more and get better quality and support Americans and our economy.

[QM1to6Ave]

That's exactly right, to get them made at a price point that allows mass appeal the Chinese firms making the cheaper ones opted to go with cheap batteries.

 

There are actually a bunch of different Lithium-Ion battery chemistries. IMR or Lithium-Manganese batteries allow for high energy density and high current discharge with good safety. If you discharge one of these at a current higher than it's rating, it might swell and vent gas and destroy itself, but it won't (usually) burst into flames.

 

On the other hand, you can save yourself a bundle by going with ICR Lithium-Cobalt batteries. These have the highest energy density of any Li battery chemistry around - but that density comes at a cost. Exceed the rated current and you've got yourself a damn-hard-to-extinguish fireball. When these batteries are used they need to have integral protection that ensures the maximum current isn't being exceeded. Trouble is, this protection generally has a low maximum current itself - so in an application like a hoverboard where there will be a huge spike in current draw upon first acceleration, the protection might not be practical.

 

(think about how many amps an EMU train draws from the 3rd rail starting from a dead stop, versus once it's already moving. smaller scale, same principle.)

 

So, if the thinking is well the current spike is inherently limited by the way the device is being used, lets use the cheap, high capacity batteries and eschew the protection circuit - you'd might as well be selling frozen dynamite.

 

These cheapo hoverboards with cutrate batteries should be banned from the country period, let alone modes of transit. I think they are stupid in general but some people like them, and the sad part is, the irresponsibly designed ones have ruined it for the inherently safe (safe from fire at least) models - since there's no way to tell them apart.

Very interesting. Thanks for the battery lesson!

[B35 via Church]

I really don't get the appeal. I easily walk faster than many of them, and people are constantly falling off of them without a ton of practice. 

I've relegated them to being just another fad; something else that today's teenagers/young adults can latch onto as being a part of their generation.... Like Nintendo & Game Boy was for me being an early 80's baby....

 

I don't see this shit as being a useful invention that benefits mankind (like, say, a wheelchair)... Lol....

[QM1to6Ave]

I've relegated them to being just another fad; something else that today's teenagers/young adults can latch onto as being a part of their generation.... Like Nintendo & Game Boy was for me being an early 80's baby....

 

I don't see this shit as being a useful invention that benefits mankind (like, say, a wheelchair)... Lol....

Ha! More likely, these stupid things will be putting people into wheelchairs after shattering their bones

[jon2305]

I've relegated them to being just another fad; something else that today's teenagers/young adults can latch onto as being a part of their generation.... Like Nintendo & Game Boy was for me being an early 80's baby....

 

I don't see this shit as being a useful invention that benefits mankind (like, say, a wheelchair)... Lol....

 

 

Ha! More likely, these stupid things will be putting people into wheelchairs after shattering their bones

 

Built-in obsolescence is my own perception to these dumb a** "hoverboards". I've seen a video of Mike Tyson himself using these which led to him falling on his behind. I agree whole hardly with B35 via Church about this meaningless waste of product.