LEWISTON — In lieu of common sense among riders, city councilors Tuesday voted to ban hoverboards and other wheeled riding devices from inside city buildings.
“Common sense to you, to us, is one thing, but others want to push the limit,” Mayor Robert Macdonald said. “So do you want to get into a legal battle with someone over this?”
The new policy lets city employees stop people from riding hoverboards, skateboards, inline skates or shoes with wheels in the heels in city buildings, offices and the like. That would include City Hall, the library and the Lewiston Memorial Armory.
The ban would only apply to the inside of city buildings, not streets or city parks.
Deputy City Administrator Phil Nadeau said it hasn’t been much of a problem yet.
“We thought it might be appropriate, given recent concerns about the safety of hoverboards and the appropriate uses indoors,” Nadeau said. “None of our buildings are equipped to handle any of these devices.”
The two-wheeled toys were one of the most popular Christmas gifts this year, and videos of people falling off them began flooding the Internet the next day.
Their lithium batteries also had a tendency to catch fire in 2015, leading to bans on most American air carriers, some rail systems and several cities.
Councilor Tim Lajoie had concerns. Common sense should keep people from riding the toys in city buildings, he said.
“I wonder if the city really wants to get into the business of having to define, for the public, exactly what common sense is,” Lajoie said. “I think anybody that would not know not to do this will not really be deterred by a city policy.”
Councilor Mike Lachance was more clear, saying it was government overreach.
“I also have concerns with this being seemingly unnecessary, with mother government overseeing her children,” Lachance said. “Common sense would dictate that people need to be responsible for themselves.”
Lachance was the sole no vote, however, and resolution to change city policy passed 6-1.
Councilor Jim Lysen said it would be more a matter of liability than common sense if a user got hurt and decided to sue the city.
“These have been banned in other places,” he said. “So, if it came down to litigation, they could say, ‘If you didn’t want them used in the building, you should have passed ordinance.’ If we fail to do that, I fear we are opening ourselves up.”
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