NYPD: 2 wheeled scooters are illegal in NYC

[Hank]

An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News that according to sections 401-a and 401-b under New York State Law’s Article 14, NY Vehicle and Traffic Law, hoverboards are prohibited since they are considered motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If someone were to get caught riding a hoverboard in the street, highway, parking lot or even sidewalk, they could potentially face a fine of up to $200. So just to be on the safe side, it's better to keep using hoverboards at the park and at home — or the office if your boss is cool with it.

Full Story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ride-hoverboards-not-illegal-new-york-city-article-1.2439253

[Milo Dorigo]

Just check this video:

 

Basically: NYPD Doesn't care.

[dmethvin]

Don't worry, they may change their minds. They banned bicycles a while back too.

https://twitter.com/PessimistsArc/status/667771397901520896

[Citi Wheel]

16 hours ago, Hank said:

An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News that according to sections 401-a and 401-b under New York State Law’s Article 14, NY Vehicle and Traffic Law, hoverboards are prohibited since they are considered motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If someone were to get caught riding a hoverboard in the street, highway, parking lot or even sidewalk, they could potentially face a fine of up to $200. So just to be on the safe side, it's better to keep using hoverboards at the park and at home — or the office if your boss is cool with it.

Full Story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ride-hoverboards-not-illegal-new-york-city-article-1.2439253

If you're going off that law that says hoverboards are illegal, then a little kids powerwheel would also technically be illegal (motorized device that can't be registered with the dmv). So the issues becomes will they enforce this law, as Casey Neistat said in the above video. As long as you're not riding like a jerk, 99% of officers in nyc have more important things to worry about.

[Guest]

Huh. The whole world seems to be against electric unicycles and hoverboards. I feel like the member of an oppressed minority  I wanna wheeeel on my streeeets 

[fearedbliss]

I live in Brooklyn and I'm STILL RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHDING!

PS: I love these cops. But pretty much, I haven't had any problems with the cops here in NYC. If anything, they just ask me what it is (Specifically the Ninebot.. not Hoverboard). 

It's hilarious since people have basically all seen the Hoverboards, but when they see my Ninebot, they are like "Broooo what the **** is this?! What the **** is this?!". It's too funny.

[Cloud]

6 minutes ago, fearedbliss said:

I live in Brooklyn and I'm STILL RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHDING!

My only question for you is, how come both you are I are in Brooklyn and we are not riding together?

[fearedbliss]

Lol @Cloud, PM me your #.

[Viktiga]

Isn't too late to ban EUC's all together now? I mean it's like banning streaming music, people would just do it anyway but illegaly. This must be the most revolutionary commute product since the bike. The only thing holding it back is the safety issue and learning curve.

[fearedbliss]

So I spoke to two cops two days ago and we were having a small discussion about it (It was night time so not much was going on lol), and basically they told me that they are illegal and that the law already passed but the thing is that the laws will take a few months to be implemented take affect.. so they are expecting it to start around January. Basically the cop was telling me that personally he doesn't care about them but if his superior is basically telling him to _confiscate_ someone's hoverboard (or Unicycle), then he has to do it because it is an order. He also mentioned that if that's the case, there's definitely going to be someone that records a video when a cop confiscates a device away from someone and then the cops will look bad :(.

So we will need to see how much enforcement they will do. Another thing he mentioned was that if they do confiscate them, then they probably won't them back since the reason they are being banned is because they are motored devices that cannot be licensed by the DMV, thus hoverboards, unicycles, etc if confiscated, won't be able to be returned since in order for them to return it back, you would need to license it, but because you can't license them, it falls into a loop of non-compliance.

If they will confiscate them, then I basically won't be riding unis anymore since I don't want to lose my money. Will need to sell all my unis :(. If it's just a fine, then depending how much it is, I might pay it.. but then again, this could get expensive real quick, and probably won't look good for my record if I have like 50 unicycle tickets lol.

[Jurgen]

They are banning the future of eco-friendly personal transportation?

After the thread of the ban in Switserland, 2 days ago, I told my wife that EUCs were only going to surving in China and the US where there's fundamental right of personal freedom and a lack of pampering by the authorities (US, not China that's a different story). I guess I was wrong, the US is getting the same disease as the EU, oh boy.

 

[Kick Rock]

2 hours ago, fearedbliss said:

So I spoke to two cops two days ago and we were having a small discussion about it (It was night time so not much was going on lol), and basically they told me that they are illegal and that the law already passed but the thing is that the laws will take a few months to be implemented take affect.. so they are expecting it to start around January. Basically the cop was telling me that personally he doesn't care about them but if his superior is basically telling him to _confiscate_ someone's hoverboard (or Unicycle), then he has to do it because it is an order. He also mentioned that if that's the case, there's definitely going to be someone that records a video when a cop confiscates a device away from someone and then the cops will look bad :(.

So we will need to see how much enforcement they will do. Another thing he mentioned was that if they do confiscate them, then they probably won't them back since the reason they are being banned is because they are motored devices that cannot be licensed by the DMV, thus hoverboards, unicycles, etc if confiscated, won't be able to be returned since in order for them to return it back, you would need to license it, but because you can't license them, it falls into a loop of non-compliance.

If they will confiscate them, then I basically won't be riding unis anymore since I don't want to lose my money. Will need to sell all my unis :(. If it's just a fine, then depending how much it is, I might pay it.. but then again, this could get expensive real quick, and probably won't look good for my record if I have like 50 unicycle tickets lol.

An officer told me the same thing about the departments implementing the law in january. They actually were going to do it earlier in like june when Mayor De Blasio updated the statute. I have an eco reco and I was stopped in NYC by officers while I was waiting at a light. They pulled up in front of me, hopped out of the car and starting asking me if it was electric. He said that they can confiscate them on site and even show me the statute. The whole situation was awkward because I have never  seen officers act like that before. They seemed really unsure about what to do, but eventually they let me go with a warning.

I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that Citi Bike has a lot to do with encouraging the NYPD to move on this, especially since they are technically illegal. 

Now. I spoke to a member of the city council and he agreed that it was a stupid law. I know that he was just appeasing me, but with enough people opposing it, he and other council members will move to change it. Instead of fearing that our investment will go to waste we can make sure that the law is changed. Everybody else is on the steps of City Hall about an issue that effects them so why not us?

[johnc415]

11 minutes ago, Kick Rock said:

An officer told me the same thing about the departments implementing the law in january. They actually were going to do it earlier in like june when Mayor De Blasio updated the statute. I have an eco reco and I was stopped in NYC by officers while I was waiting at a light. They pulled up in front of me, hopped out of the car and starting asking me if it was electric. He said that they can confiscate them on site and even show me the statute. The whole situation was awkward because I have never  seen officers act like that before. They seemed really unsure about what to do, but eventually they let me go with a warning.

I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that Citi Bike has a lot to do with encouraging the NYPD to move on this, especially since they are technically illegal. 

Now. I spoke to a member of the city council and he agreed that it was a stupid law. I know that he was just appeasing me, but with enough people opposing it, he and other council members will move to change it. Instead of fearing that our investment will go to waste we can make sure that the law is changed. Everybody else is on the steps of City Hall about an issue that effects them so why not us?

Happy to get involved in whatever capacity needed to defeat this new dumb law that is about to be unleashed in NYC. Let us know what we NY'ers can do!

John

[MarkoMarjamaa]

2 hours ago, Jurgen said:

They are banning the future of eco-friendly personal transportation?

After the thread of the ban in Switserland, 2 days ago, I told my wife that EUCs were only going to surving in China and the US where there's fundamental right of personal freedom and a lack of pampering by the authorities (US, not China that's a different story). I guess I was wrong, the US is getting the same disease as the EU, oh boy.

 

I'm now quite sure EU's will be legal in Finland once we get the new legislation passed (this year?) and I'm sure it will. I just hope they will not be any hoverjerks before that in the press that will halt the law. Hoping it will snow soon.

 

[Kick Rock]

52 minutes ago, johnc415 said:

Happy to get involved in whatever capacity needed to defeat this new dumb law that is about to be unleashed in NYC. Let us know what we NY'ers can do!

John

I Will

[fearedbliss]

@Kick Rock, @Cloud, @vido, @johnc415, @Tim Haden Yea let me know what I can do as well. The cop was talking about how this primarily is happening because some rich people complained to their local representatives about them being on the sidewalks or whatever. 

@MarkoMarjamaalol .. the sooner it snows the sooner less problems will stop the law. But for us here in NYC, the sooner is snows, the less time we have to enjoy the last minutes of our EU careers! :(.

[Hank]

Not to get political, but where i live many of the police are roided-out thugs who wouldn't think twice about confiscating your EUC... for their own personal use.  And I'm a low key, middle aged white guy who lives in the wealthy part of town and I 'should' have nothing to worry about when it comes to the police...

Strange that virtually every restaurant delivery 'bicycle' is electric and they ride all over the streets and sidewalks without getting confiscated. 

[Jurgen]

I didn't know POs get free meal(vouchers) in the US, in Belgium these are a big thing

[fearedbliss]

@HankLol imagine the cops here in NYC start confiscating them for their own personal use and then they join the forums and they are like:

I''M RAAAAAAAAAADDDIIIING!

[Jurgen]

On Friday, November 20, 2015, Hank said:

An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News that according to sections 401-a and 401-b under New York State Law’s Article 14, NY Vehicle and Traffic Law, hoverboards are prohibited since they are considered motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If someone were to get caught riding a hoverboard in the street, highway, parking lot or even sidewalk, they could potentially face a fine of up to $200. So just to be on the safe side, it's better to keep using hoverboards at the park and at home — or the office if your boss is cool with it.

Full Story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ride-hoverboards-not-illegal-new-york-city-article-1.2439253

I've started a thread http://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/1900-euc-friendly-countries/

for those who would like to  travel with their EUC

 

[Ed]

Even though this thread is about "hoverboards" and not EUCs.  That quoted law still technically applies to EUCs, right?

I hate being in this gray area of the law, fricken bought my EUC for my commute in NYC; now I'm not sure if it's even legal.

[Jurgen]

It is a personal transportation device Jim, but not as we know it

 

[Hank]

15 hours ago, Ed said:

Even though this thread is about "hoverboards" and not EUCs.  That quoted law still technically applies to EUCs, right?

I hate being in this gray area of the law, fricken bought my EUC for my commute in NYC; now I'm not sure if it's even legal.

I would say that it DOES apply to EUCs jaust the same as hoverboards.

[Alexandre Valdetaro]

Are you guys doing anything about it? I want to participate in whatever. I have lots of Ads credit on Facebook to spend also, would love to spend with this.

[Cloud]

Technically all electrical mobility devices are illegal in nyc , including electric bikes, scooters, etc. except for electric cars and wheelchairs. Its what they will enforce will matter. I know a guy on a hoverboard who got fined recently