Customs officers in Britain have seized 150 pairs of motorized roller blades, amid safety fears. The skates, known as Gasoline Skating Shoes, are fitted with a 25cc motor and have a top speed of 20mph. Since the skates are classed as a motorized vehicle, users would need a driving license, insurance and L-plates, were they legal. Check the video with its incongruous Prozac Muzak and discover their deadly secret below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8WBHQsXwQ
From China, these Foot Trolleys of Death are controlled via a handheld throttle and can burn up to max speed in just a few seconds. Instead of a brakes, there is a shut-off button (probably bright red with “SHIIIIIIIIT” inscribed on it in a nice Gothic script) which acts like an emergency stop—meaning that when the skates come to a brisk halt, you probably won’t.
A 10-pound engine encased in a seven-inch box on the heel of the right boot sits above a plastic fuel tank—that will make for some interesting ankle burns in a worst-case scenario—which holds one liter of two-stroke petrol.
Because of its exhaust vent and starter cable, safety officers have likened the Fireball Suicide Shoes to a lawnmower. I can think of two uses for it: birthday presents for Paris, Lindsay and Avril Lavigne, and as a modding experiment—cutting the grass (and burning stubble if you live on a farm) will be so much more fun. [Daily Mail]
