From college students to America’s youth, the craze of the “Swagway” has hit the public with full force, and is now changing the way modern people get from point A to point B. The two wheeled vehicles, which are an evolution of the infamous Segway, feature two rotating wheels that propel the customer forward. The trick is the weight distribution on the highly sensitive top of the Hoverboard. Lean slightly forward, and most brands of these new vehicles can launch you to 20 miles per hour. Put pressure on the outside of either foot, and consequently, the board will turn 180 degrees on a dime. This new invention is now seen everywhere; schools, walkways, malls, airports and hospitals alike. The Hoverboard is highly mobile, and in truth, is an excellent substitute to walking. It can cut tight turns, go backwards, and accelerate forwards with minor shift in weight. It truly is the definition of the American Dream.

In all honesty, while the majority of customers don’t make the $400 investment on a new Swagway for everyday use, the two-wheeled substitute for walking does give warning to a futuristic society portrayed in the movie Wall-E. In the movie, Earth is no longer habitable. The human race lives within a gigantic space vessel where their days involve watching TV while being wheeled around in hovering chairs. Although incredibly entertaining and useful, the current Hoverboard fad entertains the same ideals that are at the focus of the society seen in the movie. Before we know it, the “Swagway” will become the “Sitway.” At that point in the not so distant future, even leaning will be obsolete, possibly even standing! The general public will be given the choice, sit in this high-tech, pod racer looking chair that can quickly shuffle you to your destination, or walk. I know what I would choose. I feel like I know what the majority of modern Americans would choose. The “Sitway!” And hence the new era of sitting would be born.

The Hoverboards have also been criticized for their lack of safety. Although very fashionable at the moment, not everyone is gliding up and down the halls at 20 miles per hour as of today. Britain has even gone so far as to make them illegal to ride in public. Supposedly these “personal transportation devices” are too unsafe to ride on the road, but too dangerous to ride on the pavement, according to British legislation. As a result, they are only legal to use on land that is private property, and only with the landowner’s permission (Stated by the CPS- Crown Protection Service).

The rules around Hoverboards at Air Academy remain unclear at the moment, although the transportation device was a common Christmas gift for many students. Inevitably, on class color day, the constitution of our high school will again be amended in order to preserve the safety of students while they move from class to class. “I’m usually borderline out of control,” states Caroline Boatz, a senior. “My guess is that administration will be cautious to let me use my Hoverboard at school on a regular basis.” However, the “Swagway” does fall under the category of “scooter” which is a legal vehicle on special days of the year. Plus, the two-wheeled personal vehicle does cut travel time significantly. Possibly next year, when Academy time no longer exists, and passing periods are longer, the Hoverboards won’t be a necessity. But this year, it is a realistic vision to see a world where countless Kadets are cruising to class on their brand new “Swagways.”

Whether or not the transportation traditionalists of Britain or the administration team of Air Academy choose to accept the fad of these improved Segways, the revolution is here and now. Walk to class? Pssh, be American Kadets, hover.