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Gas-Powered Roller Skates Skid in Britain

Safety officials seize illegal 20 MPH "gas shoes" from China

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Aug 1, 2007 10:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – British officials seized 50 pairs of motorized roller skates that can hit 20 mph in just 20 seconds. The Brits say the Chinese "gasoline skating shoes," which are controlled by a hand-held throttle, reach dangerous clips and expose young speedsters to falls and sudden stops that pitch them forward.

Officials are also concerned that the plastic gas tank in the right skate poses a fire risk. "These things are absolutely frightening and would have been every parent's nightmare," said one official. The confiscated skates probably would have been sold on the street or the internet.

U.S.A. Los Angeles. 2002.Venice Beach. (LON40411)
U.S.A. Los Angeles. 2002.Venice Beach. (LON40411)   (Magnum Photos)
SPAIN. Murcia. Paseo del Malecon. 1971. (PAR290524)
SPAIN. Murcia. "Paseo del Malecon". 1971. (PAR290524)   (Magnum Photos)
GB. London. Tower Bridge. Chloe MARLOW learning to roller skate. 1989. (LON67219)
GB. London. Tower Bridge. Chloe MARLOW learning to roller skate. 1989. (LON67219)   (Magnum Photos)
E reality show, Rollergirls, sparked a resurgence of the sport, this time on flat tracks. As many as 150 leagues have sprung up across the United States and Canada, according to the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
E reality show, "Rollergirls," sparked a resurgence of the sport, this time on flat tracks. As many as 150 leagues have sprung up across the United States and Canada, according to the Women's Flat Track...   (Associated Press)
FRANCE. Paris. 11th arrondissement. 1996. Soccer on skates at the Opera Bastille. (PAR121411)
FRANCE. Paris. 11th arrondissement. 1996. Soccer on skates at the Opera Bastille. (PAR121411)   (Magnum Photos)
CHINA. Shanghai. 2001. A man with traditional fans dances on roller skates on the Bund (Zhongshan Road) at sunrise, with the Pudong skyline in the background. (NYC19907)
CHINA. Shanghai. 2001. A man with traditional fans dances on roller skates on the Bund (Zhongshan Road) at sunrise, with the Pudong skyline in the background. (NYC19907)   (Magnum Photos)
USA. NYC. Central Park. 1991. Roller bladers on the mall. (PAR115772)
USA. NYC. Central Park. 1991. Roller bladers on the mall. (PAR115772)   (Magnum Photos)
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