JAPANESE authorities are cracking down on the bizarre phenomenon plaguing their airports.
Tourists using transportable suitcases powered by lithium-ion batteries to navigate airports have been warned they need a driver’s license.
Many travelers have been caught off guard after using the fast and convenient motorized luggage that looks like a children’s scooter.
Big celebrities like paris hilton popularized expensive suitcases, but two major airports advised against their use.
This is due to strict laws that consider them “motor vehicles that can only travel on the roads with the required safety equipment and a driver’s license”.
Both Narita International Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport advised passengers against it or made passengers complain about its use.
Local prosecutors detained a 30-year-old Chinese woman for “driving without a driver’s license” after allegedly riding a three-wheeled suitcase on an Osaka sidewalk in June, police force said.
Officers used her case as an example, reminding the public that transportable suitcases, including mopeds, that travel at 13 km (8 mph) are classified as “motorized bicycles” that require owners to have a driver’s license.
A similar case was observed in June, when an Indonesian boy carried one of the suitcases on a busy shopping street by pedestrians.
Local News The Kyodo agency said his family was shocked that users of the funky vehicle needed a driver’s license to drive them in Japan.
Police have asked retailers to warn customers they need a license to operate them, but it is not yet clear what the punishments are.
Police have already urged national retailers to warn customers against using it without complying with legal requirements to use it.
Scientist Takeru Shibayama said The Guardian That Japan’s ultra-broad classification of what is and isn’t a vehicle could spark a broader conversation about rethinking the guidelines.
The country’s National Police Agency found that traffic violations involving electric scooters quadrupled six months after rules were made more flexible.
The relaxation of the rules meant that anyone over 16 could ride a scooter without needing a driver’s license.
It comes shortly after an experienced traveler revealed how she beats the airline’s strict hand luggage rules by putting an extra bag on the plane for £1.55.
Lisa Brown says she saved “hundreds of pounds” on “expensive” airline bag fees with this totally legal hack.
In a video she posted online, the frugal 28-year-old is seen buying a 10p bag and a £1.45 bottle of water from the duty-free shop.
Then, she filled her Duty Free bag with stuff so she wouldn’t have to pay for more luggage.
After checking in online, Lisa has her extras checked through security in a different bag and places them in an airport shopping bag.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story