Wiz Khalifa tackled, arrested at LAX for refusing to get off his 'hover board'
On Saturday night, rapper Wiz Khalifa was returning to Los Angeles from a European tour when, according to Khalifa, he was forced to the ground by airport police, "all because," he later explained on Twitter, "I didn't want to ditch the technogy everyone will be using in the next six months." That technology? "I stand for our generation and our generation is gonna be riding hover boards," he added.
3 cops yell stop resisting. Only thing to do is let em know. I'm not resisting, I'm doin what I want.A video posted by Wiz Khalifa (@mistercap) on Aug 22, 2015 at 5:36pm PDT
The "hover board" he is talking about is really a two-wheeled scooter that's popular among Hollywood's young and famous — more of a small, handle-less Segway than what you might think of as a hoverboard. As for why he was tackled and detained, Customs and Border Patrol said privacy laws prevented them from discussing the specifics of the case, but generally: "CBP officers are conducting their critical national security mission while facilitating the entry of legitimate travelers. An uncompliant passenger or any disruptive behavior could put many at risk in this highly secure area."
He might have impressed the airport cops more, though, if he'd been riding a Lexus.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Now that is a hoverboard.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
What is China doing in Latin America?Today’s Big Question Beijing offers itself as an alternative to U.S. dominance
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Iran’s government rocked by protestsSpeed Read The death toll from protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency has reached at least 19
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
A peek inside Europe’s luxury new sleeper busThe Week Recommends Overnight service with stops across Switzerland and the Netherlands promises a comfortable no-fly adventure
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
