Thief calmly robs London store on a hoverboard

LONDON -- Children young and old have made "hoverboards" one of this holiday season's must-have gifts.

But apparent criminal elements in South London have demonstrated how the popular wheeled devices, which don't actually hover at all, can be put to use for (remarkably counterintuitive) nefarious purposes. Once, at least.

It's unlikely, perhaps, given that video of an unmasked-man nonchalantly robbing a convenience store atop one of the devices is now being widely spread online, that there will ever be a second hoverboard burglary.

London's Metropolitan Police have asked for help identifying a man seen rolling into a Co-Op food store in the London suburb of Mitcham and then rolling back out again, carrying a case of energy drinks he never paid for.

Perhaps store staff were distracted by the fluorescent blue light cast upon the floor by the thief's trendy set of wheels?

As the police's plea for help states: "CCTV from the store captured the man's movements in and out of the store."

The statement fails to note that those movements were almost taunting in their fluidity and grace. Manufacturers insist you can "master" the operation of a hoverboard in about 15 minutes.

"He entered the store at 21:43 hours and took a crate of Lucozade from the drinks aisle, making off without making payment," said the police.

Your reporter is familiar with the store involved in this robbery. The aisles are narrow. The suspect had put in his 15 minutes.

Two men are close on his heels as he performs a brief reverse-turn maneuvre just before cruising out of the shop, but the police do not say whether they're believed to be accomplices, shop staff or merely other shoppers.

The suspect rolls out and makes his getaway into the London night -- on his getaway vehicle, with a top speed around 10 miles per hour, covered in glowing blue lights.