Elon Musk’s ‘Not A Flamethrower’ Was Indeed A Flamethrower, Cops Say

In 2018, Elon Musk’s The Boring Company released a bunch of limited-edition flame-throwing devices as a bizarre promotional gimmick for the tunneling startup. Officially dubbed “Not A Flamethrower” on the company’s website, the devices could not, because CNN pointed out at the time, “spit flames over long distances igniting flammable liquids” but were instead designed to act more like “large propane torches”.

Apparently none of this matters much in the eyes of the law – especially when those same eyes stare at what appears to be a grown man trying to board a “party bus” in Italy holding this which looks exactly like a flamethrower.

In one excellent writing At TechCrunch, writer Mark Harris usefully delves into the legal trap facing dozens of “Not A Flamethrower” owners after law enforcement officers received a load of their giant firearms. Among the stories featured are those of the aforementioned American man (who was later jailed in Italy for almost a week) and a man from London whose home was raided by five police officers in tactical gear.

The device’s military-grade aesthetic was ultimately enough to spur Democratic lawmakers in the New York State Senate to sponsor a bill that would criminalize the possession and use of the future flamethrower.

“Elon Musk’s Boring Company has released a new flamethrower … regardless of who buyers are or why they buy,” the invoice, S1637, bed. “This bill establishes that owning and using a flamethrower is a criminal act, unless it is used for agricultural, construction or historical collecting purposes. These dangerous devices should not be sold to civilians and their use should be restricted to qualified professionals. “

Although many civilians identified by TechCrunch have had their Not a flamethrowers confiscated by law enforcement out of concern for public safety, John Richardson – the man from London who raided his home by a police team rapid intervention dedicated to the fight against armed crime – finally regained possession. of his weapon. He told TechCrunch he intends to keep a low profile with the device for now – at least until he knows he can benefit from it.

“I’m happy to be sitting for this long,” he said. “And if there’s a zombie apocalypse, at least I have one.”

Head to TechCrunch for details which are, unsurprisingly, even sillier and more fun.