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Elon Musk wants to sell you a flamethrower for $500 — and it seems to be legal in California
Elon Musk, the mastermind behind PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX, has another innovative product up in his sleeve: a $500 flamethrower. Musk announced the flamethrower on Saturday, after weeks of teasing a possible flamethrowing product for his newest venture, The Boring Company. The Boring Company's mission is to excavate a low-cost but fast-digging tunnel through Los Angeles to help alleviate its notorious car traffic.
Musk's announcements on Instagram and Twitter about the flamethrower has all been in tongue-in-cheek tone, but his legions of followers have lapped up the chance to buy a flamethrower from The Boring Company. Over 2,000 people have pre-ordered the device so far, according to Musk on Twitter.
Pre-orders are expected to ship in the spring, according to The Boring Company's website. "When the zombie apocalypse happens, you'll be glad you bought a flamethrower," tweeted Musk. "Works against hordes of the undead or your money back!"
The California Health and Safety Codes 12750 to 12761 outline that owning or selling flamethrowers is illegal without a permit granted from the state fire marshal, joining Maryland as the only two states in the country to have flamethrower regulations. The state has defined flamethrowers as "any nonstationary and transportable device designed or intended to emit or propel a burning stream of combustible or flammable liquid a distance of at least 10 feet." But since The Boring Company's flamethrower emits fire less than the defined 10 feet, they did not have to get a permit to sell, according to the company's spokesman.
At time of this story being posted, the pre-order count had climbed to 10k.
Update: One California lawmaker wants to ban the flamethrower. But it's puny compared to other flamethrowers.
Also at CNN, MarketWatch, and CNET.
Related: Elon Musk Claims to Have "Verbal Approval" to Build New York to Washington, D.C. Hyperloop
NY-Philly-Baltimore-DC Hyperloop: Not Vaporware?
Elon Musk's Boring Tunnel Near Los Angeles
Elon Musk to Compete for High-Speed Rail Loop in Chicago
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @10:08AM (3 children)
Does it combust Li-Ion batteries? Seems to be the only logical tie-in with existing Musk companies: getting rid of old batteries. Because if that's not it, then holy fucking shit, he's gone off the deep end. A flamethrower, one of the most heinous and appalling weapons of war? All of my wat.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:23AM
^^^^ That's what I call a catastrophic failure of imagination. ^^^^
Let me remind you that SpaceX recently completed the static firing test for Falcon Heavy [soylentnews.org].
Methinks those flame-throwers are just Falcon Heavy booster surplus (large grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:25PM
> one of the most heinous and appalling weapons of war
You spelt "unwieldy and user-threatening" wrong.
A flamethrower is a terrible weapon, with the added bonus of making you the biggest target.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday February 01 2018, @12:47AM
The thing Elon has released has more in common with a cigar lighter than any weapon of war...
(Score: 5, Informative) by bradley13 on Tuesday January 30 2018, @10:36AM (4 children)
It's not actually a flamethrower. It's a propane torch.
This is Yet Another Musk Publicity Stunt. And for that purpose, calling it a flamethrower gets a lot more attention.
Anyway, when you're rich, you can indulge the occasional goofy idea. As pointed out on the Green site, he was apparently inspired by SpaceBalls: "Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs-the T-shirt, Spaceballs-the Coloring Book, Spaceballs-the Lunch box, Spaceballs-the Breakfast Cereal, Spaceballs-the Flame Thrower."
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by Kromagv0 on Tuesday January 30 2018, @02:16PM
Now it makes sense and that is really funny. If I only had $500 to waste on something I would have no use for.
T-Shirts and bumper stickers [zazzle.com] to offend someone
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Tuesday January 30 2018, @07:25PM (1 child)
It is a toy. Looks like an oversize lighter. I already have a device that shoots out flames further than Musk's "flamethrower", it's an oxy-propane torch used for brazing copper and brass. By playing with the valves it can shoot out a flame up to 6 feet.
Bet it's a money-making scheme. This thing probably cost around $25~30 to make. Even if his over all cost is $100 each, he stands to make $400 on each. If he manages to land a million suckers, that's 400 million US$ to put into his Boring Company.
Which is all pretty boring
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 2) by t-3 on Wednesday January 31 2018, @06:28AM
I made one that does flames farther when I was 12. It was a super soaker with a Zippo taped to the end and filled with lighter fluid. Shot a big flame about 20 feet out until my mom found out.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday January 30 2018, @08:38PM
It's a movie flamethrower, i.e. what 99% of the population thinks a flamethrower is.
Real flamethrowers, like all real weapons, has that je ne sais quoi of crude efficiency. It's very boring (haha!) and practical, not terribly exciting unless killing people gruesomely turns you on.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @10:46AM (6 children)
Apparently I missed something... what's the link with drilling holes to improve car traffic?
(Score: 4, Funny) by c0lo on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:06AM
My guess, drilling holes for car traffic is... how to put it?... a bit boring.
Fooling around with a flamethrower spices up the things a bit.
I mean... look, just imagine the fun having two of those while your project is compiling [xkcd.com].
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:13AM (1 child)
Los Angeles. Zombie apocalypse. I think they've found something under the streets of LA. They don't want to just come out and tell us - that is, they don't want people to panic. But, they can quietly go about preparing the general population to defend against the apocalypse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:53PM
Must be the Mole People.
(Score: 2) by theluggage on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:45AM (2 children)
You see that post that you just replied to... You know, the one name-checking Elon Musk and his enterprises... and the original story it linked to, and the doubtless other references on Arsebook, Twatter etc.?
You got that they mentioned Elon Musk, SpaceX, Tesla, the Boring Company etc?
That's the point. Elon's being whacky and seeking publicity. (and I'm sure he was the baddie in some Piers Brosnan-era Bond movie using some fake solar-power company as cover for a plot to kidnap Madonna and force her to steal the Koh-i-noor diamond or something).
However, this is 2018 and unless the flamethrower has some sort of cryptocurrency/blockchain connection, I'm not investing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @01:27PM
Well, I guess if you are chained to a block, one of those might come quite handy.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:13PM
His original tweet about the flamethrower said that "Cryptocurrency" is its safe word
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 1, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:24AM (9 children)
I wouldn't have thought Musk's core audience of meat-eschewing, tree-hugging types had enough testosterone left to appreciate the idea of owning a flamethrower.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:32AM (2 children)
Musk has a huge tent of followers. Huge enough for some weirdos [reddit.com].
Considering Musk's penchant for explosions [youtube.com], it's not a shock.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Tuesday January 30 2018, @11:39AM (1 child)
But of course it's not a shock.
Not unless that gas bottle on top decides to crack up, that is; but even then it will be a subsonic deflagration rather than a shocky detonation.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Zinho on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:31PM
My grandpappy always said that when the flame front is coming at your face at 30ft/sec the nuance of difference between detonation and deflagration is lost on you.
True story ;)
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:09PM (5 children)
I've got almost none and I'd appreciate a flamethrower. Bloody snow all over the bloody place...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:24PM (4 children)
Fair enough. Many things we may disagree on but how to deal with snowflakes is not one of them.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:18PM (1 child)
I knew what your joke was gonna be before I got to the end of it. Eat more fish ya ugly bird.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 30 2018, @09:08PM
Working on it. They didn't cooperate today though.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 30 2018, @09:15PM (1 child)
If you don't disagree then stand still already so I can get a decent shot at you, dammit.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 30 2018, @09:47PM
That really hurts. I'm going to have a lump there, you idiot. Who throws a shoe? Honestly!
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Funny) by richtopia on Tuesday January 30 2018, @01:46PM (4 children)
Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made! Spaceballs-the T-shirt, Spaceballs-the Coloring Book, Spaceballs-the Lunch box, Spaceballs-the Breakfast Cereal, Spaceballs-the Flame Thrower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgRFQJCHcPw [youtube.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @03:05PM (3 children)
The really funny thing about that joke from the movie is that there was no Spaceballs merchandise at all because they had to promise not to do any to get permission to make the film from George Lucas.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:26PM (2 children)
Which they did not actually have to do. If Spaceballs was not a parody, nothing ever will be.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @08:57PM
Just because something is a parody, doesn't mean that it can't wind up in court costing millions of dollars to resolve. George Lucas at the time was rather touchy about the IP for Star Wars due to the deal he had struck with Kenner over the merchandising rights in the run up to the original Star Wars film being released.
By the time Space Balls came out, he had literally hundreds of millions of dollars to his name and could have tied things up in courts for a long time had he chosen to do so.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 30 2018, @09:03PM
Though, if that was the what they had to agree too, that line was cold hard fact. Lucas didn't care about a competing movie, but a competing line of space toys / merchandise.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:10PM (1 child)
Elon Musk is the real-life version of Cave Johnson, with all that that implies. Look for Musk-banded gimp suits next, followed by hats. So, so, so many hats.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Kymation on Tuesday January 30 2018, @06:37PM
According to one of the published articles, they are selling flamethrowers because they ran out of hats. 50,000 hats....
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday January 30 2018, @04:17PM (2 children)
Does California really need any flamethrowers? Aren't there already too many flames?
Anyone who needs to flame could do so on the green site.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by insanumingenium on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:17PM
Yes, we are already on fire. Which is why we outlawed real flamethrowers already. This is more flammenburper than flammenwerfer.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday January 30 2018, @05:31PM
Silly CA fires make outdated legacy red/orange flames.
Elon's flamethrower makes blue flames. That takes courage!
(Score: 2) by Spook brat on Tuesday January 30 2018, @06:20PM
Despite being the one who came to the defense of the California Legislature in a previous discussion, [soylentnews.org] I'm going to call them out on this one. California seems to have a strong legislative culture of "protecting citizens from themselves", and its citizens seem content to have their liberties stripped away in pursuit of increased safety. [npr.org] Despite the fact that administrative controls are the least effective safety measure, California Lawmakers take an attitude of "the only tool I have is this [ban]hammer" and want to treat every possible source of danger as it it were a (metaphorical) nail. And disregard the fact that flamethrowers are already banned in California, apparently this NEW threat requires NEW legislation.
Perhaps they'd be happier re-organizing as a new government where anything not explicitly permitted is automatically forbidden. That's almost the exact opposite of the American ideal of the People retaining all rights not delegated to the government, [usconstitution.net] so they'd probably need to secede from the Union to make that happen.
Don't get me wrong, they have every right to make what laws their citizens feel necessary, within the confines of the U.S. constitution. I just have a massive philosophical disagreement with them, and you couldn't pay me enough to live there.
Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
(Score: 2) by turgid on Tuesday January 30 2018, @08:54PM
Can we expect many new candidates as a result of this latest popular craze?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].