In 2018, Elon Musk’s The Boring Company released a number of limited edition flamethrowers as a bizarre promotional gimmick for tunneling startups. Officially named “Not A Flamethrower” on the company’s own website, the devices couldn’t CNN said at the time, “spit flames over long distances by lighting flammable liquids,” but were instead designed to function more like “big propane burners.”
Apparently none of that makes much difference in the eyes of the law – especially when those same eyes look at what appears to be a grown man trying to board a “party bus” in Italy with what looks exactly like a flamethrower. .
In a excellent description at TechCrunch, writer Mark Harris helpfully delves into the legal snafus that dozens of “Not A Flamethrower” owners face after law enforcement officers receive a load of their giant firearms. Among the stories mentioned are that of the aforementioned American man (who was subsequently held in Italy for almost a week) and a London man whose house was raided by five police officers in tactical equipment.
The military aura of the device was ultimately enough to spur Democratic lawmakers in the New York State Senate to sponsor a bill that would criminalize possession and use of the so-called flamethrower.
“Elon Musk’s Boring Company has released a new flamethrower … without any concern for the buyers’ education or their reasons for buying,” the bill, S1637, is reading. “This bill states that owning and using a flamethrower is a crime unless it is used for agricultural, construction, or historical collection purposes. These hazardous devices should not be sold to civilians and their use should be limited to trained professionals. “
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While many of the civilians identified by TechCrunch had their Not a Flamethrowers confiscated by law enforcement officials out of public safety concerns, John Richardson – the London man who had his home raided by a quick-response team dedicated to tackling firearms crime – was told. eventually regained possession. of his weapon. He told TechCrunch that he plans to remain unobtrusive with the device for now – at least until he knows he can make a profit with it.
“I’ve been sitting on it too long,” he said. “And if there is a zombie apocalypse, at least I have one.”
Go to TechCrunch for more details that are, unsurprisingly, even dumber and funnier.