Elon Musk’s flamethrower faces possible sales ban in California

If a California assemblyman has his way, none of Elon Musk’s The Boring Co. flamethrowers would ever be sold in the Golden State. In a passionate announcement on Twitter, California assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) expressed his outrage at the Boring Company flamethrowers, saying that the product is insensitive considering the recent wildfires that swept the state.

Santiago further urged the public to be equally offended by Elon Musk’s latest product. According to the assemblyman, he would be proposing a legislation that would ban the sale of the fiery device to the public. In a strongly-worded statement posted by The Verge, Santiago described the release of the Boring Company flamethrower as a “slap in the face.”

“The state of California and the county and city of Los Angeles have entrusted Mr. Musk to help alleviate a real public policy problem here by executing a tunnel under the city to help alleviate traffic. This deviation feels like a slap in the face,” Santiago said, according to a report from The Verge.

If this is real, I’m outraged and you should be too. If this is a joke, then it’s a terribly insensitive one given that we’re coming off of the worst wildfire season in history. Either way: NOT FUNNY. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. https://t.co/DCC2xyVsn4

— Miguel Santiago (@SantiagoAD53) January 29, 2018

The assemblyman also stated that the release of the $500 flamethrower to the public might cause multiple problems for firefighters and law enforcement in the state. Santiago further explained that dangerous devices such as The Boring Co. flamethrower must not be readily made available to the public, considering the damage that the fiery devices might ultimately cause.

“Like most Americans, I am in awe of Mr. Musk’s genius — the brains behind Tesla, PayPal, SolarCity, and Space X. But as President Truman and Stan Lee have taught us all, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ There are many times in which technology and inventions benefit society, but are not made available to the public. We don’t allow people to walk in off the street and purchase military-grade tanks or armor-piercing ammunition. I cannot even begin to imagine the problems a flamethrower would cause firefighters and police officers alike.”

While the California assemblyman’s reaction to the release of The Boring Co. flamethrower is understandable, several members of the Twitter community explained to the politician that Elon Musk’s fiery device is not really a flamethrower by definition. Many also found it quite peculiar that The Boring Company flamethrower is causing such as strong reaction in a state where the sale of firearms is completely allowed by the local government.

As we noted in a previous report, the Boring Co. flamethrower appears to be a conventional propane torch encased in a rifle-shaped frame. Power-wise, The Boring Company flamethrower is comparable to the Weed Dragon, a small fiery device that shoots flames over a couple of feet. Propane torches are available for purchase at any local hardware store.

Despite the adverse reaction from Santiago, The Boring Company flamethrower continues to sell incredibly well. In Elon Musk’s most recent update as of writing, the Tesla, SpaceX and Boring Co. CEO announced that 10,000 flamethrowers have already been sold, amounting to $5 million worth of pre-orders for the fiery, and now controversial, device.

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