In response to billionaire Elon Musk’s The Boring Company selling over 20,000 personal flamethrowers, the New York state Senate passed a bill that bans such devices. The bill says if caught with a flamethrower, violators will be charged with a class E felony.
“Considering flamethrowers to be toys for recreational use is a bit of a head-scratcher,” Democratic Sen. John Brooks said. “This bill will protect kids, families, and neighbors from irresponsible and dangerous ‘play.’ Weapons of war do not belong in our backyards.”
Brooks chastised Musk for selling the personal flamethrowers “without any concern to the training of the purchasers or their reasons for buying” because “allowing the general public to access this type of machine is extremely problematic.”
Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre, the bill’s co-sponsor in the state Assembly, said she hopes the bill passes in their chamber before the end of the legislative session.
“We are all too familiar with the harmful toll that a fire can have on human life, and it is unconscionable to think that we would allow entertainment to prevail over public safety when it comes to the use of flamethrowers,” she said.
When Musk’s company first made his flamethrower available to the public last year, they sold out within hours.
Unless you like fun
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2018
Nothing makes your baby more zen than a few gentle puffs of a TBC Flamethrower pic.twitter.com/HewJf66hh2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
