# So who is getting the flamethrower?



## Rich M

https://www.boringcompany.com/flamethrower/

It's real, only $500 with optional $30 fire extinguisher.


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## BluestarE3

I can see this taking the place of Supersoakers and Nerf guns in mock battles.


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## skygraff

Big supporter of the concept but two concerns:

Is this what it takes to finally beat the snail?

Does it burn fossil fuels or an oxygen mix like the rockets?


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## EValuatED

Rich M said:


> https://www.boringcompany.com/flamethrower/
> 
> It's real, only $500 with optional $30 fire extinguisher.


I'm in. And how could I pass up the optional extinguisher?


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## EValuatED

skygraff said:


> Big supporter of the concept but two concerns:
> 
> Is this what it takes to finally beat the snail?
> 
> Does it burn fossil fuels or an oxygen mix like the rockets?


Important questions. Note, Flamethrower rumored to be a defensive item for The Boring Company employees as they may encounter underground creatures while tunneling.


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## BluestarE3

skygraff said:


> Does it burn fossil fuels or an oxygen mix like the rockets?


Liquid Schwartz!


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## Dogwhistle

One hour of playing with this thing should offset a whole year of carbon emission savings from switching to electric. He was doing so well.


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## John

Here, hold my beer...


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## KarenRei

EValuatED said:


> Important questions. Note, Flamethrower rumored to be a defensive item for The Boring Company employees as they may encounter underground creatures while tunneling.


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## Gorillapaws

I think it's funny but ultimately a pretty pointless waste of money for a quick laugh. I know some people can afford to drop 5 bills to get a chuckle from their friends (and I'm not judging), but I'd rather have a nice cover for my model 3 or an aftermarket interior lighting upgrade kit, or even a share of TSLA (not investment advice).


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## $ Trillion Musk

Makes you wonder whether Elon is an environmentalist or a capitalist. It’s contradictory to be both.


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## John

$ Trillion Musk said:


> Makes you wonder whether Elon is an environmentalist or a capitalist. It's contradictory to be both.


Oh, if it has to be a choice, then capitalist. For sure.

If Elon was just an environmentalist and not a capitalist, we wouldn't have that company, those cars or this site. 
Elon recycling, riding his bike, and marching around trying to get other people to change their ways would not be nearly as interesting.


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## garsh

Gorillapaws said:


> I think it's funny but ultimately a pretty pointless waste of money for a quick laugh.


The whole point of Elon starting The Boring Company was for the dad jokes. He deserves to have a hobby, even if it's pointless.


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## garsh

$ Trillion Musk said:


> Makes you wonder whether Elon is an environmentalist or a capitalist. It's contradictory to be both.


Sigh.

Must everybody be a 100% committed environmentalist in every aspect of life?

If he convinces the entire global population to switch over to electric cars, does that not count as being an environmentalist because he also launches fuel-burning rockets, and sells a few thousand fancy butane torches dressed up as make-believe flame throwers?


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## garsh

John said:


> Oh, if it has to be a choice, then capitalist. For sure.


Elon's a dreamer. Capitalists don't start a company with the goal of sending stuff to Mars. Capitalism is what gets him enough money to give his dreams a shot at becoming reality.


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## Gorillapaws

garsh said:


> The whole point of Elon starting The Boring Company was for the dad jokes. He deserves to have a hobby, even if it's pointless.


Sorry if I was being unclear, I meant pointless for people like myself. That $500 flame thrower will be entertaining for all of 10 minutes and then the thrill will wear off. Sure you can pull it out when friends come over, but that's going to get old fast too.

You're of course correct that Elon deserves to have a hobby.


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## $ Trillion Musk

@garsh i agree that dreamer is one of the best words to describe Musk. Doer is another. It's too bad how he must resort to capitalistic methods in order to achieve his environmentalist goals. He's all of the above.

But now in this day and age of mass shootings and terrorism, why of all things a flamethrower?

It would be interesting to see, though, whether his marketing genius works again this time.


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## garsh

$ Trillion Musk said:


> But now in this day and age of mass shootings and terrorism, why of all things a flamethrower?


Because it's silly and fun.

No terrorist or mass-shooter has ever made use of a flamethrower to kill people, so that line of reasoning doesn't seem relevant. Please be careful where this discussion goes - I'll have to lock the thread or delete posts if we end up talking about the politics of private ownership of firearms.


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## Michael Russo

garsh said:


> Because it's silly and fun.
> 
> No terrorist or mass-shooter has ever made use of a flamethrower to kill people, so that line of reasoning doesn't seem relevant. Please be careful where this discussion goes - I'll have to lock the thread or delete posts if we end up talking about the politics of private ownership of firearms.


I am with @$ Trillion Musk that this is most probably the strangest idea to-date. Yet you state it right. It is both silly... and fun. Depending on where you are, you're either going to look at this as one or the other, or both! Clearly, many looked at it as fun enough for cumulative orders to be already at 7k per Elon's tweet 8 hours ago... 

Also, yes, we are on thin water as to potential deviations here so also concur we probable don't need to keep this thread open for much longer.


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## Dash

All the time I thought he was (over-)selling zippos after the hats. 
But here we are, and I should have known. I knew he is crazy af...

Anyways, as much as I like to support him, I don't have 500 for the lulz. M3 investment has to be enough.


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## Love

I'm certain that (and am sure others already know this but I'm going to post anyway) that this is yet another in the Spaceball connection jokes Mr. Musk loves. The scene where Yogurt is showing the merchandise from Spaceballs... (the coloring book, the toilet paper and... the flamethrower!). I believe it's directly connected.

EDIT to add:


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## John

Yep, moichendising.

And doing interesting stuff that gets publicity and attention. Right now it's hats and flamethrowers, but consider this.

One day Elon will send out a tweet that says, "Now you can activate full self driving for $4000. It's already on your Tesla."

That one tweet will make over a billion dollars.

Until then, interesting stuff like flamethrowers. We make our own flamethrowers in my (geek) household, so I'm waiting for the lunch box.


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## $ Trillion Musk

OMG Elon is such a geek. Would like to order a "May the schwartz be with you" Yogurt doll.



Lovesword said:


> I'm certain that (and am sure others already know this but I'm going to post anyway) that this is yet another in the Spaceball connection jokes Mr. Musk loves. The scene where Yogurt is showing the merchandise from Spaceballs... (the coloring book, the toilet paper and... the flamethrower!). I believe it's directly connected.
> 
> EDIT to add:


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## BluestarE3

$ Trillion Musk said:


> It's too bad how he must resort to capitalistic methods in order to achieve his environmentalist goals.


It's merchandising, as noted by Yogurt in the scene from "Spaceballs" where the flamethrower is featured, and the inspiration for Elon offering this as a means of funding his Boring Company. Unconventional? Absolutely. But if Musk hadn't been unconventional, Tesla Motors would have been an historical asterisk and SpaceX and Boring Company wouldn't have come into existence.


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## $ Trillion Musk

BluestarE3 said:


> It's merchandising, as noted by Yogurt in the scene from "Spaceballs" where the flamethrower is featured, and the inspiration for Elon offering this as a means of funding his Boring Company. Unconventional? Absolutely. But if Musk hadn't been unconventional, Tesla Motors would have been an historical asterisk and SpaceX and Boring Company wouldn't have come into existence.


Yup. I believe this Boring hobby is a study in marketing genius. Only Elon Musk can get away with such unconventional notoriety.


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## Love

$ Trillion Musk said:


> Yup. I believe this Boring hobby is a study in marketing genius. Only Elon Musk can get away with such unconventional notoriety.


Be prepared for the follow up company:

TWO BORING: The Search For More Money


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## Michael Russo

Lovesword said:


> (...) this is yet another in the Spaceball connection jokes Mr. Musk loves. The scene where Yogurt is showing the merchandise from Spaceballs... (...)


Ok, I know what's coming next after the 'flamethrower', Boring TP!!
Where is the forming line!?


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## Griff

Over $4M worth sold. 8,000+ flamethrowers

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/29/16944432/elon-musk-flamethrower-the-boring-company


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## $ Trillion Musk

Lovesword said:


> Be prepared for the follow up company:
> 
> TWO BORING: The Search For More Money


And after that would be Bored OOMM (out of my mind) once they've run out of merchandising ideas.


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## John

My theory (and I do have one) is that while tunnel boring they ran into some nasty **** that requires a flamethrower just as a basic safety measure.


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## Michael Russo

John said:


> My theory (and I do have one) is that while tunnel boring they ran into some nasty **** that requires a flamethrower just as a basic safety measure.


John, I rated this useful but I really meant 'creative' (however that button is gone...)


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## BluestarE3

John said:


> My theory (and I do have one) is that while tunnel boring they ran into some nasty **** that requires a flamethrower just as a basic safety measure.


Yeah, some of those sewer rats can be pretty big and scary!


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## Brett

John said:


> My theory (and I do have one) is that while tunnel boring they ran into some nasty **** that requires a flamethrower just as a basic safety measure.


This is what I thought of when you said that...


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## seattlite

Ya'll get your not a flamethrowers today?


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## KarenRei

Brett said:


> This is what I thought of when you said that...
> 
> View attachment 5368


This is what I thought:


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## EValuatED

seattlite said:


> Ya'll get your not a flamethrowers today?


Awaiting shipment or perhaps an East coast pickup bash?


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