Though he might start to feel some heat for being behind schedule, Elon Musk can still say, to some degree, that he is a man of his word. On Saturday, the Boring Company CEO partially made good on his vow to supply end-users with flamethrowers, as consumers blazed a trail to his brainchild’s Los Angeles-based headquarters to collect 1,000 of the 20,000 unconventional products.
First 1000 Boring Company Flamethrowers being picked up today! pic.twitter.com/hBMp5fGzAB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
Based on some of the concepts that he has conceived, one can presume that Musk will never flame out with respect to novel ideas, with the weekend pickup signifying another attempt to avoid ever being “boring” like his company, an enterprise that he founded in December 2016 as an infrastructure and tunnel construction company. Though the pickup constituted only 5 percent of the total amount of flamethrowers that the Boring Company marketed beginning in January, the lucky few who retrieved their $500 goodies enjoyed being in the minority, forming long lines and torching marshmallows.
Almost forgot! Due to recent regulatory/customs rules enacted to inhibit transport of anything called a Flamethrower, we have renamed our product: “Not a Flamethrower”.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
Musk, whose company is donating $10,000 to the California Wildfire Relief Fund, (such is his awareness of the potency of the products, which come with fire extinguishers), took to Twitter during the initial distribution to tell purchasers that he is dubbing their selection “Not A Flamethrower” due to customs rules. No matter its name, the object indeed unleashes plenty of you’d-better-be-careful-with-them flames, leading Musk to remind end-users of the terms and conditions behind its use. People being people, of course, many buyers have made like Oscar Wilde, who quipped, “I can resist anything but temptation,” by finding, we will say, inventive uses for their new possession.
Terms & conditions for “Not-a-Flamethrower”
Please use as directed to avoid unintentionally burning things down. For simple & concise instructions, we drew upon wisdom in great Dr Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham”. #ThrowFlamesResponsibly pic.twitter.com/kgj8W8EOLJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
For now, at least, despite any odd antics, those individuals have incurred the envy of the masses who have yet to sate their burning desire to commend the Boring Company for its non-traditional promotional product. Having decided to sell the flamethrower based on his having peddled 50,000 Boring Company hats, Musk might merit a tip of the cap if he can overcome further shipping delays. As is the case with the California-situated consumers who have been plotting to use the gadget, the expectant end-users will also need to exercise caution after they have opened their boxes.
Since the entrepreneur behind them is on a hot streak, the proper use of the flamethrowers could inspire the Boring Company bigwig to conceive of more daring ideas for all of his holdings. With that in mind, let’s play prognosticator. What promotional products idea from the mind of Musk do you think could burn even more brightly than what he has already issued?