Not-A-Flamethrower owners in D.C. make picking it up a family affair

Let’s be real for a minute: Just because you put “not” in front of something doesn’t really mean it is not that thing. 

While Borat is still working on his ability in this area, The Boring Company is handing out its Not-A-Flamethrowers to faithful customers who are eager to get there hands on them. Pick-up parties, as they’re being called, started in Los Angeles a few weeks back, and there was one in Washington D.C. on Saturday.

Alarm bells are ringing after the D.C. event, however, with kids and dogs appearing in more than a few photos posted on The Boring Company’s Twitter feed. Now that just seems unsafe. The idea of a company endorsing the visual of a kid hanging out next to — or even firing — a flamethrower seems surreal.

Elon Musk had to rename the flamethrower to Not-A-Flamethrower to please regulatory and customs agency. He also had rhyming terms and conditions for safety.

There’s one four-legged friend, and a kid standing close by as his mother gives the Not-A-Flamethrower a quick spin.

And then we have the kids, some with parents others without, whose faces tell the whole story. Musk is apparently not on hand for the Washington D.C. pickup, but it doesn’t seem like he is being missed.