Johannesburg - (Reuters)
Crime obsessed South Africans have a new and potent weapon to deter potential criminals: the
in-car flame thrower.
Casting a 6 foot fireball with no damage to the paintwork, the aptly named "Blaster" has been fitted to 25 South African vehicles since its launch last month.
At $655, it offers a cheap and dramatic defense against would be car-jackers. And, it has
not
been deemed illegal. Police Superintendent David Walkley of Johannesburg's crime intelligence unit was the Blaster's first customer and is satisfied it is all above-board - provided that it is "used correctly".
South
African courts sanction lethal action if they can be persuaded that someone was defending his or her life- not unheard of in a country that suffered more than 1,300 car-jackings last year.
The Blaster fires liquified gas from a bottle in the vehicle's trunk through two nozzles, positioned under the front doors, which is ignited by an electric spark. Both fire simultaneously, regardless of whether the attack is coming from just one side - or whether passersby are on the other side.
Charl Fourie, 33, the
Blaster's inventor, said he felt it would only "blind and not kill". He continued, "This is defintely non-lethal ... A person won't just stand there and let you roast him." He has filed for international patent on the device as "the demand is huge" he was quoted as saying.
Now if we can only get these here in New York City....
