Vertipod: Coming Soon to a Crash Site Near You
December 5th, 2007 by Patrick
You know, I was thinking the other day that that there just isn’t enough mayhem on the highways, and that what society really needs is some kind of personal flying device so people can take their road rage to the air. That’s why I got so excited about the Vertipod. This flying deathtrap, from a company called Air Buoyant, looks something like a trash can with a turbocharged ceiling fan on the bottom, and apparently is capable of flying 15 feet or so above the ground at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. Besides confirming your rep as the neighbourhood lunatic, the Vertipod gives you a chance to die in unique and colourful ways, for example, by having your feet sliced off in the propeller while simultaneously being tangled up in high tension wires and electrocuted.
Air Buoyant demonstrates a keen marketing sense, nicknaming the device the Segway of the sky. Since the latter is the most disappointing personal transport device since those bikes with the giant wheels, I’m not sure why you’d want to compare yourself to it. On the other hand, at least when you drive a Segway you stand a fighting chance of getting off alive.