Long BC Ferries line improved by robotic fire-breathing dinosaur

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As summer approaches, being stuck in the BC Ferries lineup while the public address system drones overhead is as predictable as it gets. “White Ford pickup, your alarm is going off.” “Blue Audi, you’ve left your engine running.” “May I have your attention please: the oversized vehicle with the dragon, can you please stop with the fire?”

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Wait. What?

If you were trapped in Nanaimo, B.C. on Monday this past long weekend, waiting to get a ride back to the mainland, the ferry lineup was anything but dull. Noticing how bored and frustrated their fellow travellers looked, the folks from Straight Up Racing got a bit mischievous, and deployed their robotic flaming dragon. Everyone was delighted. (Well, not so much the BC Ferries people.)

Straight Up Racing operates out of Black Creek on Vancouver Island, and was on the road with their touring monster truck show. It’s an unwritten rule of monster truck shows that giant robot dragon-dinosaurs need to accompany the big-wheeled trucks, and it’s practically mandatory that said robo-saurs need to shoot flames in every direction. The Straight Up one is called Megasaurus, and it unfolds from a sort of tank-like trailer via hydraulics, complete with pincer claws and razor-sharp teeth.

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The team only deployed the dino for a few minutes, hoping to sneak in a quick distraction for all the kids milling around. As it turns out, it was a harmless bit of fun that wrapped up just before the PA system started tut-tutting. Those that recorded the instance on their phones got a pretty good post for the ol’ social media.

BC Ferries official spokespeople were quick to not-exactly-condemn the stunt, but did issue a gentle admonition. Citing safety as a number-one priority, a potential danger to passengers was noted. But the tone was more “Please don’t deploy your fire-breathing dragon again” than any actual punishment.

For the kids who saw Megasaurus make an impromptu cameo, the trip home got a little less dull. While we encourage safe travels for all your road-tripping this summer, should you happen to own a fire-breathing robot dinosaur, please deploy it at all possible opportunities. Clearly, it makes everything better.