Editing 1382: Rocket Packs

For a long time, many people have speculated that in the future, everyone would travel around with rockets strapped to their backs. However, this has not come to pass at the time this comic was published.  

In this comic, Randall is pointing out that the problem with personal rocket packs is not how to attach a rocket to someone's back, but other practical considerations. One might be how to keep the hot exhaust from burning the user's {{w|Calf_(anatomy)|calves}}. (Many {{w|jet pack}} designs actually do have ways to deal with this, such as moving the rockets farther from the user, but there are many other practical issues which have made this an impractical form of travel given current technology).

The title text starts with the trope [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWantMyJetPack "I want my jetpack"]. It continues with pointing out that if people did start using rocket packs, there would also be more injuries, raising health care costs. That's something that people usually don't consider when imagining a future where these devices are commonplace.

So this year when the comics was published the demand was:

:[Text above the frame]

:Rocket packs are easy.  

:[In the frame: Cueball is lying on the ground with his Rocket Packs on his back and his calves severely burned]

:Cueball: Ow

:[Text below the frame]

:The hard part is inventing the calf shields.