Look folks, the clock in the top-right hand corner of my screen is telling me that we’re almost two decades past the year 2000, and I’ve been hearing a whole lot about “technology” and how it’s changing the way people move about. Which really only leads me to ask one question – where are all the jetpacks? The answer is simple: the jetpacks are already here, we just can’t afford them. Wait, what?

It’s true. One quick search on YouTube reveals all kinds of crazy contraptions plying the airways that could be considered a “jetpack.” Hover boards (real hover boards), wing suits, and thrust-driven backpacks are all very real things now, exciting the imagination with thoughts of taking flight without a plane ticket or TSA strip search. Just check out the above-featured videos if you don’t believe me.

So why are you still sitting in traffic during your morning commute rather than soaring above the clouds? Simple – the price. While the technology exists, it’s not exactly accessible to regular folks like you and me. However, don’t fret. There are several companies out there (Martin Jetpack and Jetpack Aviation are two good examples) that are working feverishly towards a consumer-oriented product for the general public. Granted, development is likely to take years, and the price tag will likely be in the realm of hundreds of thousands of dollars, but hey – progress is being made.