Yes, because banning something that .0000001% of the population abuses is a productive use of governmental and police resources. It will forever solve the problem.

It would seem to me that the correct method would be to try and locate the asshats who are shining aircraft.

My cats do not approve.

Eh, maybe for class VI lasers. Not too many of those are handheld, however.

/not this pilot

What about the sharks?

Pilots want handheld lasers to be classified as weapons


I want a chocolate-chip cookie.

A bright flashlight is just as distracting.

Fark off!

How about pilots just wear those green laser shielding sunglasses?

But why go for the easy solution when you can get the violent and retarded government involved?

Englebert Slaptyback: Pilots want handheld lasers to be classified as weapons


I want a chocolate-chip cookie.

At least chocolate-chip cookies are real, whereas handheld lasers blinding pilots are a freaking fantasy.

I say we treat them as weapons if the people are using them as weapons, say, by trying to blind the pilots.

Firing a laser at a plane would be punished just as much as shooting at the plane. Its retarded, sure, but you have to take into account the fact that you'd have to be really dumb to be left holding the laser after shining it at a plane.

Also, you'd be REALLY hard to find if you had any brains and escaped..burden of proof would be really high as laser pointers are somewhat common.

What about laser cats?

They can have my USB drive, pen and laser combo when they pry it from my cold dead hands.

It's only a weapon if I decide to shove the laser up their asses.

Pilot


Handheld laser

Even if they are strapped to the heads of ill-tempered sea bass?

I predict the coining of the term "laser crime" in the UK in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

YAWN



>>>NOT this crap again

Shoop da whoop!

Australia actually set their limit as *1* mW. Not 5mW, like those toy pointers you can get out of a gumball machine here in the USA.

You actually need to get a license for a 5mW, and have to make the case for why you need a laser pointer.

Actually it's become alarming because some of the internet sites now allow you to get a 50mW pointer for under $25, even a 200mW that can light stuff on fire for under $50. Free shipping, too.

There was this weird thing though recently where the FDA, which is in charge of laser regulation, actually got PAYPAL of all people to ban these online import-shops from sending them to the US, and it's difficult to buy them any other way. They don't want to cross Paypal since if PP bans them they lose all their US business for everything, which is a lot more than lasers.

Now how the FDA managed to get a private corporation to do this I have no idea. In fact the law is not even 100% straightforward, because you can order a very powerful replacement laser for a DVD burner no problem. It's when it's not just a component but assembled into a handheld laser that it's a problem. They actually require stuff like a keylock and a delay between pressing the switch and powering the beam. I don't get that last part, this is dangerous as hell! It's like it hang-fires and the first thing some dumb people will do is look down the output to see what the problem is.

But, even with a required label, interlock, and turn-on delay, Paypal won't allow it.

Since when have lasers not been weapons?
And phasers.
And phased plasma rifles in the 40 watt range.

Also a danger to pilots...

"Laser"

They came for our photon beam cannons, and we said nothing

That said, anyone interested in buying a 65mw green Wicked Laser?

:D

shiat, I love lasers. If this shiat catches I'm buying like 200 before people over here in the US get all narapoid.

I find it hilarious the range of "weapons" banned in many parts of the US (like butterfly knives, etc.) while guns remain perfectly kosher. I demand farking consistency, is that so much to ask?

Pilots could be issued these things:



And if that doesn't work, just have the planes bring their own lasers. Oh here's one:



/nice to see you

This is farking retarded.

vgss: Also a danger to pilots...

APPROVES (new window)

Maybe the first step should be to find out the source of the lasers before going apesh*t with new, unenforceable laws.

Do these old things even still work??

What do you mean I can't board a plane with my working lightsaber?

Has a plane ever been downed because of retards with a handheld pointer laser. Those things don't really have enough juice to damage the eye since most people won't stare into it. This seems like a big over reaction to classify something as a weapon just because a small segment of the population abuses it.shiat I've got a tiny piece of graphite stuck in my wrist that's the tip of a pencil. When I was in the second grade a girl stabbed me in the wrist with a pencil and the tip broke off. Should pencils now be classified as weapons? I will say this though. If during recess a girl takes you into the gully to play a game of "you show me yours I'll show you mine" you're best not to chicken out and run when it comes time for your turn. Makes them all stabby.

Some people are just destructive. I don't understand it but I see it all the time. However...

I remember having an argument with my boss a few years ago about the "Cell Phone" rule. He contended that a cell phone could in fact interrupt the communications with the tower. I argued that it is almost totally impossible for a .3 watt radio to interfere with the cockpit. Why? First, the cell phone communicates on a totally different set of bands. Second, the cell phone towers would have more of an impact if (and it's a big if) the radios in the plane and tower were designed to accept interference, which they are most certainly NOT. Third, the cell towers can't switch fast enough at altitudes over 10,000 feet to allow for successful calls.

I understand the desire to not have people screaming into their phones on planes, but it just sounds so stupid when they demand I turn off my phone because I could muck up a million dollar communication device with something I picked up down the street for $200.

/I don't know what this has to do with a laser pointers, it just had to be said

Oznog:
There was this weird thing though recently where the FDA, which is in charge of laser regulation, actually got PAYPAL of all people to ban these online import-shops from sending them to the US, and it's difficult to buy them any other way. They don't want to cross Paypal since if PP bans them they lose all their US business for everything, which is a lot more than lasers.

Now how the FDA managed to get a private corporation to do this I have no idea. In fact the law is not even 100% straightforward, because you can order a very powerful replacement laser for a DVD burner no problem. It's when it's not just a component but assembled into a handheld laser that it's a problem. They actually require stuff like a keylock and a delay between pressing the switch and powering the beam. I don't get that last part, this is dangerous as hell! It's like it hang-fires and the first thing some dumb people will do is look down the output to see what the problem is.

But, even with a required label, interlock, and turn-on delay, Paypal won't allow it.

Howto: Make a DVD Burner into a High-Powered Laser (new window)

selloco: Maybe the first step should be to find out the source of the lasers before going apesh*t with new, unenforceable laws.

I'm betting WalMart sells a lot of them....

studebaker hoch: Pilots could be issued these things:





/shoot them back!
//*batteries included

Great yeah everyone loved the green lasers cos you can pop a ballon with them. Untill by utter chance it goes out your house window, a mile down the road and hits the rear view mirror of an innocent mans car, bounces into his glasses which helpfully focus it even more and put a nice hole in his retina. Yes that did happen.

I got laserd in the eye in college by some prick playing with a projector remote with one built in. i had a shadow on my vision for a month and was shiatting bricks.

I farking hate lasers even though they are useful as hell.

Considering that airliners pretty much run the approach without the pilot's input, I find the whole thing to be kinda stupid, but at the same time, I think the people who are shining lasers at airliners need to be beaten severely for being asshats.

Not concerned:

Master Chief

I got laserd in the eye in college by some prick playing with a projector remote with one built in. i had a shadow on my vision for a month and was shiatting bricks.

I looked at a total solar eclipse while surfing on acid in San Diego back in the day. Problem was, the moon was at such a distance that there was still a ring of sun visible.

Oops.

I had a green dot following me around for about a year after that one, it either went away or my brain can now correct for it to the point where I haven seen it in about 15 years now.

/lucky.

Oznog
Actually it's become alarming because some of the internet sites now allow you to get a 50mW pointer for under $25, even a 200mW that can light stuff on fire for under $50. Free shipping, too.

Sweet, I should get one for next Halloween!

I got a nice pen laser and was showing it off to some friends. At night, the laser could easily put a visible spot on buildings two miles away.

So a friend asks to borrow it, and immediately points it at an airplane.

YANK! Gimme that.

A detailed explanation quickly followed about how not cool that was. The friend is OK, just didn't think it all the way through.

That's a good idea. We pass a law against lasers. The asshats will still have lasers to shine at airplanes, and the law-abiding will be inconvenienced.

Oznog: Actually it's become alarming because some of the internet sites now allow you to get a 50mW pointer for under $25, even a 200mW that can light stuff on fire for under $50. Free shipping, too.

"
Actually it's become alarming because some of the internet sites now allow you to get a 50mW pointer for under $25, even a 200mW that can light stuff on fire for under $50. Free shipping, too.
"

Would you happen to have any examples of these evil, evil sites with these low low rates?

And dont we have missiles that can home in on lasers??

In WWII, spotlighting planes was great sport:



I don't think the German pilots even complained.

/Good times, good times.

Unknown_Poltroon

And dont we have missiles that can home in on lasers??

Yes they're called "cats" and are still legal carry in all 50 states.

studebaker hoch: Unknown_Poltroon

And dont we have missiles that can home in on lasers??

Yes they're called "cats" and are still legal carry in all 50 states.

Your internets are in the mail, sir.