Scumbags point lasers at airplanes, feds move to regulate.

[TrumpIsPresident]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2...aser-pointers/

I actually own the ARCTIC 1.4W which is pictured in that article and it is badass.

Now I don't use it to blind aircraft pilots but apparently enough douchebags do so the feds are cracking down which will probably means they'll all be off the market sooner or later.

Damn scumbags ruining everything for everybody.

[Themius]

14 years for this shit... that's overkill... unless a person is pointing a laser at a helicopter or plane with the intent to crash it, that type of sentence should have never existed.

[ComputerNerd]

Out of curiousity, what legitimate use does such a hand-held laser actually have.
To me it seems they are being made way more powerful than they actually need to be.

14 years for this shit... that's overkill... unless a person is pointing a laser at a helicopter or plane with the intent to crash it, that type of sentence should have never existed.

He pointed it at an emergency air ambulance for children, and then at a police helicopter at least seven times.
Both times in the direction of an airport.
Also having been in previous trouble with the law.

The sentence isn't harsh enough.

[Lyese]

Out of curiousity, what legitimate use does such a hand-held laser actually have.
To me it seems they are being made way more powerful than they actually need to be.

You can use them in construction projects (marking spots that are missed by painters, pointing out rust spots, essentially drawing attention to giant metal structures without many features), presentations, as a self defense device, to play with cats, etc. Anything that needs visibility without being able to physically write or mark on it.

[Rukentuts]

14 years for this shit... that's overkill... unless a person is pointing a laser at a helicopter or plane with the intent to crash it, that type of sentence should have never existed.

Yeah I should be able to fire other weapons at it too. It's my intent that matters!

[TrumpIsPresident]

Out of curiousity, what legitimate use does such a hand-held laser actually have.
To me it seems they are being made way more powerful than they actually need to be.

For a consumer such as myself? None. I bought it because a YT video made it look like a lightsaber. I've used it a few times to pop some balloons and etch some balsa wood but its way too powerful to just play with how you would a cheapo laser pointer.

[jackofwind]

You can use them in construction projects (marking spots that are missed by painters, pointing out rust spots, essentially drawing attention to giant metal structures without many features), presentations, as a self defense device, to play with cats, etc. Anything that needs visibility without being able to physically write or mark on it.

You need a $600 high-powered handheld laser to use as a standard laser pointer? You want to use it to play with your cat?!

More like accidentally burn the retinas out of your pet because you're an idiot.

Infracted

[Themius]

Out of curiousity, what legitimate use does such a hand-held laser actually have.
To me it seems they are being made way more powerful than they actually need to be.



He pointed it at an emergency air ambulance for children, and then at a police helicopter at least seven times.
Both times in the direction of an airport.
Also having been in previous trouble with the law.

The sentence isn't harsh enough.

For something that no one died in how can the sentence be not hard enough? I mean seriously harsh punishments because a guy was drunk and not thinking straight sounds highly stupid. Slap on wrist with mandatory rehab for a couple years, like what NZ did in their case very similar to this, actually makes sense.

Stop being ridiculous. What do you want to do? Sentence him to death for the "possibility" of killing someone even though he didn't? Get real.

[ComputerNerd]

You can use them in construction projects (marking spots that are missed by painters, pointing out rust spots, essentially drawing attention to giant metal structures without many features), presentations, as a self defense device, to play with cats, etc. Anything that needs visibility without being able to physically write or mark on it.

Some reading up suggests that many used in construction aren't in such a convenient hand-held form and have often extra hardware requirements.

It to me seems that those most suitable for pointing at aircraft are excessive for pointing, and unsuitable for anything else.

Therefore they don't need to be that powerful. only being produced to sell, with no consideration for the consequences.

[Themius]

Yeah I should be able to fire other weapons at it too. It's my intent that matters!

It is the intent that matters. I'm not sure why you're trying to say intent doesn't matter. In most places a person pointing a laser at a helicopter while drunk is not as bad nor as harmful as the person who is pointing lasers at helicopters with the intent to crash them and kill people. One is drunk and acting stupid the other is actively trying to murder someone.

Exactly what weapon are you trying to compare lasers to? The only thing I can think of is a gun, and a person shooting at a helicopter with intent to hit is, is in no way equitable to a laser pointer.

Do you honestly think 14 years for pointing a laser at a helicopter while in a drunken stupor is a just charge? People who drive drunk and kill people often will get less than 14 years. I'd like to see how 14 years for this non-lethal situation can be justified.

[Crissi]

For something that no one died in how can the sentence be not hard enough? I mean seriously harsh punishments because a guy was drunk and not thinking straight sounds highly stupid. Slap on wrist with mandatory rehab for a couple years, like what NZ did in their case very similar to this, actually makes sense.

Stop being ridiculous. What do you want to do? Sentence him to death for the "possibility" of killing someone even though he didn't? Get real.

Just because no one died does not mean they should get off. A drunk that runs into a pole and kills no one still gets jailed. Same thing here, especially when a plane carries over a hundred passengers and the blindness from a laser pointer to the face lasts for awhile andis not momentary from what I hear form pilots.

[ComputerNerd]

For something that no one died in how can the sentence be not hard enough? I mean seriously harsh punishments because a guy was drunk and not thinking straight sounds highly stupid. Slap on wrist with mandatory rehab for a couple years, like what NZ did in their case very similar to this, actually makes sense.

Stop being ridiculous. What do you want to do? Sentence him to death for the "possibility" of killing someone even though he didn't? Get real.

Reckless actions with the full knowledge they could have caused deaths.
There is nothing ridiculous about it.
That was deliberate, and repeated.
Nothing accidental about it.

Pointed SEVEN TIMES at the police helicopter, do I need to repeat that part.

[Themius]

Just because no one died does not mean they should get off. A drunk that runs into a pole and kills no one still gets jailed. Same thing here, especially when a plane carries over a hundred passengers and the blindness from a laser pointer to the face lasts for awhile andis not momentary from what I hear form pilots.

A drunk that runs into a person and kills them will usually get less than 14 years.

Also it wasn't a plane, it was a helicopter.

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Reckless actions with the full knowledge they could have caused deaths.
There is nothing ridiculous about it.
That was deliberate, and repeated.
Nothing accidental about it.

Pointed SEVEN TIMES at the police helicopter, do I need to repeat that part.

Pointing seven times doesn't say he wanted to crash it, it just makes it known he pointed several times.

[Lyese]

You need a $600 high-powered handheld laser to use as a standard laser pointer? You want to use it to play with your cat?!

More like accidentally burn the retinas out of your pet because you're an idiot.

I said "can." This is why I'm not on the FDA board.

Some reading up suggests that many used in construction aren't in such a convenient hand-held form and have often extra hardware requirements.

It to me seems that those most suitable for pointing at aircraft are excessive for pointing, and unsuitable for anything else.

Therefore they don't need to be that powerful. only being produced to sell, with no consideration for the consequences.

Well, for leveling and other things mentioned in the article, yes. I just mean on structure itself ("Hey, there's a rust spot right there" /point as opposed to "Hey, somewhere in that general area there's some rust"). OF COURSE, this is grasping at straws. I think they're extravagant so they can be, but I try to find uses for just about anything. :/

[Crissi]

A drunk that runs into a person and kills them will usually get less than 14 years.

Also it wasn't a plane, it was a helicopter.

Repeat offenders do though, and it sounds like this guy loved to do it and was on probation anyway. Same thing applies. A blind pilot is a hazard to anything around them, and having a laser in your eyes takes a while to recover from. especially if its powerful enough to show up that high.

[jackofwind]

A drunk that runs into a person and kills them will usually get less than 14 years.

Also it wasn't a plane, it was a helicopter.

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Pointing seven times doesn't say he wanted to crash it, it just makes it known he pointed several times.

Shooting at it seven times also wouldn't say he wanted to crash it, but it would tell you that HE PROBABLY DID.

[Deleted]

Pointing seven times doesn't say he wanted to crash it, it just makes it known he pointed several times.

By this logical some driving whilst intoxicated can hit someone and kill them but because they didn't intend to do it they get off? They get charged with manslaughter. Manslaughter has pretty harsh punishments.

[Tierbook]

A drunk that runs into a person and kills them will usually get less than 14 years.

Also it wasn't a plane, it was a helicopter.

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Pointing seven times doesn't say he wanted to crash it, it just makes it known he pointed several times.

I feel it should be pointed out that blinding pilot of helicopter is much more likely to bring it down than if it was a plane due to auto-pilot and what not.

[Crissi]

I feel it should be pointed out that blinding pilot of helicopter is much more likely to bring it down than if it was a plane due to auto-pilot and what not.

Unless the plane is about to land, because you can't auto-pilot a landing.

[Themius]

By this logical some driving whilst intoxicated can hit someone and kill them but because they didn't intend to do it they get off? They get charged with manslaughter. Manslaughter has pretty harsh punishments.

Where did I say get off? No where did my logic say they get off, what the fuck are you reading? Mmoc logic, where saying a sentence is too harsh, means no sentence at all.

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Shooting at it seven times also wouldn't say he wanted to crash it, but it would tell you that HE PROBABLY DID.

Or it would say he was bothering the helicopter and did it several times for that purpose, not to actually crash it. The guy was drunk after all and not exactly in a logical mind frame