The TV news pictures show lots of green lasers being waved about in Tahrir Square. Doesn't this pose a danger to the eyes of the people there? Or are they (supposedly) below the danger level?

 

With fairly low power lasers, the blink reflex should be fast enough to prevent any actual damage.

 

Some of those hand-held lasers are powerful enough to inflict serious eye damage at great distances from the point of projection. Why such powerful and precise weapons remain legal to purchase by just about anyone in some countries is beyond me.

Tom Clancy's novel "Debt of Honor" contains an un-necessarily detailed description of laser misuse by a terrorist, against an aircraft on final approach. Perhaps inspired by that fictional account of destructive laser useage, a few demented individuals amidst a recent UK music concert crowd pointed highly focused green lasers up at circling police helicopters, which were forced to take evasive action.

 

Basically it is illegal in Texas, but I suspect that is everywhere.

 

A laser lesson for to witness...think about it effects all of us.

 

Just remember that we are talking about a region of the world where it is extremely common to shoot weapons into the air at celebrations, protests, funerals, you name it; and I'm not talking about the occasional such action by an idiot that happens here and elsewhere, but rather widespread and common occurances. So why would anyone think that they wouldn't wave laser pointers around even if they realized any danger they might present?

 

Baun..wrong ..students educated in THE U.S.

 

Baun..wrong ..students educated in THE U.S.

Huh?

I have no idea what your point might be.

 

..students educated in THE U.S.

Being educated in the U.S. does not change the culture.

Remember the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans." This does not address the right or wrong of an issue.

 

Someone was arrested in Fl last week for pointing a laser at airplanes.

 

They have arresting them for years in South Florida.

 

@ WBond , you can,t read my Weekly Reader history ,elementary... Watson.

 

It is evidently time now that un-licensed possession of a hand-held laser should be declared as greivous a criminal violation as possession of a silenced full-auto machine-gun, or a vial of nerve gas.

The latest news about the San Francisco air crash includes an account of the Asiana pilot reporting his being temporarily blinded by a "bright light", as he guided the ill-fated Boeing 777 on short finals over the San Francisco Bay into KSFO runway 28L.

Regardless of all other lines of investigation relating to auto-throttle status, pitch angle and suspected inattention to airspeed, this latest claim of possible laser targetting, made by the pilot flying that Triple-7, is an earth-shaking development that must be comprehensively checked out as well.

 

It would be interesting to see if the flight deck voice recorder substantiates his claims. Even if it does, it would still represent poor cockpit resource management. The pilot should be able to have a heart attack on short final and the crew still get the plane on the ground safely.

But what you are suggesting is an absurd over-reaction. In order to have a chance of accomplishing what you want, you would have to require the registration and accountability of every piece of consumer and/or commercial equipment that has a laser diode in it. For instance, those scanners that you use at the grocery store? What happens when those get upgraded or the store goes out of business? They are sold off, if possible, or hauled off as scrap. So anyone could get it and scavenge the laser out of it.

And, of course, you would have to outlaw things like laser levels and laser measures sold at home-improvement stores.

 

It is evidently time now that un-licensed possession of a hand-held laser should be declared as greivous a criminal violation as possession of a silenced full-auto machine-gun, or a vial of nerve gas.

I don't agree that restricting everyone's access to tools is the answer to preventing malicious acts by a few.

 

They can have my laser pointer, when they pry it from my cold, dead, hand.

 

In retrospect my suggestion that hand-held lasers be outlawed was borne out of a sense of panic over the thought that a laser may have been invloved in causing this crash, and that copycat incidents might be averted if the gear needed was put out of general reach.

I render my apologies for any offense that may have been taken at my poorly thought out idea, which I can now see, from WBahn's observations, would have been unworkable anyway.

 

I will be organizing a sarcasm workshop soon. Topics covered will be conveying and interpreting/recognizing sarcasm in written text. Some of you are encouraged to attend, some are encouraged to instruct.

 

Imagine that, sarcasm showing up in an internet thread. What's the world coming too?

 

I will be organizing a sarcasm workshop soon. Topics covered will be conveying and interpreting/recognizing sarcasm in written text. Some of you are encouraged to attend, some are encouraged to instruct.

I'm in !!