Hi, my name is Paul, but I go by "Tom." Thomas is my middle name and I've been "Little Tommy," "Tommy," and "Tom" at various stages of my life. Those of you who have dealt with me on PayPal know that my last name is different from what I use in public as well. I am a radio DJ in Greenville, SC USA.

www.hawkandtom.com

www.tsteele93.com

Tom Steele | Facebook

I recently re-discovered lasers. In the early 1990's I had a 5mW red from Sharper Image. It cost more than a paycheck to me back then, but it was worth every penny in fun and mischief.

I've had it in a drawer for years and would notice it every now and then when rummaging through that drawer for something like the handheld fart toy given to me by the late Leslie Nielson (that's a story!) or other knick-knacks that I keep in the junk drawer.

When I first bought my red laser pointer from SI, I had a friend/co-worker who got one at the same time and we would terrorize innocent civilians who had no idea what that red dot was except from seeing Arnold Schwarznegger and Sylvester Stallone movies where it was most certainly a gun sight.

Most people didn't even know that much. The dot was just an immediate strange curiousity and they would treat it much the same way a cat does now.

Anyway, my friend recently passed away from a sudden, unexpected heart attack.

I thought of him when I saw the laser and through google, ended up here.

Every new laser I stumble upon, I think, "Brian would have LOVED this!"

So that's the long story and why I have jumped knee deep back into a hobby I enjoyed (so immaturely and) so long ago.

I'm having a blast with some of your builds and looking forward to starting to do some builds of my own!

Thanks for the great reception I've received from so many of you here!

Nice story

I'll admit to some mischief with the little red keychain lasers in the late 90's

Never scared anyone by putting it on their chest (except close friends) but I remember plenty of times putting it in front of people from afar (often at the mall from another floor) to see how they would react. It was amazing how many didn't notice at all.

Then there were the pattern tips... some of those were very naughty

I distinctly remember an older gentleman reading a book. We were on the second floor and shining from behind and above, on the page of is book. He would shut the book, and we would turn the laser off (momentary-on side button) and he would open the book and we would turn it on again. We did this for several minutes. He was very intrigued and never once looked up or around, he seemed to think it was something to do with the pages of his book.

Also, I know it is not to PC to say this, but we were at a convention in Atlanta and staying in a hotel pretty high up. Shined it down on some teens who looked pretty "thug."

They took off running at full speed. Being so high, we were able to chase them several blocks and we laughed the whole time.

Now everyone thinks, "oh, a laser pointer."

I had a little cheapo red laser when they first came out, I was sitting in my kenworth in a hotel parking lot getting ready to hit the bunk when I see this drunk dude come staggering out of the bar....so I point the laser onto the ground in the snow in front of him and he stops dead, I slowly pointed it toward him and up into the middle of his chest....he flipped out! started yelling "shoot me!! do it m-f'er!!" and then went running away....I figured he was going home to get his shootin' iron so I stuck it in gear and found another place to park just in case....lol

Lol I remember in the 90s I to had a red pointer from radio shack it was xmas time and someone had xmas lights hanging out side off the roof above the window I shind it on the closed curtains and someone came out to see what was wrong with lights.

Since you posted this in the Welcome section
I can only say.................

to the Forum....
Don't forget to read the FAQs...the Stickies
and the Forum Rules..

If you plan on buying anything on the Forum....
PLEASE read this first...

6 Steps To Prevent You From Getting Scammed

and this....

33 Reasons NOT to Buy From Wicked Lasers

If you do get a Laser be sure to get appropriate
Laser Safety Goggles/Glasses...

Enjoy your stay...


Jerry

Welcome aboard! Don't forget to get some Laser Safety Glasses, and the search function here can be your best friend; don't forget to read the Stickies.

Didnt Jerry just say that.

Yeah.... I hear that echo again....

Jerry

I wouldn't recommend that. Someone did that at my local mall, some war veteran though it was a gun sight and called the police, the guy that was doing it got arrested.

oh ya

Welcome testeele!

Pretty sure the statute of limitations is in effect for us!

Red and blue/green goggles (4 each for whole family);
Search function would be a better friend if it was more consistent, but I do use it;

Bought stuff, lots of stuff;
Starting some builds!

Thanks!

P.S. Love your avatar, grew up in Rockledge with my dad as a KSC lifer and my brother still there.

This was quite a long time ago... I was in high school at the time, and powerful handheld lasers were nothing more than a nerd's wet dream back then.

I do agree it's not a good thing to do, and if I happen to cross a time/space vortex to meet myself in the past, I'll be sure to correct myself (And pass on some stock market tips)

Btw, plus rep coming to you as soon as the system lets me. I think c0ld was just too busy with the ddos crap to fix it, I'll shoot him a PM again.

Ha, Yup... it's been well over a decade since.

I dont need any Tj gave me some , Ive never shined a laser at anybody because mine are to powerful

Heh, good report of good memories, OP. I can relate...

I discovered lasers in 1971, when I was involved in an amateur theatrical production, and we were provided with a large AC-powered tripod-mounted red laboratory laser for special effects.

I lived in a house where my bedroom window faced a street coming down a steep hill, which bottomed out across the street from my bedroom window.

I got my jollies by stalking cars coming down the hill, pointing the tripod-mounted laser on the asphalt in front of the car. I had more than one car back up the hill and find another way out of the neighborhood., faced with a laser beam tracking them down the hill in front of the car.

The SWAT Team would probably show up if I tried that stunt today...

Here's a late welcome to LPF from another SC member. I'm not sure if 93.7 comes in where I live but it does sound familiar. I wish I could check but I'm about 8,000 miles away at the moment.

I don't think we make it to that side of Columbia, but you can listen online via our iPhone/android apps There's An App For That... - B937 Online or at Homepage - B937 Online