Permanent blindness from laser abuse at Burning Man

This made me really sad
I can't even imagine how stressful it might be for her to think that she will never have her vision back

We'll see if BM comes through with their worker's comp. They're pretty slow with some of these things.

I do hope these laser don't get outright banned. BM is one of the few places where you can see and use big lasers outdoors. It all comes with responsibility though, and an incident like this can ruin things for everyone.

I also want to say that you guys show great character!

VERY disheartening. Sounds as though BM has gotten way too commercialized but I can't say that I'm surprised considering wherever there's $ to be had greed wins. I doubt she will be medically covered without serious legal action as these same people will do anything not to give any away without being forced to. Just another reason why I rarely bring more than a 532nm pen anywhere or show my lasers to many people.
What also bothers me is I'll guarantee you many people saw the person who was waving it around as it's not like you can hide a powerful green or even a lower powered one. Someone either knows who did it or this person was a loner that no-one knew. I don't pretend to know BM at all other than a vid I watched and I have to think that there weren't people like most of us there to pounce on him or he was too big and everyone was afraid to do anything about it. I'm kind of assuming it is a total party atmosphere and things get out of control at times but what do I know. Are people encouraged to bring lasers to it?

Pman said:

I'm kind of assuming it is a total party atmosphere and things get out of control at times but what do I know. Are people encouraged to bring lasers to it?

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People aren't actively encouraged, but whenever you have a big party with lots of booze, music, drugs, fire, and other lights already there, anymore lights are always welcome.

Also while we may know to stop someone shining a powerful laser around, most people do not. They see it, and think it's just harmless fun, so they look the other way.

I haven't run into the situation here in the US, but three times when traveling, and partying I have seen guys with all kinds of light up toys and lasers roaming around, pointing them all over, including at people's faces. Those that I saw I stopped, told them point blank, you point it at my face I will poke your eyes out... it's that dangerous.

Hopefully the message sunk in, but I doubt it got passed along. In the meantime I'm sure there are hundreds or thousands of others out there still selling them with zero safety advice... after all when they buy them for ~$5-$10 a piece, and sell them for $40-$50 that's a lot of profit especially where incomes are lower.

Shared it on FB, this made me very sad, I hope she gets well soon (I know a burned eye is irreparable ) and the owner of the laser gets punished!

Pman said:

What also bothers me is I'll guarantee you many people saw the person who was waving it around as it's not like you can hide a powerful green or even a lower powered one. Someone either knows who did it or this person was a loner that no-one knew. I don't pretend to know BM at all other than a vid I watched and I have to think that there weren't people like most of us there to pounce on him or he was too big and everyone was afraid to do anything about it. I'm kind of assuming it is a total party atmosphere and things get out of control at times but what do I know. Are people encouraged to bring lasers to it?

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What might be a problem is that people just assume that it's a bright light that looks like a beam, rather than something that could blind a person. So while a person may be the kind of dick who shines flashlights at his parents' faces, that person may be more careful if he knew it could cause permanent injury. Then again, who knows?

While people would've thought that guy was a jerk for shining on the Rangers, I'm not sure if people really knew what had happened or what could happen. If it was someone with a well known dangerous weapon people may have intervened. I also think the guy hit that ranger, knew he had did something wrong after seeing the results, and then laid low after that point. Had he continued, he probably would've been grabbed and hauled off to the rangers or law enforcement.

As for the event itself, people like to create light, noise, and see cool things. Generally it works out that people aren't causing problems for others. People are also lighting up the man with lasers all the time, and generally even a high powered laser like that wouldn't matter much. The problem is when someone aims it at a person.

I actually don't want to see high powered lasers go away at the event, even handheld. What I want to see is people not using lasers in unsafe manners.

Bionic-Badger said:

As for the event itself, people like to create light, noise, and see cool things. Generally it works out that people aren't causing problems for others. People are also lighting up the man with lasers all the time, and generally even a high powered laser like that wouldn't matter much. The problem is when someone aims it at a person.

I actually don't want to see high powered lasers go away at the event, even handheld. What I want to see is people not using lasers in unsafe manners.

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I see she met her goal. I was reading through some of the comments people posted, kinda made me sad many were blaming the lasers, calling for bans or saying leave them at home, rather than blame the idiot. we dont blame the gun when people get shot, why blame the laser? well, I guess some blame the gun. anyway, glad her goal was met.

Yeah --while I was trying to donate I watched it hit 20K$ however - I would be NOT surprized if that was really still not enough- the 'goal' may have been reached (she set that goal btw)but she deserves more and will likley have more costs that that anyway. I wil keep trying the 'go-fund me' did not like my Visa card.

no lasers at BM??- then just where is a good place for them??- if not there. IF BMO bans anything it will be handhelds and not the big PJs etc.

hak

I posted it on Facebook and found out that my brother was a Ranger too, I knew he went every year but that was all. It is sick that these guys give up their time for free yet have to pay their own medical bills.

Yeah the Rangers dedicate a lot of time and effort to the event, especially the people who have to keep people safe during the big burns. It's outrageous enough that someone was disrespectful enough to even shined a laser at a Ranger (or anyone for that matter), but it's really awful that it resulted in permanent injur.

How would you guys feel about something like a 'laser license', like a gun? Because that's just what they did with them, instead of banning guns permanently they enforced a users liscense to own one (in at least some places I think), to reduce the number of peanut galleries shooting people. Do you think such a system would work for lasers?

I'm not for government controlling any of us with licenses, as it is, you can't buy or sell some things with an expired drivers license, for God's sake. I couldn't even buy a beer at the airport the other day if my drivers license was expired. What does driving have to do with buying a beer at an airport? They use licenses to control us, but I guess that's your idea, more control. I choose less government which equates to more freedom and let us individually sort out the problems.

Gabe said:

How would you guys feel about something like a 'laser license', like a gun? Because that's just what they did with them, instead of banning guns permanently they enforced a users liscense to own one (in at least some places I think), to reduce the number of peanut galleries shooting people. Do you think such a system would work for lasers?

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You don't need a license to own a gun here and I damn well better not get told in the future I need to buy one! We don't need to license lasers or anything else that doesn't already require a license! Unfortunately that is part of the gun control agenda in some states, they don't want to ban the guns but use them as a source of revenue for the state as well as a way to keep track of who owns guns! This kind of liberal police state thinking disgusts me to no end and I consider it a much greater threat to my safety than any guns could ever be!

Alaskan said:

I'm not for government controlling any of us with licenses, as it is, you can't buy or sell some things with an expired drivers license, for God's sake. I couldn't even buy a beer at the airport the other day if my drivers license was expired. What does driving have to do with buying a beer at an airport? They use licenses to control us, but I guess that's your idea, more control. I choose less government which equates to more freedom and let us individually sort out the problems.

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I had the same thing happen once at Walmart because my state ID had expired! It costs $55 now to renew your damn ID!!!:wtf: There are nothing but criminals running both our federal and state governments!!!!!:wtf:

Can't buy a beer with an expired drivers license to prevent convicted DUI' individuals from getting alcohol? That's the face of it, but it's really much more, lots of people are hauled off when going to get a new drivers license all the time due to other problems they've had, it's a net. Pay your taxes, pay your traffic fines and parking tickets! Don't dare do anything against the law, once your drivers license expires you are ours!

We have lost too much in the name of security already. OK, off topic... To put it back on, I went and looked at the link for Ranger Halston's GoFundMe page and am pleased the amount is over 31K now, contributions slowed down for awhile, I thought maybe that was it. I'd like to see 50K+.

In this day & age of smartphone videos everywhere, I'm willing to bet that there is video of this asswipe on someone's phone. It might take an effort, but the perp could possibly be identified. Had he blinded her with a gun or knife, the cops would be all over this.