Does anyone feel your days of lasers are numbered?

I have always said "you can't legislate against sociopaths or stupidity" unfortunately that is exactly what polichickens try to do.
No one is responsible for their own actions and laws are getting tighter and tighter because if you spill coffee on your lap or shoot a HIGH POWERED LASER at an aircraft the go to response is "I didn't think it was dangerous, time to sue the manufacturer".

Delorean Geek said:

2yr old 170-200mw greenie quit

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When I first read this, I though you said you got a 2 yr old kid a 200mw laser and I was like what!? :twak:
but then I realized you said 2 yr old green laser.

I feel like tighter restrictions are to come, at least in the US, but I hope it doesn't come down to a ban for ownership, that would just be completely depressing.

Quote:
I feel like tighter restrictions are to come, at least in the US, but I hope it doesn't come down to a ban for ownership, that would just be completely depressing.[/QUOTE]

The pointer manufacturers and pointer users were recently informally offered a "seat at the table" in this forum and by other means. Since no coherent(sic) response was heard from that request, you now get whatever comes down the line.

The days of 1$ a mW sales to the general public must end. If the safety section of this forum is a good sample of the general public, my guess is that injuries with static beam illumination are occurring at a rate where the number of injuries in one year, however minor, probably exceed the total number of industrial/medical/military/scientific laser eye injury incidents in the past 20 years.

Nothing will stop you from building your own gear, but sales of marketed gear will have to decline.

Steve

@LSRFAQ
I couldn't agree more. The problem isn't making your laser, the problem is buying a assembled one, and the low cost. Damn, there are people paying $200 for a 1W laser. Thats 5mW/USD.


edit: IMO Ave should imply taxes for anyone who sells "full lasers" in LPF. Something like 20%. That would disencourage children from buying.
When people started researching about the 130s / 140s, probably they were thinking "A good opportunity to hobbists", not "I'll sell units just like Wicked and Dragon".

I don't know how the tax system would be implemented. I feel like people who make lasers here and sell them through the BST section would soon move off the BST and simply sell from a site or through PMs/Email or something like that. I dont know if it would accomplish anything except keeping builders out of BST and into PMs and email and outside sites.

at least newbies would not see the "selling 1W lasers" threads and go there buying. It would be more 'private' to veterans.

mod101 said:

When I first read this, I though you said you got a 2 yr old kid a 200mw laser and I was like what!? :twak:
but then I realized you said 2 yr old green laser.

I feel like tighter restrictions are to come, at least in the US, but I hope it doesn't come down to a ban for ownership, that would just be completely depressing.

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I'm glad I wasn't alone in that "double take" - lol What a relief to re-read and see it was a 2 yr old laser and not a 2 yr old child... *grin*

People like this are exactly what will get our hobby in trouble.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/flag-video-61147.html

If a major "ban" does come down, I think it should just control sales of fully complete and operational lasers. individual parts and accessories shouldn't be banned.
That could minimize SOME of the little mouth breathers from pointing they're lasers at everything with a pair of eyes!..... At least this way they would have to go and do a bit of research in order to use/own a laser (in an ideal environment)..... probably not though.