A huge group of idiots

[Ears and Eggs]

Apparently this happened at a fireworks festival. Not sure why so many people had green lasers, or why they all thought this was a good idea, but when an airplane flew by the event a whole bunch of people thought it would be a good idea to shine their lasers at it.

Terrifying moment passenger jet is dazzled by HUNDREDS of laser pointers

THIS is the terrifying moment hundreds of festivalgoers dazzle a jet flying overhead with laser pens. Shocking video footage from a fireworks event in Tultepec, Mexico, shows a huge crowd targeting…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[Gryphon]

Jesus thats bad, thats all the hobby needs is a bunch of low lifes like that putting other people in danger and giving lasers a bad name.

 

[RA_pierce]

Jesus thats bad, thats all the hobby needs is a bunch of low lifes like that putting other people in danger and giving lasers a bad name.

Too late.
It's been getting worse and worse every year. It was bad when it was just 30 mW DPSS pointers but now it's easy to get lasers with 10 or even 100 times as much power. At this point its out of control.
Build your collection and get your components while you can. Misuse of lasers is not going away, and as always, restrictive policies affect honest people more than the unscrupulous.

 

[paul1598419]

This was in London. Don't see this happening at this rate in the U.S. as much as this. Hope that doesn't change here.

 

[WizardG]

This was in London. Don't see this happening at this rate in the U.S. as much as this. Hope that doesn't change here.

It was in Mexico. Reporting was from the UK edition of TheSun.

 

[paul1598419]

Huh. Thought they said it was at Heathrow. I can see this happening in Mexico.

 

[CurtisOliver]

This was in London. Don't see this happening at this rate in the U.S. as much as this. Hope that doesn't change here.

Might have been a UK tabloid. But it clearly says it was in Mexico. It would have been big news here if a gathering did that at Heathrow. What makes you think the British would be more likely to be this idiotic over Americans?

 

[WizardG]

Might have been a UK tabloid. But it clearly says it was not in Mexico. It would have been big news here if a gathering did that at Heathrow. What makes you think the British would be more likely to be this idiotic over Americans?

I think you meant ....clearly says it WAS in Mexico. From the headline of the article: Shocking video footage from a fireworks event in Tultepec, Mexico, shows a huge crowd targeting the aircraft as it flies above.

 

[CurtisOliver]

I think you meant ....clearly says it WAS in Mexico. From the headline of the article: Shocking video footage from a fireworks event in Tultepec, Mexico, shows a huge crowd targeting the aircraft as it flies above.

Yep. Exactly what I meant. Thanks

 

[Enchilada]

The main top-video (at Sun.co.uk) seems to be a mix of two different situations, as midway through the video, they have inserted old footage from protesters in Chile where an unmanned police drone was targeted and brought down, and Sun now tries to push this 5-year-old footage as it's the plane. (likely to fuel drama & clicks) as it does seem intentional as they have only spliced in the part that could be mistaken as a plane.

Same with the thumbnail
The left side is a drone (Chile 2019), and the right side is a plane. (Mexico 2024)

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SC-Jet-Lasers-Thumbnail-copy.jpg?w=1880&quality=44

Maybe Sun simply can't tell one from the other, as they clearly wanna give the viewers the impression that this 2019-drone-picture from Chile' Is in fact an aircraft-plane in Mexico - when it ain't.... seems to be a small drone, like a Phantom or similar..

No reason to fuel the drama even further, by splicing different videos together, as the context, on how gobsmacking-stupid some people are, is enough in itself.
* The secondary footage is from this 2019 protest arrangement in Chile.

 

[Ears and Eggs]

The event was the "35th International Pyrotechnics Festival" in Tultepec, Mexico.

International fireworks festival opens, lighting up Tultepec's skies

The annual México state event, which ends March 17, brings traditional fireworks makers from around the world to show off their talents.

mexiconewsdaily.com

Obviously safety surrounding this event is not great as dozens of people had died in accidents involving fireworks and gunpowder over the years.

"There are an estimated 1,300 artisanal fireworks makers in Tultepec, about half of which are believed to operate within private homes without authorization issued by the Secretariat of Defense."

"One resident said yesterday that gunpowder and other materials are stored in homes illegally and under dangerous conditions."

"The Mexican Pyrotechnics Institute says 39 people have died and 135 injured in 56 fireworks explosions in the past year and a half. A large number of those explosions occurred in fireworks workshops that operate illegally thanks to corruption, the newspaper El Universal reported."

24 killed, 49 injured in Tultepec fireworks explosions; state halts production

24 people were killed in the explosions in Tultepec, 22 of whom were emergency personnel and others who had arrived to provide assistance after the first blast.

mexiconewsdaily.com

---------------------------------------------------


Yeah, the last part seems to be of a different incident.


Up until the 0:12 second mark is the current incident from Tultepec.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770490298889605465

 

[paul1598419]

Huh. Thought they said it was at Heathrow. I can see this happening in Mexico.

You can clearly see I could see this happening in Mexico, not Britain.

 

[RA_pierce]

Yeah, but we expect dishonesty from "news" sources, don't we? The facts are less important than clicks and advertiser $$$.

Lasers are regarded by the public as toys and they are being sold and advertised as such.
In the USA, the FAA receives tens of thousands of aircraft illuminated by lasers every year. The number of internet videos I come across featuring stupidity with lasers increases with time (could be selection bias via the social media algorithms).
I have no doubt that there is a high concentration of idiots in every nation. At least they are fun to watch... from a distance.

 

[Ears and Eggs]

I'd prefer that the idiots get their hands on explosives rather than lasers though.




At least idiots plus explosives is usually a fairly quickly self correcting problem.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

What makes you think the British would be more likely to be this idiotic over Americans?

Let's keep that kind of talk out of this forum. Thank you

 

[CurtisOliver]

Let's keep that kind of talk out of this forum. Thank you

I was defending against a statement made.