Any advice on how I can approach this issue?

[NightExplorer96]

Hello all,

As many of you already know, "Thejoker301" recently posted a thread about a student getting blinded with a 5mW red laser in Israel. That being said...

Recently around my school, I have seen that the number of student that bring cheap 5mW red/green eBay lasers to school just for the purpose of "shining it around the classroom/toward people" has increased. Many of these students im sure, don't realize some of the dangers these things can cause, and how grave some of the consequences can be if shined in one's eye. As a matter of fact, one student in my English class has been shining a cheap 650nm pen around the classroom and disrupting others while working. Nevertheless, instead of confronting him, I decided to ask on LPF before I did anything to see if you all could give me some suggestions on how this could be handled in a mature manner.


Thank you for all the help, I very much appreciate it!

-Alex

 

[Pi R Squared]

Why don't you write a letter explaining that this is going on, maybe an anonymous letter if you like. Perhaps the school will ban the use of lasers at school.

Alan

 

[NightExplorer96]

Why don't you write a letter explaining that this is going on, maybe an anonymous letter if you like. Perhaps the school will ban the use of lasers at school.

Alan

That is a good idea, but I don't think the school would do anything about it. The school I go to is *mostly* full of snotty people and they barely even enforce some rules they already have in place.
- No gum on campus(Gum is everywhere on the ground)
- Dress Code/No slippers/PJ's(Girls wear slippers/PJ's everyday)
Etc...

Like I previously stated, that is a great idea, but I don't think my school would pay much attention to it. I can always try and talk to that student and nicely ask him to stop shining it around other people since these *are* dangerous items if improperly used, but he most likely would just ignore me and go about his way

 

[bdgreenb]

Fear is the most suitable tool on average to force one's attention(other forms vary due to individual intelligence). Simply tell them the Israeli story as well as the german arrest etc, let them know they are holding a weapon, which should be treated thusly, and if they hurt someone with it the consequences are DIRE. They don't have to understand why not to point it at someone, just what happens to them if they do.

of course educating them on the potential dangers would be ideal... but some people just don't listen until its too late.

 

[Marco Polo]

I wouldn't address it at all. It's not your problem if one of the idiots blinds themselves or one of their friends. You already said that the school administration likely won't do anything, so anything you do to "approach" the situation is likely to just cause you trouble.

I understand your intentions are good but school administrations have ways of turning on people and covering up for troublemakers. Spoiled troublemaker students and their douchebag parents will be vindictive, if they find out you ratted.

Not worth your time.

The best thing you can do in high school is let the idiots injure and/or Darwinize themselves, worry about your own affairs, and just FINISH it and forget it. Not all of it of course, but the aforementioned idiots are best put out of mind and left to their fate. No need to dirty your hands.

But yeah, ranting aside... I would not associate myself with this issue at all, not even via anonymous letter. It's between the imbeciles and the school admins to sort it out if something goes wrong.

 

[IsaacT]

• Tell them that if they put the batteries in backwards and hold the button it charges the diode and causes a massive energy overflow. Show them a pic of one of your red lasers with beam showing...or any on LPF to convince them that ultimate power is within their grasp...all they have to do is reverse the polarity.
• Find their locker and print up a dummy letter from the FDA with implications of a search and siezure of all laser devices and that he has broken a number of codes. Make it look legit. Like seal on the top, etc. Sign it in some unreadable script at the bottom. Trifold that sumbitch and slip it in his locker.
• Learn to pickpocket. Pick his pocket, grabbing the laser. Throw it away.
• Spread a rumor that admins are going through the school, giving people suspensions if they have laser pointers, knives, guns, spray paint, etc. on their person or in their locker.

Those are all the options I can think of. Lol.

 

[FlutterPie]

I just learned over the years "when in doubt, whip it out"


But seriously though, this really isn't your problem. That being said I would still let the kid know of the dangers and trouble he can get in. He probably won't listen to you but at least you tried.

 

[KapHn8d]

I wasn't even going to respond... but I really do feel you are asking for advice, so here's my two cents: Focus on the things you can affect positive change upon. It is ethically sound to approach the offender and offer some guidance about laser safety, but don't be emotionally tied to the outcome of that effort. Maybe this person simply doesn't know any better and will appreciate you filling the gap in his ignorance and go on to become a responsible laser enthusiast... maybe he'll punch you in the mouth. Who knows? The point is, if it is bothering you and you feel you must take action, take it in the form of educating and letting go.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy."

/c

 

[jander6442]

Find a tough girl to beat the snot out of him. Or have Dave write him a cease and desist order, after reading that he'll pull his own tongue out prolly.

It rubs the lotion on it's back it doses this when it's told to.

 

[OrionBLF]

Notwithstanding a good dose of social conscience, School Politics 101 : Thou art not consider oneself Sheriff. Thou shall arm oneself with mercy and grace. Thou shall stay away from needless confrontation/controversy. Thou shall protect one's eyes from being another laser statistic. Thou may consider starting a laser appreciation club with faculty's blessing.

 

[IsaacT]

Wear laser glasses tp school. When a superior tells you to remove them show them some of the bad results we have seen and tell them that when the kid no longer has the laser at school uwill feep safe ans remove your laser glasses.

 

[Shakenawake]

If it were me?

you could mind your own business, even wear laser glasses I guess. I would feel bad if they injured anyone's vision, knowing I might have done something. maybe if you approach them and tell them that pranks are much more acceptable when no one gets hurt, and that lasers can hurt. if they dont believe you perhaps you could give them a safe burning demo of a laser. any time I encounter someone who doesnt think the lasers are dangerous or can burn, they instantly respect it more when thet see that it can indeed burn. I tell them, see what it does to cardboard, imagine your retina

I see you dont have a buring laser, so maybe offer the example of a magnifying glass and sunlight, compare the laser lens to the magnifying lens, explain that focusing even relatively small amounts of light into one spot greatly increases it's power and thus danger. If you are very lucky, they will not be to thick headed to be humbled before your advice. if you are unlucky, they will blow you off.

can you claim self defense if they start pointing the laser at you, say you feared for you sight and so had to kick the crap out of them to defend yourself?

disclaimer, kicking the crap out of someone is not really defending yourself

 

[MattM15]

I would say there is really not much you can do. Unfortunately many people don't take the dangers of lasers seriously.

If your really concerned you could always wear a pair of safety glasses but in terms of resolving the situation...it's one of those things that nothing will be done until someone gets hurt.

 

[Javalin]

If it were me?

you could mind your own business, even wear laser glasses I guess. I would feel bad if they injured anyone's vision, knowing I might have done something. maybe if you approach them and tell them that pranks are much more acceptable when no one gets hurt, and that lasers can hurt. if they dont believe you perhaps you could give them a safe burning demo of a laser. any time I encounter someone who doesnt think the lasers are dangerous or can burn, they instantly respect it more when thet see that it can indeed burn. I telll them, see what it does to cardboard, imagine your retina

I see you dont have a buring laser, so maybe offer the example of a magnifying glass and sunlight, compare the laser lens to the magnifying lens, explain that focusing even relatively small amounts of light into one spot greatly increases it's power and thus danger. If you are very lucky, they will not be to thick headed to be humbled before your advice. if you are unlucky, they will blow you off.

can you claim self defense if they start pointing the laser at you, say you feared for you sight and so had to kick the crap out of them to defend yourself?

Trouble with this is that with new school regulations, it doesn't matter the reason for physical contact it's all treated the same way.

 

[Marco Polo]

No, you cannot claim "self defense" in schools. The schools DO NOT CARE that you were being harassed for weeks/months on end by Joe Richkid and his Numbnuts Band. They don't care that the harassment escalated to assault. They don't care if you report the harassment - "we didn't see it, so there is nothing we can do" is the universal canned response.

But hit them back, and you're out for 10 days and may face expulsion. The bad behavior on the part of your harassers WILL NOT be considered - ONLY the fact that you "assaulted another student" will be looked at and the reasons for your actions WILL NOT.

It's not worth the risk, do not ever trust your school administration to do the right thing - you will be setting yourself up for big disappointment.

Joe Richkid and the Numbnuts don't want to hear about how their lasers are dangerous. They don't care about facts. They will just consider you a pain in the ass if you try to tell them anything, no positive change will be accomplished, and at that point you're on Richkid's radar of grief and misery.

Avoid. Staying off Richkid's radar, and off the school admin's radar is the best bet.

ETA: If you haven't done so already, I would advise that you not let these idiots become aware that you have any high power lasers. Do not show them how to build one, definitely don't let them play with any. Don't let them know such things even exist. They will want one at that point, and spoiled brats get what they want. If those brats get into trouble, let it be for "fooling around with laser pointers", it's much better than a front-page headline such as "STUDENT BLINDS SELF, OTHERS WITH HIGH POWER HOMEBUILT LASER WEAPON".

Where did they learn about high power lasers like that, I wonder? Oh, right YOU told them about the stuff and even showed them one. Think the brats won't mention that at their hearing or whatever? Think again. Tell those kids about lasers and they will sell you out the MINUTE something goes wrong with that info and they will DENY that you ever told them any safety info. "It's not my fault, officer, he told me how to build the thing, he never said it was dangerous, I never would have played with it if I thought it was dangerous, HONEST, OFFICER!"

I can't say it strongly enough, AVOID this issue entirely.

 

[Javalin]

Talk to the school councilor. Just let them know that you enjoy lasers as a hobby and that you are concerned that the pointers they are brining are not safe. That the Chinese ebay pens / pointers they have are well over the rated eye-safe level. If they aren't willing to fix the safety issue you can talk to them about how they can handle the distraction etc. If nothing else it gives you someone who will sit and listen (councilors are good for that)