Get ready for stiffer laser laws in UK

[sleestak]

EXCLUSIVE: Laser horror as attempts to blind pilots puts UK passengers at risk | UK | News | Daily Express)

The unfortunate reality of high powered lasers in the hands of knuckleheads.

 

[Blaster]

Yeah gets worse all the time, always the same ,its the few idiots that stuff it up for all the rest of us.

 

[Arctic Phoenix]

The comments are even more down-heartening... Out of 44 commenters, only one that actually thinks about it rationally, and doesn't instantly jump to the knee jerk reaction of "omg, ban all lasers"

There is no way they should be banned. I agree with custodial sentences for those using them with intent to cause an accident but to ban them completely because a few idiots use them in a dangerous way is punishing those who use them responsibly. They should be banned from sale to anyone under 18 just as any other dangerous item is but a complete ban is nothing more than a dumb knee jerk reaction.


A normal torch these days can do just as much damage since you can get very powerful torches now. In fact they are worse because the beam is much wider and equivalent to a driver coming the other way with high beam lights on. Do we ban the sale of high power torches too?

Then you get other people who are more than happy to live in a total nanny state.

Only the government should be allowed to own such devices, only the government should be allowed to own weapons. Only the government can use these items safely, and must take from all citizens, anything that could be used against them, or anyone else, there dangerous, like guns, knives, clubs, fireworks, cap and ball, and subjects should not own anything offensive, or defensive.

Yeah, because the country is so much safer now that ordinary people aren't allowed to own any sort of personal firearms. Oh wait, shootings in large cities are just as common as they were before they were outlawed, and violent home robberies have increased since the robbers have nothing to fear (but that's in danger of thread derailing)

Point is, we've seen knee jerk bans implemented before and they haven't worked in the slightest. You can always tell the difference between a responsible laser user and an irresponsible one. Do they own a pair of laser safety goggles or not?

Such a ban will have little impact because only the responsible, and thoughtlessly-irresponsible users will be affected. Those who are maliciously-irresponsible will still be able to obtain banned lasers, and will continue to shine them at aircraft -- Identical to the banning of firearms


And "Only the government can use these items safely"... Seriously, if you're not working for the government, then you are physically incapable of knowing how to use a laser safely? I'd argue the opposite is more likely true. Those who take the time and personal effort to learn the safety procedures will be far safer operators than a typical government goon who's been given a 10 minute crash course, and thinks they suddenly know everything there is to know about lasers.

 

[nueces]

I read this article yesterday before it showed up here. I just figured I'd wait for someone more established to put it up on the forum and knew that would happen.

My first thought was that it was mostly not 'knuckleheads' that were doing this but rather folks with nefarious and deadly motivation doing it in a concerted effort to cause harm.

I'll leave it to the individual reader to tumble to just who these sorts might be.

This won't just cause Britain and Europe to BAN lasers ( yes BAN, complete and total BAN )... this will spread across the western world. Treasure and hide well your present devices because this heralds the END for the hand held laser. It may even get so bad that the penalty for even owning one will cause most of us to destroy or turn in our devices.

Sorry for being the doomsayer but I think I am right. :cryyy:

 

[cantthinkofone]

This will not affect Americans. The FDA has banned them for years. Don't be the "doom sayer" for no reason at all. This affects UK and UK alone me thinks

 

[nueces]

This will not affect Americans. The FDA has banned them for years. Don't be the "doom sayer" for no reason at all. This affects UK and UK alone me thinks

I hope you are right. However I doubt it. Our lasers are not really banned here. They're just a little hard to get. Given who I think is lasing planes across the pond (hint: its not dumb kids ) the authorities here, who we KNOW are dictatorial-jack-booted-thugs spying on all of us ... will just get laws passed mandating heavy federal prison sentences for owning anything over 5mW. My bet is it won't take more than one year from now.

I love my lasers but I ain't doing hard time for them. :yabbmad:

 

[Optik Illusion]

Why not just adapt to technology and wear the goggles like everyone else? Surely for the amount they charge they could even build the cockpit (giggity) glass to be made out of the same material our goggles are made out of it - sounds like a bunch of old men set in their ways who dont want to embrace tech.

 

[apwhitelaw]

I would feel terrible if I shined my laser at someone and made them go blind.

 

[cantthinkofone]

No it only affect uk. Believe it or not, lasers ARE for the most part illegal. Hate to burst your bubble. The only way it's legal is if you build it and that's something they can't stop.