Laser Bans Announced Today, NSW Australia

[Hemlock_Mike]

Permits, licensing, registration, personal frisks, home searches etc etc. Is there no freedom anymore ?? Criminals run society now at all levels. At least I can still carry my sidearm here.

Mike

 

[Lead_Head]

Yet they don't care that you can buy 50,000,000+ candle power arc lamps for cheap off ebay...?

 

[charleytown55il]

they will care when someone blinds a plane.

 

[ixfd64]

This is what happens when politicians wear pink.

 

[Schrecken_Licht]

Well I wonder how one would go about "proving" that he or she is into astronomy? That would be like someone here in the US going to buy a handgun and having the gov't asking what you want to use it for, and if you say "target shooting" or "game hunting" then you get the gun and a permit to posses it (what else would you say, you're going to go out and shoot someone? Seriously....). But what would they do, follow you around and see if you take your gun to a shooting range?

Seriously, how do you prove you are going to use a laser for astronomy? There are plenty of people who consider themselves amateur astronomers - what will they do, ask you to identify some constellations? :

Sounds kinda like "medical" marijuana laws here in the US. But at least with that, just like fully legal drugs if you show a Dr's prescription the state looks the other way (but of course the feds can still bust users, medical or not). But what governing authority in AU declares a person an astronomer?!?!

I'm guessing this is just portable battery powered lasers? I can't see how they would attempt to ban or regulate wall-plug lasers....but hey, give 'em time....

 

[Dingers]

14 years.

I just got a 1-2mW red laser pointer keychain in the mail and to think that's illegal is a joke.

 

[marks47]

Congratulations to Australia, for beating the USA to the punch.
We do have some laws here on the books, but it's 'intentional interference of the operation of a vehicle vessel or aircraft" so possession is still OK, I guess.
:-/

 

[Bionic-Badger]

I'm kind of on the fence about this... if the permits are inexpensive and available, it might not so bad.  Responsible owners can purchase one and be able to own and use one.  Most people wouldn't even need it since they won't be taking it outside to "play with."  

The thing is, while I believe most of the people here in this forum are responsible laser owners (or to-be owners), there are a lot of idiots out there who will find it fun to zap another person's eyes with some 30mW greenie they bought for $25 on DX.  I remember in junior high how some kids would zap each other using AC transformers and a capacitor or something (not sure how they got it to actually work), shoot paperclip pidgeons, streak peoples' faces with permanent markers, etc. In some places people have burned other peoples' hair, doused them in chemicals, and other terrible things.  Kids are becoming more and more sophisticated in their toys and "weapons".

Nowadays, high-powered lasers are cheaper and more available than ever before, deliverable to any place in the world, and easily purchased with services like Paypal. They do carry a real danger, and can cause permanent blindness. 14 years for someone possessing a Class III laser is a bit severe, but it's probably to account for idiots walking around with them like weapons or prank-tools.  I know I don't like the idea of kids walking around waving Class IIIb lasers around shining at people.  We all know that people love to shine those types of things (lasers, flashlights, etc.) at peoples' eyes.  Such a law won't prevent any really malicious attacks--they never do--but it might scare the idiots into thinking twice.

The sad part about all this is that it just makes everything a big hassle for the legitimate, responsible owners.

 

[greenm]

Will this affect laser bore sighters?

For gun owners of australia?

You could get your gun owner friends to buy them for you.

Or you could buy your redneck uncle a laser bore sighter for his birthday. it will cheer him up because of the drought and stuf fon the farm.

 

[Dingers]

I'm kind of on the fence about this... if the permits are inexpensive and available, it might not so bad. Responsible owners can purchase one and be able to own and use one. Most people wouldn't even need it since they won't be taking it outside to "play with."

The thing is, while I believe most of the people here in this forum are responsible laser owners (or to-be owners), there are a lot of idiots out there who will find it fun to zap another person's eyes with some 30mW greenie they bought for $25 on DX. I remember in junior high how some kids would zap each other using AC transformers and a capacitor or something (not sure how they got it to actually work), shoot paperclip pidgeons, streak peoples' faces with permanent markers, etc. In some places people have burned other peoples' hair, doused them in chemicals, and other terrible things. Kids are becoming more and more sophisticated in their toys and "weapons".

Nowadays, high-powered lasers are cheaper and more available than ever before, deliverable to any place in the world, and easily purchased with services like Paypal. They do carry a real danger, and can cause permanent blindness. 14 years for someone possessing a Class III laser is a bit severe, but it's probably to account for idiots walking around with them like weapons or prank-tools. I know I don't like the idea of kids walking around waving Class IIIb lasers around shining at people. We all know that people love to shine those types of things (lasers, flashlights, etc.) at peoples' eyes. Such a law won't prevent any really malicious attacks--they never do--but it might scare the idiots into thinking twice.

The sad part about all this is that it just makes everything a big hassle for the legitimate, responsible owners.

I agree with the frisk someone in public.

I also agree to an extent with the permit business.

But the fact they did a blanket ban and even the red laser keychain toys are banned is way too much.

<5mW should've been kept.

They should bring in permits for over 5mW's.

 

[VillageIdiot]

True, what the hell can you do with a 5mW red that's dangerous? :-?

It'd solve problems for those with <5mW lasers for presentations and such.

 

[greenm]

you could point them at cars maybe. that might be dangerous

 

[diachi]

its 14 years u get in the UK but its not for possesion its Under the " Anti-Terrorism" laws which are a lot of crap tbh.

why dont we all just get lab lasers, that article said nothing about them being illegal ;D

 

[usakicksass]

About 10 years ago in Oregon a person could buy ANY kind of firearm without a permit OR background check at a gun show. Thats when I stocked up on mine. A year later the politicians got on TV and said how the public, the criminals, you know the story and the next year no one could buy a gun without a background check. I believe its the primitive "look at my balls, there bigger than yours and I have the laws to prove it" crap. God this world sucks sometimes.
As a sidebar I think some of you Aussies should put a reward out for the people or person who did this to make these laws possible. They could be found with thousands of little laser holes burned in them.

 

[Murudai]

Damned laser laws.

At least I can still get my lasers, since I live in the ACT, not NSW. Though, the fact that lasers tend to be shipped via Sydney have me worried... but hey, surely they can't confiscate something that is going to a different state... right?... right??

Well, regardless, I'm pretty sure these laws haven't gone into practice yet. Yes, they have been put forward but I'm pretty sure imports can still get through. For now...

 

[VillageIdiot]

*prays to whatever higher power there is (the broader my prayer the more chances I got) that my laser will get through*