Man points laser at police cruiser.

[diachi]

The only way out would be building a laser myself, which I'm not capable of..

Not yet! Something to work towards.

At any rate, they could require a license for simply owning the laser, the import part wouldn't even matter then.

 

[paul1598419]

I think he could build one quite easily with the parts sold by someone here. DTR is one of the best and he can sell you the diodes, drivers already set to the desired current, lenses, etc. Many people here have started out this way.

 

[Radim]

...

At any rate, they could require a license for simply owning the laser, the import part wouldn't even matter then.

Exactly. And as Germany is in EU with free goods movement, the only effective rule restricting import has to be applied for all EU countries. And as I see what kind of regulation comes dictated from EU, I often need to vomit. The possesion or public use might be regulated localy however.

But if I personally have no option to continue with my laser hobbies, I would be forced to become illegal even I would do nothing wrong, just breaking that stupid law. Not comfortable. I reminds me situation where people using weed as the only working way out of some illness to have some life are being prosecuted in the name of law. That is really absurd.

No regulation of lasers is solution IMO.

 

[Benm]

I doubt it will come to any legislation in europe on owning lasers or even components to construct them.

There could be restrictions in their use, which there already are for all practical purposes. Things like interfering with road, marine or air traffic are -already- illegal. So is attempting to blind (or generally maim) someone by any means, unless it's unlikely to actually work.

As it stands there is not even one law in the dutch legal system that uses the word 'laser'. Neither is there any that refers to 'hammer', 'chainsaw', 'axe' or 'knive'. It is obviously illegal to use any of these items to attack people, and you cannot legally go running around hitting people in the face with skillets.

Legal terms are a bit vague, as there is for example a ban on carrying stabbing and clubbing weapons in public. Practially it depends on the situation: if you actually are a chef bringing your own big meat cleaver to the job, that would be no problem. If you are swinging it around on a square on amsterdam it would.

I see little chances that laser could be banned specifically, as in legal terms they'd have to describe what it -does- rather than what it -is-. The only option would be to limit the amount of candela a lightsource can output, which would outlaw things like airplane landing lights, searchlights and such right along with lasers.

 

[hakzaw1]

Yes--vast majority are late teens and early 20s-white and quite clearly *stoopid.*
I often wonder how many LPF members at one time did the dumbest thing.
Handing over a laser needs to have the same consideration as handing over a firearm.
Just last week a 13 yr old got shot and killed by another teen in Houston.
accident?? ... somebody brought the gun out on purpose IMHO... sad