Shining a laser point at planes? That'll be 25 years you dirty little Osama-wannabe terrorist.
<a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-01-04-laser-aircraft_x.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-0...-aircraft_x.htm</a>
if it isn't attached to a weapon i see no big deal with it. yes i understand what it means but come on this is just stupid.
Definitely an overreaction. A BIG overreaction.
First, concerns about lasers and airplanes are exagerrated. But, if you want a law, define the power output and fluence that are illegal.
I'll guarantee you that the laser pointer did not put out more than a few mW. In fact maybe less, than 1 mW, b/c your eye is most sensitive to green light, that's why the green ones sell.
Basically, you probably put out as much power w/ a flashlight.
I thought the media were supposed to protect citizens from over-zealous (aka stupid) government and police officials.
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OK, I see this playing out with a plea-bargain, a short (two months or less) or suspended sentence, and probation/community service. Anything more would certainly be an overreaction. I think the government's point, here, is to let people know they shouldn't point these things at aerial vehicles. That point is being made, so no need for a harsh sentence.
CMichFan Wrote:OK, I see this playing out with a plea-bargain, a short (two months or less) or suspended sentence, and probation/community service. Anything more would certainly be an overreaction. I think the government's point, here, is to let people know they shouldn't point these things at aerial vehicles. That point is being made, so no need for a harsh sentence.
I hope you're right. Still, this is going to cost the guy big-time in legal fees, stress, and public humiliation.
All on a very subjective interpretation of that portion of the Patriot Act.
DrTorch Wrote:I hope you're right. Still, this is going to cost the guy big-time in legal fees, stress, and public humiliation.
All on a very subjective interpretation of that portion of the Patriot Act.
Anybody read "When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops?" by George Carlin? It's his new book... and by far the most cynical and sardonic of his offerings.
Sadly... the more times goes by, the more the theories setforth in his book about the US are vindicated.
this is a reason why the patriot act should stay. we don't need douchebags blinding our pilots. also, this shows how quickly we can catch terrorism, whether it's a real threat or not.
the fact remains, if you don't do anything shady, or don't hang around with shady characters, you have nothing to worry about. because of this act, i feel safer, and because i'm not a shady character, i have nothing to worry about.
flyingswoosh Wrote:this is a reason why the patriot act should stay. we don't need douchebags blinding our pilots. also, this shows how quickly we can catch terrorism, whether it's a real threat or not.
the fact remains, if you don't do anything shady, or don't hang around with shady characters, you have nothing to worry about. because of this act, i feel safer, and because i'm not a shady character, i have nothing to worry about.
So you're agreeing that shining a laser pointer up makes you a terrorist?
flyingswoosh Wrote:this is a reason why the patriot act should stay. we don't need douchebags blinding our pilots. also, this shows how quickly we can catch terrorism, whether it's a real threat or not.
the fact remains, if you don't do anything shady, or don't hang around with shady characters, you have nothing to worry about. because of this act, i feel safer, and because i'm not a shady character, i have nothing to worry about.
you may feel safer but myself feels more threatened because the government is becoming to paranoid for its own good.
georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:flyingswoosh Wrote:this is a reason why the patriot act should stay. we don't need douchebags blinding our pilots. also, this shows how quickly we can catch terrorism, whether it's a real threat or not.
the fact remains, if you don't do anything shady, or don't hang around with shady characters, you have nothing to worry about. because of this act, i feel safer, and because i'm not a shady character, i have nothing to worry about.
So you're agreeing that shining a laser pointer up makes you a terrorist?
no, but:
A) it makes you a criminal, and a moron, and
b) it's something we have to look out for, because i'm sure terrorists will try to to do it.
flyingswoosh Wrote:[
A) it makes you a criminal, and a moron, and
so you are stating that you support arresting people for being stupid.
flyingswoosh Wrote:no, but:
A) it makes you a criminal, and a moron, and
It makes you a "criminal" ONLY because NOW a handful of people are interpreting a non-specific law that way.
Whatever happened "for the people, BY the people"? Do you think people would have gone for this even during the urgency of passing the Patriot Act? Some gullible ones would. Folks who have some idea of what 5mW travelling several thousand feet would not.
Yes, there were warnings, but there are always people predicting doom and gloom.
The point is to change this now, and to have courts throw out the ridiculous cases. That's why we have checks and balances.
Quote:b) it's something we have to look out for, because i'm sure terrorists will try to to do it.
If you think it's easy getting a powerful enough laser to work this way, well, that's your choice. It
could happen, but it's not a trivial endeavour, and pretty unlikely.
The laser the US Air Force developed as an anti-missle weapon filled an entire PC-Orion with an additional bubble canopy on top... the plane could barely take off with 4 turboprops... and had problems with the entire plane overheating rapidly.
It also took several minutes from the laser equivalent of point blank to do any harm to a traveling missle.
Try again.
georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:The laser the US Air Force developed as an anti-missle weapon filled an entire PC-Orion with an additional bubble canopy on top... the plane could barely take off with 4 turboprops... and had problems with the entire plane overheating rapidly.
It also took several minutes from the laser equivalent of point blank to do any harm to a traveling missle.
Try again.
That's not an apples to apples comparison GTS.
First, one of the big issues that pilots were raising was eye damage/blindness.
Ok, pretty easy, wear laser goggles that look like sunglasses. Maybe louvres somewhere.
Second, you can focus a beam and do damage much faster, it's just on a small spot.
A single shot can do it, but it's tough. We're talking a pit. I'd bet a stone on the tarmac would be similar.
But, focusing over that long of a range isn't easy, and you do get absorption effects from the atmosphere. A powerful laser can be self-focusing, and it would have the power you'd like. But, they aren't readily available at Circuit City either!
Realistically, if someone thinks the plane is going to blow up, then they watched too much Johnny Quest (which I got the first season on DVD for Christmas :bluethumb:)