Re: Laser Terror

[Gordon Miller <miller22@llnl.gov>]

Kids are using laser pointers to twinkle drivers at night.

Eye injury is not an issue here. People can be dazzled or even momentarily
blinded by low level exposures. Even the "brights" of automobiles are not
troubling to see by day, but they are at night. This is the phenomenon
we're dealing with.

The aviation safety exposure criteria are far more stringent than the
Z136.1-1993 eye injury criteria for this reason. Vehicle operation, whether
a plane or a car, can be endangered by low level light exposure.

This ups the ante in the pointer issue from distraction and discomfort to
motor vehicle accidents, serious property damage, serious injuries, and
death.

Banning sales to and unsupervised operation by children is a valid public
safety measure.

Gordon Miller, CIH

-----------------------------

>The police Captain's comments are valid, valuable and true.  A ban or some
>restrictions on laser pointers may be required.
>
>But most of the subscribers on RADSAFE don't profess expertise on the law
>enforcement issues involved.  Our expertise is in the area of radiation
>safety.  And we truly hate to see radiation safety issues distorted, as they
>so often are, to serve as a terror tactic in the advance of a social agenda.
>
>The FDA's regulations for laser safety address the radiation safety issues.
>Advocates for restricting pointers should base their arguments on the other
>issues or concerns.  The other issues may be valid. The radiation safety
>issues are not.
>
>Unfortunately you can sway a million people with emotions quicker  than one
>person with logic.  Fear of radiation is an "easy to push" emotional
>button.  And those that push it care less about truth than victory in their
>cause.  That's a basic truth about radiation politics today
>
>It's ironic, the opponents to the lasers consider their misuse a form of
>terrorism.  So they engage in terror tactics of their own to combat them.
>Terror begets terror, also a basic truth.
>
>Obviously, my opinions only,
>
>Steve Cima
>cima@bellsouth.net
>
>Bruce Bugg wrote:
>
>> >>There recently was a discussion of the ubiquity and safety of laser
>> pointers here on radsafe.  I thought I'd report that a bill has just
>> passed committee in Arkansas to ban the sale of laser pointers to
>> minors.  <snip>  I wouldn't be surprised if
>> their was a lack of scientific expertise in their deliberations. I
>> think the ban is a good idea anyway;  my wife was a bit rattled when
>> she turned away from the blackboard in the college class she was
>> teaching and found that she was being laser-pointed.  <snip><<
>>
>> There is another element to this: Police officers, knowing that laser
>> sighted weapons are out there (many officers and agencies use them)
>> automatically regard ANY laser dot pointed at them as a threat.
>> Legitimately so, it appears, beacuse two Chicago cops were shot recently
>> by a subject who used a laser-sighted handgun.
>>
>> On a restricted news list (so I can't directly quote it here) we had
>> several officers throughout the country relate stories of people
>> illuminating cops with laser pointers "to see what would happen." When
>> the cops reacted by drawing guns, seeking cover, and going into a
>> felony-apprehension mode, the games suddenly turned very un-funny.
>>
>> Some of our officers have related the same type of story to me.
>>
>> Parents of childern in moving cars have found themselves the subject of
>> a felony stop when the kids lit up a passing police car.
>>
>> Non - LE types may think that type of response is an overreaction, but I
>> disagree.
>>
>> I fear it will not be very long before we hear of some "innocent child
>> who was just playing" getting shot by a police officer who reasonably
>> feared for his or her safety of the safety of someone else.
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Capt. Bruce Bugg
>> HazMat Specialist - Enforcement Officer
>> Ga. Public Service Commission
>> 1007 Virginia Avenue, Suite 310
>> Hapeville, GA  30354-1325
>> voice:  404.559.6627
>> fax:    404.559.4972
>> e-mail: bruceb@psc.state.ga.us
>> or:     75720.1177@compuserve.com
>>
>> ************************************************************************
>> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
>
>
>
>************************************************************************
>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html



************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html