Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Gizmodo: "Just so we're clear, zapping pilots midair with lasers is an incredibly, psychotically stupid idea"

"Unfortunately, it's popping into the minds of an increasing number of idiots: nearly 4,000 incidents were reported in 2013, up more than ten-fold since 2005. The FBI now offers a $10,000 reward for reporting laser morons, and a national task force searches out perpetrators of this federal crime."
Astounding moron Sergio Rodriguez got slapped with a 14-year prison sentence earlier this month, convicted of aiming a handheld laser pointer at an emergency medical helicopter delivering a young patient to the Children's Hospital of Central California.

The criminal complaint against Rodriguez, obtained by Ars Technica, says Rodriguez blasted "Air George," the emergency transport helicopter serving Children's Hospital of Central California, as it was carrying a child patient to the Fresno hospital one night in August 2012. Air George radioed air traffic control, who mobilized a police helicopter to locate the laser.

That wasn't enough for Rodriguez. He blasted the police helicopter seven times as it circled his location.

Luckily, none of the pilots Rodriguez lasered were blinded, and the police helicopter helped officers from the nearby town of Clovis locate and arrest Rodriguez and his girlfriend Jennifer Coleman, who also tried blasting the helicopters at Rodriguez's encouragement.

33 comments:

chickelit said...

Laser cannons were foretold in Hanna-Barbera's "Jonny Quest" which premiered 50 years ago.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

CNN: Could a Mermaid laser bring down a Boeing 777.

Mumpsimus said...

"Luckily, none of the pilots Rodriguez lasered were blinded..."

"Dazzled" or "distracted" would be more accurate. You can't damage someone's eyes in any way, let alone blind someone, with a regular laser pointer.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Did I stumble upon an April fools story? or maybe an April fools colored story.

Revenant said...

Shining a laser pointer at a police helicopter? Was this a failed bid for a Darwin Award or what?

KCFleming said...

Yes, stupid as hell.

But the stomping he got (14 years!) was mainly because he went after Gubmint People/LEO/First responders, who are worth 70 times a regular citizen schlub.

They protect their own.

Actual murderers and other bad guys get off with much less of a prison term.

edutcher said...

Didn't this guy ever watch CSI:Miami?

Mumpsimus said...

Right on the money, Pogo.

If a dollar-store laser pointer had even a one-in-a-million chance of bringing down a helicopter, every man and boy in the Middle East would have one, and downed copters would be littering the deserts of Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and the rest of the Middle East.

The Dude said...

How powerful are laser pointer? Can they cause blindness? Can I just use one until I need glasses?

And another thing - if they are so deadly, why are they attached to firearms and not the other way around?

"Gif me a phased plasma rifle in the 40 Watt range, wid a shotgun on the side of it."

Amartel said...

Are lasers pointed at airplanes and helicoptors from the ground really dangerous? Serious question. How do you blind/dazzle/distract the pilot from that angle? I've been assuming laser pointing is dangerous because Important Official Persons say so + it seems a provoking/hostile act + Sergio is obviously a tool who needs to be in a box for a while + weren't Al Qaida assholes reportedly doing this at some point. Or a combination thereof. But I've never read an explanation for why laser pointing at aircraft presents an actual danger of blinding/distracting pilots.

Just shooting the question out there. It seems unexamined. Maybe some pilots can provide clarity.

It IS stunning how officials will leap to protect each other from ... beams of light. Whereas, if someone robs my house on Friday I gotta wait until Monday when there might be a cop freed up from murders to come by and confirm that yes this house has been robbed.

Rabel said...

"Are lasers pointed at airplanes and helicoptors from the ground really dangerous?"

It's distance sensitive. Landing aircraft and low fliers can have problems.

Here's a chart of unknown accuracy.

The problem to me is the severity of the punishment (5 years by statute) for an act which could be lacking intent to harm or knowledge of possible harm.

Even after reading up on the issue, it's a little hard to fathom that shining a light at someone a mile or more distant could have a serious effect.

And who among us, the first time we had a laser pointer in hand, didn't aim it at anything and everything to see how far it would shine and how well we could hold it on a moving object?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It shouldn't be too hard to get a GPS lock on the little bastards. Aren't the planes themselves being flown by GPS now anyway?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

The problem to me is the severity of the punishment (5 years by statute) for an act which could be lacking intent to harm or knowledge of possible harm.

Really? I'm assuming statutory penalties are for adults. Only minors should get anything more lenient than that (seriously, I think at least ten years would be more appropriate, anyway) as we can assume they would, and since anyone older should know better.

Seriously, anyone older than ten years of age should know better.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Shining a laser pointer at a police helicopter? Was this a failed bid for a Darwin Award or what?

Lol. Well the creationist-friendly crowd coming after you and this comment apparently don't see what all the fuss is about.

Titus said...

Frankie Knuckles died today and I am completely deva.

I made my east coast primiere to Frankie's song, The Whistle Song. I danced to it at Fire Island, Ptown and Ogunquit. The year 1991. My reviews were in and I was a huge success at the age of 18.

Some of the best memories of life, dancing, having a blast, and smoking pot.

I would never want to relive those days but it was really fucking fun.

Thanks Frankie Knuckles, The Founder and King of House Music.

tits.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Are lasers pointed at airplanes and helicoptors from the ground really dangerous? Serious question.

YES. It's not 100% that you'll get the angle perfect enough to create problematic glare, but it's possible and the negligence is obvious. Has anyone read the damn stickers on the sides of those? Seriously, you schlubs remind me of the asshats who creep up behind you on the freeway with their brights on, somehow oblivious to what an obnoxious and unsafe nuisance they are. They make me want to mount ballpark lights on my roof to angle backward and shine their fucking skulls out with.

If you think the (relatively) low likelihood of damage is the right argument, try that one on after shooting a handheld rubber band at a cop. Right.

Finally, it pains the nearly dead Pole-glow to realize it, but the cost of damage to aircraft is substantial enough to look at aircraft safety as a special case. I understand con-people resent taking care with the safety of others, but you'd think they could at least understand the financial costs of bringing down aircraft.

Maybe that's just too much to ask.

Rabel said...

"Seriously, anyone older than ten years of age should know better."

Why?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Lol. So a few of you ARE the assholes that Carlin warned me about.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Why?

I dunno. Common knowledge. Plus, you look at this and read about these stories and put two and two together.

Is this stuff really so recondite? Is it really that unknown that you don't point these things at people who need to see?

You guys are killing me.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

I sort of realized concentrated lights and aircraft create a special case ever since that episode of Gilligan's Island where they got some mirrors together and did their best to get rescued but I guess that's just me.

The Dude said...

Hey Lem - that 8.2 quake in Chile - now that's a freakin' quake to be concerned about. Not a trivial shaker, that.

Rabel said...

Almost everybody has been on the receiving end of someone's brights. It's easy to understand the effect.

But with a laser, all the user sees is a green dot. It's not intuitive the understand the glare than creates on a curved windscreen.

And that's the primary problem - even at moderate distances - not the point of light, but the glare on the glass.

I can well imagine that the first few pilots to encounter the effect were quite surprised to learn that a cheap handheld device more normally seen in a classroom was the cause. Why should an average guy know?

But I have to give you points for the hardcore law and order mentality. Hoover would be proud of you.

ricpic said...

That quake happened just off Iquique, Chile. I googled Iquique and it's nothing more than a sandbar between the Pacific and sudden precipitous mountains. A sandbar with a lot of residents. I sure hope the evacuation is quick and total because that city's going to be devastated by the tsunami.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

But I have to give you points for the hardcore law and order mentality. Hoover would be proud of you.

Lol. Ignoring huge warning stickers regarding eyeballs and laser radiation on the side of a device that they take up more than 50% of its surface, millions of dollars in damage and hundreds of lives at stake per episode have a way of bringing out the Hoover in me. Not that such recklessness wouldn't fun for others.

I don't know why I'd thought this was more well known, but I just did. Sorry.

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/why-its-terrible-idea-point-lasers-airplanes-n28841

http://www.laserpointersafety.com/laser-hazards_aircraft/laser-hazards_aircraft.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/06/travel/planes-lasers/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/12/us/pilots-laser-attacks/

Damn Google. Commies. Can't anyone kill, maim or destroy anyone ignorantly and with abandon anymore in this country? Where has all the fun gone? Geez.

sakredkow said...

Tits. Pot.

Rabel said...

Come on, R&B. Give a brother a hand here.

I'm taking the side of the common man. The side of people on the lower end of the scales of information exposure, comprehension, and retention.

That encompasses many of your comrades and mine.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Hey - It's all fun and games 'til someone gets a laser in the eye. ;-)

chickelit said...

phx said...
Tits. Pot.

Thongs. Bongs.

William said...

It would probably take a combination of circumstances to produce a catastrophic result, but if this cretin and a few dozen others keep at it, such a combo could occur. Also give him bonus cretin points for doing this to a medevac chopper. My heart doesn't bleed when the government infringes on the second amendment laser rights of cretins.

Unknown said...

As a slight aside: I recently flew commercial with a laser level in my carry-on bag. The TSA should have taken it away from me (after Denver and Sacramento security lines)
They didn't even question me about it. True story.

As a precaution, I mailed the laser level back to myself. My client was astonished it wasn't confiscated.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Wow Titus, you are old.

Not fab.

Leland said...

It shouldn't be too hard to get a GPS lock on the little bastards. Aren't the planes themselves being flown by GPS now anyway?

That's not how GPS works, that's not how any of it works.

Aridog said...

Titus ...here you go The Whistle Song. A well done piece, almost jazz, almost dance, best of both perhaps. I don't think he ever played Baker's Keyboard Lounge here, because it wasn't a "DJ" kind of place back in the day. The music however would have fit right in with the crowd back then.

Once in a while you make a good post of interest to more than your own crowd. Thanks for that.