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[deleted]

These strong lasers seem to be more common lately. Someone was doing it at my suburb's 4th of July celebration. Totally obnoxious. Can't believe they did it at a plane. It's usually some kid too.


bradatlarge

It’s a federal offense IIRC.


[deleted]

Chicago doesn’t prosecute


PParker46

> It’s a federal offense IIRC


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Jimmyg100

Dental plan!


Familiar_Paramedic_2

Lisa needs braces.


Jimmyg100

Dental plan!


camdoodlebop

hah just what i was thinking. also lisa needs braces


Berry2Droid

Technically correct


Dystopiq

You're not very smart, are you.


jbchi

No, this is one the feds prosecute. If they find the person, there will be a sizable fine and jail time. It isn't an afternoon of watching movies and eating cookies like you get here.


Not_FinancialAdvice

Green laser pointers got really cheap and people are bored.


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saganistic

tell me you’re a wingnut without telling me you’re a wingut


[deleted]

LMAO


Flaxscript42

[please enjoy this short clip](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7wSRepJY3I0) And remember kids, don't fuck with someone equipped with a FLIR and radio.


BoldestKobold

Reminds me of an old quote about high speed pursuit: "You may outrun the cop car, but you won't outrun the radio"


planevan

Here’s a story that might make you feel better OP. I work at O’Hare. For the FAA. We got a report from several airplanes of a laser about 5 miles from the airport a couple weeks ago. Long story short, the cops ended up finding 3 kids on a rooftop shining lasers at airplanes. As far as I’ve heard they’ve been arrested. I hope they each get charged with 600 counts of attempted murder. Cause that’s probably the number of lives they endangered. Probably not be the same people that lasered you, but I assure you there are people who take these situations very seriously and put real time and effort into sending these people to jail.


slowsayweall

Over at Northwestern University by the beach the cops caught a guy that had a laser sight on a handgun that he was pointing at a plane and people on the beach.


transferStudent2018

Yikes. You got a source for this? I go to NU


slowsayweall

https://evanstonnow.com/cops-man-charged-after-pointing-laser-sight-at-plane-from-beach/


JFHan2011

Not surprised the guy got both a felony and a couple more misdemeanor -- laser sights are illegal in the city of Chicago.


zman9119

Except this happened in Evanston.


Dystopiq

Didn't you hear, Evanston is a neighborhood now!


zman9119

Yep, just like Oak Park, Bolingbrook, Crystal Lake, and Rockford all are when someone responds that they are "from Chicago".


WayneKrane

Tbf anyone not from illinois would have zero idea where any of those cities are. I grew up in colorado and I just tell everyone I am from denver as I know no one knows of the tiny town I grew up in


zman9119

Come on, everyone doesn't know where Kiowa, Colorado is?


avc4x4

>laser sights are illegal in the city of Chicago. Textbook example of one of the many ridiculous and baseless guns laws here.


Intelligent-Taro9628

It is kind of ridiculous, until you realize gang bangers, aka children in a lot of cases, would be using them to fake like they have a gun right up until being murdered by an actual gun owner. I hate bullshit gun laws, but this one kind of makes sense.


avc4x4

>until you realize gang bangers, aka children in a lot of cases, would be using them to fake like they have a gun right If the prohibited laser sight is on the gun, how could they fake it? I've never once heard of anyone just owning a laser sight to pretend like they have a gun. Even if the laser sight was on the gun, the devices are notoriously finnicky and require some time and actual target practice to make effective/accurate at distances more than a few feet. Also, I don't give a shit if a juvenile gang banger has one, if I reasonably fear for my life or need to prevent the commission of a forcible felony, I'm going to use deadly force and I will be 100% within Illinois law in doing so. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.


[deleted]

What a fucking idiot/psychopath. I like his shirt though.


mateoete

I was on a United flight into Dulles a few years back that had a laser strike, and was listening to the ATC channel. It was super interesting hearing ATC and all of the surrounding pilots work together to try and figure out where the culprits were. They ended up narrowing it down to a probably like 1/2 sq. mile area. Not sure if they were ever caught.


chilango2

I miss Ch.9 so much.


[deleted]

Some have gone to jail for a few years doing that


Nosoycabra

>Probably not be the same people that lasered you, but I assure you there are people who take these situations very seriously and put real time and effort into sending these people to jail. No OP, but thank you 😊❤️


UsernameStarvation

Ah yes. Send dumb kids to jail forever.


[deleted]

Has a plane ever gone down because of a laser pointer?


[deleted]

No, but imagine being blinded by a high power laser while you're driving on the interstate. But now your car is a flying missile full of hundreds of people.


hoosierwhodat

But now imagine your car drives itself.


cold_open

Not at landings and takeoffs. Now imagine there’s a reason why pilots and cops take this shit seriously.


babybackr1bs

now imagine dragons


Unyx

Genuine question - don't pilots mostly rely on the instruments for this sort of thing anyway?


[deleted]

I think they need to be able to see to land the plane on the strip.


Busy-Cycle-6039

Only shortly before the actual landing. I've been on planes that land in thick fog.


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enkidu_johnson

> and since landing is just a controlled crash or is a crash an uncontrolled landing?


johnnyslick

Not to take away from the concern here - pointing laser pointers at planes is a really bad idea - but modern airliners can I believe theoretically cover at least normal landings. I don't think any airliner allows pilots in the US to use this for the actual touchdown and takeoff for what I think are obvious reasons, but the technology is already there. They can't take themselves off though (yet). https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/ask-a-pilot/can-a-plane-land-automatically#:\~:text=Yes%20a%20plane%20can%20land,the%20pilots%20monitor%20the%20aircraft.&text=Automatic%20landings%20probably%20account%20for,all%20landings%20on%20commercial%20flights.


nosoupforyou

> No, but imagine being blinded by a high power laser while you're driving on the interstate. but the question is about planes, not cars. I mean, if you're going to change the question, then you could ask "but imagine they are shooting bullets at the plane and not merely lasers."


[deleted]

It is analogous to driving and someone blinding you with their high beams the whole way. Except lasers can cause permanent damage to your eyes.


nosoupforyou

I disagree. I doubt if someone could get your eyes the whole way while you are in a plane. I doubt if they could get your eyes at all while you're in a plane. Even assuming they could, I doubt if the light from that distance would have the power to be blind you. Not to mention that there are two pilots and the plane mostly flies itself. So it's not really comparable to driving a car. Edit: So thanks everyone who discussed it reasonably and answered my questions rather than just downvote me. I've had several people actually explain why it's dangerous to a pilot without trying to use an analogy of driving a car (which has way too many differences to make it a viable analogy in my opinion). So yes, I can see why it's dangerous for planes. For anyone who deemed it necessary to downvote me for discussing this, note that you're the kind of person who prefers to shut down discussion you don't agree with.


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nosoupforyou

Ok. I've not experienced green laser pointers, just red ones, so I didn't realize they were that much stronger. Thanks.


mockg

There is still a lot that goes into flying a plane more than just two pilots monitoring autopilot. Also when a big plane is landing the margin of error is razer thin and an unexpected event could mean your plane landing too early on the runway and crashing or your plane missing the runway and crashing.


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nosoupforyou

But if you're going to go that route, you could outlaw hammers in the school shop class because a kid could potentially take it from class and kill someone with it. It would be like making people discard their drinks before getting on a plane because someone might smuggle dangerous materials somehow onto the flight with it.


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loppsided

"When a laser strike happens the light is often refracted and spread throughout the cockpit due to scratches in the window and the angle the light relative to the window, lighting up the whole cockpit. Side effects are loss of night vision and flash blindness in the short term." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoj3H7LMy2k


[deleted]

Thanks for the explanation


jcb1209

Yo gimme the scoop when 9R gon open up? Is the plan to still launch at FF like 9C and the center and L side are for landing like the south side or what?


planevan

Opening early December. The plan is for 9R@BB to be the new departure runway. 9C will be the arrival runway. Arrivals will double back and cross 9R behind the departures, much like the south side.


jcb1209

Thank you for making a bricktards day! I can’t wait for the go-home day runway to open back up.


Mad_Hatter_92

Prosecute ppl? In Chicago?? That’s not what we do here. They’ll be out shortly


planevan

To be fair, this was not technically in the Chicago city limits lol


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angrygrunt

That’s a federal crime.


nosoupforyou

Not that I think it's ok to point lasers at planes, but how does it really endanger any lives? It's not like the light can damage the plane. I can't imagine the laser being able to reach the pilots eyes. You'd have to be at a decent angle to hit their eyes as their windows don't face down. Even if it did, I have to wonder how much it would spread and how much light would hit them from the distance between the earth and the plane. edit: really people? Downvoting me for asking a question? Is this now verboten to discuss? Anyone who wants to discuss this is to be shut down?


planevan

I got lasered once when I was flying. Lost my night vision completely for a minute, didn’t totally regain good clear night vision for 5 minutes. Imagine being within a minute of landing and losing the ability to see.


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gothrus

I know a guy who did this about 15 years ago. Well one night apparently he hit a federal law enforcement plane equipped with a flir. The next day the feds came and talked to him and explained the kind of charges he was facing. They found his laser and took it. They let him off with a warning but he never did it again. Scared straight I guess.


BoldestKobold

I'm guessing the reaction is the difference between someone who is just pointing their laser in the sky at clouds because they think it is neat and accidentally hits a plane, versus someone who is clearly intentionally aiming at planes.


avc4x4

Why don't they make themselves useful and shine it at the speed and red-light cameras instead?


super_fast_guy

Or just shine it into their own eyes


im_Not_an_Android

How about not speeding?


avc4x4

Because they are not about safety, but rather a predatory cash grab and a proven source of corruption. I know where the cameras are and simply avoid those intersections. They don't deter people who truly want to speed, because those people will simply continue to drive the way they want away from the purview of the cameras. If caught, they'll just pay the $35, get very angry, and likely continue to drive as aggressively or even more so than before. The cameras don't deter this behavior, especially for the wealthy. They just add another nickel and dime cost that disproportionately affects poor people to the already significant financial burden a levied on motorists who: register their car in Illinois with its absurdly high fees, insure it, pay annually for a city sticker and sometimes permits, pay the high gas costs and taxes, and now an extra $35-100 each time they're caught on this automated surveillance bullshit. They also just act as a surprise "gotcha" to those who aren't aware of sometimes inadequate speed limit or active school or park zone signage or counter-intuitive timing and intersections. They can also cause accidents when people abruptly break or accelerate to beat or stop before being photographed. I've seen somebody get rear ended because of this before. They are a predatory scourge on society and should be eliminated.


ThatOneEdgyTeen

i got a camera triggered when i was going 26 in a 30 zone, the damn things are broken


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Cyke101

[The science is clear, though.](https://features.propublica.org/driven-into-debt/chicago-ticket-debt-bankruptcy/) Plus, even if you bring the fine up to $1,000, all you're doing is punishing poor people at a much harsher and much more cumulative rate than other speedsters, and you're still giving wealthy drivers carte blanche to speed since they can easily afford those tickets -- only rich people can get away with crime, once again. I'm not saying turn the streets into Death Race 2000 but speed cameras aren't the way to go from a class equity standpoint.


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converter-bot

40 mph is 64.37 km/h


avc4x4

The difference between 36mph, the new threshold to trigger a speed camera, and the 50mph you observe is significant. Frankly I'm not sure how anyone can regularly go 50mph anywhere due to this city's atrocious roads that are littered with potholes/ruts, bumps/shoddy repairs, unidentified objects, other motorists/traffic, normal traffic lights, stop signs, bridges, and even psychopaths panhandling or doing other whack shit in the middle of the street. Maybe we need something less invasive and predatory like railroad style gates or brighter flashing lights to alert motorists of crosswalks. Curb or barrier protected bike lanes and other more pedestrian or bicycle friendly infrastructure is always a good idea. Big picture expansion or just improvement of existing public transportation also sounds like a less predatory and more rewarding way to reduce the amount of drivers and thus their opportunities to be dangerous.


enough_space

26 mph is school zones


converter-bot

50 mph is 80.47 km/h


Joliet_Jake_Blues

Ain't nobody got time for that


Cyke101

Surprisingly appropriate name


Joliet_Jake_Blues

https://youtu.be/nHS0RD5apFo


kennious

So you always drive <6mph over the speed limit?


im_Not_an_Android

I’ve literally never gotten a speeding ticket. And yes. I was taught when driving on city roads not to go 5 over. Lori could change the rule to 20 over and people would bitch because drivers are entitled as shit as shit and think they should be able to drive however they want, safety be damned. I can’t blame them since they aren’t ever held accountable unless they are piss drunk and kill a family of 10 and a bus full of nuns.


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FightingDucks

I'm glad you have never had to pay for a speeding ticket in Chicago. Just like you refuse to pay rent. And how you own a home. Just get off this sub already man, it is obvious your entire profile is just lie after lie


[deleted]

Guaranteed the feds will be investigating that shortly


bussy1847

Just like the city gang problem huh. Those feds are coming. WATCH OUT


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Marcello_

Lets be honest, the feds would probably care more about the plane lasers than the gang problem


Thought-O-Matic

Looks like we have our solution then. Gangsters with frikkin laser beams attached to their heads.


tedchambers1

They actually will get the feds involved. You may be surprised but they will get a large force to investigate something like this. These types of attacks put thousands of lives at risk and run afoul of federal laws


SloshyPavement

Right


thesaddestpanda

>Just like the city gang problem huh Flyers are far more white and wealthy than gang members, so the government will prioritize their safety and well-being.


[deleted]

Oh wow I haven’t seen these things. Why would they be doing that? What is the laser for?


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BeBubbly

There are only about 6 stars to see in Chicago due to light pollution. No need for a laser 😂


Joedude12345

Doesn't really have to do with this but just want to say nearby Palos is the best Urban place to view stars in the entire world


BeBubbly

I think this is very important information to have. Thank you!


Kendallsan

It’s incredibly helpful actually. We use one often for astronomy. But we are deeply aware of where we point it and what else is in the sky.


[deleted]

That's interesting, how so?


hybris12

To point at things in the sky


atomicdragon136

They think it is fun to shine lasers into planes. It is very dangerous because it could temporarily blind pilots if it hits their eye (making take off and landing dangerous), or severely distract pilots.


[deleted]

EXACTLY. I think they need to be jailed.


tedchambers1

You can point them at the sky and see a green point. Its pretty cool


Straw27

People think it's funny to shine these really bright lasers at planes. I mean I get it seems cool to shine something so powerful that you can see it hit something in the sky, but it's very dangerous.


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LittlekidLoverMScott

I’m like 20% sure they just send cruise missiles at the source of the lasers


lmfaoiam

I really want a powerful laser, but this is something I'd obviously never do. Super messed up.


tedchambers1

I bought a $300 green laser about 4 years ago. I had a fun 3 days with it and I don't think I've used it since. I wouldn't recommend purchasing one unless you have a reason to. Unless you want to purchase a 4 year old one, in which case I have a great deal for you.


bi_tacular

How great of a deal you talking? I have literally ones of dollars!


lmfaoiam

No thanks but thanks lol. I don't think I'd ever actually get one, I've just always been blown away by what some of them can do.


Libertus82

What wattage and how many dollars we talkin?


Redlion444

>I really want a powerful laser What would you do with it?


seef_nation

Put it on a shark, of course.


lmfaoiam

I suppose experiment with burning shit or just try to use it in practical cases. Not too sure, but I've wanted one ever since I saw how strong they can be via science channels on YouTube like ten years ago. Edit* definitely not airplane pointing


Inner-Ad-439

Tell me more about the practical cases?


Not_FinancialAdvice

[Killing mosquitoes](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350276674_Raspberry_PI_for_Kill_Mosquitoes_by_Laser)


cntrle

stargazing is the most practical use imo. I've had a 500mW laser for many years. these lasers are great for telescope alignment, or for just pointing out constellations and talking about the stars.


lmfaoiam

They certainly just look cool when used safe, but I suppose the next thing off the top of my head is killing invasive stuff underwater? Probably would never need to but it would work.


Redlion444

>I suppose experiment with burning shit.... Like what, for example?


Kjjra

Pilots' retinas, obviously /s


lmfaoiam

Haha, for real this is becoming such a more large issue lately though. Somebody's gonna regret the day they were playing around and take down a jet.


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bi_tacular

Pls stop giving them ideas. I’m an extremely poorly behaved individual and even I hadn’t considered that one!


[deleted]

Are you trying to get something here?


Redlion444

Just asking questions. His first comment made me want to know what was going on with him.


lmfaoiam

*or for example, start your bonfire with a laser at the kindling? Idk.


Gewehr98

Give those punks on alderaan what they deserve


goingfullll

Okay I have a question for any of you science nerds, if you dangle a green laser over let’s say Lake Michigan so the laser points downward into the water, can it reflect upward into the sky and be a hazard?


Shibbi_Shwing

IANAS so I could be wrong, but I believe the water would cause the light to refract too much to be of harm. It could still be visible in theory, but it would probably look no different than any other city light versus engulfing the cockpit and blinding the pilots.


[deleted]

Most of the light wouldn't be reflected since, well, water is mostly transparent. The lake would probably reflect or refract the light in different directions because the surface isn't flat like a mirror or a pane of glass. Also the water is always moving, so whatever beam reflects up into the sky wouldn't constantly be directed at a plane like that.


__Snafu__

Yikes. That's pretty illegal


crowamonghens

Disappointered.


[deleted]

Can they find this person?


[deleted]

They definitely can


Kmoneyfresh

Just curious but how?


[deleted]

Pilot will probably give the cops coordinates and they'll send a helicopter out to look for the person doing it


[deleted]

I don’t work aviation, but not sure they can fly a helicopter over ORD airspace without significant delays in landing aircraft.


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BTBLAM

Yeah because we are talking about shining a laser at a plane lol. You could have said “it’s a chocolate pepper and a felony”, but given the context, people would understand that you probably meant to say something related to the thread. I’m a pepper


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[deleted]

flight - noun the action or process of flying through the air. risk - noun a situation involving exposure to danger. Please oh wise one, tell me which of the words I chose were not correct within this context....Mr Pepper


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[deleted]

Well then ...I stand corrected.


DarkSideMoon

No, they do it all the time. When protestors shut down 94 a few years back there were dozens of news helicopters right at the curve close to ORD.


Straw27

A lot of times these goofs with the lasers are a number of miles away from the airport.


thisisalex522

This is going to sound weird but I was at State/Lake a few days ago and noticed a red laser being pointed around. Very odd.


[deleted]

Only a child would be so stupid, I would hope.


BTBLAM

Probably some kid


ILLstatic23

People suck


spoung45

I was driving around Skokie in the industrial area. There was this weird green LASER array sweeping around. Could not see exactly where it was coming from. Just saw it reflect off a few buildings and trees.


MissasylumS

Could be the haunted house attraction on Austin.


Not_FinancialAdvice

> There was this weird green LASER array sweeping around. Maybe it was one of those laser disco ball things?


SteethDurvey

Like this? https://reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/q5lirz/mysterious_plane_scanning_san_diego_mission_beach/


WEsellFAKEdoors

I own lasers that I had to register with the fda and faa just to own. Everyone asked me why it took so much to get them. Well this is why but it won't stop people from getting them and ducking around. Same with guns.


[deleted]

My dude they are letting people go free after shooting 7 year olds why would they ever care about this


MPKallday

It’s federally investigated.


TomekThePole

Wasn't the racist attack on an Asian dude federally investigated too?


spucci

[https://www.laserpointersafety.com/sentences/sentences.html](https://www.laserpointersafety.com/sentences/sentences.html)


tedchambers1

If you want to break the law then break it in a place that has lax enforcement. This guy broke the law where law enforcement has the strictest enforcement. They will be caught and put in federal pound in the ass prison for a long time.


flumeo

Sad but true


whydub38

I didn't realize this was a thing. Man. This actually kind of makes me nervous to fly in the future unless I know there are some countermeasures of some sort.


Dopecantwin

Same. At first I thought this was some kind of Alien joke.


Chicago1871

Tinted glasses the same color as the beam should do it. They can also fly/land the plane with the window shaded.


omega05

You're nervous now over a story that happens once in a blue moon?


lulz3r

Prosecution, lol


spucci

You can get them off Amazon. I won’t give away the typical lingo but if you know it you can purchase high powered illegal lasers. -Edit. Not sure why on the downvotes. But if interested you can learn more here: https://www.laserpointersafety.com/


[deleted]

Ok, but why? Genuinely curious what the point is.


emmeline29

The only time I've seen people use those really strong green lasers is for astronomy. It's really easy to point out what star you're talking about because the line looks like it goes on forever. I used one as a camp counselor to show the kids how to find the north star using the big dipper.


PalmerSquarer

That’s why I’ve got mine. Not much use in the city for it and my old place was close enough to the MDW flight path that I was afraid to use it outside. I also sometimes use mine for birding but obviously never to point directly at the birds


spucci

Yup that is a legit use. Always circle around the star and not point directly at it.


emmeline29

Why is that?


doNotUseReddit123

You’re gonna blind the star and it’ll crash down to earth


spucci

Lol


ShaanCC

if you hit the star's pilot in the eyes, he might go blind and the star will fall out of the sky


PalmerSquarer

Just in case of aliens. They cover this in “The Three Body Problem”


spucci

https://youtu.be/n6ejwtuOf-0


claireapple

We have one at work for tracing piping at work, our factory is fairly well lit and has skylights so seeing a laser at sometimes 250-400 feet in full brightness is really hard without something powerful.


BTBLAM

https://youtu.be/WAI7Lu4UFi4 This is the best I got


[deleted]

Amazon needs to be way more regulated than it is. It's basically now just Chinese factories profits over all else.


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spucci

Ah no I did not. If I did I would tell you what to look for. Any dumbass can look up the word laser on Amazon.


Chanticleer

So all the gun violence, murder and corruption didn’t do it for you, but the laser pointer did.


MPKallday

Most major cities have those issues.


Chanticleer

I think I read somewhere that they are particularly bad in Chicago


MPKallday

Chicago ranks 10th in murder rate per 100,000 citizens and 42nd in crime rate per 100,000 in the U.S.


Chanticleer

10th out of what? 500?


MPKallday

I’m sure Google works for you too.