Forget aircraft – now cretins are laser-blinding ferry boat crewmen

Re: You ask why?

"but you have to wonder what twisted fun these laser-wielding morons think they are having."

There's a verb there that doesn't belong in this context. Can you spot it?

Don't attribute faculties to people that they don't have.

Re: Filters

Not just green light though.

Slippery slope if you start filtering certain bands of certain colours, given that in boat navigation green and red lights are used extensively to show you what route to take.

Filters coudl potentially make navigation buoy lights harder to see which is not great if visibility is poor anyway.

Yes I know there are lots of fancy GPS nav systems for boats, but you can get situations in ports etc where an incident means lanes need to temporarily change so for belt & braces approach you need to see lights to know you are not going somewhere risky

Re: Filters - or retro-reflectors

And fit the vessels with retro-reflectors. Then the perpetrators will gain instant justice. Inexpensive, easy to fit, passive, self-targeting.

Re: This:

With WHAT?? A 50mw green laser??

Do a bit of a search, and you'll see that the device confiscated from Raden was a 5,000 mW blue industrial purpose laser that cost the fat end of $200 (picture of the actual confiscated device are out there). I'd say that the crew were rather lucky they didn't get more serious eye injuries, and Raden got off far too lightly.

We're about the misuse of a laser gun sight, a presentation pointer, or even a middleweight class IIIA unit: This was a relatively costly purchase, bought as a weapon, used intentionally as a weapon.

Person of mean disposition

"A moron in an Impreza"

Bzzt tautology.

" flashed a green laser at my car windscreen "

Some divot was doing the same from the bridge over the M11 at J8A for Stansted. Fortunately he was behind me, but the inside of the car lit up. The mirror auto-dimmed. I reported it to plod who seemed to not give a damn, not even when I pointed out that he was probably there to target aircraft landing at Stansted. Even more galling is that the police have a traffic outpost at Birchanger so arresting the idiot would have been child's play.

Re: Hmmmm.......

I was no.9 in a two lane queue at the lights last week, EVERY car in front of me was sat with their brake lights on.

I wish I still owned a high power air rifle.

I got stuck behind another moron (Audi TT natch.) in heavy traffic - with her fogs blazing, by dint of magic (same 2 lane section as above), I got in front and slapped MY rear fogs on - she had the nerve to flash me!!!

5 minutes later, and she was in front again, still with her fogs on, and yelling at me through her window as she went past.

Re: Hmmmm.......

I almost always keep my car on the brakes. Reduces the risk of being hit from behind by people not realizing you are stopped. Yes, if I know I will be stopped for more than 2 minutes I may use the parking brake, after another car stops behind me.

Depending on visibility, when I'm the last car stopped in a column of cars, I may even turn on my fog light and my blinkers if I estimate the cars behind me might be surprised that I'm stopped there.

As an additional advantage, holding the brake provides a clue to the one behind you that you are about to move when you release the brake, and people reacting more quickly means more cars will be able to cross the junction during the green light.

And if you are dazzled by brake lights you may want to consult an eye doctor. If your eyes are so tired, you may need glasses, or you have been driving for too long, which is a safety issue in itself.