Sometimes morons like to shoot lasers at aircraft. I guess it’s a hobby of sorts! But now it’s an expensive hobby, with a new FAA policy decreeing an $US11,000 fine for shooting your pointer at a plane.
It’s illegal, because, uh, it’s extremely dangerous. What looks like a little beam from the ground can blind an entire cockpit, causing confusion or worse. Oddly, the FAA memo only prohibits the shining of lasers for those not onboard the aeroplane – does this mean pilots could shoot at you from above with impunity? Watch out! [Ars Technica]
Photo: Shutterstock/Kosmonaut