Darwin Award Nominees

[Robin]

Lasers present several safety hazards that are no joke. Got any horror stories of people behaving badly with lasers? Post them here.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/ho...kin-55744.html

[HalfPint]

Holy SH!T!!

Just when you think people cant get any dumber.
That is the single most idiotic thing I have seen done with
a laser yet.

No need for any other nominees IMHO.

Give this man his rightfully deserved trophy.


Peace.

[QUAZAR]

That is a seriously deep burn. The last time I saw a burn that deep was when I picked up the wrong end of the soldering iron.

However, it does provide a graphic image to allow you to extrapolate what level of damage a higher powered laser (laserscope) could do.

[Stuka]

Add some people actually wonder why the LPF crowd has a bad rep on here....

[DanG]

I am horrified by that picture.

I am not horrified because it is infected and gross; I am horrified at the unabashed stupidity that some people are capable of.

Mark my words, this is a bad omen for us all.

[Meatball]

Add some people actually wonder why the LPF crowd has a bad rep on here....

You DO notice that those LPF folks don't seem to think he is too smart either.. right?

[hydrogenman15]

Not everyone on LPF is like that. It's just a few stupid people, it seems like stupid people tend to get the most attention. BTW: I think you need to die (or not be able to reproduce) to qualify for a Darwin Award.

--Hydro15

[buffo]

You DO notice that those LPF folks don't seem to think he is too smart either.. right?

Let's see...

User Millirad (rep of 15) says that he's done basically the same thing to himself, and advises people not to do this, "because it's already been done".

User Jander6442 (rep of 131) asks if it drew blood.

User Magonegro (rep of 5) says that he's done the same thing to his finger.

User Morgan (rep of 78) makes a joke about bacon before explaining that others have already posted this same information before, so he "didn't need to do this". Then he explains about the healing process.

And finally, Laserbee (with a rep of ZERO) chimes in with what everyone should have said, which is "What an asshat." (My thoughts exactly, Jerry.)

So of the first 5 replies to the thread, only one of them seems to think the guy is a fool. And what do you know? It's the guy with the lowest rep. The rest think it's funny, even cool, and certainly don't call the guy out for his stupidity. If anything, they chide him for copying the work of someone else. (Seriously?)

True, later on there are a few more people who also point out how dumb it was, but for everyone who thinks it's dumb, there's someone who doesn't have a real problem with it.

More importantly: with two exceptions, it's the folks with zero rep points who are pointing out how dumb it is, while it's the folks with high positive rep points who think it's funny and/or a good example of laser damage.

Now I ask you: In all honestly - what do you think your average congressman would do if shown these pictures and told that a commercial laser pointer caused these wounds?

Think about your livelihood, your hobby, your very right to buy and own lasers before you answer...

Adam

[DanG]

I'm with Adam. There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of recklessness and we are all worse off for it. Now, granted, a laserscope in the hands of a teenager is worse but this is just pointless, dangerous BS.

[dsli_jon]

Now, granted, a laserscope in the hands of a teenager is worse...

Here's my 'favorite winner' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t65_JJrLFZ8

What I wish is that these 'medical re-sellers' would actually 'verify' who they sell these-to, like they purport-to ("...I will verify your status as an authorized blah, blah, blah.." yeah, sure you will, right after delivery, right?? ...) since, sadly, yes - 'Stupid' pervades every interest and pursuit in life - there are 'morons' that dwell at LPF; there are smart/responsible-folk there; likewise, here, too - there have-been a few 'dim-bulbs', along-side the bright-ones...

...BUT, the 'difference' that seems clear, here, is that there is a much-stronger sense of 'respect' for lasers, and the 'Elders-advice' (NOT-NECESSARILY PROS!!! just those with YEARS OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE...)

Yes, I know, I know - the PL-community-supported 'LEMs' sometimes feature 'grey-area' practices - I, myself, sat up in the eye-bathing balcony-section, (...and it was AWESOME up-there! )...but, IMO, there's a GULF between that sort-of 'very-close-to-perfectly-safe lasering-around', and selling kW-peak surgical lasers, WAAAAYY too-cheap, to whomever comes-up with the cash, first...

...and stuff like this guy?? Yeah, I think he wins 'Top Brick', drunk or not... IMHO, you'll never see this kind of asshattery practiced, here... at least not without a lightning-fast strike of the Cx4, so-as not to even remotely-appear like PL 'condones' such idiocy....that guy needs a friggin brain-transplant... ...wonder if he works for the TSA?

j