Laser pointers used by security to point in audiences face/eyes

[dream beamz]

see this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhAjXSQDqQ

I saw it happen and I was not happy about it but trust me I have no place to say anything in Ibiza. It was not just club space, it was other clubs in Ibiza as well

0:48 seconds - first usage of pointer

1:18 seconds - you can see the security with the pointer

Perhaps someone here has the power to create a stir about this. The clubs buy lasers off several well known companies. Perhaps one of the companies that sells to the clubs will see this and can point out to the clubs thats there is a difference between an audience scanning projector going in to the crowd vs a laser pointer.

maybe i am freaking out too much or maybe its a real concern. what do you think?

[JohnYayas]

They should be fined for playing that boring song.

[White-Light]

Below 5mw, not too concerned. Over 5mw well big problem.

In any case would have to say it sets a very bad example to club goers as to Joe Public it says shining laser pointers in people's eyes is acceptable.

Just to add some perspective, whilst I was only holiday this year I was talking to 2 friends about lasers. Neither had a clue they could be dangerous. However, these are intelligent people - one of them speaks 6 languages fluently!! Just shows that Joe Public / Joe Average as a whole don't even know that lasers can pose a danger which makes incidents that encourage people to do it, even worse.

[dream beamz]

well, since i have yet to get a 4.95mw pointer that puts out less than an actual 5mw when metered, i think its safe to say its above 5mw. Using my own eyes and experience it seemed much higher than 5mw

[White-Light]

I wouldn't like to say what power it was. I hadn't watched the vid when I made the comment above. It was meant as a general observation rather than specific comment on that laser pointer. Also the other thing that always concerns me with pointers is the lack of modulation. In my experience, anything unmodulated is an order of magnitude more dangerous than a modulated beam. On my own laser a static Beam will sit quite happily on paper and not visibly mark it even for several seconds. By contrast an unmodulated beam burns wood in less than 1 second!