Editing 3030: Lasering Incidents

{{comic
| number    = 3030
| date      = December 27, 2024
| title     = Lasering Incidents
| image     = lasering_incidents_2x.png
| imagesize = 444x479px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = I still don't know how the police found my compound where I ran an illegal searchlight depot/covert blimp airfield/fireworks testing range.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about pointing lasers at aircraft, which is a [https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers#:~:text=Pointing%20a%20laser%20at%20an,%2430%2C800%20for%20multiple%20laser%20incidents. federal crime in the USA] because the powerful laser light could temporarily distract or blind the pilot, or cause burns and eye injuries if the laser is powerful enough. (This had been previously mentioned in [[2481: 1991 and 2021]].) It points out that when a laser is pointed at an aircraft, the pilot or anyone else on board can see a glowing line in the color of the laser exactly pinpointing the location of the perpetrator. Therefore, no one guilty of this crime should really be surprised when they are caught and fined or imprisoned. This comic might be a response to the {{w|2024 United States drone sightings}}, during which many people in New Jersey collectively forgot what a plane is and started pointing laser pointers at them.

The title text parodies this kind of crime by describing a criminal activity which also makes itself particularly obvious, namely illegal fireworks testing, blimp airfield and searchlight depot, the conspicuous activities of all being clearly visible across a wide area. Such depots, airfields and ranges aren't intrinsically illegal in the US, but typically will need some form of official registration; Randall's examples clearly not obey the appropriate FAA regulations, zoning laws, etc.

==Transcript==
:[In a black panel there is a glowing green laser beam that starts in a green starburst at the lower right part and exits the panel near the upper left corner. Green text is written along the laser line and where the text ends a small green arrow is pointing to the starburst from where the laser light emanates.]
:<span style="color:#32CD32">Someone is committing a federal crime right here →</span>

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't know why people who shine lasers at aircraft are surprised when the police catch them, given that the crime consists of drawing a giant glowing arrow in the sky pointing at your location.

==Trivia==
The point of this comic has been previously addressed in [[Thing Explainer]].
:<b>POINT A GREEN LIGHT AT SPACE</b>
:You can use a green light pointer to point out stars to your friends. When you do this, it looks really cool, like you're holding a stick that's touching a spot on the sky.
:Be very careful <i>never</i> to point it at sky boats. It's against the law, and the police lock up many people every year for it. And if you try, you'll be easy to find, because of the bright green line pointing to you.
::<i>-The Sky At Night</i>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]