<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SarahWest:
There are plenty who would disagree with that. Look at http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_390035.html for further details.
Given that there may be a risk associated with laser pointers why not put them in checked baggage (unless you only have hand baggage)?</font>
I actually had a co-worker who had one of those presentation laser pointers aimed at his eye for extended periods [2-3 minutes] at a distance of ~20ft while he was on the phone and couldn't completely avoid the laser spot.
He ended up with some retinal damage which led to blurred vision. This was verified by the hospital, and he filed both an insurance claim and an internal complaint against the prankster. Civil charges were also contemplated, but they settled it out of court.
There's a reason warning labels are placed on laser pointers.