Re: Not a Toy

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Jonathan Peakall" <jpeakall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

I totally agree.

While it is a hackneyed analogy, anyone can go buy a car. Or any of many
dangerous things. Just the battery in your car can maim or even kill ya, let
alone speeding along at 70 miles an hour. And a car has a far greater chance
of killing someone other than the operator.

If enough folks get killed by the new Tesla coils, then someone will make a
law about it. Just like with cars. In the begining, there was no regualtion.
Now we have licences, insurance requirements, minimum saftey standards, etc.
While I don't want to see coiling regulated (nor do I think it will be
anytime soon) if that's the way it goes, I'll just comply with or defy the
law, as I see fit. If I defy it and get busted, I'll pay the price.  I
ignore the local potato gun laws. Of course living in the middle of the
woods, no one knows if I am playing with a Tesla coil or not , or firing a
potato cannon. :-0

In any case, there are already laws that pertain to the safety of electrical
devices specifically, and all things in general. If those don't work, don't
worry, they will add more.

All of that said, it very much behooves all of us to promate saftey in every
way that we can. Not primarily because we are worried about coiling laws,
but because we don't want to see anyone get hurt. So, sending email to the
seller reccomending that they add stern and strong saftey warnings, make
sure they are aware of the liabailty that they are exposing themselves to
would be a good idea. Making sure all of our websites have strong and stern
warnings is a good idea. So is promoting general HV knowledge, practices and
techniques. In the end, education is the only tool we have to prevent
needless deaths.

As they say, just my two cents.

Jonathan
www.madlabs.info


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Some people are like a Slinky .. not really good for anything,
but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
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> "obviously this thing should NOT be sold to the
> general public"
>
> Why not? Self censorship is no less odious than
> government imposed censorship. I kinda like the idea
> of being able to buy anything I want, without having
> someone else decide whether I'm sane enough to keep
> from injuring myself. Heck I can go to any sporting
> goods store and buy some pretty serious fire power,
> but you don't want me to be able to buy a tesla
> coil???
>
> Adam
>
> --- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>  > Original poster: "Drake Schutt" <drake89@xxxxxxxxx>
>  >
>  > good lord, i saw that thing on the show future
>  > weapons a while
>  > back!  just goes to prove- "that's on ebay!"
>  > obviously this thing
>  > should NOT be sold to the general public.  i really
>  > hope no one gets hurt....
>  >
>  > that being said its an awesome coil that i'd love to
>  > get my hands on,
>  > but in the hands of someone with more money than
>  > sense im fear for them.