Pointing a laser at an aircraft may seem like a minor issue, but it can actually be extremely dangerous, as it can distract and temporarily blind the pilot. For this reason, pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft is a felony.
Timothy Allen found this out the hard way as he repeatedly shined a laser on police helicopters and commercial airplanes until he was tracked down and arrested for the crime. His San Diego criminal attorney helped him plead the charges down to one count, but he is still going to have to serve 8 months behind bars.
To read more about the story, see the article on Sign On San Diego. Image via Dittmeyer [Flickr].