The ATF hates rocketeers
Wednesday 14 January 2009 - Filed under Politics + Rockets
The ATF, let’s just say, does not strike one as the most reasonable organization in the world. They are oh-so-serious and important and protecting us all from something or other THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS.
Like, you know, me. I’m an amateur scientist who enjoys launching high-power model rockets. The ATF, in their infinite wisdom, treats the motors that my rockets buddies and I use as explosives. This makes them hard to ship, hard to buy and hard to store. For example, I need to get an explosives permit from the ATF in order to by certain kinds of igniters, a device less capable of harm by far, than my gas grill.
The uninitiated should know that model rocket motors are ridiculously safe. Even if you put them on the ground and set them on fire, they just burn like a flare. Almost no one is ever harmed in the sport of high power rocketry, even people who make their own motors from raw propellent.
In terms of terrorism, these motors are just not that useful. You can buy, without a license, far more dangerous materials, including fertilizer and diesel fuel. You can buy 50 pounds of black powder at a sporting good store without a license. You can buy kerosene, which is literally rocket fuel, without a license. But I have to get a license to play with model rockets.
It’s insane.
Maybe if Obama reads my blog he can IM me from his Blackberry and I’ll convince him to make some calls. We’ll get this sorted out.
2009-01-14 » lolife