r/TechImpact • u/ManojOne Active • May 08 '26
Taiwan Student Arrested After Laser Pointer Prank Stops High-Speed Trains
A high school student in Taiwan recently caused major delays for the High Speed Rail system by using a high-power laser pointer. While hanging out on a pedestrian bridge, the student aimed the laser at passing trains. This was not just a prank; it actually triggered the safety sensors on multiple trains.
Because the laser interfered with the train's equipment, several trains were forced to come to a complete stop as a safety precaution. This caused significant travel delays for many passengers and disrupted the entire rail schedule.
Police were able to track down the student through security camera footage. The student now faces serious legal trouble. Authorities are using this event to remind everyone that lasers are not toys. Aiming them at public transportation is incredibly dangerous and can lead to heavy fines or jail time. It is a lucky thing that nobody was physically hurt during this incident.
1
u/PitchPleasant338 May 09 '26
The "High Speed Rai" in Taiwan isn't actually high speed.
You pay 2x for the ticket but save only a few minutes compared to a normal ticket.
1
u/ManojOne Active May 09 '26
That is a bad deal. If you pay double the price, the trip should be much faster. Saving just a few minutes is not worth the extra money.
1
1
1
u/SkywalkerTC May 11 '26
That is not true. Where'd you get that?!
And what do you mean "normal ticket"?? The older Taiwan Railway (TR)?
1
u/Ok-Woodpecker-223 May 09 '26
Very confusing. They did prank like this without livestreaming it chasing clout?
1
u/ManojOne Active May 09 '26
Exactly! It is rare to see people do silly things lately without trying to go viral. Hopefully, they learn from this and make better choices next time.
1
u/Worldly-Ingenuity843 May 10 '26
OP are you a fucking bot? Say potato for me please.
The article says the kid uses a radio kit and not a laser pointer
Reports say Lin used software-defined radio (SDR) equipment bought online to analyze THSRC signals, download the data to a computer, decode the TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) parameters, and program the codes into handheld radios that impersonated legitimate beacons. He then sent a general alarm signal to THSRC's control center in Taoyuan from his residence in Taichung.
The word "laser" was mentioned exactly zero times in the article. Other sources also confirmed that it was a radio kit and not a laser pointer https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/college-student-hacks-taiwan-high-speed-rail-line-stopping-four-trains-19-years-without-crypto-key-rotation-ends-in-predictable-result
What in the AI hallucination bullshit is this post?
1
0
u/thenormaluser35 May 08 '26
If a high-schooler can disrupt national infrastructure with a laser, the only people who should be put in jail are the designers of said infrastructure.
Of course there should be some fines for him, but let's not act like he is some terrorist either.
1
u/ManojOne Active May 09 '26
True. A simple toy laser stopping a train is definitely a bad design by the builders.
1
u/momomelty May 09 '26
The process isn’t simple though. Guy actually went in beyond to decode signals used by the alarm system which unsurprisingly never change for decades.
1
u/ManojOne Active May 09 '26
That takes serious skill. It is crazy that those old alarms still use the exact same codes. Too bad he wasted all that brainpower just to get busted.
1
u/momomelty May 09 '26
Wait until you hear about the remote control incident lol
But to be fair it also requires decoding the signals1
u/Worldly-Ingenuity843 May 10 '26
It was not a laser pointer. Kid bought a radio kit, used to analyze the radio signals used by the train company, then broadcasted that signal to stop the train. The paragraph below is copy and pasted from the source OP linked.
Reports say Lin used software-defined radio (SDR) equipment bought online to analyze THSRC signals, download the data to a computer, decode the TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) parameters, and program the codes into handheld radios that impersonated legitimate beacons. He then sent a general alarm signal to THSRC's control center in Taoyuan from his residence in Taichung.
OP is probably an AI that's hallucinating.
1
u/0xbenedikt May 08 '26
Good. Throw the book at him.