When I play with my lights at night, I'm always as courteous as I can be. I don't shine my light at people, houses, or vehicles because that's rude, possibly dangerous, and just asking for trouble.
I have had a few occasions where people have approached me while I'm in a public area, acting very aggressively. About half of them didn't seem to care about the light, I think they were like "moths to a flame" and attracted by the light, and they simply just wanted a fight, or to rob me.
Other times people would come up behind me, and get very angry about the light saying that what I'm doing is illegal (it's not) etc etc etc to the point I've been fearful for my safety and have had to strobe them in the face with an SBT90.2 or SFH55 to stun them before making a quick getaway. Has something similar happened to any of you?
Its usually very late at night when I’m toying with my lights and I don’t shine them at anybody’s house. So far I have not had any issues. But if anybody ever got in my face about it to the point of me fearing for my safety, I’d probably strobe them in the face as well. If that doesntt work and I find no means of a quick escape, out comes Mr. Glock. Fortunately, I haven’t had to do that.
When I play with my flashlights, I leave other people alone, and they leave me alone, but I do live in the middle of nowhere and our neighbors are not very close to our house.
Having a dog and being retired, is an alibi to walk where and when there are few people around. I’m very careful to NOT shine at folks who are persuing their own legit business. So far I’ve encountered no agression. Maybe a bit confusion when I (being a true flashaholic) ask people who carry a light bigger than a Minimag a version of “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”.
Yes, every time i turn on that pos beam of my old 4D maglite it just pisseth me off and makes me so mad and angry that i want to use it like a club to smack something.
You have been around bright lights too much. It should make you smile because of the nostalgia. There was a time when the D maglite was considered the best light.
INB4 someone brings up the Nasa Apollo light that their uncle in the space programme gave them, etc. You know what I mean.
I was receiving a lot of hostility and aggression when I would play with my lights on the street, but when I attended the community meeting they held to discuss it, I found out it wasn’t the lights that bothered them, but that I was doing it nude.
Since I started wearing clothes when outside, the hostile reactions have almost entirely disappeared.
I had never considered that a hostile person could approach me… especially a homeless person high on something, or mentally ill, you never know what could happen.
I’m holding a Convoy M3c at the moment, and I realize it is solid and heavy enough that if I were to swing it at a person and connect, it could break facial bones.
A quick 3 presses and the strobe would be a better idea.
I’m out multiple hours a week at all hours of darkness testing lights and never had any issues. Had a few homeless people giving me a bit of lip but I just give them some right back and problem solved. Maybe I’m lucky at 6 feet 4 inch tall and well built. But I will say I never shine anything at homes, vehicles or people, and if I’m using a headlamp I always dip it or put my hand over the top part when I walk past people. I know how annoying that can be from wild camping with people who don’t do that. When I’m out in the middle of nowhere in the woods I don’t see anyone as I don’t think anyone else would be mad enough to also be there standing about. I did talk to one ultra distance runner when he stopped and I told him his headlamp was useless which he agreed on after I showed him 5 ones I had out for testing. I’m so sorry top hear that your peaceful pastime has been ruined by idiots spoiling it for you.
No hostility, but the neighbor behind me has his new flood lights pointed toward my back door. When I first started with lights several years ago, a neighbor I talk to thought UFOs were landing in his back yard
Never happened to me. I always try not to light to people or cars on the streets. But if someone come straight and complain, I think talking and asking them politely what make them angry is a very simple solution.
