Flashlight 'Unknown' Code of Conduct.

[Slazmo]

Well since looking for a Unknown Code of Conduct here or any form of 'flashlight etiquette' that Flashaholics should abide by; or even stick to a standard principal of proper flashlight useage I thought that I should post this up so we could all contribute.

Since being shon at by a jumpy security guard and subsequently shining him back with my EA4 on turbo mode at a distance of 5 meters I truly think that we should have a shot at making some standard laws or rules for due care, this due to hi power LED's found today...

One of my biggest concerns at night when walking past people that dont carry a torch while walking, fishing, camping is blinding them even with lower lumen outputs. I generally carry my torch vertically pointing down at the ground as to illuminate my feel while holding the torch at waist height - when approaching someone. This so far has come with a good response with those that I approach at night while fishing or walking around my neighbourhood.

So what other rules of thumb would you guys add to a standard principal of flashlight etiquette with other people at night?

 

[inetdog]

Well since looking for a Unknown Code of Conduct here or any form of 'flashlight etiquette' that Flashaholics should abide by; or even stick to a standard principal of proper flashlight useage I thought that I should post this up so we could all contribute.

Since being shon at by a jumpy security guard and subsequently shining him back with my EA4 on turbo mode at a distance of 5 meters I truly think that we should have a shot at making some standard laws or rules for due care, this due to hi power LED's found today...

One of my biggest concerns at night when walking past people that dont carry a torch while walking, fishing, camping is blinding them even with lower lumen outputs. I generally carry my torch vertically pointing down at the ground as to illuminate my feel while holding the torch at waist height - when approaching someone. This so far has come with a good response with those that I approach at night while fishing or walking around my neighbourhood.

So what other rules of thumb would you guys add to a standard principal of flashlight etiquette with other people at night?

Sounds like you are really looking for a place where the "unwritten" code has been written down.

 

[lintonindy]

Sounds like you are really looking for a place where the "unwritten" code has been written down.

Or help writing it.

#1 Don't shine your high powered LED lumen cannon at someone's eyes.
#2 Friends don't let friends pick up their flashlight, look down the end of it, and turn it on, full blast, directly into their eyes. (Or don't let the unknown break rule #1 if you can. PS if you can't stop it in time you ARE allowed a series of jesting on the vision of your friend.
#3 Never ask another Flashaholic, in front of their significant other, how much any light or EDC gear costs.
#4 ?
#5 ?
etc......

 

[Slazmo]

Spot on lintonindy!

If there are people out there with rules of thumb or know some that are written down post em up here - would be nice to see a compendium of rules / level headed ideals that we could stick to.

 

[GTi474]

In my job... Pet peeve number one. DONT SILHOUETTE ME when approaching a target location. Nothing like being turned into the perfect analogue of an IDPA target for some perp... Friggin boots and old rubber gunners are the world's worst for this... This kinda stuff needs to be sent up the line to a congressman so we can get some encorcement action going on...
Cheers.

-Eric

 

[bluemax_1]

In my job... Pet peeve number one. DONT SILHOUETTE ME when approaching a target location. Nothing like being turned into the perfect analogue of an IDPA target for some perp... Friggin boots and old rubber gunners are the world's worst for this... This kinda stuff needs to be sent up the line to a congressman so we can get some encorcement action going on...
Cheers.

-Eric

+1

- Backpacking etiquette dictates that you don't shine your lights at other folks' tents and camping areas. People with headlamps have to be especially careful about this as the general habit is to check out your surroundings, which with a headlamp, means inadvertently lighting up everything you look at unless you learn to keep your head tilted down and just use your eyes.
- a corollary of the above would be not shining high powered flashlights at other people's homes/windows. I notice that this is a courtesy that more than a few youtube/video flashlight reviewers seem to ignore, i.e. they happily point their high powered flashlights at apartment buildings, or domiciles across fields or stretches of water to demonstrate the light's throw capabilities. This is poor etiquette, especially at night when folks might be trying to sleep (some folks have very early bedtimes).
- if there are strangers around (another backpacking/camping example), use the minimum lumen setting possible to get the job done and see what you need to see. If you're showing off just among friends, fine, as long as you observe the previously mentioned courtesies. When there are strangers around though (ESPECIALLY when hiking/backpacking), many are there for some peace and quiet, and to get away from pollution. That potentially includes air pollution, noise pollution (don't blast your portable radio/boombox in a quiet camping area) AND light pollution.


Max

 

[jh333233]

Its common sense that never shine directly at somebody UNLESS necessary

 

[Grmnracing]

Or help writing it.

#1 Don't shine your high powered LED lumen cannon at someone's eyes.
#2 Friends don't let friends pick up their flashlight, look down the end of it, and turn it on, full blast, directly into their eyes. (Or don't let the unknown break rule #1 if you can. PS if you can't stop it in time you ARE allowed a series of jesting on the vision of your friend.
#3 Never ask another Flashaholic, in front of their significant other, how much any light or EDC gear costs.
#4 ?
#5 ?
etc......

#3 is very important! Also don't ask how many flashlights they have in front of the significant other. My wife thinks all my flashlights look alike. So there is no number that she knows of. Only the ones she gave me as presents.


Steven

 

[T45]

Don't distract drivers with a flashlight by shining it directly at them. As Slazmo stated, pointing a light at the ground as you walk along will provide more than enough illumination for your safety as you walk along.

Friends don't let friends carry cheap junk flashlights. I have been dismayed by what I have seen friends and family members pull out of drawers, glove boxes, etc.

 

[bluemax_1]

#3 is very important! Also don't ask how many flashlights they have in front of the significant other. My wife thinks all my flashlights look alike. So there is no number that she knows of. Only the ones she gave me as presents.


Steven

LOL, reminds me of someone posting how amazing it was that all his flashlights cost about $30 whenever someone asks around his SO.


Max

 

[alpg88]

whenever i approach someone with my light, i shine the hotspot into the ground, and illuminate area with the spill.
oh and not shining in someones eyes is a good practice too, unless you shine in return.

 

[gwagg]

#3 is very important! Also don't ask how many flashlights they have in front of the significant other. My wife thinks all my flashlights look alike. So there is no number that she knows of.

What he said;

 

[subwoofer]

Since being shon at by a jumpy security guard and subsequently shining him back with my EA4 on turbo mode at a distance of 5 meters I truly think that we should have a shot at making some standard laws or rules for due care, this due to hi power LED's found today...

Nice thread idea. Hopefully most of it is common sense.

One thing you do mention though is actually something security guards and LEOs do on purpose. They intentionally shine the light in other people's eyes. I remember one lovely night, I was out in a park stargazing with a friend. A couple of LEOs tramped up to us with our dark adapted eyes and blasted us in the face with their lights. Once we could see something again and our state of being fully clothed and manner clearly indicated we were not the couple reported as being in the middle of having nooky in the park, I had a few words with these officers about their invasion of our peace and how they might not shine their lights in innocent people's faces. They shrugged and said they did it on purpose.

 

[Cereal_Killer]

#3 is very important! Also don't ask how many flashlights they have in front of the significant other. My wife thinks all my flashlights look alike. So there is no number that she knows of. Only the ones she gave me as presents.


Steven

Are you guys really hiding price/ how many lights you buy from your wives? That's probability not a good idea, unless your spending bill/rent money on them In the first place why do you need to keep any of that info from her? Just seems like a way to get into trouble of you ask me. I don't disagree that you shouldn't ask the monetary value of things in the first place, but you guys really try to hide it from your wives? She's supposed to be the one person you can tell anything, imagine if she finds out your keeping something as stupid as the price/number of flashlights you own from her, what else is she going to expect you are keeping from her?

just my opinion but its stupid to lie (even if only by omission) to your wife/significant other about anything, let alone flashlights.

 

[CMAG]

+1 Rule #3
Rule 3.1 Significant other should not ask

 

[Grmnracing]

Are you guys really hiding price/ how many lights you buy from your wives? That's probability not a good idea, unless your spending bill/rent money on them In the first place why do you need to keep any of that info from her? Just seems like a way to get into trouble of you ask me. I don't disagree that you shouldn't ask the monetary value of things in the first place, but you guys really try to hide it from your wives? She's supposed to be the one person you can tell anything, imagine if she finds out your keeping something as stupid as the price/number of flashlights you own from her, what else is she going to expect you are keeping from her?

just my opinion but its stupid to lie (even if only by omission) to your wife/significant other about anything, let alone flashlights.

I don't ask about her shoes or pocketbooks. To me they all look the same. We share our money. She doesn't ask me, and I don't ask her. I'm not exactly sneaking. She gets the mail, UPS, FedEx. She knows what goes on. Not once did she ever ask how many I have.

I do know what you saying. Some people really sneak and have lights delivered to their job!

Steven

 

[Cereal_Killer]

...
I do know what you saying. Some people really sneak and have lights delivered to their job...

I guess I was talking more about the one comment from the other guy about "my wife thinks all my lights cost $30". I agree I don't specifically tell my wife about every light I purchase and how much it cost me, but I also don't hide or lie about it if she does ask. I have sold lights to people on the MP who wanted them shipped to their friends/work/non-home address just for that reason. Like you I dont care how much my wife's toys cost, or how many she has (let's keep it clean please, we all know what I mean by "toys") nor does she care about my toys but out of common courtesy if its much more than about $75-100 we run it by each other before hand. Unlike you I'm the sole provider in our family and yet she has access to all our money at any time for her personal use purchases. Usually she doesn't care, or even want to know about my lights.
I sure dont care about shoes/clothes/the crap she buys, I'm sure my purchases are the same "crap" to her as her crap is to me lol.

Just saying if you have to tell your friends not to let your wife know how much things cost, or not to ask about something's price in front of your wife, maybe you need to take a good look at your relationship and/or prioritize your budget.

 

[idleprocess]

- a corollary of the above would be not shining high powered flashlights at other people's homes/windows. I notice that this is a courtesy that more than a few youtube/video flashlight reviewers seem to ignore, i.e. they happily point their high powered flashlights at apartment buildings, or domiciles across fields or stretches of water to demonstrate the light's throw capabilities. This is poor etiquette, especially at night when folks might be trying to sleep (some folks have very early bedtimes).

Shining a light onto someone's property at night in such a fashion that disturbs them can have legal repercussions should law enforcement be summoned. It could be treated as trespassing, or disturbing the peace. I try to keep that Jefferson quote "your rights end where mine begin" in mind. Office and public buildings are better targets for that sort of demonstration - very unlikely that you'll be disturbing anyone at night doing that.

- if there are strangers around (another backpacking/camping example), use the minimum lumen setting possible to get the job done and see what you need to see. If you're showing off just among friends, fine, as long as you observe the previously mentioned courtesies. When there are strangers around though (ESPECIALLY when hiking/backpacking), many are there for some peace and quiet, and to get away from pollution. That potentially includes air pollution, noise pollution (don't blast your portable radio/boombox in a quiet camping area) AND light pollution.

#1b : Anticipate where eyes are likely to be located and avoid aiming your flashlight through those regions even if no one is presently there. Shining a bright light down a wooded trail might be fun for you, but not the person who rounds the corner and suddenly can't see.

#4 (or somesuch): Learn to respect night vision. Under most conditions you neither need nor want a flashlight to walk along roads, through fields, along trails, etc. Unless you have a specific need for detail up close or in the distance, leave the flashlight off - you'll see further and see more even though it won't be in the technicolor detail you're accustomed to in daylight.

I can also fully understand blazing up a field/forest/urban landscape/whatnot with a bunch of friends (did it often enough myself in my youth when maglites were the shizz), but even when not backpacking or camping it's just not particularly polite in mixed company and might shut down someone else's previously-functioning night vision.

Don't distract drivers with a flashlight by shining it directly at them. As Slazmo stated, pointing a light at the ground as you walk along will provide more than enough illumination for your safety as you walk along.

It's difficult for me to imagine conditions walking along the side of a road in a darkness so deep that you need a flashlight as being particularly safe ... but absolutely exercise discipline and keep the light pointed in such a fashion that the beam is unlikely to stray into the eyes of drivers - coming or going.

Friends don't let friends carry cheap junk flashlights. I have been dismayed by what I have seen friends and family members pull out of drawers, glove boxes, etc.

#5 : Don't preach to the uninterested. While we often look for news ways to use flashlights, most of the general public turns to them only as a last resort when static lighting isn't cutting it... as such their interest is what marketers call "cost leadership" rather than the "differentiation" we tend to look for.

You can make arguments about preparedness and utility, but most of humanity gets by the overwhelming majority of the time without flashlights thus probably will remain indifferent to your double- or tri-EDC strategies. Arguing with what the other party considers acceptable results is generally a losing strategy.

 

[bluemax_1]

Nice thread idea. Hopefully most of it is common sense.

One thing you do mention though is actually something security guards and LEOs do on purpose. They intentionally shine the light in other people's eyes. I remember one lovely night, I was out in a park stargazing with a friend. A couple of LEOs tramped up to us with our dark adapted eyes and blasted us in the face with their lights. Once we could see something again and our state of being fully clothed and manner clearly indicated we were not the couple reported as being in the middle of having nooky in the park, I had a few words with these officers about their invasion of our peace and how they might not shine their lights in innocent people's faces. They shrugged and said they did it on purpose.

Yup. It's a commonly used/taught tactic. You temporarily blind the subject because it gives you more time to assess them and the situation while they're seeing spots. Allows you to see if a driver you pulled over is intoxicated or under the influence of some substance. While they're temporarily blinded you have a chance to quickly scan the interior of the vehicle for weapons or alcohol/illegal substances etc. It works the same way encountering subjects on foot when responding to a call.

Also potentially makes it harder for them to target you accurately if they turn out to be armed and dangerous. For these very reasons, you don't want to shine your bright flashlight in an LEO's face. You don't want to impair an LEO's vision unless you want trouble.


Max

 

[eh4]

Good thread