Ever been in a black out and NOT lit up?

So I was at my friends' brothers fight night on Saturday evening, true to form we had quite a few pre-drinks and as such, arrived just in time to see our buddy compete. (Yes, he had the last fight for the night hehe)

Anyhoo, Rd 1 went well, no hits against friend, and about a million for.

Just about to hit Rd 2 and the lights in the stadium went out with only the emergency exit signs to light the joint. I was about to unload my current EDC AA Minim*g with 1A TWOJ but something held me... fear? Unwanted attention?

I couldn't put my finger on it but it felt like the wrong place to be high beaming everywhere.

The lights came on after 5 minutes but then went out a second time towards the end of Rd 2. Again, no light from me.

Has anyone else chosen to not light up when clearly the opportunity was there? Why/why not?

Tim.

In that situation, where you aren't leaving, but just waiting, there really was no need to light up. If I were leaving a darkened area, then of course my path would be well lit.
It's a matter of need to me. Do I need to light up? If not, then I won't bother. If so, then let there be light.

That 'may' have been a wise decision not to light up in that situation. Good move.

I was at a chamber of commerce luncheon where Governor Corzine and Senator Lautenberg where two of the guest speakers. I cannot remember who it was but I think it was during Corzine's speach when the power went out. I reached into my coat pocket for my Inova T3 but did not turn it on. About a minute later the lights went back on and one of the politicians made a joke about someone not paying the electricity bill (you can barely afford it since the taxes are so high) everyone laughed and we went back to our plates of cold food.

That strikes me as a good time not to use the light. At best you'll be mistaken for security detail, at worst...who knows.

Best time not to pull out a light in a blackout is when the stars are out, or better yet, the aurora, and you're with your sweetie.

I've worked with crowds for a long time. I always "people watch" and I'm always aware of what is happening around me. Knowing where the exits are, how people are behaving, and what security is doing are real basic things for me.

If you don't know how to react and interact with crowds, at the very least you want to take a second to assess what's happening and to think about what your actions might cause the crowd to do. When most people are put into an even slightly unusual situation in a crowd, they react badly and get nervous or even panic. Bad things happen very quickly in nervous crowds.

Again, the best thing to remember is to think before you act if you are not used to working with crowds.

once while standing in a dining hall with 400 inmates. the emergency lights didnt come on so i made my way to the door before anyone could get in a free shot. fortunately the lights came on about a minute later.

I light up only when theres a priorized necessity....

either im trying to read when the lights go out, only when Im alone.....or a couple girls nearby.....as many said...being the man with the light in the darkness makes you feel very powerful...

that sort of situation is what the $0.50 fauxtons are made for...

I was in a train going through an underground rail tunnel, suddenly the lights went out,
had no Flashlight at the time, most of the people were spooked for about 5 minutes.

I have kept my light in my pocket while waiting to see if the lights come back on. If you aren't moving out you might as well wait to see what happens. Most power outages are brief.

You can always flip open your cell phone for a few lumens, which most folks wouldn't give much attention.

peace

I was on the tube when the lights went out. It was packed and I felt that 'lighting up' at that point would likely not have helped us. There was nothing to see. The lights came on after a long while and we started moving again...

Just because you have a very bright light doesn't mean you should automatically use it - you gotta consider your situation etc.

Al

powernoodle said:

You can always flip open your cell phone for a few lumens, which most folks wouldn't give much attention.

peace

Click to expand...

I have seen my kids use their iPods for this purpose (with surprisingly good results).

In a crowded situation during a blackout, I'd rather not pull out any of my expensive toys (pda, phone, mp3 player, high end flashlight) to provide me with light. Especially my cellphone and my pda, as both hold important data, and can be used for communication if the situation lasts...

If people are in a state where they might want to get your light, the treshold to taking items that might have more than one use to them could be even lower. IMHO cheapie low level lights like the photon clones would be best. They give you light, they aren't bright enough to seriously p!ss people off, and they're no big loss if dropped or taken from you...

I agree, the Photon clone in my pocket (note: not on my key ring; I decided to separate these, not wanting to lose my keys by someone snatching my light in the darkness) would be the least obtrusive and provocative. A bright light would come into the picture in circumstances when you feel approached in a possibly threatening manner, for blinding purposes. But not as a first reaction.

In safer circumstances I would still be reluctant to use an overly bright light in a crowd. People may still feel anything from annoyed to threatened, or at least think you're a terrible show-off. My family, friends and neighbours know about my affliction, and are beyond that .

By the way, my Nokia 1101 has a built-in led light, but allways carrying at least three led lights, I never use it.

Kees

TORCH_BOY said:

I was in a train going through an underground rail tunnel, suddenly the lights went out,
had no Flashlight at the time, most of the people were spooked for about 5 minutes.

Click to expand...

you leave the house without a flashlight? you need work....:laughing:
I leave home with at least a keychain light or a stylus...then theres the scorpion hidden in the socks under the khakis..

powernoodle said:

You can always flip open your cell phone for a few lumens, which most folks wouldn't give much attention.

peace

Click to expand...

Over the years I came to realize the flipphones work very well in a shirt with brest pockets...both reading and know where your going.