This is conduct unbecoming of a CPF member...but

Anyone think of any scenarios where having a flashlight in a pocket, keychain, or backpack might do more harm that good?


some people may think its suicide to ask such a question....[moderators, do your stuff when necessary :bow:] [[email protected] can shoot me later ]

July, 13:00, Sahara desert, no water.

Barbarin said:

July, 13:00 AM, Sahara desert, no water.

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leave the metal light in the open, the coldness of the flashlight might collect dew....

If you fell down while having a large enough light in your front pants pocket,you could possibly injure yourself (in a bad spot)...I have scratched the finish on my car door with my ARC on my keychain,If your light is in your backpack you might not be able to get at it when you need it,or need another light to dig through and find it.
There are still lots of other ways to carry anyhow,(clipped to hat brim,on a lanyard,in your hand or teeth)

Barbarin said:

July, 13:00 AM, Sahara desert, no water.

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if it's 13:00 AM, everything would be bad.

Now if it was 13:00, Sahara ,with no water.....

This has been discussed before. There are certainly lots of situations where switching on a really bright flashlight could cause more trouble and not help at all.
I was once on a packed tube when it stopped and all the lights went out for ages. In that situation switching on my EDC would have only highlighted (sic) our situation as the darkness was almost calming people. It was just a matter of waiting for 5-10 minutes (can't remember but it was a while) until the train started moving or we were given instructions etc.

The temptation to use a tool (such as a flashlight) just because you have it must be moderated with a good awareness and understanding of your situation (the mood of others is important - you don't want to cause a panic for example)

Al

P.S.
Now I'm confused!
13:00hrs is 1 o'clock in the afternoon (aka 1pm)
01:00hrs is 1 o'clock in the morning (aka 1am)
There's no such thing as 13:00am
It's called the 24 hour clock so you don't have to use "ante meridiem" (being before noon) and "post meridiem" (being after noon).
But lets not dwell on this

d_clark said:

if it's 13:00 AM, everything would be bad.

Now if it was 13:00, Sahara ,with no water.....

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Edited, thanks!

While not exactly mentioned in your post, there have been news storys about a guy in a blackout emergency (9/11?) where he was MOBBED by the unwashed masses because he had a lit flashlight in his hand.

There was a thread about this somewhere...and the general consensus was that we (with lights) must not forget to assess the situation before using our lights in times of stress when others may panic. Never underestimate the unpredictability of a mob.

Yeah, I've removed paint from various automobiles with pocket clips before..

*Back on topic*

I'd bet that there has been at least one heart attact or something that resulted from a lack of a flashlight. Bob's ticked off, for example, with his flat tire. After pacing the ground, working himself into a tither being angry over it he flings open the door, grabs his maglite that came with the car 12 years ago and when he clicks, nothing happens because the batteries are bad and the bulb is blown. So maybe it could be a problem to carry a non-working flashlight..

Lithium ion pocket grenade would be bad...

My friend got pulled over once and a cop searched me and him and I made sure to tell the cop that on my keychain was a small AAA flashlight, so he wouldn't freak out. That could be a bad time to have a light or something on you and have it be mistaken for something else.

I once broke a rib because I had a MiniMag in my jacket chest pocket.

On a camping trip with a large group several years ago, I saw a teenager violently slapping a young girl in the face. I told him to stop and his response was to swing again, thinking since he was taller than me, I wouldn't or couldn't do anything. I blocked his swing and had to take him down to the ground hard when he decided to fight me, and in taking him down I hit the ground myself on my chest & stomach. I had the Mag in my front pocket and it pressed into my own ribs hard enough to break one. It took two months to heal.

The other guy got up much more slowly, but not seriously hurt. Important thing, he never hit the little girl again.

Maybe a girl would think that it's not a light in your pocket but you are happy to see her.

A large flashlight in your front pants pocket might be detrimental to a future relationship when greeting/chatting with a female friend for the first time.

Well, there's the story about the burglar who had a Mini mag in his mouth. An armed security guard fired at the light and put a bullet right down the barrel of the flashlight, pushing the spring and batteries through the burglar's neck, killing him. That might be bad.

Phaserburn said:

A large flashlight in your front pants pocket might be detrimental to a future relationship when greeting/chatting with a female friend for the first time.

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Or speed things up

Lightraven said:

Well, there's the story about the burglar who had a Mini mag in his mouth. An armed security guard fired at the light and put a bullet right down the barrel of the flashlight, pushing the spring and batteries through the burglar's neck, killing him. That might be bad.

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The flashlight really doesn't matter in this case. If the burglar didn't have a flashlight in his mouth, he still would have been on the wrong side of a bullet...

MayCooper said:

The flashlight really doesn't matter in this case. If the burglar didn't have a flashlight in his mouth, he still would have been on the wrong side of a bullet...

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I think the point is that having the flashlight in his mouth enabled the security guard to aim accurately...

Yup, unlike web fantasies, in the real world that could very well be a bad situation that could result in both civil and criminal liabilities.

But I have to ask ... If the spring and batteries had not been in the way and it was the bullet (with accompanying shock wave) that went through the intruder's neck, would the wound have been any less lethal? :lolsign:

Lightraven said:

Well, there's the story about the burglar who had a Mini mag in his mouth. An armed security guard fired at the light and put a bullet right down the barrel of the flashlight, pushing the spring and batteries through the burglar's neck, killing him. That might be bad.

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No need to debate that example in this thread. If it must be discussed perhaps its own thread would be better so this one can stay on topic.