Guarantee of return

We all have them; friends, colleagues, and family that borrow our lights. Which one in your inventory is the light you lend to someone who has a genuine need yet you just know that they aren't as motivated as they darn should be to return it. What do you do to guarantee its return?

I only lend them out with dead batteries.



(well, damn. I thought this was gonna be some hot stock tip).

My Legend 3D is powerful enough to be a decent working tool and large enough that when misplaced, it would be easier to find. I tell borrowers that, after sitting for prolonged periods, alkaline batteries leak a messy acidic fluid that would eat through garments and that they must be replaced periodically. The explanation works. The Legend has been borrowed 7 times in the last 6 months; returned within days each time.

I've trustingly lent books out to my dearest friends, only to be assured much later:
"No, that's my copy, I got it years ago !!"
( !!!??? )

Now, I make sure that they all sign and date a *library card*.
And I'll follow that policy for any lights I lend out, ( 'cepting the ones I actually want to be rid of).

I did lend my E2 out to a close friend. At the time, it was my one and only Surefire.
(But, hey, that's the kind of guy I am ... )
She's a City Girl, interested in designer labels and where her next cappuccino is coming from. Let's say that Outdoor Pursuits are not Sally's thing.

But her macho boyfriend decided to trek up to the base camp on Everest - 18,000 feet up the mountain. Without any fitness training, she decided to go with him: and she made it !! And she even made it back !!!!!

My instructions to her were: "if you get into any serious trouble, throw the E2 to safety first, then deal with the situation".

Seems reasonable to me. I didn't want to be upset.

lightlover

(Incidentally, I gave her a PT Attitude as back-up. She reported that even at base-camp, people were using Mag-lite's, 2-3D and 2 AA, with a few nondescript headlamps about. It really goes to show how the Word has to be spread around ... )

For loaning, it would be a MagLite AA or if they wanted something larger, one of the 2 or 3 2D's I could dig up. If they wanted one of my good lights, it would require leaving their DL. They wouldn't need to worry about driving somewhere, as my good lights don't go over 100 ft from my person. Of course, if it was a relative, the requirement would change. Their DL AND $20 deposit. TX

Legend LX as give-aways. No, I am not a rich person or anywhere close, but 20 bucks over a lifetime of friedndship is something that I can afford. What goes around, comes around, as they say.... I have also been giving these to my customers, with much appreciation... seems to work better than gift certificates

Since the other two guys in my department know I'm the guy with the bright light, I decided to avoid lending my nice ones by giving them both Legend LX's for Christmas!
)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>It really goes to show how the Word has to be spread around ... )<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Truer words have rarely been spoken. My nieghbor is a professional pilot. His main light? A Mag AA (with a red filter for in-flight chart-checking). An old red Photon blows the thing away! I simply had to gift him him an Arc AAA, and a red Photon II. I have since guilted him into buying more Arcs and his own E2. When I fired up my E2 for him, he was pretty embarrassed about his current lights. I can't believe we're trusting our lives to people who perform pre-flight checks with an AA Mag! I won't mention any names, Greg.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
I can't believe we're trusting our lives to people who perform pre-flight checks with an AA Mag!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's how one uses it...

I lend my family Pelicans
They use the 8NX about the house.
They understand to put the battery back on charge, and do!

There are people I'd lend my SureFires to, but then they do understand that I'd rather lend my girlfriend then a SureFire so they don't often ask. (Perhaps that's why I don't have a girlfriend?)

Al

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:
... family ... There are people I'd lend my SureFires to ...
Al

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mr Windler.
Can I ask you: did it occur to you to leave me your extensive SureFire collection to *look after* while you were away at SHOT ??
(I would also have accepted your SF123's to *look after*.)

Nope, it seems as if not. So, instead, they're at your home. Not unused though.

Your little brother is using the 10X as a hammer - he thinks that if you're so impressed with it, it must be at least as good as a Mag-Lite ......

lightlover


Ps - Aragorn !! Tut Tut - young people today ...

i say what do you what to see then illuminate it myself while saying "if ya dont quit your whining youll get no light at all". once a while back when i was a youth in scouts one of my fellow scouts tried to lift a keyring of $120 in photons simply to be mean. to bad for him i caught him sneaking away. 5 minutes later he regreted even looking at those lights

well im an assistant scoutmaster now and have matured some to be sure. however the troop still knows that if i catch you stealing my lights you're in peril; and if you break it before i catch you then once i catch up it'll take a swat team to pull me off your carcass( listen to me maybe im slightly exagerating)