# And then I pulled out my flashlight stories...



## Manzerick (Mar 8, 2006)

It all started at a co-works going away party... 10-15 people in a room built for 6, waiting for the unsuspecting departing co-worker to surprise him for a go away party, cake and all. (Mind you CPF’er Sixpointone was walking outside with this co-worker distracting him. He missed the whole display)

Then...lights go out..poof...


I respond with my E1L and the look of awe was priceless.... followed by "Why do you have a flashlight"... 

Granted not interesting in a light respect but.... does anyone have a good "then I pulled out my light to everyone's amazement" story?


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## Manzerick (Mar 8, 2006)

BTW - after this post my membership in the geek club is now solidified


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## cratz2 (Mar 8, 2006)

Manzerick said:


> ... does anyone have a good "then I pulled out my light to everyone's amazement" story?



Yup... but they aren't G-rated so...


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## Manzerick (Mar 8, 2006)

LOL


I can only imagine


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## Lunal_Tic (Mar 8, 2006)

I'd rather _not _ imagine. 

-LT


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## cratz2 (Mar 9, 2006)

Yeah... _definately_ don't try and imagine!





I've impressed a couple people on occasion. I remember my father in law giving me a hard time about carrying a flashlight/being fixated on flashlights until... we were walking in his cabin to which we had added an octagonal entrance that's 16x16 feet or so in the dark... So... there we are... No power... no ambient light (since we're 16 feet from the new entrance... How exactly do you expect to find the keyhole in complete darkness?

Out comes my Streamlight TL-3!

No more problem.

He hasn't said anything else about me carrying a flashlight since.


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## Nyctophiliac (Mar 10, 2006)

A lot of people,colleagues and friends take the mickey out of me for carrying torches so much. But they also come to me and borrow some for work or home or holiday use. They are mostly converted to me carrying them as a good idea.


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## AuroraLite (Mar 10, 2006)

Not too long ago I flew to a remote part of the country, and was having a meeting with a small room full of people.

It was getting dark out, and right in the middle of the meeting, all the lights went out. My colleagues who knew me well asked me for my flashlight... :candle: 

Then I pulled out my SF A2, and turned on its first level of led lights(not wanted to appeal to be a show-off). Few marvelled at the fact that this flashlight was life-saver, and we should be able to navigate ourselves out, while the others complained about the low level of light which would not be sufficient to conduct the meeting...that was when I decided to turn it up to the second level of 70+ lumens of incan light. :devil: 

The room was filled with photon bouncing off the ceiling, and the 'wuu' and 'ahh'. The meeting continued for another 20-30 minutes, and I was one happy flashaholic that day.


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## Manzerick (Sep 13, 2006)

I just switched jobs and work ina small windowless office now (40 x 40 room est) and the lights went out!

4 people are yelling "ohh no, the emergence lights arn't on!!!"


Then Manzerick pulls out my green Night com(since sold on BST), ARC and Q-3... everyone cheered!!!!


A new respect for my collection is had by all :O)


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## EricMack (Sep 13, 2006)

I posted this elsewhere, but I think its funny enough to go here...

OK, some of you guys *might* identify with and get a kick out of this, it happened to me on a Satuday night while attending the wedding of one of my wife's friends. To start out, I had thought I was pretty smart when I ordered my wife an ORB Raw NS, with 3 pink trits, intending to give it to her for Valentine's Day. Sure, it was delivered way late, but that didn't seem to bother her, and she didn't make fun of me or anything....until at the wedding!

OK, to set the stage, we are at the reception. Seated at a table with about 12 people - 3 of us guys, the rest gals, and all of us married, and now on about the 2nd or third glass of wine. Out of nowhere, my wife whips out her keys with the ORB, and makes fun of me by saying "look what dorky gift my dear husband gave me for V-Day!" Well, this is not good



Thankfully, the blow is lessened by the replies of the wives of the other two, one of whom says "at least you got something, I got stiffed last year" and the wife of the third guy who says "hey, that light's pretty neat, Steve got me an alarm clock!" So, luckily I don't end up the dorkiest one, right? Yeah, the whole thing surprised me as my wife doesn't normally gig me in public like that.

*Well.......Revenge is sweeeeet!!*





15 minutes later all of us at the table are now near the dance floor, waiting for the bride and groom to do their thing so we can then dance. Its real dark. Horrors!! Everyone is watching, and the groom can't see to hook up her dress in the back with those little clips!! Panic is starting to set in, he's sweating, the bride is annoyed. Relax, Daddy Mack is here, and I whip out the ORB, flick it on, and light up her backside






so the groom can get her hooked up!! Major relief for the couple, and the bride turns around and gives me a big smooch to thank me for being so resourceful. I tell you guys, my wife and all her friends were right there watching, and she just wanted to die. All the girls are now saying to me things like "gee, that sure comes in handy" and stuff like that





The wife, of course, wanted to kill me. I just smiled



content knowing I had just enjoyed one of those rare moments in a marriage when I just completely owned my wife, and she knew it.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this, Thanks, Manzy! :laughing:


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## IsaacHayes (Sep 13, 2006)

great stories! got me grinning!


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## mchlwise (Sep 13, 2006)

Haven't had any lifesaving or really cool experiences yet. I've handed my Arc AAA or now my Fenix E1 to people a couple of times who needed some light, and always got a "Thanks!" and admiring looks, but never any comments, really. 

Honestly, I've appreciated having my lights with me much more than anyone else has. They've saved me many a time around the house, where I don't go anywhere without my JetBeam after the sun goes down. 

It comes in handy with a baby in the house, too. It's dark, he's trying to go to sleep but fussy; not sure if he needs a new diaper, and don't want to turn on the room light. I pull out the JetBeam and take a peek. :duck: NOPE! He's clean!


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## Manzerick (Sep 13, 2006)

HAHAHAHA

Now that's a good story!!! :O)


I had to read it twice. At first I assumed you were the groom LOL



EricMack said:


> I posted this elsewhere, but I think its funny enough to go here...
> 
> OK, some of you guys *might* identify with and get a kick out of this, it happened to me on a Satuday night while attending the wedding of one of my wife's friends. To start out, I had thought I was pretty smart when I ordered my wife an ORB Raw NS, with 3 pink trits, intending to give it to her for Valentine's Day. Sure, it was delivered way late, but that didn't seem to bother her, and she didn't make fun of me or anything....until at the wedding!
> 
> ...


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## TORCH_BOY (Sep 13, 2006)

I was in a train travelling through the underground tunnel, suddenly the lights in the carriage went out, total darkness at that time I was carrying a Longbow ECO. Pulled it out and fired it up, it was amazing there were comments like where did you score that from, Geee its bright, I want one. Must have converted at least a dozen or more people to carry lights.


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## TigerhawkT3 (Sep 13, 2006)

That is a totally awesome story, Mack! It's definitely my favorite so far; it made me smile.

Although I must admit, I'm not entirely (okay, at all) clear about the deal with the hooks and the clips (on the dress). What was all that about?


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## Manzerick (Sep 13, 2006)

It's funny how many unenlightened get turned on to torches by the "right place at the right time" situations.


Do they not understand there is darkeness eveynight????? :tinfoil: LOL




TORCH_BOY said:


> I was in a train travelling through the underground tunnel, suddenly the lights in the carriage went out, total darkness at that time I was carrying a Longbow ECO. Pulled it out and fired it up, it was amazing there were comments like where did you score that from, Geee its bright, I want one. Must have converted at least a dozen or more people to carry lights.


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## Chucula (Sep 13, 2006)

My friends invited me geocaching (scavenger hunt using GPS) one time during the day, and i liked it but wanted to try night time with my flashlights. When we went, thye had brought their 2d everyready lights and i had packed my p1, e2e, and M6. First thing they see is the e2e. its bright, but they have seen it before. About 10 minutes later, i whip out the P1. i shine it in the trees and they laugh. I dont know why. I show them the light and they think its really neat.
About an hour later, we are in a neighborhood and looking down a long street. "Perfect," I think. I pull out the e2e, shine it down, and see nothing. P1 was being examined by a friend, so I raise up the m6 i have been holding and begin rotating the tail. "watch this guys..." i said.

"OH SH!T" was what 1st guy said
"uhhhhh" was what 2nd guy said
"hahahahha" was what 3rd guy said

the rest of the night we joked about the self defense application of strike bezels. I had fun


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## not2bright (Sep 13, 2006)

Well I thought I would be the only one with a "Wedding Flashlight Story" but I see EricMack beat me to it...

My wife and I were attending the wedding of two of her co-workers (teacher and secretary). We hitched a ride to the wedding with two other couples with all six of us dressed in standard wedding attire (suits and dresses).

While getting dressed I thought, Do I really need to bring something other than the PT Eclipse2 on my key chain to a daytime wedding? No, probably not, but wait the reception will go well in to the night. Enter the Fenix L1P loaded up with a freshly charged Sanyo 2500 and riding in a nice and slim Inova X1 sheath for a discrete yet respectable light.

The six of us arrive at the church with the women all having to use "powder room" upon arrival. The very old church had a bathroom sign that pointed downstairs in what I would guess to be the basement. As we started down the steps everyone quickly realized it was dark, very dark, and no sign of a light switch. Everyone was like what the F?, no light what so ever and no sight of the bathrooms.

The leader of our group began to turn around mid-way down the spiral steps, believing that with out electricity down there the bathroom thing is hopeless. As he is trying to double back in this narrow stairway with five others behind him, *reverse-click*, and then there was light. This was followed up by some not so church appropriate comments from the group like, "Where the F is that light coming from?", "Who the hell carries a light to a wedding?", and "I can't F'ing believe you have a light on you, but I am glad you do!" After the sudden shock was over, I casually hand the Fenix over to the "leader" for us to follow. 

[rant] It's funny how people are generally surprised when situations arise where a flashlight is needed and someone actually has one. That level of surprise seems to be directly proportional to how formal the event is. The wedding situation seemed to be a 2X multiplier of this surprise factor. [/rant]

We discover that the power must be shut off as the none of the light switches functioned anywhere downstairs. The Fenix gets alternated between the women's and men's rooms with the L1P doing it's nifty tail stand on the vanity top. As our group of six is finishing up, others are finding their way to the light and begin forming a line. As the last of our group is washing his hands someone enters the bathroom and begins using the facility by the ceiling reflected light. As the last of the party is finishing up washing he asks me "What do you want me to do with the light?" Knowing that even though we are in a church, there is little chance that my L1P would ever get back to me if left down there. I said "grab it when you walk out." :naughty:

He does and some poor unenlightened fellow was left urinating in a stall in complete darkness yelling "Hey, hey, heyyyyyyyyy!".

Being prepared or knowing someone who is prepared can go a long way toward pee-free shoes. 

BTW, a light that is water proof is necessary in these situations as my L1P got a good washing of it's own after being used by the bathroom crowd. And yes everyone was loving the output to size ratio of the L1P.


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## EricMack (Sep 13, 2006)

TigerhawkT3 said:


> Although I must admit, I'm not entirely (okay, at all) clear about the deal with the hooks and the clips (on the dress). What was all that about?


 
Tiger, you ever seen a bride come down the aisle, and her dress trails behind her for like 10 feet? Well, I guess on some dresses this can be rolled up and then clipped/hooked right onto the brides back, so she can walk around, dance, etc. 

Our fairer CPFr's would refer to this as the dress' train, but the guys in my wedding party referred to it as the noose...:laughing:


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## Diesel_Bomber (Sep 14, 2006)

I've got a couple, one I know I've related already, the other I think I have.

The first was while I was having some dental work done and all the lights go out. The dentist is swearing as he can't see a darned thing anymore. I tell the nurse to grab the light from my side pocket. She does and the dentist was able to continue his work. Everyone was happy.

The second was when I took a good friend to the emergency room and just when the doctor was stitching up her wound, the lights went out. Out comes the EDC, all is well.


I really don't understand the whole unprepared concept. When my preparedness saves someone's *** everyone's happy, but lots of people insult me because I carry a light, a knife, a lighter(I don't smoke), a multi-tool, etc. It really seems like people are proud that they're so helpless.

Idiots.


:buddies:

P.S. Sorry for the rant and thread hijack.


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## TigerhawkT3 (Sep 14, 2006)

EricMack said:


> Tiger, you ever seen a bride come down the aisle, and her dress trails behind her for like 10 feet? Well, I guess on some dresses this can be rolled up and then clipped/hooked right onto the brides back, so she can walk around, dance, etc.
> 
> Our fairer CPFr's would refer to this as the dress' train, but the guys in my wedding party referred to it as the noose...:laughing:


Oh... Ah ha...

"For 'tis from the Light that Light will dawn."

(That's what I say sometimes when the proverbial light bulb goes on in my head. It also seems appropriate for CPF.)

I hear you, DB. "Better to have and not need," that sort of thing. Even my dad (anti-knife, anti-gun, etc., very liberal) asked me to use my knife to help him open some plastic straps on a package he got today.


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## Casual Flashlight User (Sep 14, 2006)

> I really don't understand the whole unprepared concept. When my preparedness saves someone's *** everyone's happy, but lots of people insult me because I carry a light, a knife, a lighter(I don't smoke), a multi-tool, etc. It really seems like people are proud that they're so helpless.
> 
> Idiots


 
So true DB - I was once accused of being part of the "knife culture" for revealing that I allways carried a S.A.K. by some **** on a political forum and quizzed as to why I needed to carry a "weapon" if I was a peacful, law abiding citizen - Then, to add insult to injury I was later asked if I was a "survivalist" when I commented that I also carried a flashlight.






Some people display unbelievable levels of ignorance when confronted with a self reliant/preparedness mentality...sucks to be them I suppose.


CFU


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## chrwe (Sep 14, 2006)

Manzerick said:


> Do they not understand there is darkeness eveynight?????



Never underestimate the power of denial...


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## socom1970 (Sep 14, 2006)

I was in a employee meeting in a rather dark(poorly lit) room at work about 6 months ago. We were paying attention to the speaker who had been speaking as she walked up onto a small stage that was at the front of the room. The technician people in the back were supposed to light her up with a small spotlight, but they could not get it or any others to work and she was getting a little visibly frustrated. It was at that point that I pulled out my Surefire 9P with P91 HOLA from my belt pouch and LIT HER UP with a blast of 200 beautiful white lumens. Her response was "WOW, that's a bright light!" and I heard comments all around me..., "Holy Sh*t!, WOW!, Dammmnnn!!, Yikes!" and other choice expletives. After a few minutes, she finished her presentation and we took a break while the techs worked on the faulty lights. It made my day to be sure. I love being a flashaholic!!!


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## Planterz (Sep 14, 2006)

Manzerick said:


> I respond with my E1L and the look of awe was priceless.... followed by "Why do you have a flashlight"...


Typical, common, yet completely baffling response. Same with knives. Pull out a knife to cut something that needs to be cut, and some idjit says "why do you have a knife?" If company is familiar, I'll be crass, look at what I'm cutting or shining at, look back, and say "take a wild @#$%ing guess.", but in unfamiliar or public company, I'll probably just remain silent. I find it hard to be a sarcastic smartass with strangers, must have been my upbringing. That, and I don't want to appear hostile and give other knife knuts or flashaholics a bad name.


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## wasBlinded (Sep 14, 2006)

When people feel like they look foolish because they are less prepared than the guy next to them, they have a need to cut them down to their level. Their insecurity requires them to insult you in some fashion - thats why you get bizarre comments when you pull out a light or knife to save the day. Best thing to do is look at them with pity.


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## Gern Blanston (Sep 14, 2006)

Ok, let me say that I realize that I shouldn’t have done this immediately after I did it. I had just gotten my 500 lumen Surefire 12PM, and I was outside my parent’s house at night showing my dad the power of this light. A helicopter was flying low overhead and, not expecting my Surefire to come anywhere close to the chopper, I pointed it at the helicopter: to my surprise, my 12PM lit it up! I immediately switched it off, and the helicopter started banking back around. My dad and I went in the garage and turned to see the driveway bathed in light from the chopper’s spotlight.

Nothing else came of it, but I’m very careful where I point these things now. If I ever need to be rescued, I’m confident that my light could get someone’s attention. Those people on “Lost” would probably have been off of that island by now if one of them had a Surefire: the flashlight would have probably survived the crash.  

I’m now waiting on a backordered 10x Dominator. Whee!


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## Manzerick (Sep 14, 2006)

That's the code from a LEO for a ghetto bird to light up an area (In LA fo' sure)

You're one luck boy!! 




Gern Blanston said:


> Ok, let me say that I realize that I shouldn’t have done this immediately after I did it. I had just gotten my 500 lumen Surefire 12PM, and I was outside my parent’s house at night showing my dad the power of this light. A helicopter was flying low overhead and, not expecting my Surefire to come anywhere close to the chopper, I pointed it at the helicopter: to my surprise, my 12PM lit it up! I immediately switched it off, and the helicopter started banking back around. My dad and I went in the garage and turned to see the driveway bathed in light from the chopper’s spotlight.
> 
> Nothing else came of it, but I’m very careful where I point these things now. If I ever need to be rescued, I’m confident that my light could get someone’s attention. Those people on “Lost” would probably have been off of that island by now if one of them had a Surefire: the flashlight would have probably survived the crash.
> 
> I’m now waiting on a backordered 10x Dominator. Whee!


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## Gern Blanston (Sep 14, 2006)

Yep! The PD is 1/2 mile from their house: I can't believe that a patrol car didn't show up. Whew!


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## Blazer (Sep 14, 2006)

Usually when someone says, "Why do you carry a flashlight?" to be polite I just tell them I was a boy scout and learned to always be prepared. That usually suffices, if not then the more creative responses, some of which were posted above, get said.

:thumbsup:


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## zespectre (Sep 14, 2006)

I think my best story is found in this thread...
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/94997
LED lights and Corn Mazes


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## wmirag (Sep 14, 2006)

I was at a skating rink with my two little girls at about 6PM in the dead of winter - so it's really dark outside and really windy too.

I normally carry only one small EDC but I had noticed this place had basically no emergency lighting contrary to codes and common sense.

You guessed it, the light flicked a few times and this giant room goes pitch black. The one emergency light was so dim and so far away that it looked like a candle. A hundred or more kids started screaming and panicking, my own included.

I ran to the ice by the light of my Arc LS and then I lit up the ice with my G2/P61. The kids flocked to the entrance and one of the instructors borrowed my G2 to get the stragglers. In the dressing room, my kids held the Arc for their pals to get dressed by.

Definitely a high point in THIS flashaholic's life. I submitted the story to Surfire but they never published it; they probably didn't like the Arc part!

W.


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## thk (Sep 14, 2006)

I was invited to a house/apartment warming party one evening. Having purchased my first flashlight to EDC and it being my first ever high dollar flashlight (Surefire U2), I brought it along. Wasn't too difficult since I was wearing cargo shorts and had plenty of pockets.

Now, the event was supposed to take place on the rooftop since it's ginormous with a great view and BBQ up there. As I'm taking a tour of the apartment with the hostess of the party, someone comes into the apartment to ask her if she has a flashlight. It seems that they weren't too prepared in regards to the BBQ. They forgot to set up lights up on the rooftop. Kind of hard to see if the meat is cooking/cooked properly in the dark.

Now, it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone here but of course there wasn't a flashlight to be found in the whole apartment complex.  So I mention that I do have a flashlight. They thought I meant I had it in my car or something because the first response was, "Can you go and get it?" I just replied that I had it on me and I pull it out of my pocket. "Why do you carry a flashlight?" she asked. My reply to that was, "You never know when you might need it? Sort of like ... now?"

Head on to the roof to see a bunch of people by the grill trying to cook with their cell phone "flashes". Suffice it to say, the U2 saved the evening by illuminating the grill.

What was more sad was when they were trying to check to see if the meat was cooked by prying and tearing at it with chopsticks (they were making Korean BBQ). At that point, I just pulled out a Benchmade 707 and cut into the meat. The same female asks, "Why do you carry around a knife?" and all I could do was shake my head while everyone else was impressed by the fact that I was prepared.


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## TigerhawkT3 (Sep 14, 2006)

thk, it's too bad that nobody needed their glasses adjusted. You could have saved the day a third time by pulling out a Leatherman (assuming you carry one, of course - you sound like a prepared kind of person). If someone had asked "Why do you carry around a Leatherman ["tool thingy" would be the more likely description...]?", what would you have said then? :laughing:

I actually have my own "And then I pulled out my" story. A few minutes ago, I came back from a "Social" meant to increase awareness of the internship program I'm involved in. I stayed afterwards to help with the cleanup, and one of the event coordinators (a very nice lady, actually) mentioned that we'd need to cut loose some balloons, and started walking off talking about scissors. I said that I had a knife, if that would do, and I went around cutting the balloons free. It was very satisfying, as I don't get nearly as many chances to use my knife as I'd like.


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## Wrangler (Sep 15, 2006)

It was about 2 weeks ago when I had to visit a client in a high-flats in Switzerland at ~ 02:00 PM.
When I left his office in 5th floor and went to the elevator I found it out of order. An elderly couple was at the staircase already looking for the light switch as there was no window and it was pitch black dark and the lights did not work.
I pulled out my (modded) Q3 and lit the way. (I`ve also a P1 on my key ring.) The couple asked me why the hell I had a flashlight with me at daytime? And I answered: For moments like this, perhaps?!
When I left them at the exit I could hear them debating about that crazy guy carrying a flashlight at daytime and they still could not understand that!


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## benp1 (Sep 15, 2006)

These are my favourite threads. WE NEED MORE LIKE THIS!!!


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## zespectre (Sep 15, 2006)

Wrangler said:


> It was about 2 weeks ago when I had to visit a client in a high-flats in Switzerland at ~ 02:00 PM.
> When I left his office in 5th floor and went to the elevator I found it out of order. An elderly couple was at the staircase already looking for the light switch as there was no window and it was pitch black dark and the lights did not work.
> I pulled out my (modded) Q3 and lit the way. (I`ve also a P1 on my key ring.) The couple asked me why the hell I had a flashlight with me at daytime? And I answered: For moments like this, perhaps?!
> When I left them at the exit I could hear them debating about that crazy guy carrying a flashlight at daytime and they still could not understand that!


 
Yeah, I always love when you help someone out and then they look at you like you are crazy. 

I was at a park one time and I see this guy standing by his car with his girlfriend giving him grief. Turns out he had locked his keys in his car but there was one window slightly ajar. 

I had enough bits n pieces in my jeep that I was able to make a hook out of wire and duct tape and reach in and unlock the door. I had just opened the door and grabbed his keys off the seat when he looks at the tools in my jeep and then at me and in this really snide voice says "man why the heck do you have all that junk in your car"? 

Made me so mad I threw his keys back on the seat and slammed the re-locked door shut again and walked away.

Oh well, at least I haven't left someone in the dark before <grin>.


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## Casual Flashlight User (Sep 15, 2006)

> Made me so mad I threw his keys back on the seat and slammed the re-locked door shut again and walked away.


 
Zespectre...you rock!






CFU


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## Diesel_Bomber (Sep 15, 2006)

Casual Flashlight User said:


> Zespectre...you rock!



:rock: :rock: :rock:


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## TigerhawkT3 (Sep 15, 2006)

You do rock, but do you think he "got it," even after that? He was probably wondering what happened. Sometimes it takes a lot of careful explaining to get this sort of thing through people's heads.

Even if he didn't understand it, though, it was a pretty rude thing for him to say  , especially when you just saved him!


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## Manzerick (Sep 30, 2006)

I'm wicked sensitive to people calling my stuff "junk"

Just makes my skin crawl


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## Grox (Sep 30, 2006)

Some people need to learn manners...

Way to go zespectre.


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## garageguy (Sep 30, 2006)

Awhile back the family and I went to visit some local Indian caverns. While sitting in the parking lot I made sure I had everything needed including my L1P. My wife saw me and asked why I needed to bring the light. I said "I'm not taking my family 150ft underground relying on the caverns AC lights and the guides cheap flashlight."

Standing outside the cavern entrance waiting for the group to form up I saw that the guide had a 3D incan Mag. The way she checked the batteries was look directly into the light with her hand cupped around the head. After seeing that I knew her batteries were weak.

Inside the caverns there are a few AC lights, but still alot of dark areas. At one point in the tour she was trying to point out some sponge fossils with her weak sickly yellow beam. My daughter(she loves fossils) said "Daddy I can't see it." Then I pulled out my L1P and lit it up for her. My wife gave me a nice smile then, like I had come through for our kids. I got a few strange looks from the others in the group. Then a few minutes later the guide was trying to show us an off limits gated shaft of what the cavern originally looked like. Her light was useless. A guy from the group said "hey can you shine that flashlight thing of yours down there for us." It then became my unofficial job to light the points of interest for the remainder of the tour. I heard a few comments "that's a bright little flashlight", "how handy", and of course "why did he have that anyway?" 

After the tour I suggested to the guide that she might want to talk to her boss about getting some new flashlights, or atleast fresh batteries. We paid for tour and if not for my L1P our kids, and others would of missed out on a lot of the neat stuff.


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## hyperloop (Aug 14, 2008)

Compared to the stories i have read here, this is going to be relatively minor but here goes anyway. 

I live in singapore and trust me, it has been a flashaholics version of hell, no B&M places, no local suppliers, all we can get are stock mags with stock LED dropins, some surefires (at highly inflated prices), some pelicans, maybe a streamlight or so its only been in the past year or so that some improvement has become apparent with Fenix and Jetbeams coming in, but overall, its still bad and i am sooooooo envious of you guys where its so much easier to get lights, parts, mods and batteries (do you know that majority of people here refer to CR123s as "that small weird EXPENSIVE battery?").

Anyway, my 1st light would be the Ultrafire C3 (single mode) with the 2 x AA extension tube though i carried it in 1 x AA configuration as an EDC. So there i am in a club, having drinks with my friends and while going through my pockets looking for something, i place the light on the table and reactions are, you guessed it, "what the heck are you doing carrying a torch?? you afraid of the dark or something?"

To which i just reply, "well, you never know" and put it all back in my pocket. So i'm talking with this girl we all got to know, and some of them (perhaps wanting to sorta show her im a nerdy geek or something) tell her, "oh do you know he carries a torch with him?? how weird is that"

Well, that tired cliche he who laughs last, came home to roost when her diamond stud earring dropped in a dark club and who did she come running to?? ME!!

One of the guys wanted to borrow my light to go help her and wasnt too happy when i refused with an "i'm afraid of the dark y'know, so this light NEVER leaves my side"

So end of that night, got her number, potentially converted her too as she was pretty impressed with the level of preparedness. 

Now i have an E01 on my keychain, a 1st gen Jetbeam (it says 'Digital Light Jet I, that's the very 1st Jetbeam right??) in my EDC bag (Samsonite) along with some other odds and ends. The C3 sits at home in 2 x AA configuration as a backup and the 3D Mag is under the bed for security reasons. (singapore is a gun free country)

(would love to carry a knife but local legislation precludes that, as it is i am already having to think thrice about putting a 3D 3W LED Mag in my laptop bag or even my Gerber Suspension)

So flashaholics if coming to Singapore, please be aware that a knife on your keychain may get you in trouble here.

cheers and keep the stories coming!


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## duke12 (Aug 14, 2008)

great stories! got me grinning!


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## arjay (Aug 14, 2008)

Just tonight I was in our school auditorium assisting people to their seats, the place was well lit and I did not need to used my EDC light the entire night. After everyone was already seated me and the other assistants decided to stay in a dark room with no lights to chat while waiting for the show to end. While in the room I saw our coordinator trying to write down something, so I offered her my light an E2DL, I handed her the light after switching it on low (didn't want to blind her with the 120 lumens) she continued on writing and after she was done, this guy seated beside me grabbed it and started flashing it on everyones face so I grabbed it back. Then someone had a bright idea of using his cellphone's camera flash to blind everyone (Nokia N80), I warned him not to point it at me as he might regret it but he did'nt listen, so he went near me and pointed his camera phone at me and then *click* I blasted 120 lumens into his eyes and he went WHAT THE F***? while stepping back 6 steps. Everyone in the room including his Girlfriend was laughing at him as he did not take my warning seriously. Everyone had a good laugh and they commented on how bright the light was. I love being a flashaholic!!:twothumbs

I think he learned his lesson or atleast was seeing stars for a few minutes .


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## AardvarkSagus (Aug 14, 2008)

Man reading all these stories makes me really feel nekkid without my EX10 that I normally carry. I managed to accidentally walk out the door without it this morning and have been regretting it ever since. I'm almost expecting that the power will go out now today. It's happened before, but luckily that day I had my Pila GL2 with Cree drop-in on me then.


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## climberkid (Aug 14, 2008)

:thumbsup: arjay! great story


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## Juggernaut (Aug 14, 2008)

I was at a boy scout meeting one night and the kids wanted to go out to play football. Well it was already getting dark so by the time the game was half over night had set in. So I went to my car and took out my Eveready Captain 8F lantern. It’s light was significant enough for the game. Well anyways when I took it inside the scout master wanted to know were I found the old light. He said “Oh wow that’s a cool old light, I’ve never seen it around here before. Did you find it in the back room?” I told him it was mine, and I got it from my car. The next thing he said goes down as one of the dumbest things I have heard. He goes “are you sure it’s yours and you didn’t get it from the church? If you don’t mind leaving it in the kitchen when you go”. :green::sick2:I guess my scout master believed no 17 year old would carry such a light in his car. If the night hadn’t gone well enough, when I was leaving one of the boys lost their neck clip thingy. So I searched the grounds with the help of the scout master “and his dying 2D cheapo light” and a father and his 6 volt dolphin.


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## GarageBoy (Aug 15, 2008)

In HS Physics lab, we were determing Vf of LEDs by slowing turning down voltage til we couldnt see anything. Teacher told us to use a flashlight to write down notes by..
Being a wise crack, I yanked out my SF G2...and was told by the teacher "okay, that's overkill, put that away" and used his arc AAA


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## hyperloop (Aug 18, 2008)

teeny tiny story for me: was in the office today and a colleague's earring backing dropped underneath one of the desks, now that is a tiny piece of metal and the carpet sorta just sucked it in and there she was moaning about how she just got her diamond ear studs over the weekend. 

So i loaned her the E01 to look for it and she started crawling on her hands and knees looking for that tiny piece of platinum (or silver). Then she went on about how a brighter light might help (as there was ambient lighting from overhead fluorescent tubes) and out comes the 1 x 14500 Jetbeam on High!

Needless to say, the earring backing was found in no time and i may have gotten some converts! Though i did get weird looks and questions as to why i needed TWO lights.

They were pretty impressed with the E01 but not prepared to fork out SGD$20.00 for one (needless to say i didnt tell them that the Jetbeam cost me SGD$80+), am ordering some cheapo keychain lights from DX and handing them out for free to bait them into becoming addicts.


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## Kiwi_sg (Aug 18, 2008)

A time that comes to mind was many moons ago...I flew into Taiwan on the morning of a major earthquake in 1999 to cover the story as a news cameraman. The first stop was a 12-storey hotel in Taipei that had collapsed trapping many inside. I climbed up a buidling that had been directly beside the hotel to shoot down from the roof. While up there there was a large aftershock and everyone up on the roof decided it was better to get out. When we headed to the fire escape found that all lights were out. Even though this was daytime it was pitch dark inside the stairwell. Broke out my EDC light of the time (AA Mini maglite..I know better now) and gave it to some of the others to help them down the 10 floors or so. I lit up the rest with my Anton Bauer top light on my camera. Even during the day I always had my light on me and my camera, as you never know!
I'm a desk-jockey now so don't have as many reasons to carry a light on me all the time...but always have a couple in my bag. Just got back into buying some lights, Jet III-IBS, Fenix TK11, Fenix P2D, SF 6P LED


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## hyperloop (Aug 18, 2008)

Good story man!!! And a way more important occasion than mine!! Glad that everyone made it out safe!! I was on the 17th floor when aftershocks hit singapore, thankfully the lights stayed on when we were evacuating as i had none on me then (non flashaholic at tat time)


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## Bradlee (Aug 18, 2008)

Juggernaut said:


> The next thing he said goes down as one of the dumbest things I have heard. He goes “are you sure it’s yours and you didn’t get it from the church? If you don’t mind leaving it in the kitchen when you go”. :green::sick2:I guess my scout master believed no 17 year old would carry such a light in his car.


 
Wow, that is QUITE rediculous...just because he's not prepared... :shakehead


This past winter I was at a church play being held in one of the rooms at a local arena. Half way through the play the room plunged into darkness as the power went out (a transformer had blown up the road). Some of the kids had cheap plastic lights and were trying to read their lines off to the side of the room, but they weren't proving very effective. I offered my L1T using ceiling bounce to illuminate that section of the room and allow everyone to see what they were doing.

Some of the guys with pickup trucks were able to park outside with their headlights shining into the room for general illumination, however the narrator really needed a light to see his notes, so the L1T got passed along to him. 

Towards the end of the night when people were leaving, one of the older men requested I use my flashlight to help people find their coats since that area of the room was quite dark.

All in all it was a good night to be a flashaholic, but I realized the importance of a backup light, as I had only the one light and felt naked after giving it away.


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