# Has anyone ever FOUND a flashlight?



## aginthelaw (Nov 2, 2016)

I guess it's because i notice things with my former training and experience, but i recently found 2 flashlights laying on the highway, 2 different times in the past week on my ride home. The first one was a keychain light using button cells but it was bright enough to get my attention while weaving in and out of traffic. I made a u-turn and parked and walked gingerly towards the highway. i picked it up and found it was halfway decent quality, with a metal case. no scratches, still intact, and even had a fairly sturdy tail clicky.

the other one i found was a dome light. why that was in the roadway is beyond me. it was about 2 inches in diameter,4 red led's, with a red diffusing cover. it might have been rigged as a bike light, as it was flashing when i found it.

couple months ago, i found a maglite minimag. it was in bad shape: no tail cap, no lens, reflector was fogged up, the bulb was intact. i doubt it will ever be in working condition again, unless i send it off to someone to chop it in half and make a single 14500 light out of it. at my old job, i went thru cars that were on their way to the trash heap. i found a brand new incan 3d maglite with 3 batteries in it. the batteries were corroded, but for some reason they were sealed in plastic. i don't know if the former owner stored it that way or what.

in some of the police cars i went thru, also going on the trash heap, i found sl-20 flashlights, mag chargers, strions and stingers, incan and led models! as well as a few other things that had to be tagged as evidence (who taught these guys to search a prisoner?)


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## firsttothescene (Nov 2, 2016)

A few years back I found a stream light stylus lit up in the middle of the street. It was demolished but still worked. So I took it in to a stream light dealer and he gave me a brand new one, no questions asked!


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## MAD777 (Nov 2, 2016)

I "found" one in my mailbox today! 
Does that count?


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## Poppy (Nov 2, 2016)

I once found a idk $6 single AA Rayovac lying in the street at an intersection.
It was pretty obvious that it had been through a motor vehicle torture test  it was all scratched up, a bit bent, and the lens was spider webbed. But it was still working, and so was the tail cap clicky switch.

I couldn't get the tail cap off and before the battery ran out, I tossed it. But I was impressed with the beating that this light must have taken and still kept ticking


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## Illum (Nov 2, 2016)

I've found several, mostly the 3AAA cluster LED types. 

Where I live the road is straight til you hit a bend. speed limit is 35 but people go 55 and then proceed to negotiate the 15mph bend with whatever brake pressure then can apply in a hurry. Once awhile when I ride my bicycle at night I find goodies either by the road or in the ditch alongside it. included but not limited to:
Flashlights
PVC fittings
cresent wrench
16" crowbar
spare tire [later retrieved by owner]
handtruck [later retrieved by owner]
Beer cans
Soda cans
5 gallon buckets
socks
hats
pieces of landscape wood
children's toys


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## bykfixer (Nov 3, 2016)

MAD777 said:


> I "found" one in my mailbox today!
> Does that count?



This....


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## aginthelaw (Nov 3, 2016)

just today i found a set of jumper cables at the end of a dirt road i was delivering to, in its own carrying case. i asked the guys at the shop if it looked familiar, they said no. they don't use them because their trucks have a port that you plug into, with the positive/negative clamps at one end of a cable and the plug for the truck at the other end. they told me to keep it. i tossed it in the trunk with a set of socket wrenches i found a few blocks away a month before. why cant i find a sealed bag of money dropped off an armored car?


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## aginthelaw (Nov 3, 2016)

firsttothescene said:


> A few years back I found a stream light stylus lit up in the middle of the street. It was demolished but still worked. So I took it in to a stream light dealer and he gave me a brand new one, no questions asked!


. 

wonder if i could do that with the maglite


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## firsttothescene (Nov 3, 2016)

aginthelaw said:


> .
> 
> wonder if i could do that with the maglite


I don't see why not.


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## parnass (Nov 4, 2016)

My wife found an incandescent D-cell Maglite w/batteries in the road and it worked OK. 

I found a beat up Maglite Solitaire (without the tail cap) in a parking lot.

I've found many more tools than flashlights. The most recent tool find was a like-new pitchfork.


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## StandardBattery (Nov 6, 2016)

MAD777 said:


> I "found" one in my mailbox today!
> Does that count?


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## ch4ins4w (Nov 7, 2016)

A few years ago, I found a cool looking, but cheap led flashlight in the bottom of a cattle guard in the pasture. I gave it to my son and he used it for a couple years. He lost it playing airsoft war with his friends. Two years later, we found it sitting on a rockpile in the middle of another pasture. So I found the same light twice.


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## aginthelaw (Nov 7, 2016)

MAD777 said:


> I "found" one in my mailbox today!
> Does that count?



Gotta use that one on my wife next time she questions me


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## kssmith (Nov 7, 2016)

aginthelaw said:


> Gotta use that one on my wife next time she questions me



lol I love it! Gotta follow up with:

" honey it's the strangest thing; they just keep coming! I can't get them to stop!"


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## aginthelaw (May 2, 2017)

I had a dream about finding a flashlight last night. Went to work today and lo and behold I found a 272 Lumen aa led minimag laying on the ground. It didn't work so i came home for lunch emptied it out, and put in a fresh batteries. Works fine. Has a chip on the bezel from getting dropped, other than that, it's going back to work. Not the one I dreamed about finding but it works for me


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## Arizona_Mike (May 2, 2017)

Found an OLIGHT I25 INFINITUM in parking lot. It was May or June 2012. I remember it because it was in the middle of the flashlight bomb spree in Phoenix: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/47747069/...ourts/t/flashlights-used-small-bombs-phoenix/ Don't think they ever caught the guy. The 3 bombs were all in large lights so I was not too afraid 

Mike


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## TMedina (May 2, 2017)

It's kind of cheating, but I found a Surefire M600 Scout weapon light just lying on the ground. Out in the middle of nowhere, with nary a soul in sight.

Granted, this was in the middle of LSA Anaconda in Iraq...

Word to the wise, use dummy cord to secure your weapon light to your rifle, on the off-chance the thumbscrew becomes loose.


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## Woods Walker (May 3, 2017)

Yes I found this one years ago on the trail.


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## idlplumb (May 3, 2017)

I found a streamlight led stinger DS laying in the road here in Los Angeles a few years ago. Still have that light and I love it! It had been ran over a few times and part of the body was bent where the tail cap screws in but not enough to keep it from screwing in properly.


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## Wrongway (May 3, 2017)

I found a large D cell Maglite in the toilets/washroom on a campsite. I handed it in at reception and checked when leaving. Luckily the owner had checked as a last resort and was given it back. Nice outcome.


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## basshed (May 3, 2017)

Only when cleaning out pit toilets.


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## Str8stroke (May 3, 2017)

Back in 1999, I found a Blue Mini Mag 2aa on the gravel ground in a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. I remember this because it was my birthday and I had gotten a "new" car. Well it was new to me, and it had A/C! I used that light in my gun safe for almost 20 years. Till a set of cheapo alkaleaks took its life. It served me well and was in great shape when I got it. Now, I use a Red Mini Mag AAA I found a few years back! 

On a side note: Kinda funny I own 100's of lights and I still use a hot wire for nostalgia reasons. I also keep a hot wire E2E with a Lumens factory drop in as my back up safelight.


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## Roger Sully (May 6, 2017)

aginthelaw said:


> Gotta use that one on my wife next time she questions me



Blame it on me. I'll accept responsibility !


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## Mundo472 (May 9, 2017)

I was at a fundraiser for a program for domestic violence survivors and found a maratac polished stainless on a table. Quite a coincidence as I'd brought mine. I then realized it had fallen out of my pocket. 
Some kind and ethical person found it on the floor and put it on a table.


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## aginthelaw (May 9, 2017)

Mundo472 said:


> I was at a fundraiser for a program for domestic violence survivors and found a maratac polished stainless on a table. Quite a coincidence as I'd brought mine. I then realized it had fallen out of my pocket.
> Some kind and ethical person found it on the floor and put it on a table.




Kind of what happened to me. The pin fell out of the band of the batman watch I was wearing and someone retrieved it and gave it to the master of ceremonies at an awards dinner I was at. Shortly after getting my award for professionalism in apprehending several carjacking suspects single-handedly, my captain announced to everyone " will the owner of a lost batman watch please step to the podium. We know who it belongs to, we just want to know if he has the nerve to claim it"


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## sgt253 (May 9, 2017)

aginthelaw said:


> Kind of what happened to me. The pin fell out of the band of the batman watch I was wearing and someone retrieved it and gave it to the master of ceremonies at an awards dinner I was at. Shortly after getting my award for professionalism in apprehending several carjacking suspects single-handedly, my captain announced to everyone " will the owner of a lost batman watch please step to the podium. We know who it belongs to, we just want to know if he has the nerve to claim it"






Wow! That takes nerves of steel! And stopping carjackers ain't easy either! LOL!!! Best.


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## KuroNekko (May 11, 2017)

Went hiking with my brother a while back and he spotted a beat up red 2AA Mini Maglite. He gave it to me but it wasn't working. In fact, the bulb was missing and I don't recall it having batteries in it. I cleaned it up and then got a Nite Ize LED kit with a tail clicky cap and brought it back to life. I then gave it to my girlfriend and she uses it as a nightstand flashlight. 

I recently also found a 2AA LED Mini Maglite at my work place bathroom. It was sitting on a toilet paper dispenser. I figured it belonged to our building maintenance man so I gave the flashlight to a cleaning lady familiar with him. Later in the day, I saw him talking to the cleaning lady when she pointed me out and told him I was the one who returned it. He thanked me and asked where I found it. Interestingly, it wasn't the first time I found something left on the TP dispenser. My work supervisor once left his iPhone there too. Looking at the lock screen photo of his kid in football uniform, I had a good guess who it belonged to so I returned it. It's always fun to give something back to someone with the unspoken understanding they forgot it while taking a dump.


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## Arizona_Mike (May 15, 2017)

aginthelaw said:


> Kind of what happened to me. The pin fell out of the band of the batman watch I was wearing and someone retrieved it and gave it to the master of ceremonies at an awards dinner I was at. Shortly after getting my award for professionalism in apprehending several carjacking suspects single-handedly, my captain announced to everyone " will the owner of a lost batman watch please step to the podium. We know who it belongs to, we just want to know if he has the nerve to claim it"


So did you claim it or not? 

Mike


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## aginthelaw (May 15, 2017)

Yeah I claimed it. One of the biggest cops on the stage had to claim his batman watch. Nobody cared about the action packed fun filled arrest after that...


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## Genzod (May 29, 2017)

Woods Walker said:


> Yes I found this one years ago on the trail.



I found a Black Diamond (4 LED/unregulated) headlamp a thru-hiker accidentally left behind in VA about 10 years ago. It was too late to chase down the guy who had already been long gone. I didn't need a headlamp, but my other half was lacking, so I gave it to her. 

God knows I've made my own contributions to the "virtual" _lost it on the AT_ "hiker box" to pay it back, haha. My precious _dip it in the creek to cool off_ bandanna, a bear bag rope and about a day's worth of food quietly rolled downhill while I wasn't looking. Almost lost my Radar cap crossing Fontana Dam, too.


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## glimmer (May 31, 2017)

I found the flashlight my chimneysweep left behind last fall! 
It's a bit dirty.....


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## sbslider (Jun 10, 2017)

I found a duracell 2xAAA penlight in the battery recycle bin at work. After a few minutes of pulling and shaking, I was able to remove the corroded batteries out. It did not seem worth salvaging, so it ended up back in the recycle bin. Better luck next time . . .


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## aginthelaw (Jun 10, 2017)

just found a dorcy cr123 light. saw it on the side of the road. i kept driving thinking someone tossed a lipstick. i kept driving until it bugged me enough to want to check it out. i had to drive over 3 1/2 miles to make a u-turn in a rural area. i came back to the spot and sure enough it was a light. i had a rcr123 on me from another light, swapped it out and it worked. there are no markings on the light, and i believe it probably wasn't made for rcr123's. i found ancient info on the light but still no definitive answers how many models of this was available. will post info later.

i don't know if this counts, but i found a foxfury light at a yard sale... to be continued


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## Grakken (Jun 21, 2017)

I found the body of a Coast dual color flashlight in the street. It was missing an end cap and the bulb. I sent it in for repair and a check for like 5 or 10 dollars and they sent me back a brand new one. Quite nice.


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## Philnosys (Jun 21, 2017)

Not sure this counts but it felt like I had just 'found' a brand new Lummi Raw NS still in the Jiffi bag from Mr Cheathem.... along with 2 batteries and charger!! I couldn't believe it when I came across it in an old sports bag I was just about to throw away! I must have received this torch about 8 years ago and put it in that bag and forgotten all about it!

still works beautifully. However, I will need to sell it somehow as times are tough


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## Borad (Jun 22, 2017)

I just found this thing but I was afraid to touch it. It was by the side of the road. Is this something that plugs into a car cigarette lighter? A bicycle light? The light was red.


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## wjv (Jun 23, 2017)

Nope. . 

But I did find a Cold Steel knife once.
And my dog found a $50 bill


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## KuroNekko (Oct 28, 2017)

*Accidental double-post to be deleted. TY.*


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## KuroNekko (Oct 28, 2017)

Borad said:


> I just found this thing but I was afraid to touch it. It was by the side of the road. Is this something that plugs into a car cigarette lighter? A bicycle light? The light was red.



Yeah, that's a bike light. It's one of those generic ones you can get from Gearbest for under $2. I have one just like it coming in the mail. They run on button batteries and usually attach to a rubber belt. The belt must have torn off or the light popped off. I've found a Trek bike light in similar condition before. I replaced the batteries in it to realize it was actually very bright for its minuscule size. I've attached it to my saddle bag with a velcro strap.


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## bykfixer (Oct 28, 2017)

While working in a closed lane of the interstate I found one of those $2 check out aisle multi LED numbers back in the summer. Looked like it had been run over, shuffled to the side of the road, then when somebody ran off the road they ran it over and tossed it back into traffic who ran it over, then it got scuffled onto the side of the road as a lawn mower was passing by... 
When I found it, it was pressed into soft dirt that had a tire track from my truck running it over.

I grabbed a screwdriver from my truck and carried it to the edge of the woods and buried it. 

RIP little flashlight.


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## vicv (Nov 23, 2017)

Just the other day I found a polystinger led in a ship which was being scrapped. Nice light. It's been painted but I scraped the paint off the lens and charged the 2015 manufacture battery on my hobby charger and it's a nice very bright light. 185 lumens my butt must be double that


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## JohnnyBravo (Nov 27, 2017)

Yes. 2. The first one was an incan Maglite 2D around 2004 just laying in a major intersection. And the last one was some kind of rechargeable Streamlight Stinger LED laying in the gutter by the sidewalk about 3 yrs ago.


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## aginthelaw (Sep 17, 2019)

found a broken fenix on the highway. my heart lit up when i saw it's dim light shining at me. I couldn't resist stopping in the fast lane and picking it up next to the divider. switch wires were hanging out, it was bent in half, and was still giving off light. so much for that. I felt it was my duty to recycle the battery and burying the rest in the electronics bin. would've been nice to see it in a holster on my hip.


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## Tuiflies (Sep 19, 2019)

Found a AAA Maratac last spring that spent the winter outside on my lawn under 3' of snow. Lit right up when I tried it.


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## Sambob (Sep 21, 2019)

kssmith said:


> lol I love it! Gotta follow up with:
> 
> " honey it's the strangest thing; they just keep coming! I can't get them to stop!"



Tried same thing on my wife she just handed me divorce paper's and said "will this help stop them?":mecry:
I


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## thermal guy (Sep 21, 2019)

Only my own that have been “misplaced “ for a month or two.


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## Burgess (Sep 21, 2019)

When I was a boy,
more than Half-a-Century ago,
the local _*Television Repair Man *_
(you kids will hafta' Google that term)
came to our home, and fixed our B&W Muntz.

After he left, we noticed he'd left behind his
yellow plastic 2-D cell flashlight !

YAYYYYY ! ! !
I rejoiced at our FREE BONUS !


But then we simply dropped it off at his shop
next time we were in town.


Edited to add a Photo !


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## Modernflame (Sep 21, 2019)

Burgess said:


> When I was a boy,
> more than Half-a-Century ago,
> the local _*Television Repair Man *_



Best post on this thread! Gone are the days of quality made items with local customer support. A very different time.


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## Nichia! (Sep 22, 2019)

Modernflame said:


> Best post on this thread! Gone are the days of quality made items with local customer support. A very different time.



Yes it is! 

And yes they are gone forever...................... I became emotional now!


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## WDR65 (Oct 2, 2019)

Found a silver 4d Mag led while kayak fishing an overflow canal near Harris lake. It was muddy but in good condition. I gave it to a friend. That's the only one I remember.


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## richbuff (Oct 3, 2019)

Almost 20 years ago, when I was facility manger of a residential behavioral health facility, I found a 3 D cell Mag light when I was cleaning up a room.


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## boo5ted (Oct 4, 2019)

I found a Thrunite Ti the other day I forgot I had. Does that count?


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## BeardedDude (Oct 27, 2019)

I have lost more than I have found so I'm still in the negative.


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