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zenner22 · January 5, 2012, 01:03 PM

Here are some thoughts. When we are pie-ing a room with a flashlight, how is that not giving away your position when you have a flashlight? Guy in the dark sees you blinking your light on and off all the way to the room he is hiding in. He knows you're coming. He probably even heard footsteps or noise from the squeaky floor, or you kicking a child's toy left on the floor that your blinky flashlight didn't pick up. Then when you pie his room with your fancy flashlight, suppose you don't shine the light in his corner? Suppose he's in the other corner. Think he ain't gonna know what direction to shoot? Suppose you blind him with your flashlight - so what? He's the bad guy. He doesn't have to identify his target before he shoots. He can just blaze away with his eyes closed at room distance in the direction the light came from.

This is all assuming there is someone out to get you or willing to fight you for what you have. A more likely scenario is as soon as the burglar hears someone get out of bed and someone turns on the lights (or sees a blinky blinky light coming from the hallway) he'll get the heck out of there. Most don't want to die for a laptop or some extra oxy. But for the ones that do, that's why we have firearms, to fight if we have to.

I don't think there is a right answer here. But in my house at night I turn on the lights. I consider flashlights to use when power's out or if I have no other way to illuminate an area. Not saying I'm right, just what I do.

January 5, 2012, 01:03 PM	#75
zenner22 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2006 Posts: 229	Here are some thoughts. When we are pie-ing a room with a flashlight, how is that not giving away your position when you have a flashlight? Guy in the dark sees you blinking your light on and off all the way to the room he is hiding in. He knows you're coming. He probably even heard footsteps or noise from the squeaky floor, or you kicking a child's toy left on the floor that your blinky flashlight didn't pick up. Then when you pie his room with your fancy flashlight, suppose you don't shine the light in his corner? Suppose he's in the other corner. Think he ain't gonna know what direction to shoot? Suppose you blind him with your flashlight - so what? He's the bad guy. He doesn't have to identify his target before he shoots. He can just blaze away with his eyes closed at room distance in the direction the light came from. This is all assuming there is someone out to get you or willing to fight you for what you have. A more likely scenario is as soon as the burglar hears someone get out of bed and someone turns on the lights (or sees a blinky blinky light coming from the hallway) he'll get the heck out of there. Most don't want to die for a laptop or some extra oxy. But for the ones that do, that's why we have firearms, to fight if we have to. I don't think there is a right answer here. But in my house at night I turn on the lights. I consider flashlights to use when power's out or if I have no other way to illuminate an area. Not saying I'm right, just what I do.