Those bloody torches

[DogSquashed]

I went down to the river for a dog walk at dusk. No one else about, no other dogs, which I love. It was dark on the way back.

On my way back, walking towards street lamps and headlights, I see these penetrating lights coming towards me. I was thinking it can’t be a bus/lorry because the lights would not be angled in this direction. They were bigger than a car’s headlights.

It was two people walking along wearing a head torch each, strong enough to bring a bloody aircraft in to land. Honestly, there’d be no need for any other lights on the runway.
I had to move to another path and use my hand as a visor as they came nearer, the light was so strong.
Their dogs then came bounding up to mine so the lights were then beaming right into my face whilst they tried to call their feral dogs off.

Why does everything have to be bigger and better and completely over the top now? People have been taking dogs for a walk for hundreds of years without the aid of these powerful mobile floodlights people are weilding around on their heads these days.

I wanted to ask them: Why does your reason for wearing them - whatever the F that is, just because they’re THERE I think, or somebody gave them one for Christmas - trump the fact that I don’t want your light beamed into my face?

Rant over.

I know what you mean OP. I recently had to ask someone I know to turn their head torch off when I met them and they stopped to chat, I was blinded by the light.

Hi @Januaryiscoldandfrosty I mean I can understand them forgetting, but I’d be dooo apologetic for causing discomfort .. what are they for anyway?

So

Totally agree!!

I can barely drive at night due to headlights. It’s just crazy. My life is becoming so limited just due to this kind of crap. Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should…

Nothing is subtle or just enough anymore. Everything is too loud, bright, in your face now, including people.

Oh thank god it’s not just me! Have had to avoid certain routes going for a run in the morning over winter, to avoid being lasered by some plonker with one of these torches. They merrily carry on, able to see where they are going, completely oblivious to the fact they blind whichever unfortunate soul crosses their path! The worst kind of “I’m fine sod everyone else”.

hopefully will be less of an issue now the sun rises earlier…

People do it around our way when they're jogging at night, a few times they blinded me I thought I was about to get mugged

I can see how they might be useful for those living in very rural areas, walking around on farmland in the pitch dark, for example. But there's really no need for such dazzling lights in urban areas where you're bound to come across people who'll be affected by such intense brightness.

I mistakenly got one that was way too bright when I want it for DS in the dark. Any ideas where to find a head torch that can be dimmed to a reasonable level? If not, then I suspect that it your answer; the head torch as an item is what they want, but they only come with excessive lumins.

I agree, it's nerve wracking to have someone quickly approaching you but you can't see what's happening because of the blinding light.

I have to wear a head torch at night in town as the council have turned the streetlights down to save money and won't turn them up again, I've asked them and pointed out how risky it is for pedestrians but they can't afford it. I'm not risking tripping over a pothole or kerb (again) I'm afraid.
I miss orange street lights.

I get this when I drive to and from work in the dark with cyclists' lights - the flashing led ones are almost strobe-like, they're awful and so dazzling as to make them extremely dangerous to drive around, I eved up squinting just to pass by!

Fair enough wear one, but don’t shine it in someone’s face, because it seems as though lots of us hate that.

It’s just basic manners, I think.

Glad I’m not the only one, anyway. Thanks for responding 🙂

I cycle commute over a heath with a shared cycle / pedestrian path. The path is unlit and unless you have a very powerful light on your bike, unless a pedestrian is wearing something reflective the chances of seeing them are minimal. So many people walk in black clothes in the pitch black. I don’t know how they manage to stick to the path.

Silva does adjustable brightness and nearly all models have drop angle to prevent it blinding people you pass. We do a lot of mountaineering (or used to I guess) and it was very important not to blind each other on a glacier, unsurprisingly. It's not a trivial risk. People should really learn how to use them.

Try picking up dog poo in the dark. They are useful. Just because they didn’t exist before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get one. Assume you do the same with other tech?

Our dog doesn't like walking in the dark, consequently we rarely take her out at night. On the very rare occasion we do need to walk her after dark DH wears a head torch as the dog is much happier. He's used to wearing one at work, and doesn't shine it towards other peoples faces though.

I carry or wear a torch after dark on town and country streets, can't see a thing without them, can't see in the shadow of cars or street furniture, can't see broken paving, or dog shit, street lights only illuminate the road not the pavement

@Switcher i was hoping someone who knows a bit about them would come on.

The people who desperately need a head torch to see in the dark - leaving aside the fact that our eyes adjust to the dark, it’s a rare night when you can’t see anything - would you consider buying one with a swivel function, as described by @Switcher? Or is it all about You and what suits You best and bugger anyone else you might be blinding with your ridiculous, unnecessarily bright light?

I should probably say that the walk I’m talking about is really open: there’s no shadow from walls, etc. So it’s easy for the eyes to adjust.

what are they for anyway?

... To see in the dark? I agree there's no need for people to wear them if there's adequate lighting and people should be mindful of not blinding other people with their lights but it's nice to be able to see where you're stepping incase of uneven ground, bad mobility, people not picking up dog shit etc etc...

It's easy for your eyes to adjust. I don't think you have the right to comment on someone else's ability to see in the dark/how well they can see.

I would have shouted “aaah my eyes I’m blinded by the light” and dropped to my knees shielding my eyes in an overly dramatic way.

Don't take it to heart too much! I mean in the wider scheme of things, most people are considerate and nice IRL. Focus on the positives :-)