# Shining a bright flashlight into people's houses? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600 "2012-08-15T20:20:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/1 "2012-08-15T20:20:15Z")
Ummm…isn’t this illegal? Someone who shall remain nameless (can you guess, I posted about him/her before) got this new 500 lumen spotlight for camping. This person also drives around at night, for work. He told me it would be funny if he went around shining that light into people’s houses. As a prank. It would be funny, but I don’t think it would be very smart. I am trying to convince him that. What are your thoughts on this? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/2 "2012-08-15T20:22:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Private Nuisance: A private nuisance is an unreasonable interference and invasion of a person’s right to the use and enjoyment of his land. – [lexuniverse.com](http://www.lexuniverse.com/torts/india/Nuisance-Malicious-Prosecution.html) It is probably a civil not a criminal matter. It is, of course, a puerile stunt. Your friend is an emotional arrested individual, right? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/3 "2012-08-15T20:27:06Z")
Good way to get the crap beat out of you. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/4 "2012-08-15T20:27:27Z")
I fail to see the humor. He could end up in jail or worse. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/5 "2012-08-15T20:30:29Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > It would be funny No it would not. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/6 "2012-08-15T20:34:54Z")
Your “friend” is a sociopath. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/7 "2012-08-15T20:35:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > No it would not. Agreed. It’s stupid and childish. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/8 "2012-08-15T20:37:54Z")
The Coast Guard shined a bright light into our bedroom one night from their boat. Not sure what they were hoping to see. It sure was a surprise for us. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/9 "2012-08-15T20:42:12Z")
Is this the same jackass friend who delivers newspapers or whatever before dawn, and delights in honking his horn to wake up everyone since, after all, he’s up, so they should be too? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/10 "2012-08-15T20:45:54Z")
Why would this be funny? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/11 "2012-08-15T20:46:47Z")
It’s a completely dick thing to do and you BOTH know it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/12 "2012-08-15T20:50:35Z")
I don’t understand why, as an adult, you are still friends with a person with such an arrested development. The things you say he thinks are funny aren’t in the least and are very, very childish. ---
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/13 "2012-08-15T20:52:45Z")
Well, MOST pranks are kind of dickish. That wasn’t my question. I’m more concerned about the legality of this action. I’m trying to keep this friend out of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/14 "2012-08-15T20:54:43Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The Coast Guard shined a bright light into our bedroom one night from their boat. Not sure what they were hoping to see. It sure was a surprise for us. Years ago a helicopter did the same. I lived (at the time) near a prison, so I assumed it was related. Was very odd though. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/15 "2012-08-15T20:57:45Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Well, MOST pranks are kind of dickish. That wasn’t my question. I’m more concerned about the legality of this action. I’m trying to keep this friend out of trouble. So you’re OK with him being a dick, as long as its _legal_? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/16 "2012-08-15T21:12:54Z")
The probability of **Diamonds02** ’s “friend” and **Diamonds02** being different people is, in my estimation, pretty close to zero. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/17 "2012-08-15T21:55:06Z")
I think she might be inventing herself too. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/18 "2012-08-15T21:59:33Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Well, MOST pranks are kind of dickish. Most pranks are also done to friends, not strangers. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/19 "2012-08-15T22:00:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The probability of **Diamonds02** ’s “friend” and **Diamonds02** being different people is, in my estimation, pretty close to zero. > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I think she might be inventing herself too. Call me naive, but I just can’t believe that someone with a Master’s Degree would make things up on the internet… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600/20 "2012-08-15T22:03:31Z")
_Where have all the flowers gone…_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-a-bright-flashlight-into-peoples-houses/631600.md?page=2)