That's it, never again!

[Zermelo]

My immediate neighbours also like to leave upstairs lights on all evening, curtains open. One of them is also clearly a former guard at a WWII POW camp, judging by the power of his garden searchlight (it's on a timer, so it stays on for half an hour even if he's only been out for two minutes). Fortunately, the searchlight in the other neighbour's garden (motion activated) is broken at the moment (no, it wasn't me).

I think there is something in what you say - a lot of people do seem to be terrified of the dark.

[Elp]

Doesn't a security light actually give a neerdowell ideal illumination for them to carry out their task in hand?

[Zermelo]

16 minutes ago, Elp said:

Doesn't a security light actually give a neerdowell ideal illumination for them to carry out their task in hand?

That point has been made many times, but seldom seems to make any difference.

[Mr Spock]

I want to take my scope back in time to the 1970's power cuts 

[Elp]

7 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

That point has been made many times, but seldom seems to make any difference.

Is that why the lights get even brighter or they multiply?

[Zermelo]

There have been studies into the effects of lighting on local crime. While they were not all consistent I believe that overall, the effect of increased lighting was neutral at best.

The problem is the usual one, when trying to use reason against emotion: most people just feel happier having a lot of light (and in particular, broad-spectrum light). A bit like TB in badgers. [runs for cover]

[Franklin]

My back garden faces south, looking over a farmers field, which is good and I have about 180deg, east-south-west of unobstructed sky. BUT, the neighbour to my left has her garden lit up with solar powered fairy lights and the neighbours on the right light up their garden(at weekends) with what I can only assume is some kind of helicopter search light! Thankfully there is a high brick built out-house to my right which creates a black as coal shadow when their light is on and I've put up an L-shape of trellis with climbing plants to my left. So now I can observe in the shadow of the building but that position limits my views to a quadrant of sky approx, east-southeast-south. Still, much better than the balcony I had before.

[pointedstick]

On 14/04/2022 at 14:46, Pete Presland said:

You would think with the price of electricity currently (no pun intended), people with think twice about needlessly illuminating their gardens, trees, walls, drives, ect.......

Most people have no understanding of the relationship between consumption of utilities and their cost. They will overconsume and then complain about the price rather than reducing their consumption. You have to have a good pre-existing relationship with someone to have a fruitful conversation on this topic.

 

On 26/04/2022 at 06:46, cajen2 said:

I think with all this illumination, people are actually more scared of the dark than they used to be.

Of course, because their eyes never adapt to the dark! Looking out the window at night is like staring into the abyss.

[McQ]

I feel the pain. My backyard is my only respite from light, then a neighbor put up the equivalent of a streetlamp in their backyard and cut down the trees between us. 

[Carbon Brush]

A few years back we had a regular supply of unwated CD/DVD discs at work. You know how you get a disc with every monitor you buy.....

I gave more than passing thought to how I might erect these on the house at gutter height on adjustable fixings. Or maybe along a fence top.
The idea being to direct the light back. Every one of them pointing to the offending doorway - at eye level.
I would be ready to counter any arguments about dazzling and nuisance with 'it is only your own light I am sending back'.

Another time a stupid neighbour insisted on leaving an incorrectly set high power light on for hours.
I asked nicely. He said he needed it to get his horses in from the field.
Why it takes all night to move horses a couple of hundred yards is beyond me. Then again I don't know much about the animals. And they aren't in my garden.
When the pollution continued I went round one night with a bright LED torch. Shone it in his eyes and explained that is what he is doing to my garden.
I may as well have been discussing nuclear fusion mathematics for all the understanding he had.
He never spoke to me again. But it was no loss as the nice approach had failed. He has moved on now. The new owners are far more sensible with the light.
Maybe he had to declare the 'nutty neighbour' in the pre-contract questions🤣

[Earl]

On 14/04/2022 at 20:30, adyj1 said:

I approached my neighbour about her dusk-to-dawn security floodlight and she allowed me to put a light shield on it, so you never know... 

when i had a similar situation I just asked if they could point it down a touch so it didn't come over the fence, they were very apologetic and did it straight away.

[Ian McCallum]

On 14/04/2022 at 21:58, maw lod qan said:

Over here no one seems to care!

It's all about look at me, look at me!

Homes have outside lights with sensors to turn them on at dusk. Driveways illuminated to find them easier. 

The local school and community center has new signage that stays on all night advertising their services and events.

I have often wondered, if "global warming" is really that important to those who can change it, why not mandate a 1/3 reduction in exterior lights for businesses that are closed at night.

I think that's why we end up needing laws against things like this, in the UK.  If people were more accommodating and not so selfish, then Draconian steps shouldn't be required! 

[Ian McCallum]

On 27/04/2022 at 19:41, pointedstick said:

Most people have no understanding of the relationship between consumption of utilities and their cost. They will overconsume and then complain about the price rather than reducing their consumption. You have to have a good pre-existing relationship with someone to have a fruitful conversation on this topic.

 

Of course, because their eyes never adapt to the dark! Looking out the window at night is like staring into the abyss.

I think if they'd consume hundreds or thousands of Watts, as compared to a few dozen Watts with LED lights, then they'd probably cut back because of the electricity bill.

[DaveL59]

1 hour ago, Ian McCallum said:

I think that's why we end up needing laws against things like this, in the UK.  If people were more accommodating and not so selfish, then Draconian steps shouldn't be required! 

Tis funny tho that when you want to extend a building your neighbour can object on the basis of 'right to light' etc but we don't get the same in reverse when others go installing floodlighting etc, perhaps we need a 'right to dark' law on the books...

I was lucky with the new neighbour when they replaced the failed flood at roof level with a new LED version of same. Damn thing lit up every time I moved in the garden and its aimed far too high too. A quiet mention and they've adjusted the aim if the sensor so I don't trigger it much but it still blinding when it fires up. Now I just need a way of herding my kitties so they don't set it off when they jump the fences/walk along the garage roof etc etc 😞 

At least their garden is to the north side and a high fence between us, but of course other neighbours to the SE where I'd generally be aiming seem to love having bulkhead lights on all night which I get an eyeful with the fence that side being lower.

[DaveL59]

8 minutes ago, Ian McCallum said:

I think if they'd consume hundreds or thousands of Watts, as compared to a few dozen Watts with LED lights, then they'd probably cut back because of the electricity bill.

Perhaps that's the answer to the environmental crisis too, rather than the shift toward LED - make using lights less attractive so they are on less, saving energy... 😉