Today I got in a confrontation about curb strip hunting and had the police called on me.
To start with there was a guy across the street hanging over his upstairs porch railing who asked what I was doing. I told him I was hunting the curb strip which is city property. He said you better stop it, that is private property. Then he walked away. I continued. A younger clone of him from the same house then, came and started telling me the same thing. And I told him the same thing, that the curb strip was city property. So he said he was going to call the cops, I bravely or it turns out stupidly told him to go ahead.
So, he called them and they showed up shortly. They're pretty quick to respond when it's a 62 year old granny they have to confront. The policeman agreed with landowners, said the sidewalk has to be repaired by the landowners and the grass to street is their responsibility. Said I was digging up these peoples yards. I said I wasn't in the yards and do you see any damage. That's beside the point it is part of their yard. Said he can show it to me in writing. I didn't like the way that city policeman talked down to me. He said "now you scoot on out of here." To boot there was a smug crowd of four people watching. I said I'm not detecting now, are you saying I have to get off the sidewalk? He said no, you can stand there all you want.
Anyway, I should have left at the first objection of the bossy guy across the street. It's just that it wasn't even in front of his yard. He just knew the guy who lived there and wanted to appear like a hero.
I've posted about curb hunting problems before. The hassle doesn't seem worth it.
To start with there was a guy across the street hanging over his upstairs porch railing who asked what I was doing. I told him I was hunting the curb strip which is city property. He said you better stop it, that is private property. Then he walked away. I continued. A younger clone of him from the same house then, came and started telling me the same thing. And I told him the same thing, that the curb strip was city property. So he said he was going to call the cops, I bravely or it turns out stupidly told him to go ahead.
So, he called them and they showed up shortly. They're pretty quick to respond when it's a 62 year old granny they have to confront. The policeman agreed with landowners, said the sidewalk has to be repaired by the landowners and the grass to street is their responsibility. Said I was digging up these peoples yards. I said I wasn't in the yards and do you see any damage. That's beside the point it is part of their yard. Said he can show it to me in writing. I didn't like the way that city policeman talked down to me. He said "now you scoot on out of here." To boot there was a smug crowd of four people watching. I said I'm not detecting now, are you saying I have to get off the sidewalk? He said no, you can stand there all you want.
Anyway, I should have left at the first objection of the bossy guy across the street. It's just that it wasn't even in front of his yard. He just knew the guy who lived there and wanted to appear like a hero.
I've posted about curb hunting problems before. The hassle doesn't seem worth it.