....... he knows what he is talking about.
I saw the entire thing evolve . Since I started this hobby as a kid in the mid 1970s. Back then, it never even DAWNED on anyone that there was a problem IN THE FIRST PLACE. Oh sure, we had the "presence of mind" not to bother *obvious historic sensitive monuments*. We had the "presence of mind" not to be in the middle of deep holes in nice manicured turf when a someone was staring. Sure.
But beyond that, no one ever ran around saying "Can I detect this or that beach" or "this or that park", etc... It was a question that simply never occurred to us . But then in the mid 1980s, our club became members of the FMDAC. A lobbying group, with good and sincere and noble intentions. To lobby on behalf of md'ing legal interests. A noble concern, eh ?
And we began to get their monthly newsletters, regaling the reader with the latest legal-front issues. From far away places in the USA that had nothing at all to do with us, of course. Stories of "such & such state or city is contemplating a no md'ing rule" And exhorting md'rs to "send letters to your congressman", etc... Every issue was packed full of stories of "scrams" and "bootings". As if to insinuate :
"Coming to a city near you !" Sincere intentions to "garner solidarity".
BUT HERE'S THE INTERESTING THING THAT HAPPENED : You could look around the room, at the 25-or-so attendees at each meeting, and see people's "eyes as big as silver dollars". Eg.: Worry and concern. I mean, shucks, you don't want to get "roughed up" like the guy in the story, DO YOU ? You don't want to get a ticket, like the guy in the story, DO YOU ?
So guess what the knee-jerk reaction began to be ? You guessed it : Waltz in to city hall and state offices everywhere you go, asking "Can I ?" type questions (This was before the internet so you couldn't look up on-line). And they begin to get "no's" (from places that, quite frankly, had NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE) ! So that "no" makes it's way back to the club at the next meeting (and "no's" make their way back to FMDAC) as the NEXT LEGAL BATTLE that we must clarify and fight, eh ? Which only leads to MORE skittish behavior from people who now hear of THOSE 'nos". Hence leading to EVEN MORE GROVELLING.
It was a vicious circle of self-fulfilling loop of fulfillment. So as I sat there looking at the "before and after", I began to wonder if the ONLY REASON FOR A RULE (or a policy or a "no", etc...) IN THE FIRST PLACE was : MD'rs waltzing in asking "can I ?" questions . So I began to study this suspicion. Lo & behold yes : It is indeed the birth of most all of them.
And now, 35+ yrs. later, it's harder to spot. Ie.: If you ever try to look NOW at origins, it will always allude to issues like "holes" or "archie concerns" and so forth. IT WILL NEVER SAY : "Because someone asked Can I " So I can see how, today, someone can deny that it has anything to do with "swatting hornet's nests". But if you were there from the beginning, to see the before-&-after, then you see how the psychology worked.