diggin4clad
Elite Member
Hunt every square inch because things are lost all over the place in a tot lot.
Kids run around and don't always stay in one place.
Hunt every square inch because things are lost all over the place in a tot lot.
Kids run around and don't always stay in one place.
jhanson
Forum Supporter
They may, or may not, have legal authority to detain and ID you depending on the laws of the jurisdiction pertaining to the parks/public spaces.
My recommendation is to politely engage with the officer, explain what you are doing, and follow his/her instruction or requests. Cops get A LOT of calls from paranoid/busybody people and will generally arrive with the thought in their mind that this is another one. If you are friendly and polite, 99% of the time they will thank you, wish you a good day and let you go about detecting.
Skwerly
Elite Member
just because you may know the law doesnt mean the cops do. always be on best behavior and comply within reason. why cause an unnecessary scene? 
DFX-Gregg
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2007
- Messages
- 1,168
Lower your sensitivity... tot lots often contain a layer of landscaping fabric, and often concrete or some type of metal below...try to hunt when no one there... meaning early... or dark...
And if you are one of these people that for some odd reason just continues to think I need high sensitivity all the time... I have experimented with this so many times I cannot count how over jacked sensitivity is causing coins to be masked or not detected...
And if you are one of these people that for some odd reason just continues to think I need high sensitivity all the time... I have experimented with this so many times I cannot count how over jacked sensitivity is causing coins to be masked or not detected...
Skwerly
Elite Member
i agree with that fully. i have been detecting a good while, and have yet to use the sens knob over halfway, pretty much, on any detector. and that's only in wide open, virgin areas.
the sens knob is a fickle beast lol. always err on the side of lower.
the sens knob is a fickle beast lol. always err on the side of lower.
dixiedigger57
Elite Member
i hunt them regularly. found two golden "o" this year. Them babies cause jewelry to come off and loose. in woodchips i hunt wide open no disc. no pain digging. just lower the sens. i always pull the chips back near equipment and check, then push it back. have actually scored rings doing that. i have a park without fence around basketball court. pavement ends just past layup zone. great for the stuff, several rings there. i do note where the players put their bags and gear on the sides in the grass. the swings. change slides flying out way past foot drag area and good to check first. its all good! except when gangbangers and druggies leave hypodermics and spent shells at night.
matchbox cars and zipper pulls galore ...
matchbox cars and zipper pulls galore ...
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Probably didn't have to show ID, but he was decent about it. But he did go back to his car and ran my license to see if I had any warrants, though. Life can be tough when you look like a serial killer! Lol!
randy
Forum Supporter
just because you may know the law doesnt mean the cops do. always be on best behavior and comply within reason. why cause an unnecessary scene?
Even if you are right, don't give the cops an attitude about ID or anything else.
If you can't find other sites to hunt for the next month, you are in the wrong hobby.
In giving a cop attitude, you risk him running it up the tree and getting the hobby banned in his jurisdiction. These are touchy times -- be smart.
Skwerly
Elite Member
Yes, exactly. If you want to go to the movies, don't make mom angry! 
Totlot advise from KT
Around here, shredded rubber is not worth hunting. Those shreds are made from tires and tires can contain some threads of metal wire.
KT hunted strictly totlots and you will discover several things.
Best sites on a Totlot depends on the equipment…best locations include at the base of ladders for slides…at the base of the slide where the kids come down…any equipment that the kid might hang upside down on…monkey bars, those climb on domes, any equipment that the kid may fall off of, any sets of swings, where the kids try and jump off while swinging…..perimeters of the play ground…open areas where kids might run and fall down…HA HA. In other words, most anywhere. As you hunt each one, make a mental note as to what areas yielded the most coins, jewelry, etc. Finally remember they are renewable, so come back and hunt again and again. KT had a couple of totlots that whenever He hunted them, He could always count on $3-$5 in clad, every few weeks! KT preferred elementary school totlots in depressed neighborhoods because the parents did not have lunch cards, but always sent lunch money with the kids every day. Obviously during morning recess, a certain number of kids would lose their lunch money.
Some schools have small totlots, but some have large or multiple totlots! Do not bother with kindergarten or daycare totlots, as the kids are too young to be trusted with lunch money.
As for park totlots, generally the same rules apply. Once you hunt a few, you will begin to see a pattern in each individual Totlot. If you see basketball courts in parks, if no one is actively playing, then go hunt right around the the basket pole, in the grass behind it…also check around trees nearby because sometime the players put their pocket contents at the tree base to lighten their load when playing. KT has found working cell phones, car keys, coins, even paper money around trees! Ha ha.
Finally, best of luck! Most of KT’s finds came from less than 3” deep in mulch, tho a couple of gold rings came from 8” deep!
Around here, shredded rubber is not worth hunting. Those shreds are made from tires and tires can contain some threads of metal wire.
KT hunted strictly totlots and you will discover several things.
Best sites on a Totlot depends on the equipment…best locations include at the base of ladders for slides…at the base of the slide where the kids come down…any equipment that the kid might hang upside down on…monkey bars, those climb on domes, any equipment that the kid may fall off of, any sets of swings, where the kids try and jump off while swinging…..perimeters of the play ground…open areas where kids might run and fall down…HA HA. In other words, most anywhere. As you hunt each one, make a mental note as to what areas yielded the most coins, jewelry, etc. Finally remember they are renewable, so come back and hunt again and again. KT had a couple of totlots that whenever He hunted them, He could always count on $3-$5 in clad, every few weeks! KT preferred elementary school totlots in depressed neighborhoods because the parents did not have lunch cards, but always sent lunch money with the kids every day. Obviously during morning recess, a certain number of kids would lose their lunch money.
Some schools have small totlots, but some have large or multiple totlots! Do not bother with kindergarten or daycare totlots, as the kids are too young to be trusted with lunch money.
As for park totlots, generally the same rules apply. Once you hunt a few, you will begin to see a pattern in each individual Totlot. If you see basketball courts in parks, if no one is actively playing, then go hunt right around the the basket pole, in the grass behind it…also check around trees nearby because sometime the players put their pocket contents at the tree base to lighten their load when playing. KT has found working cell phones, car keys, coins, even paper money around trees! Ha ha.
Finally, best of luck! Most of KT’s finds came from less than 3” deep in mulch, tho a couple of gold rings came from 8” deep!
atomicbrh
Elite Member
I am not a leo but have many family members who are.
If an adult is in a tot lot many LEO will run the id on the theory that sex offenders are just using the metal detector as a prop to get close to children. When leo run id, they are confirming that the person is not on the sex offender list and are not allowed to be within a certain distance of children.
Perverts are rampant in today's world.
During any interaction where LEO exits their vehicle and are on foot, I ask if they need my id because it is just another thing that lowers the stress factor.
If you have nothing to hide, it should not be a big deal.
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Cherry Picker
Forum Supporter
I have done pretty well in rubber shred tot lots? Yes, at first you've got to clean out the metal chunks, but the rewards can be amazing.
I have found that location tends to make a difference. I have tot lots located in the rich part of town that has given up no gold at all in all the years. To the point, we no longer bother hunting it. Rental areas of town are best, and a town with a large immigrant population rocks. We have 2 packing plants and our town is considered a "sanctuary city". Whites became a minority years ago. I attribute this to our extraordinary luck for gold in our tot lots, schools & parks.
We have another city about 50 miles away that meets the same demographics with a packinghouse and lots of immigrants. It is a great gold producer as well. We have tried the other towns nearby and no such luck. We're about due to hit that city for the first time since last year. Should be very good as we normally hit it once a month and each come home with some gold.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
That makes good sense. I was also including outside the tot lots, in the surrounding open areas. Detector people just seem to be open targets in general. I personally never ever had any encounters in tot lots myself, but I am quick to get out or dodge them with kids there, or even when kids hop out of a SUV close by. That has simply been a natural instinct of mine. Now...out on the perimeter within the park, and being asked for ID is different, just because an elderly man wears headphones and plays with his metal detector, should not require an ID check just because some lookie Lou calls cops.
I never balked at giving ID though. It did make me feel a bit belittled after the fact, when I thought about it. I will say this. I have had police encounters though when detecting, which were very pleasant. They instantly said "what you are doing is not illegal, we gat a call about an old guy walking in circles" and I never got an ID request at all. There were other pleasant experiences with cops that I won't bore everyone with here. I have even had a police officer give me advice where to hunt. It all balances out.
maxxkatt
Forum Supporter
Yes, exactly. If you want to go to the movies, don't make mom angry!
boy that is the truth. I was always a good boy on Fridays and Sat morning. Did not wish to screw up going to the Sat movies. Grew up in small town and the movie theater was a BIG deal.
metaladdict
Elite Member
metaladdict
Elite Member
Gauntlet
Forum Supporter
Look at the areas of activity. Pushing a kid on a swing is a good spot for a ring to come loose.
Also, parks aren't limited to "moms and kids". if there are large enough areas, many times older kids/teens will play football, frisbee, etc.
Picnic/Table areas are generally trash areas with little finds.
So, much of the advice "depends" on the park, and how/where to apply it.
Also, parks aren't limited to "moms and kids". if there are large enough areas, many times older kids/teens will play football, frisbee, etc.
Picnic/Table areas are generally trash areas with little finds.
So, much of the advice "depends" on the park, and how/where to apply it.
GKL
Forum Supporter
I had the cops called on me, so go when it's early.
Good advice to detect totlots only when there are no kids around, while detecting totlots is not a crime (unless a "no detecting" sign is posted) it's better to avoid times when kids are there as the other posters explained.
(EDIT TO ADD: "minor offense" (like a parking ticket) might have been a better choice of words for me to use rather than "crime" in this instance
)This advice did remind me of a post on another thread showing another reason to only detect a totlot when it is not being used -
https://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=3290797#post3290797
(just joking, but it is funny !
)
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Skwerly
Elite Member
even a no detecting sign doesn't make it a crime. it'd be an infraction, something you would pay off with a fine.
GKL
Forum Supporter
Good point, didn't mean to infer "crime" in this instance as being a serious offense, but rather that detecting was not permitted at the location where the sign is posted. (I edited my post to note that "crime" was not the best choice of words to use in that instance
)
