Willee, points duly noted. But let's just cut to the chase & know that no one should be going on to private land, in the first place. I think there's a mental connotation of "fence hopping" that has crept into this thread. But go back to the ORIGINAL post #1, by Smooth23, from October. Notice it's painting a much more benign picture. Not the picture you're painting in post #95.
But sure, let's just grant that nothing is benign anywhere. And you and I will never "step off the sidewalk". The world would be a better place if everyone was this strict. Granted. Ok ?
But I want to comment on the moral dilemma you've painted ,
about the family heirloom : Are you aware that the exact same "trot out the toddler" type -story can be painted for public land too ? Easy, here's how :
1) Your wife is at the park at 3pm with your young kid, pushing your child on the swing set.
2) She sees her wedding ring fly off, and land off-yonder in the sandy surface.
3) She rushes over, to try to find her ring. Only to discover that ...... no matter how much she sifts the sand with her fingers, it's obscured from view.
4) BUT NOT TO WORRY, because her husband (you) is a metal detector enthusiast. So she calls you to tell you that you're going to need to find her ring in the park.
5) You tell her : "As soon as I get off work at 5pm, I'll go there and find it.
6) At 5pm you & your wife arrive back at the park. You begin hunting the exact spot she's directed you to. But no matter how hard you try, you can NOT find her ring !
7) After 10 minutes of thoroughly scrubbing the little tight spot, an old man has been watching you from the park bench the entire time. He comes over and talks to you :
8) He says : "you know it's odd that you are spending all this time , stuck in this little isolated zone. Because just 30 minutes ago, some other guy with a detector was here. And when he got to this exact spot, all of the sudden he let out a shriek of joy. And I saw him intently studying an object in his hand. And then he left the park. And then only 15 minutes later, you showed up and walked to this exact spot"
9) You would immediately put 2+2 together, and realize that someone else found your wife's ring .
So let's pose your same great question to the above thought experiment : Regarding that other md'r: Is he a thief ?