Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Friend or Foe?

Magicmantx

Magicmantx

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2017
Messages
265
Location
Cherokee Village AR
I've seen various posts here that have touched on the subject of on lookers and how you handle them . I guess what I'm getting at is what's your position on the public and how you relate to them when the questions start? I'll go first.
Obviously I get the standard having any luck,finding anything what are you looking for etcetera but occasionally I get a little deeper interest and more questions. If I feel they are showing interest in the hobby I try to explain in a friendly way whats going on without spending all day . I look at this as just as much fun as actually detecting as I tend to talk a lot lol.If it seems to be a bit of confrontational attitude I make the attempt to win over the person with educating them as to the historical value that is being lost leaving the artifacts there to rust away and be lost forever. If they are having none of it which is very rare then I listen for an exit ,smile wave and move on. I would rather see the occasional person here and there than never run into anyone.Sometimes people get all excited when you show them what you've found and maybe makes it even more fun for me. I'd say mostly the people I come across are friends very few Foes
 
I haven't had a bad conversation with an adult. Only issues that I have had is with kids crowding me. I don't even particularly mind kids around, just when they are standing right in front of me in my swing path.

I've had several nice conversations with people. Most are curious. Some are interested in detecting. A couple were detectosists and wanted to talk shop, as it were.

Generally I'll talk to just about anyone, but I'm not going to stop forever just to chat. I don't usually have a lot of time to detect and I don't want to waste it.


BCD
 
Depending on the age of the person and if my antenna is up, I MAY answer questions BUT never tell them what I found besides garbage.

As the price of the MD, I never ever say how much they cost as it is most likely a set up.
Another thing, I maybe alone BUT I am fully prepared to defend myself.

This is just me but where I go MD is out of the way from others so I must be aware of my AO.

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk
 
I never tell people what I am finding either.
I tell them "If you call a bunch of Bottle caps good then yep I am having good luck"

for Kids that ask me what I am doing I tell them the truth "I'm Hunting for Treasure".. they usually think that's cool and run to tell mommy and daddy..
 
SoOregonMd said:
I never tell people what I am finding either.
I tell them "If you call a bunch of Bottle caps good then yep I am having good luck"

for Kids that ask me what I am doing I tell them the truth "I'm Hunting for Treasure".. they usually think that's cool and run to tell mommy and daddy..
Click to expand...
LOL I tell them I am looking for Jimmy Hoffa !

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk
 
I beach detect with a stealth scoop which I carry on a sling over my shoulder. I usually keep my hand over the pointy end especially if I walk around people.

If a "character" approaches me and gives a bad vibe I take my hand off the point so they can see it. If it's anybody else who is friendly I keep my hand over the point.

That seems to work.
 
BufordCityDawg said:
I haven't had a bad conversation with an adult. Only issues that I have had is with kids crowding me. I don't even particularly mind kids around, just when they are standing right in front of me in my swing path.BCD
Click to expand...

Standing in your way is bad enough but what I hate is when they get down and reach in the hole and grab the item before you even have a chance to see what it was. They also risk getting cut by my digger.
 
DbblTap said:
Depending on the age of the person and if my antenna is up, I MAY answer questions BUT never tell them what I found besides garbage.

As the price of the MD, I never ever say how much they cost as it is most likely a set up.
Another thing, I maybe alone BUT I am fully prepared to defend myself.

This is just me but where I go MD is out of the way from others so I must be aware of my AO.

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Gotta agree with DbblTap, even if I'm having the best day ever, I tell the onlookers that I am finding just pennies and trash. No sense in making myself a potential target for robbery. Plus I tend to hunt super early so most people are still in bed, it keeps the interruptions to a minimum this way. :grin:
 
Most of mine are "why do you think it is OK to find someone else stuff and keep it".
'Why do you do this".
Typical rude New England behavior.
That is why if I can hunt at night I go at night more relaxing that way.

Hell I even had kids throw rocks at me once while in the water and the parents watched and said nothing to them I was like what the heck.
I don't like confronting kids but said if one of those rocks hit me there is going to be trouble then they stopped.
I always try to use the I can't hear you with these head phones on and they yell louder GRRRRRR.
 
Silversmith45 said:
Standing in your way is bad enough but what I hate is when they get down and reach in the hole and grab the item before you even have a chance to see what it was. They also risk getting cut by my digger.
Click to expand...
I completely agree. Kids also often ask if they can have the money I detect and sometimes get nasty when I say no.
 
Two kids around 6 years old in the park are asking questions and watching me from a respectable distance. Nice and polite kids that I didn't mind talking to. I'm digging a signal, Mom comes steps over the detector knocking it over, as soon as I dig my baseball medal target she rips it from my hands. After that she asks how does it work, I start to explain and she gets a blank look, I say "batteries" and she smiles and nods. How such a rude idiot could raise such nice, polite kids is beyond me.
 
I have to say I have NEVER once had a bad experience with anyone on a hunt.. granted I have only been at this about 7 months or so but still, the people I have met along the way, kids included have been very supportive.. especially when I tell them I am cleaning up all the trash as I go.
 
GreenMeanie said:
Most of mine are "why do you think it is OK to find someone else stuff and keep it".
'Why do you do this".
Typical rude New England behavior.
That is why if I can hunt at night I go at night more relaxing that way.

Hell I even had kids throw rocks at me once while in the water and the parents watched and said nothing to them I was like what the heck.
I don't like confronting kids but said if one of those rocks hit me there is going to be trouble then they stopped.
I always try to use the I can't hear you with these head phones on and they yell louder GRRRRRR.
Click to expand...
You don't want to know my answer if I get anybody who is a snot nose brat but my response would not be family friendly.
If anybody let's their kids toss rocks at me, I deal with the punk first hand till they should change their shorts and if their parents want to start I say let the games begin.
If you as a parent have no problem your kids tossing rocks at me then you don't mind me teaching them respect.

Laugh now, Cry long time later.

You have a Good given right to protect yourself and stop any assult from anybody in a Manor you see fit to stop the assult.

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk
 
Best conversations I've had have been with police, county deputies and lake caretakers. Always nice and friendly, think they are usually bored. One policeman chatted for a while and then told me that his dad used to metal detect. Said he found a nice gold ring with initials in it which corresponded to his gal friends first name and his last name. This was before they married and of course it was her initials after they wed. She wears it today.
 
Had a lady ask me if I was finding anything good. I told her not today. She then asked if I ever found anything good. I told her that on rare occasion I might find something.

She then wanted to know if I gave back the good stuff that I found. I told her that I did if I could identify the owner and had been able to return a coupe rings.

She immediately climbed up on her "Better than you Box" and said: I think you should give it all back.

I told her "Take off your wedding band" She asked why and I told her so that I could see her name address and phone number that she had engraved in her band. She said None of that is in my wedding band.

I then asked her how am I supposed to know who it belongs to when I find it two or three years from now??

She stomped off down the beach.

When dirt fishing I have very rarely been approached. But on the beach it appears that everyone thinks those with a detector are fair game. I usually politely answer a couple of questions and then say I am not going to find anything while talking. Have a good day.
 
I've had a few good conversations and also a number of bad ones. In either case I try to move on as soon as possible without being rude. Kids are naturally curious but can be a pain in the neck at times. Goofiest one I had was, we were detecting and a guy is walking his two dogs and he comes over to where we were detecting to complain that our "wands" were scaring his dogs ! Total goofball !
 
I have had a ton of people ask me if I found anything, many that asked me if I found buried treasured chests and a couple of smart alecks asked if I found any gold in a real snippy way.
Those type have no clue and think we find nothing doing this hobby.
One idiot came up to me once and was being a real jerk and when he said he knew I never found anything good I did something I never do...I started naming off the old coins, how many silver and gold rings and chains, the relics I found and the amount of clad I had accumulated.
He just shut up, put his head down and slunk away.
Two ladies in different parks saw me and evidently I looked so scruffy they walked up to me and handed me money.
The first one I asked what was up and she said I could use that money to get something to eat so I wouldn't have to scrounge around looking for pennies on the ground.
I laughed and explained to her this was a hobby and I am actually doing just fine and gave her back the bills, but she still looked very confused.
The second time it happened I just took the money and said, "bless you", then continued on.
Once a small family of Asians saw me in the park and stared at me for a long time until one asked me what I was doing in real broken English.
They never saw anything like this before in their country.
I showed them what I was doing and a few coins I had found and they got it...but still didn't understand why I was doing it.
You can't explain the notion of fun sometimes.

Most people are nice and are just curious, some really are interested in what you have found and how the hobby works so I try to be a good ambassador.
Kids will bug you to no end so I just avoid them.
Deal with the muggles any way you want to, sort conversations or long, I always try to be nice to everyone.
Except that one jerk.
 
Dirty Nails said:
I completely agree. Kids also often ask if they can have the money I detect and sometimes get nasty when I say no.
Click to expand...

Kids ask me that a lot too. The problem is, if you give one kid some money, then every kid at the playground will want some money too. So I when I get asked, I usually say something like "If I give you some money, then I'd have to give some money to your friends too, and before I know it, I won't have any money for myself. That's why I don't usually share my finds".

Some kids understand, others don't care and will keep nagging.
 
Luckily when I started detecting I was never hassled much by kids or adults. Where I live at now, if I someone got too close they would probably be greeted and introduced to one of the tools from my other hobby's (S&W Shield 9mm currently). I don't detect those areas though, so hopefully, it'll never happen. If kids became a hassle why coin shooting I think I'd carry a few spare pennies to pass out to keep them happy and away from me.
 
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