Skippy SH13
Forum Supporter
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
It's very situational. I'd offer a 3rd category, though, which is "I don't want to be bothered by you, right now." Neither friend, nor foe, but would prefer to just hunt...
Some folks come up and ask stupid questions, or are just ignorant. "wow... Finding metal, huh?" Yup. here's your sign.
Totally depends, too, on the vibe I get from them. If they're pleasant, stand back for a bit and watch some, it's a different situation, than if they make stupid comments to their friends, and then expect me to engage with them.
Only "foes" I've ever met though, were after dark... and turned out not to be foes, just some VERY stupid teenagers who thought making fun of me, then asking how much money I had on me, and whether or not I had valuable jewelry in my pouch was going to put me in a sharing mood. 3 of the 4 got the message the way I didn't answer their questions, put my back to a tree, and gripped my Lesche digger. The 4th one was the idiot of the group. He almost got seriously in trouble. I figured out, though, he was just an idiot... not a foe. Still, was touch and go on defensive. Had the other 3 not backed up wide-eyed, I'd have probably started swinging...
Skippy