Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,755
Hey gang, we've all seen md'ing hobbyist forum threads, where the legality of md'ing at various places is discussed. And/or someone posts about getting a "no" or a "scram" or whatever. All of the pro's and con's of this subject are not new to md'ing forums.
But I would like to bring up one aspect of it :
Every single park or beach or forest (every speck of public land) has rules that ...... in some form or fashion .... forbid removing things, harvesting, stealing, theft, of park features. Right ? So that, of course, no numbskull thinks he can take home the park benches. Or show up with heavy equipment to start removing truck loads of sand or tan bark to sell commercially. Or to cut down the trees for firewood, and so forth. Right ?
Yet none of us thinks these statutes apply to our actions of "removing" (aka harvesting, stealing, taking) coins.
HOWEVER, I have read threads where ....... if a governing body is wondering whether or not to allow md'ing (or whether or not to "scram" an md'r they see), they HAVE INDEED used this rationale to conclude that md'ing is wrong. They do indeed consider the coin in the ground to be a "park feature".
Granted, it's probably only occurring when someone has made it a "pressing issue" in need of "pressing attention" . Like: Someone coming in and swatting hornet's nests asking permission. As if permission were even needed. But on other occasions, I've heard of it being the rationale for a "scram". (Perhaps only because the matter crossed that person's desk on a prior occasion, so now he/she subsequently scrams other people after that ?)
In any event, it has indeed been the rationale for some no's and/or scrams.
What do you think ? Does coins in the ground constitute "park features" that we are not to be removing ? Even if "no one cares" or you "got a yes", that could simply mean the question hasn't been formed right . For example, if you pointed out that statute and then asked "Can I remove things ?", they would, of course, say "no". Thus to say "can I metal detect" is sort of mincing words. Because, technically, I suppose they could say yes you can detect, but no you can't take anything.
Example: A buddy of mine, who was a newbie at the time (so he simply didn't know any better) pulled up to a ranger station kiosk to pay his campground entry fee. And asked the clerk "Is it ok if I metal detect?". The confused clerk hee'd and haw'd and was thinking of what answer she would give. Then she concluded : "Well, the rules say no removing objects, so I guess the answer is no".
When my friend told me this encounter at the kiosk, I thought : "Gee, if that's the necessary conclusion of that type verbiage, then we can summarily conclude that every speck of public land is off-limits. Since, of course, such language exists everywhere." Eh ?
Yet, the last I checked, the forums are FILLED with md'rs with show & tell from public parks. Are we all just miscreant law-breakers ?
But I would like to bring up one aspect of it :
Every single park or beach or forest (every speck of public land) has rules that ...... in some form or fashion .... forbid removing things, harvesting, stealing, theft, of park features. Right ? So that, of course, no numbskull thinks he can take home the park benches. Or show up with heavy equipment to start removing truck loads of sand or tan bark to sell commercially. Or to cut down the trees for firewood, and so forth. Right ?
Yet none of us thinks these statutes apply to our actions of "removing" (aka harvesting, stealing, taking) coins.
HOWEVER, I have read threads where ....... if a governing body is wondering whether or not to allow md'ing (or whether or not to "scram" an md'r they see), they HAVE INDEED used this rationale to conclude that md'ing is wrong. They do indeed consider the coin in the ground to be a "park feature".
Granted, it's probably only occurring when someone has made it a "pressing issue" in need of "pressing attention" . Like: Someone coming in and swatting hornet's nests asking permission. As if permission were even needed. But on other occasions, I've heard of it being the rationale for a "scram". (Perhaps only because the matter crossed that person's desk on a prior occasion, so now he/she subsequently scrams other people after that ?)
In any event, it has indeed been the rationale for some no's and/or scrams.
What do you think ? Does coins in the ground constitute "park features" that we are not to be removing ? Even if "no one cares" or you "got a yes", that could simply mean the question hasn't been formed right . For example, if you pointed out that statute and then asked "Can I remove things ?", they would, of course, say "no". Thus to say "can I metal detect" is sort of mincing words. Because, technically, I suppose they could say yes you can detect, but no you can't take anything.
Example: A buddy of mine, who was a newbie at the time (so he simply didn't know any better) pulled up to a ranger station kiosk to pay his campground entry fee. And asked the clerk "Is it ok if I metal detect?". The confused clerk hee'd and haw'd and was thinking of what answer she would give. Then she concluded : "Well, the rules say no removing objects, so I guess the answer is no".
When my friend told me this encounter at the kiosk, I thought : "Gee, if that's the necessary conclusion of that type verbiage, then we can summarily conclude that every speck of public land is off-limits. Since, of course, such language exists everywhere." Eh ?
Yet, the last I checked, the forums are FILLED with md'rs with show & tell from public parks. Are we all just miscreant law-breakers ?