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Public school ballfields, playgrounds

The best thing is to not be seen detecting. That isn't always practical. If you are going to be seen, it's best to not be seen with any of the things you mentioned. Concerns are never over the top as you never know what will cause someone to complain or use their authority.

Not to be seen detecting? You just stated that there are no invisible detectors. So if you could explain to me how to hunt with none of the items I use maybe I can become enlightened. Do I dig a target with a spoon? My bare hands? My pet gopher? No kneepads? Who is going to be scared of someone wearing kneepads? I'm 72 and have worn kneepads for the last 9 years to save wear and tear on my knees and no one yet has run off screaming in terror.No apron or pouch? Really? Are people afraid of carpenters because they wear aprons? I understand your point about not creating an image that may show us in a negative light but the things you mention do not.
 
Not to be seen detecting? You just stated that there are no invisible detectors.....

Hunt when no one's around, = "not to be seen". If it's nicely manicured turf for example (where a nosy-parker might gripe), then ...... go at night, or the crack of dawn, etc....

But for the rest of the things you list (type of digger, kneepads, apron, etc... ) I agree those are all benign things most of the time. If someone's going to take offense, it would be the mere sight of a man with a detector. I highly doubt they make note of the type of Lesche, an apron, etc....
 
Hunt when no one's around, = "not to be seen". If it's nicely manicured turf for example (where a nosy-parker might gripe), then ...... go at night, or the crack of dawn, etc....

But for the rest of the things you list (type of digger, kneepads, apron, etc... ) I agree those are all benign things most of the time. If someone's going to take offense, it would be the mere sight of a man with a detector. I highly doubt they make note of the type of Lesche, an apron, etc....

Tom, I agree with you about not hunting on a nicely manicured piece of turf which I never do. You can be seen at any time of day and many places around here have signs that prohibit anyone from being on the grounds after dark. I also agree with you that just the sight of someone detecting is all it takes for some nosy busybody to complain, not the various accessories one uses.
 
Not to be seen detecting? You just stated that there are no invisible detectors. So if you could explain to me how to hunt with none of the items I use maybe I can become enlightened. Do I dig a target with a spoon? My bare hands? My pet gopher? No kneepads? Who is going to be scared of someone wearing kneepads? I'm 72 and have worn kneepads for the last 9 years to save wear and tear on my knees and no one yet has run off screaming in terror.No apron or pouch? Really? Are people afraid of carpenters because they wear aprons? I understand your point about not creating an image that may show us in a negative light but the things you mention do not.

Metal detecting is an activity that is best not seen by anyone that doesn't also enjoy it. Like I said, it is not always practical to not be seen. If a person is going to be seen it is best they look as low key as possible.
 
Metal detecting is an activity that is best not seen by anyone that doesn't also enjoy it. Like I said, it is not always practical to not be seen. If a person is going to be seen it is best they look as low key as possible.

You're entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. Your idea of low key is just a lot different than mine.
 
Here's the way I see it:

A) you and I are not going to please every last person on the planet. I/we certainly *wish* that everyone on earth would love & adore us, but .... it's just not going to happen :( We are unfortunately in a hobby that has connotations. That you (gasp) might about to "dig" or "take" something. Esp. if it's (gasp) old (heaven forbid).

B) There are some things in life, that you can knock yourself silly trying to get permission and official sanction for, that you will invariably always find someone to say "no" to. For example: Nose-picking. It's not necessarily illegal. Nor do you "ask permission " to do it. However, you choose discreet times so as not to offend the squeemish.

If md'ing in nicely manicured turf offends someone, or if md'ing offends an archie minded person (perhaps 1 person out of 100,000 persons), then is it my duty to go out of my way and make sure that person loves and adores and santions me ? Or am I better off just avoiding that singular individual(s) ?

I know that "low key" has the connotation of "illegal". Why would someone choose low traffic times, if it were not utterly legal ? Oh but I wish I were in a hobby like needle-point. Then I would never have to worry about these things. But alas, needle-point is boring , so I chose md'ing instead.
 
You're entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. Your idea of low key is just a lot different than mine.

It probably is and that is fine. Of course, our opinion of what low key or harmful is does not make any difference if authority over a site doesn't share that same opinion.

if a person is too paranoid they will not be able to detect anywhere. If they are not cautious to a certain degree they will probably not last long on public property.
 
Here's the way I see it:

A) you and I are not going to please every last person on the planet. I/we certainly *wish* that everyone on earth would love & adore us, but .... it's just not going to happen :( We are unfortunately in a hobby that has connotations. That you (gasp) might about to "dig" or "take" something. Esp. if it's (gasp) old (heaven forbid).

B) There are some things in life, that you can knock yourself silly trying to get permission and official sanction for, that you will invariably always find someone to say "no" to. For example: Nose-picking. It's not necessarily illegal. Nor do you "ask permission " to do it. However, you choose discreet times so as not to offend the squeemish.

If md'ing in nicely manicured turf offends someone, or if md'ing offends an archie minded person (perhaps 1 person out of 100,000 persons), then is it my duty to go out of my way and make sure that person loves and adores and santions me ? Or am I better off just avoiding that singular individual(s) ?

I know that "low key" has the connotation of "illegal". Why would someone choose low traffic times, if it were not utterly legal ? Oh but I wish I were in a hobby like needle-point. Then I would never have to worry about these things. But alas, needle-point is boring , so I chose md'ing instead.



Needle-pointing offends me though...so you're better off not doing that :)
 
Needle-pointing offends me though...so you're better off not doing that :)


Haha, correct. That knitting needle could "poke someone's eye out". Thus it's the duty of the needle-point enthusiast to ask everyone around her, everywhere she/he goes , if it's ok that he/she needle-points. Otherwise, gee, what if someone objects ? What if she/he 'gets arrested' and has her knitting needles confiscated ?
 
Haha, correct. That knitting needle could "poke someone's eye out". Thus it's the duty of the needle-point enthusiast to ask everyone around her, everywhere she/he goes , if it's ok that he/she needle-points. Otherwise, gee, what if someone objects ? What if she/he 'gets arrested' and has her knitting needles confiscated ?


Especially if you have "assault" knitting needles....
 
Do you generally ask for permission to hunt (say on a quiet Sunday) or find it better to just slip in, hopefully unnoticed? Just curious.

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I was detecting a school grounds on a Sunday, police came around every hour. After maybe 3 hours I was probing with screwdriver when they stopped their vehicle about 1/2 foot from my hand. I didn't remove my headphones or look up. Did they really need to see me detecting up close?
No words were spoken. Best wishes, all.
 
I was detecting a school grounds on a Sunday, police came around every hour. After maybe 3 hours I was probing with screwdriver when they stopped their vehicle about 1/2 foot from my hand. I didn't remove my headphones or look up. Did they really need to see me detecting up close?
No words were spoken. Best wishes, all.

George, if this was the impetus reason for your other post, I feel your pain. But no amount of suggesting to your school district to "have a permit" is going to change that. I'm assuming you were at a city school, for example. And let's say your city has ... what ..... even 50 md'rs who'd be willing to pony up $100 each. I guarantee you that if you went to the city with that $$, that it would fall on deaf ears.

And worse yet: I'll bet you dollars to donuts there's not even an official rule in the first place that said "no md'ing", Right ? Lest you wouldn't have been md'ing there in the first place, right ? So what the heck is approaching them with an idea of a permit going to solve ? Then I bet they dream up an official rule of "no md'ing", to "address this pressing issue".

Or to the extent they DO accept your $$, develop a permit, well then what ? To riddle with stuff like "yes but you can't dig", etc....

If that cop incident were an isolated fluke, I would not construe that as a reason to fancy a "permit". As much as I TOO do not like such issues (I too wish red carpets were rolled out for me, and that there was never a nosy-parker in the entire world), yet I've come to realize we're in an odd-hobby.

I do not construe isolated scrams like that to constitute a "law that must be fought". I too can think of places where such a scram occurred a decade or two ago. And now, .... 10 or 20 yrs. later, we look around among our ranks, and no one has ever heard so much as "boo" there after. And I can think of other parks where we (ahem) have actually learned the "routine" and know what days not to md on. Or which passing vehicles to avoid being around during their rounds. Mind you I'm not talking about places with ACTUAL HARD & FAST RULES. But just saying .... it's a bit like nose-picking, where you need to be a little discreet (rather than waiting/wanting for their princely blessing).

Bottom line is: If this spot and encounter is what got you thinking of your other post : Then ask yourself: Was there a hard & fast rule that you'd be fighting ? If not, then why the notion of "permits" ?
 
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