Big Boys Hobbies

Getting burned twice in the last year helped me do the right thing.

FreeBirdTim

FreeBirdTim

Elite Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
1,942
Location
Scituate, RI
Long story, but bear with me. Left my red handle Lesche digger at a public field last summer. Went back the next morning, but it was long gone. Posted an ad on Craigslist lost and found hoping someone would return it, but no luck. No one turned it in to the local PD either.

Last month, left my Sampson T-handle shovel at a public land trust. Realized my mistake and went back within half an hour. Only one car in the lot when I left, so I figured the odds were good that it was still there. Nope, they took it and didn't reply to my ad on Craigslist. Didn't turn it in to the PD either.

Safe to say, those bad experiences made me bitter and angry and just confirms my general hatred of the people around here. Never been much of a people person anyway, as many of you guys know! Lol!

Fast forward to yesterday. Got a coffee at Dunkin Donuts and drove around the back to park and enjoy it. Pulled up to a spot and noticed a wallet on the ground! No one nearby, so I grabbed it and looked for an ID. Had some courtesy cards and a few credit cards in it with the owner's name on them, but no driver's license or anything with an address on it. Also had $100 cash inside. Could have probably gotten away clean with it, but the two bad experiences above made me do the right thing and turn it in to the nearest police station.

After losing around $140 worth of diggers, I could imagine how lousy this guy would have felt losing the cash and all those cards. So thanks to the jerks in this world, they helped me do the right thing (even though my girlfriend thinks I'm nuts for not taking the cash)!
 
You did the right thing Steve!

My thievery story:

Went to a department store and picked up a bunch of stuff, including a backyard tent for my grandsons. I thought I put all the stuff in my trunk, but somehow left the tent behind my car. I only live about 5 minutes away from the store, and I noticed the tent wasn't there as soon as I got back home. In about the 10 minutes that I was gone from the store, so was the tent, and it wasn't turned in at the store.

I hate thieves.
 
I have found all sorts of items that I know were left behind on purpose. And some possibly not , so the finder never knows 100%. July 5th beaches you can load up a truck full of tents , chairs , coolers , boogie boards , towels , all sorts of stuff.

No idea how you can leave 2 diggers behind. Could you be burning the hippie lettuce ? Good job on the wallet return. Just a possible suggestion : maybe put an air tag in the handle and track its movements.
 
Was at an Autozone dropping off a battery and picking up a new one. There was a long line so set the old one up by the counter and did some other shopping down an isle for 60 seconds. Came back, core battery gone. In front of everyone in line, someone walked off with my old battery. Still disappointed and get a little worked up that no one in line would say ‘that’s his’, as I was only half an isle away. Employees didn’t see it, I didn’t blame them, got my core charge the next day after they saw security footage. So yes people can suck!, but like Xxray said, in your case, probably didn’t go home and look at Craigslist.
 
Well I did the same thing years ago. I built a real nice stainless scoop. Went to our local lakes small beach and after hunting I was stowing my gear. Leaned the scoop against the back of the car on the passenger side. Got in, drove the three miles home and when I went to put my stuff away the scoop wasn't there. No cars in the lot when I left, but on my return the scoop was not to be had. Moral to my story is NEVER put any gear on the opposite side of the car. Put it where you have to step over it to get in. :waytogo: I was fortunate that the scoop didn't cost me a red cent, but dang I was proud of it.:crying:
 
No idea how you can leave 2 diggers behind. Could you be burning the hippie lettuce ?
Click to expand...

I wish I could blame it on that! I'm afraid I'm in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. My memory is shot. Can't remember what I ate yesterday or what clothes I wore. Had a couple of serious concussions in my teens, so maybe CTE...
 
Leaned the scoop against the back of the car on the passenger side.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I did with my Sampson shovel. Leaned it against the passenger side door so I could open the trunk to put my metal detector in first. After I put it in, went to the driver's side to start the car (cold day, wanted heat ASAP). Finished putting my other stuff in the trunk (finds pouch, pinpointer, cap, etc.) and closed the trunk. Never spotted the shovel and didn't hear it fall because the parking lot was sandy and not paved.
 
FreeBirdTim said:
Yup, I guess that's the bottom line!
Click to expand...
Which is not to say it hurts to try, I have posted wedding rings I have found there, but outside of my dog that got lost [got him back], never posted lost & found. What I found is there are a ton of low lives lurking there trying to scam anxious pet owners trying to get them back, I imagine it would be the same or worse on facebook ect. What worked for me is good old fashioned nailing flyers to telephone poles, a lady that knew me and my dog from seeing us walking told me he was tied up in a backyard next store to her, about 2 blocks away.
She said you had better hurry, he is probably trying to sell him to some junkyard or something [Big old young Shepard] I was at work but went tearing over there, he was gone for 3 days and I never thought I'd find him, but I marched into the yard and cut him lose and took him home .. Gave the lady a $200 reward, she said if it wasn't for the flyer she would not have known how to contact me. Was disappointed in my dog for allowing himself to be captured by some crackhead, but that never happened again.
 
I went to college in Boston. Anything that you wanted to get rid of, just put it in a box on the street, gone in minutes.

A friend from high school went to the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He lost his wallet and couldn't for the life of him remember taking it out of his pocket. After 6 days, he remembered pulling it out on a bench on campus, to find an ID card. He went back to the bench and the wallet was still there.
 
FBT,

Have your phone number engraved on it and maybe a honest person would return it. It personalizes it and perhaps that would invoke a call. I'm a contractor and I engrave my name and number on everything. I loath thieves. We live in a society that values monetary status and notoriety more than values and honesty. Sad.

Mark in Michigan
 
Last edited:
There's been a few times that I'd get to my next target and realize I left my trowel or pinpointer at the last target. I smartened up and started using a lanyard on both of them. Now I'm wondering when the day will come, that I'll start swinging my arm and realize I'm not holding my detector. That would be both hilarious and sad!
 
This happened to me early in my detecting career with a Garrett hand digger. Unfortunately it was a very busy city park, and by the time I realized I didn't have it, it was long gone. Luckily my first time was the only time (knock on wood). Nice work returning that wallet Tim, you likely were the first to see it, or it sounds like it may have had a different fate :shock:
 
You did the right thing Tim.....good for you ! Around twenty years ago, I was at a convenience store gassing up my car when I noticed a fat wallet on top of the pump. It had credit cards and cash in it so I turned it in to the employees behind the counter. The right thing to do, but I often wonder if it was the CORRECT thing to do. Did the guy who left the wallet there, ever see it again or did the employees take the money and throw the wallet in the woods or somewhere? Did they take the cash and THEN call the owner, telling him that they found the wallet but there was no cash in it? Back in the early 50's my father worked as a waiter in a fancy dining establishment. One New Year's Eve they had a big party and after the celebration was over, my father was cleaning up and found a wallet on the floor. It had just over two thousand dollars in it in big bills, a huge amount of money for the early fifties. He notified the owner who was so glad to have his wallet and money back that he gave my father a reward for returning it.........TWO DOLLARS !!!!!!! A Major Cheapskate !
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Eurotek pro vs F 44
Replies
0
Views
12
Jamiedon1
J
T
Been a while, so a few pics,maybe someone can help with a find, and the cops….again
Replies
0
Views
31
Tomwolf
T
romyrome
Making the best of my life now that I got a second chance ! It’s been a long hard road but I’m back in full force !
Replies
2
Views
48
romyrome
romyrome
hoser
I've become a newby again.
Replies
11
Views
83
Princess
Princess
B
Best ways NOT to tear up lawns?
2
Replies
22
Views
214
CountyWorker
CountyWorker
Back
Top Bottom