Myers Depot Metal Detectors

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

diggin4clad said:
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 !
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I think in the old days , this was the way to go. Turn it in to the police or store. But not now. I have major trust issues with society today. Have had many returns of value in the past. Rings , wallets , phones , backpacks , etc. I try the best I can through social media in returning items myself. Even with ID'S it can often be a difficult task and alot of leg work. Getting even a thank you , let alone a small reward is frustrating when you try to do the right thing. Many people refuse accepting any kind of reward. I do not subscribe to this. I will gladly take any offering for my efforts , time and often my own costs in a return. Receiving a few hundred dollars goes with the territory of $2 as well. I have also had a few people in tears and so distraught they never thought they'd have their item back. And that is a great feeling.
 
There was a basketball court behind a building we did the hvac work for. I drove to the back to get on the roof and found a wallet there. Checking the wallet I was able to get a phone number, so I called it and the guy answers. I ask if this is so and so. He says yes ... are you my lawyer? :yikes: I tell him no that I had his wallet that I found behind the building. I would be there for a few hours just blow your horn and I'll come down and give it to you. He says I know what's in it and it better be there. :foottap: So I say to him I hope you have a good lawyer because you are stupid. Told him I'm putting it behind a power pole I meet enough stupid people. He says I'm worried you would steal the money. Well then Why would I call you? A little while latter he came by I looked down at him and was glad I stayed on the roof.
 
Y'all can go ahead and get your flamethrowers ready, I KNOW it's coming but...

The OP did not "get burned", he self-immolated (look it up) and wants to blame someone else for not checking Craigs List (I honestly didn't know that was still around) to see if he had lost anything today. Did he have his name and phone number on his diggers? I'm sure the wallet had ID info in it... but good on him for turning it in.

 
Tim, I can sum this up in one word: integrity. You've got it and some don't. Sometimes, the only person left to impress is yourself.

I spent ~30 years in emergency services, in the very busy northeast US. The money, guns, drugs, jewelry and other valuables you'll encounter dealing with 10's of thousands of people (some as patients) is mind numbing. When the mug (albeit very ugly mug) staring back at me while I shave can say, "you did the right thing", you hold your head up and be proud of yourself.

Nobody can take your integrity away. You choose to give it away or you don't. Who is happier in the long run?
 
The OP did not "get burned", he self-immolated (look it up) and wants to blame someone else for not checking Craigs List (I honestly didn't know that was still around) to see if he had lost anything today.
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The right thing would be to turn it in to the police. The problem is that everyone expects a reward for doing the decent thing, so they don't want to do that...
 
So, does this mean I need to find the owner of or their offspring to return all my metal detecting items I have found while out digging?
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If you dig it up, no, but if you find a ring or other item of value on the surface, you should turn it in to the police. Just the right thing to do...
 
markinmichigan said:
Have your phone number engraved on it
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I'll add, "metal stamps". Toddle on over to your local Harbor Freight and buy metal stamps. So many of my belongings have names, initials, last four digits of my SSN... what ever fits.

My sand scoop has both mine and my wife's first initial and last names bashed into the stainless steel with 1/8" letters. Then I filled it with enamel paint. On my pinpointer I used an engraver, it has our initials XXX/XXX right by the on/off switch.
 
Years ago I stopped at a local grocery to get a sandwich for lunch. As I drove my old plumbing van out of the shopping plaza onto the main road I saw a purse laying on the road, put on my blinkers and carefully parked on the edge of the road, picked up the purse and then drove to a nearby parking area. I reasoned that the purse was placed on the top of some vehicle when the owner opened her car door and left there as she drove away.
Inside was a little cash, several food stamps and a drivers license. I drove the 5 miles or so to the address on the license thinking that I would make someone happy (the owner was a young woman based on the license info).
When I knocked on the door and handed the purse to the young woman who opened it I was expecting a "thank you and perhaps a smile" as she grabbed the purse and slammed the door in my face!!
As I drove away I knew that should such a thing happen again in my future I would do the same thing without a second thought!!

Living near local beaches on the Connecticut shore I have become the local "go to guy" for recovering lost jewels I have returned 50 such jewels! Some of the tales can be read in my past threads.

My only ask has been for a small fee for batteries (if possible!).

CJ :chaplin:
 
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FreeBirdTim said:
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)!
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Its easier to just say screw em and keep it , but you did the human thing and acted like a man and not an ass .
 
If you know anyone that owns a fiber laser [like me] have them etch your contact info on the metal, or even a qr code to scan with a phone, I etched some of my tools that I take on large jobs like that
 
Here's what I've done with my fiber laser. Everything I own of value has been laser engraved with my phone number. It can't be erased.

IMG_20240408_180811114.jpg


Mark in Michigan
 
KOB said:
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.
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I lost $450 in a radio shack. Taught me not to put loose paper in a pocket. One July 5th as I used to do every year I scored 3 chairs and other stuff the beach crew was throwing out. Took the chairs home and they were $400 chairs. Gave them to a friend of mine who used to be homeless. Now he can sit on his back porch in a $400 chair:lol:
 
FreeBirdTim said:
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)!
Click to expand...
The bottom line is you did the right thing, regardless, you sleep well at night, hat tip in your direction!
 
So what you're saying is you bought the cops a bunch of donuts?



I know.... I know. Bad me.... bad.... can't help it. Hey, maybe if nobody claims it you'll end up getting it right? right?
 
mine sweeper said:
So, does this mean I need to find the owner of or their offspring to return all my metal detecting items I have found while out digging?
Click to expand...

Every time I find a ring, I post it in Lost and Found on Craigslist. "Found on (name) beach: men's wedding ring. Reply with a detailed description and the date you lost it. I'll only reply if the description matches."

Many rings later, no takers. I did manage to return a class ring based on the initials engraved inside. All the rest are keepers and my conscience is clear!
 
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