Run in with Karen

CarsonChris

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
1,911
Location
Carson City, NV
I had a Karen come out her front door and yell at me today about not detecting in her yard. I said I'm not. I'm detecting city property. From the sidewalk to the street is city. From your house to the sidewalk is your yard.

She says she's on the phone with the city. Then yells you need a permit.

I respond, I've got a permit.

Oh, she closes door and leaves me alone.

I tell you, Karen's sure hate when you dig in their weed bed!
 
sheesshh, crazy story.

I think I'll stick to ghost towns / stage stops in the middle of nowhere. So peaceful. So serene. :roll:
 
:laughing: love your replies.

I keep a fake skeleton of a snake in my finds bag, old Halloween decoration, pull it out anytime anyone gives me grief on curb strips. Okay, I'm joking but something like that would be funny ;)

Wha'd you find?
 
iu
 
Tell Karen to Call 911.

A person can get in trouble for calling 911 for frivolous situations!

If she already has a history with 911 the law may come down on her hard.

Besides, when it comes to push and shove, most people who threaten to "call the cops" Never Do.
 
Tell Karen to Call 911.

A person can get in trouble for calling 911 for frivolous situations!

I'm aware of a detectorist detecting Valley Forge National Park. I trail run the park and know every inch of it. I see the plugs that are out of the way in the fields, as if he will never be caught. I know they are metal detecting plugs.

I guess I'm a Karen because I want the guy bounced. If I have to follow the law, so should he. Detecting in a national park could give us all a black eye, so I think being a Karen is ok in this situation, if, at the very least, to say we are all not like this.

The bottom line is that I asked the rangers what to do, and they asked where the plugs were, and said call 911 if you see the guy in action. As it was explained to me, reporting a crime, even a crime like this, is not a frivolous use of 911. YMMV of course as to what a "crime" is.

Oh, and BTW dude, if you are reading this -- make better plugs so that they are not so obvious to random people rolling by.
 
I'm aware of a detectorist detecting Valley Forge National Park. I trail run the park and know every inch of it. I see the plugs that are out of the way in the fields, as if he will never be caught. I know they are metal detecting plugs.

I guess I'm a Karen because I want the guy bounced. If I have to follow the law, so should he. Detecting in a national park could give us all a black eye, so I think being a Karen is ok in this situation, if, at the very least, to say we are all not like this.

The bottom line is that I asked the rangers what to do, and they asked where the plugs were, and said call 911 if you see the guy in action. As it was explained to me, reporting a crime, even a crime like this, is not a frivolous use of 911. YMMV of course as to what a "crime" is.

Oh, and BTW dude, if you are reading this -- make better plugs so that they are not so obvious to random people rolling by.

Well that blows someone would detect there.

Steve
 
... Detecting in a national park could give us all a black eye, ....

Interesting. I don't disagree with you that this is a no-no.

However, I'm not so sure that blowing the whistle on this person will : "Abate black-eyes" . Seems to me, that if the guy isn't being seen or caught or noticed, that if one of us (who happens to recognize the type plug marks) goes and raises alarm bells, to "make sure everyone notices and is equally upset", is what can make md'rs and md'ing a "front and center issue". When, as you have observed, they are apparently not-being-noticed, in the first place.

An odd "durned if you do and durned if you don't" situation, eh ?
 
Years ago I had a guy approach me at a public spot I was detecting and asked "can I help you? " I responded "Sure, you want to run the machine or dig?"
Poor guy didn't know what to say!
 
Interesting. I don't disagree with you that this is a no-no.

However, I'm not so sure that blowing the whistle on this person will : "Abate black-eyes" . Seems to me, that if the guy isn't being seen or caught or noticed, that if one of us (who happens to recognize the type plug marks) goes and raises alarm bells, to "make sure everyone notices and is equally upset", is what can make md'rs and md'ing a "front and center issue". When, as you have observed, they are apparently not-being-noticed, in the first place.

An odd "durned if you do and durned if you don't" situation, eh ?
Soooooooooo...you're saying it's OK? Well, as long as he/she doesn't get caught?
 
Soooooooooo...you're saying it's OK? Well, as long as he/she doesn't get caught?

Read again : The issue was not : "Ok vs not ok". The issue was : What will cause "black eyes" out of it : Ratting out, or not ratting out ?
 
I had a Karen come out her front door and yell at me today about not detecting in her yard. I said I'm not. I'm detecting city property. From the sidewalk to the street is city. From your house to the sidewalk is your yard.

She says she's on the phone with the city. Then yells you need a permit.

I respond, I've got a permit.

Oh, she closes door and leaves me alone.

I tell you, Karen's sure hate when you dig in their weed bed!

A Karen here would say show me the permit!
 
Years ago I was delivering a load of Sheetrock on a flatbed, when I was out of my truck a “Karen” came up to me and told me he liked the sound of my truck. I said thank you and let it idle
 
When you detect ROW (right-of-way) strips you need to be prepared for homeowners who frown upon what you're doing. Especially if you're detecting the strips in front of occupied houses. Many people consider that little grassy spot their property (and in a minority of communities it is, with the city just having an easement) and often don't know that technically it isn't. Even if they do know since they maintain it, they consider it theirs.

The problem with getting into a verbal debate with the complainer, as opposed to explaining that the strip is city property but still offering to leave, is that there's a decent chance it doesn't end there. If they call the police, it's very possible the the cop will consider you the problem. If the complainer goes griping to their alderman or whatever they call their government representative in the area, or worse yet if the complainer is in a position of power in the government, you could potentially see a new ordinance on the books that wouldn't be in your best interest.

Unfortunately some who have a problem with you being there won't confront you directly but instead will just call the police. Even if the cop is sympathetic to you, he will probably ask you to find somewhere else to detect because in his eyes that's the easiest way to solve the issue.

What I've found that works very well for me is asking permission when I see the homeowner outside. I ask if I can look for dropped coins in that "little city owned right-of-way strip". By phrasing it like that, I'm subtly letting them know it's not their property and also subliminally letting them know that I'm considerate enough to ask first. I usually get a yes, and a significant percentage of the time that leads to getting permission for the whole yard.

On an unrelated issue, I've got a question for everyone using the term "Karen": How would you feel if the public started referring to a self-centered, entitled and obnoxious man as your first name? I'm sure you guys are just trying to follow the crowd and don't mean to be insulting, but if you turn the tables and think about if that was your name being used disparagingly...I'm betting you wouldn't like it. Who would?
 
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