Metal Detacting Alien

[Orbitz]

Sometimes I feel like an alien being a metal detectorist...


Located a little over an hour outside Pittsburgh, PA... there are no local metal detector shops/dealers around here. Sucks because you totally have to rely on reviews, opinions, and the roll of the dice for detectors and gear. Pittsburgh, PA is close and a some hardcore detectorists there, who I have met before, and they hunt the hunted out areas and also have fun finding new places, but pretty much, I am on my own in my area.


There are a few 'perks' to being the only detectorist... or maybe one of the few... around my area...


#1 Nothing gets hunted out... I found places that I am sure I am the first person ever there...

#2 Nothing is really 'off limits' or banned from metal detecting around here...

#3 No one really has a clue what you are doing! LOL!


here's a real life example from not too long ago....


I had the County Sherriff come over to me once while in a local park, checking below a dam, where a syrup factory once stood for WWII rations. When he approached, I was like 'uh oh, here we go...'. This is pretty much the transcript... word for word... give or take a work or two... This stuck out, and will stick in my memory....


Sheriff: "You looking for land mines?"

Me: "No. Just coins or old stuff around here. How are you?"

**introductions and hand shake**

Sheriff: "I saw a guy with one of those a while back and wondered if he ever found anything good"

**Show him my ETrac and the basics of it with headphones off**

Me: "Sometimes, but most times not. It's just nice to get out. It's fun just going to places and seeing if you pick up anything good. Want to see how it works? I have a Minelab Etrac metal detector"

Sheriff: "No, no no, I have no idea about all that tech stuff"

Me: "let me ask you Sheriff. It's OK metal detecting in public parks right?

**Sheriff gets a slightly confused look on his face. I wonder if I was too forward**

Sheriff: "Yeah. I guess so. I don't see why not?!? not like your tearing the place up!"

Me: "No. Nor would I. I would never do that."

Sheriff: "These college kids come down here and tear the place up........"

**Sheriff's story about a college party and trucks turfing the park and a fire in the woods....**

Me: "that sucks. That's really a shame"

Sheriff: "I bet you'd find some good stuff in Veteran's Park. You know they used to have some old houses there and places they hid slaves duing the war?"

Me: "I know where that is"

---NOTE: It's a historic park! It's in town and was build up around it!--

Sheriff: "you should try there. I bet you'd find some old good stuff there. That would be a good place!"

Me: "I bet it would be pretty good."

**Sheriff's radio chirps and messages**

Sheriff: "Nice meeting you Mike. Good luck with finding paydirt. I have to go, have a call."

Me: "Nice to meet you Sheriff. Have a good day! Nice meeting you!"


I GUARANTEE.... I had a window detecting of the Sheriff's 'short-term-memory', that I could have went to Veteran's Park.... and tanked the hell out of it with my ETrac.

The place has had ceremonies since the Civil War,and there is actually a small cemetary on it.. and if someone showed up (it is along a few active streets), and said something,...even the local police... I would tell them the 'Sheriff said it was OK, please call him"..

...and I GUARANTEE, that based of the way stuff happened, the conversation, and what he knew about metal detecting, and his demeanor.... he'd give anyone stopping me the "Oh yeah, I remember him! He's OK. I OKed it.."


Like I said... I get looked at like an alien!

Wow lol I wish the cops in Petersburg, Va were like that, cool story thnx for sharing and HH

 

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[deepskyal]

In Pithole, they have a big old sign that expressly states..."NO METAL DETECTING". I go by a rule of thumb that if it's not expressly posted No Trespassing or No metal detecting, and I have knowledge that it isn't some sacred grounds....I'm going to detect it.

Most parks I see have a list of rules and things that are NOT permitted. If metal detecting isn't on their list...what are we to think?

If they don't want me to detect there and they are going to have a list of excluded activities, then they better add detecting to their sign. If not...it's all open to me.

You got the sherrif's name and a "I don't see why not" response, if it isn't posted otherwise, I think the worst you'd get after explaning the conversation, is a NO, it's not allowed and sent packing.

Al

 

[Tom_in_CA]

al, let me see if I can be the "devil's advocate" and answer you from how a skittish person would:

A) Re.: "if it's not expressly posted .... No metal detecting ...." Answer: "It doesn't have to be 'expressly' posted, for it still to be illegal. For example: there is no sign that forbids nudity, but ... well ... you get the point Or perhaps even down at city hall on the 'more complete list' of forbidden things, perhaps there is nothing specifically addressing detector there either. Yet you might *still* run afoul, in some busy body's opinion, of harming earthworms, or hurting the grass, or taking 'park property' and other such things that might be morphed to apply to you, if someone tried hard enough"

B) Re.: "You got the sheriff's name and a "I don't see why not" response ...." Answer: "... But what if the sheriff was wrong in his information? What if you get arrested? What if you get your detector confiscated and face fines now, because the sheriff's info is wrong?"

See Al? They've got you closed in at every angle. I've been through this before so many times, that I've got the retort lines memorized from the skittish person's angle.

And my answer back to the above two points are:

On A) If a hunter wants to worry about whether or not someone *might* get their panties in a wad and morph something ELSE to apply, then I fear they have chosen the wrong hobby. Because the list is never-ending of what someone *might* apply to you, and will become an endless p*ssing match over the definition of "destroy" or "take" or "dig" or "collect" or whether or not your detector's frequencies harm spotted owls, and so forth. At some time, just like driving, you HAVE to take the risk that someone else is going to flip you off in traffic for what they perceive as a poor lane change on your part. In other words, let's face it: we're in an odd hobby that draws lookie-lous, and DOES contain connotations, no matter how you slice it. So if this bothers someone that not everyone may love them, then I fear they have chosen the wrong hobby. If a person can't keep a lower discreet profile, avoid high traffic times, and learn how to play it cool when and if a busy body ever approached, then i fear they need to change hobbies, or stick to private property. I too wish park's had big signs that said "metal detecting welcome, come deface the park for your own personal profit and enjoyment". But it just aint gonna happen.

On B) Sure: the cop or sheriff or city desk clerk *might* be wrong. So what. THEY would be the ones in trouble, not you. Only if you got re-appraised by a higher authority, and only if you the subsequently ignored this "re-appraisal", would you face any issues, legally. Since you operated within the word of a duly authorized person, in good faith.

 

[mikusek]

From what I have read, the county sheriff is the highest ranking elected official in a county, above the FBI, etc. in local matters. But, the sheriff doesn't make the laws.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

No, he doesn't make the laws, but he interprets and enforces. good enough .