People avoidance is hindering my detecting!

[ARC]

LOL ! HAH !... My girl just said "you better not put that picture of me up" ! ***snicker... muwahahaha***

I took one of her that is right up there with yours Coily.

 

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[Plumbata]

I am naturally inclined to detect far away from curious onlookers, because the mere presence of others transforms one's peaceful meditative/contemplative state into a more distracted and superficial social mode, but when those sidewalk tearouts along busy roads occur you just need to ignore your hermetic inclinations and irrational discomfort and do your thing.

 

[Muddyhandz]

Good one Coily! I like that picture.
Here's what I do and you can ask some of my friends as they've witnessed me doing this......
If there's a bunch staring at me for a long time or lots of cars driving by honking or yelling stupid things out their windows....
I loosen my belt and then bend over to dig the next signal with my back facing the pestilence and crack them a smile.
Without fail they're gone so fast I can see a dust cloud! It's my way of telling people to kiss me arse.
It may backfire one day (I don't mean crap my pants) and some dude may still be staring with a smile.....
In that case I'll just leave as I don't bend that way!
If my "cracking them a smile" doesn't work then start yelling like you're having an argument with yourself and that should do the trick.
Most times I just ignore the pestilence. If people don't get the attention they seek then they'll just move on.
Pretend they don't exist!
Cheers.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Thanks for that laugh CG! Looks like you need to come down and visit me, we'll get cha washed up in my gold ocean, I got down here, LOL. Maybe find ya some take-home treats.

I used to be more conscientious of ppl staring/gawking, I'm about over it, at this age! I purposely didn't go to the beach over the holiday weekend, just because I didn't want to be in the middle of the crowd. Nothing like that high pitched high decibel squeal some of them little kids rip with, blows right through my headphones!
I'm like you, Terry, got no desire for concerts, festivals, large gatherings, crowds.

I prefer quiet, smooth, glass like water hunting conditions, but, as the saying goes, ya can't always get what you want. I usually hunt Mon-Fri and take weekends off.
Op, if it's any consolation (don't know if it'll help or not), I remembered these few things, told to me or read somewhere, that help to remind me, it usually ain't me...... (as I am usually always questioning cwap I see, with like, what's wrong with those ppl(?), who in their right mind(?), is it just me(?), that's not news(!), etc.....it may just be me.....

"Ppl are gonna talk about you. If you do good, ppl will talk, if you do bad, ppl will talk. It doesn't matter WHAT you do, someone, somewhere, is going to talk about you/it".

"Ppl will dislike you, for things that have absolutely NOTHING, to do with YOU (and everything to do with them)".

"Everybody loves a newborn baby. The minute you give it a name, half the ppl hate the name. Give it a nationality, more ppl hate it. The minute we start labeling ppl/things, we cause division/hate."

"Manners and politeness, are not considered to be important traits, anymore".

"The more I learn about ppl, the better I like animals".

These are just generals, as I truly do try to look for the good and better, in most/all I encounter.
Don't give others power over you, to sway or deter you. You, I, everyone, has the right to exist within the space we/they occupy. If someone else is not paying your bills for you, they got no right to occupy space in your head! Hope things get more tolerable for ya and good luck.

 

[KZinOKC]

I'm a bit surprised to see how many of us feel about people looking at us. When I first started detecting I felt a bit self conscious, almost embarrassed to be doing something "geeky". But I didn't care. People would come up and ask how I was doing, did I find anything neat, etc. and I would say "Just some lost change". I would never say I found jewelry or gold. Some would ask questions about the hobby and I would answer, but I never felt bothered by it.

Oh, except for the very first time I went detecting. Just got a BH QuickDraw II and I made the mistake going to a school playground in the evening when some kids were there. They all came running up asking "Whatcha doing" . I said metal detecting, and then got a signal for a quarter. Dumb me, I start to move away the chips and those kids knew exactly what was happening!! They stuck there hands in there and dug as fast as a dog digging under a fence, grabbed the quarter and ran off!! I learned a lesson that day, yes sir.

Another time hunting a downtown schoolyard with a friend we were approached by a scruffy character. I pulled out my Lesche and he saw it from a distance, and made a new route around us..I didn't want to talk to him anyway, and now I have a permit and conceal if I'm someplace I can legally carry, but not in a schoolyard.

All in all, I've been more than happy and willing to have people look and ask questions. I think it's better to try and make friends for the hobby than be all grumpy and give a sour look to the sport. And who knows, that kid who scarfed my first quarter might be detecting today. But I'll never hunt a park with kids around again.

 

[kcm]

Dang Pat! I could make a comment here, but my wife would surely smack me with a frying pan - CAST IRON, no less!



Yes, there was a day when no self-respecting person would be caught dead buying cheap, foreign-made junk. Now, many people seek it out.

There was a day when no self-respecting person would go online and get in facebook and tell the world every time they had to take a crap.

There was a time when....oh, hell with it! ...There was a time when I walked more like a man than a monkey!


Oh, and Have a Nice Day!!

 

[tiburciovasquez]

Try to ignore them

 

[kcm]

"I sometimes run away and put my gear in the car if someone just walks towards me"
Can you see, though, how suspicious this would look to others? I mean, if you don't have specific permission to hunt a property, then you probably shouldn't be there in the first place. If you're hunting public land where MDing is allowed, then your running away gives the impression to non-MDers that maybe it's NOT allowed there. Therefore, they may call in to police every time they see someone hunting there - maybe hunting ANYwhere.

I'm not saying to become engaged in a confrontation - what I'm saying is to 1) be polite and courteous 2) if someone walks up and questions you, offer a simple explanation of the facts

I like the business cards idea, but then I REALLY like the "construction worker, hi-vis vest" thing also. Instead of working in the shadows, be bold, and give the visual intent that you're "supposed" to be there. Many fewer people will confront you or call the police. You should never be ashamed of doing something that you are not only within your rights to do, but also doing your best to do things right. If you live/detect in an area where other people live, then you MUST expect that you will be approached now and then. Running away only gives them more power and control over you!

 

[Chizzy]

If I'm detecting in a public area and the police are patrolling, I make it a point to wave to them. Some of them will change their route and swing by to ask the obvious question....."Find anything good?". I always take the time to remove my headphones and chat with them. I'll ask if they've noticed any other md'ers out and about. I'll ask about other city properties that are posted (flood control areas and the like) for access. Or lots where buildings have been demolished.......
The local police can be a great asset if you just let them.................

 

[Chizzy]

I have an idea....maybe a vest that says stay back 100 ft radiation detection in progress.

This reminds me of the lady whose attic I detected for her fathers' hidden treasures. When she left her message on my answering machine, she asked if I would be willing to bring my "Geiger counter" to search the house a 2nd time............

 

[Chug And Red]

All I say to the Little Kids Is I will Not talk to you, Without And Adult or parent with you!!!

 

[slider66]

I love it! They can watch all they want. I have met a lot of nice people doing this! It's a great hobby. Life is good you only go around once.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ARC]

Thanks for that laugh CG! Looks like you need to come down and visit me, we'll get cha washed up in my gold ocean, I got down here, LOL. Maybe find ya some take-home treats.

I used to be more conscientious of ppl staring/gawking, I'm about over it, at this age! I purposely didn't go to the beach over the holiday weekend, just because I didn't want to be in the middle of the crowd. Nothing like that high pitched high decibel squeal some of them little kids rip with, blows right through my headphones!
I'm like you, Terry, got no desire for concerts, festivals, large gatherings, crowds.

I prefer quiet, smooth, glass like water hunting conditions, but, as the saying goes, ya can't always get what you want. I usually hunt Mon-Fri and take weekends off.
Op, if it's any consolation (don't know if it'll help or not), I remembered these few things, told to me or read somewhere, that help to remind me, it usually ain't me...... (as I am usually always questioning cwap I see, with like, what's wrong with those ppl(?), who in their right mind(?), is it just me(?), that's not news(!), etc.....it may just be me.....

"Ppl are gonna talk about you. If you do good, ppl will talk, if you do bad, ppl will talk. It doesn't matter WHAT you do, someone, somewhere, is going to talk about you/it".

"Ppl will dislike you, for things that have absolutely NOTHING, to do with YOU (and everything to do with them)".

"Everybody loves a newborn baby. The minute you give it a name, half the ppl hate the name. Give it a nationality, more ppl hate it. The minute we start labeling ppl/things, we cause division/hate."

"Manners and politeness, are not considered to be important traits, anymore".

"The more I learn about ppl, the better I like animals".

These are just generals, as I truly do try to look for the good and better, in most/all I encounter.
Don't give others power over you, to sway or deter you. You, I, everyone, has the right to exist within the space we/they occupy. If someone else is not paying your bills for you, they got no right to occupy space in your head! Hope things get more tolerable for ya and good luck.

Somehow I missed your post Cat...
Well said.

 

[ARC]

Someone said "you must detect a lot".

To be honest I detect so infrequently these days...
mostly I detect in the winter months...
I am not so "gung ho" on the beaches as I was when younger... for several reasons...
Use to go daily...
Then once a week...
Now once a month if even.
My detectors have a layer of dust.

Detecting beaches is just something I have done since my teens...
Back then... was for some "extra"... and my love for it... which is still there.
But more these days... its for a "reset"... and to "get it out" of my system... for if I don't go "I jones it".
I like permissions best with known or unknown potential... or virgin grounds.
Its a "challenge thing".

Don't get me wrong... I love finding stuff.
And am considered by others "very good at it".
But my first love is the ocean and diving...
And if given the choice of being out on the water or detecting a beach... ehhh the boat.
detecting beaches has always just been a past time for me anyway.

It also has a lot to do with the fact... "the beaches are not what they used to be".
Finds of any consequence are fewer and far between...
Lots of guys doing it now...
Less people wear jewelry to the beach as well now... etc etc etc.

I feel that basically I am just cleaning the beach of trash these days.
And... Besides...
I gotta leave some stuff for the other guys :P

 

[RustyGold]

I love it! They can watch all they want. I have met a lot of nice people doing this! It's a great hobby. Life is good you only go around once.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm with you on this one slider. I enjoy getting out and talking with people that are interested. I won't submerse myself into a crowd on the beach though just to be polite.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Don't take this as an attack, as I'm certain you are not the only one who feels this way, but you need counseling

The ones who need counseling are the nosy newts who feel the need to harass us when we're minding our own business detecting. You get a little tired of the jerks and that's what makes you want to get away from them all.

I've been harassed by little old ladies, baseball and soccer coaches and even a RI state police plainclothes detective (guess he didn't want to earn his $100k pay that day and go after the REAL criminals).

Bottom line, I just want to be left alone and enjoy my hobby. If I can't do that in public, I will spend all my time in the woods or detecting on crappy days when all the wimps of the world are sitting indoors whining on Facebook..

 

[CharonPompeii]

My dad was the same way but he was a sort of misanthropic guy in general. However, if he got uncomfortable while he was detecting, he'd just soldier on and after 15 - 20 minutes he'd be back in the zone. Sometimes, you just have to push through the discomfort.

 

[Deft Tones]

The ones who need counseling are the nosy newts who feel the need to harass us when we're minding our own business detecting. You get a little tired of the jerks and that's what makes you want to get away from them all.

I've been harassed by little old ladies, baseball and soccer coaches and even a RI state police plainclothes detective (guess he didn't want to earn his $100k pay that day and go after the REAL criminals).

Bottom line, I just want to be left alone and enjoy my hobby. If I can't do that in public, I will spend all my time in the woods or detecting on crappy days when all the wimps of the world are sitting indoors whining on Facebook..

I'm reminded of some simple advice given to me long ago: Learn mind over matter. If you don't mind it won't matter.

Seems some detectorists have a persecution complex, always feeling harassed, by questions from the curious, even by mere observers.

Only one time have I ever been truly harassed. Kids on bikes following at distance and throwing rocks at me. Move away and they follow. Ended that real quick by unsheathing the K-Bar in a reverse grip and speed walking to confront them. They held their ground until over half the distance was closed, then poof! Kids were gone. They threatened to bring someone back, so I waited, and waited for over an hour until I finally gave up all hope of having words with the parents, or a police officer. I was so disappointed.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Seems some detectorists have a persecution complex, always feeling harassed, by questions from the curious, even by mere observers

The first poster needs counseling and I have a persecution complex. Unless you're a shrink, keep your psychoanalysis comments to yourself.

And you have no idea as to whether or not I have been harassed, so again, keep your comments to yourself.

 

[kcm]

The first poster needs counseling and I have a persecution complex. Unless you're a shrink, keep your psychoanalysis comments to yourself.

And you have no idea as to whether or not I have been harassed, so again, keep your comments to yourself.

I ain't EEEEEEVEN touching that one!!