Do you ever get the feeling?

[rvbvetter]

You ever feel that your neighbor hood, thinks of you as the village idiot, when ever they see you out detecting?
Sometimes i see curiosity in peoples faces as they go by. And some stop and ask the usual question. If i really find stuff with that thing?
And then there's the ones, that by the look on their faces, and without their saying a word.
You know their thinking that; That idiots doing it again. And to them you might as well be out there swinging a stick to and fro.

I can't really say that it bothers me. Just curious if any one else notices it, or senses it.

Do you ever?

 

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[Getty]

I still like free2detects thing.He carried the magazine with him and said "well yea I find things ,this fella in the mag.found a gold coin look,oh thats me." Thats comical as heck

 

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[pondmn]

My daughter noticed me in a nearby park one day and said she was going to make me a t-shirt with a stick figure metal detecting and the title I'M NOT BLIND, I'M JUST METAL DETECTING. How bout it someone let's get a shirt started and contribute the profits to some worthy cause. Pondmn

 

[rvbvetter]

Hey!! That gives me an idea! I think i'll have a T shirt made up with
"VILLAGE IDIOT" on it.
Don't worry, it's not because i have a low opinion of myself.
Its just that i like to have fun with stuff like this.

As far as shirts for a worthy cause. Count me in for one. HH

 

[groundogg]

funny you brought this topic up, being a black guy i really have had some strange encounters. i had a guy tell me , what the hell you doing with that gun? my reply, was im coinshooting.

 

[hollowpointred]

"COINSHOOTING" lol nice one!

 

[JW]

It's my electronic gopher gun...or sonic weedeater.

 

[Monty]

A good response would be,"The military lost one of their darn land mines and they hired me to find it"! "Oh, by the way, would you mind walking a little closer to that fence over there"? JIM

 

[Visionquest]

Thanks Jimmi, thats my new standard response I personally could give a rip what people have going in their heads about it, I know it runs the full range from anger at me being there to fear of what they don't know and back to duh, quite weedeater. They can make all the quet annoyed stares they want, that doesn't effect me, the comments they make to each other can be pretty entertaining though. Stupid people trying to explain to even less intelligent folks what I am doing is always worth a laugh!

 

[rusty nails]

jimmi - thats a great response - i will use that one - and vision - read my post about the two woman at the park - theres been several others but i dont want to type a book - i think its pretty bizarre how people react to this hobby when they dont do it -
i think allot of the weird responses come from people who dont like to get their hands dirty seriously ---------- Psycho and Roomer Mongerer , and i almost forgot EGO maniac . novice MD'er (its an inside joke) LBP :P

 

[urbss]

I am very new to this hobby and I know that my in-laws think that me and their son are insane for even trying to do this: we always get that "there they go looking childish again" look from my father-in-law.

But the neighbors are a different story. The lady on one side of our house told me that years ago (about 20) she lost 3 rings around my side yard - one was her high school ring. I've been looking, but so far I have not been successful in returning it to her.

But, the neighbors on the other side were very funny. The father and two little girls walked over to see what I was doing. It went something like this:

Me: I'm trying out my new metal detector.

Him: Do you think you will actually find something with that thing?

Me: That is what I'm hoping to find out.

Him: I doubt there is anything in your backyard!!

Metal Detector: BEEEEEEEEP

Me: Well, let's see what that signal means!!!

:ig Dig Dig::

Me: Wow, look at this!! (as I hand him what I now know is a 1939 Bronze Nazi Medal called a "War Merit Cross")

Yeah, he looked sceptical at first, but changed his tune within 5-10 minutes. Ironically, that is about the only thing I found that is worth anything!! But, it is still fun and good exercise!!

 

[Born2Dtect]

I usually try to hunt when there is no one around. If I do get an odd look it doesn't bother me. The look of "Man he looks like a good person to rob." gets my attention real fast.

Ed Donovan

 

[ClamBob]

Was detecting in a little neighborhood park in D.C. when a little old lady with a British accent asked if I ever find anything. ?I told her that I find stuff all the time. ?She looked appalled and asked, "Isn't that dangerous?" and I looked down at my camoflauge army surplus pants and realized that she thought I was sweeping for mines. ?After I explained that i was just looking for lost items we both got a good laugh.
It just makes me wonder how many people have taken the long way around me thinking I was a minesweeper. ?Maybe I should dress in full cammy and see how many people scatter at the beach. ?They might drop mure stuff.

HH and look out for land mines,
BobJ

 

[Andee]

Sometimes I get some weird looks because I'm a kid with a detector. I don't think too many 14 year olds go out detecting (well I've never seen any).

 

[JakePhelps]

im 15 and i detect I havent started asking people for permission yet because i dont want them to say no because they think im an unresponsibble. They assume cause your young you dont know what your doing

 

[Monty]

Jake, you reallly do need to start asking permission. If you are caught then everyone can say for sure that teenagers are not responsible people. It's not that hard to demonstrate your sense of responsibility and maturity. When you go to ask permission , don't go in your digging clothes. Wear something at least clean, not need to dress up but be presentable....wear something that you wouldn't be embarassed to wear into their house. Be very polite, heavy on the Sir and Ma'am . Take a few small items to show what you have found in the neighborhood and get them interested. If you can capture their interest, you've got 'em! Sell yourself, mention you're a local student and hope to go into archaeology someday, you don't do drugs and have never been in any trouble, etc.(Don't give them your life's history but just a few things to make you look more responsible. Tell them why you want to hunt on their property......" Your property (house) is one of the older ones in town and really should have some interesting artifacts", or"There use to be a carnival on your back lot and it would really be interesting to see what is there", etc. Say something like, "Before you say yes or no, can I show you how I dig and cover up the hole so it doesn't look bad"? Ask when would it be the best time to hunt their property and if they start to balk, be ready with a time in mind like, after school, Saturday morning, etc. Ask if it's OK to hunt when they're not at home. Some people just don't like anyone on their property when they are not at home.....I'm one of them! When you secure permission, be sure you check in and out if they are home, be ready to show them some of the things you have found and stick around to discusss it with them (keeping them interested in what you are doing). Some old timers especially can give you some valuable information if you can get them to talking. If you find something that might be a family heirloom, take a picture and offer to give it to them. You will cherish the memory and they will be thrilled and welcome you back nearly any time. That's just a few of the suggestions. Try it and let us know how it works out, OK? KS

 

[cm5838]

you think you get wierd looks detecting, try gold panning, or you can confuse someone more by dredging. Had one lady though i was just cleaning the river, and people who think it is to suck up fish. but the wierdest looks is from the enviro-nuts who think you are just devastating the environment by sucking up sand and dropping it back into the water.
Charles

 

[willie d]

How many times have you heard this? "If you find a gold chain it's mine"
My response " was it about 18 inches long and heavy?" " nope never seen it"

No gold chain, usually big diamond ring, almost every trip to the beach.

 

[bk]

I have been detecting for a long time and I still get the feeling that sometimes people think I'm an idiot, but then so do I.
Yesterday, I saw a sidewalk tear out right in the middle of downtown (approximately 100,000 population).
I couldn't find a parking spot less than 3 blocks away, so I had to carry my detector, and all my gear through the business district. You should have seen all the people stare at me. As I was searching it seemed like everyone in town was watching me. But, I got 3 pre 1890 Indian Head cents for my trouble.

 

[Gadget]

My questions actually come more at the office - usually because I've got a bad case of diggin' finger. If I could get my finger in the rock tumbler it wouldn't look like that.

 

[chrisjets]

I guess it is knowing who you are and what you stand for. Today I had a woman tell me that I should not plan my retirement on what I find. After she came closer and saw who I was. She had all the little kids watching what the man whom sits in front of her in church has found.