TOT LOT ETIQUETTE

[mts]

. Or little johnny doing a kamakazi jump off the swings right on your coil. (Yep, happened to one of my hunting partners)

I think that's where the whole idea of tot lot etiquette comes into play. I don't detect near the swings if kids are on them. Your hunting partner probably should have found another place to detect in the tot lot that was further away from the children. Then his detector wouldn't have been in danger.

[boogeyman]

He was at the far end of one of those play structures, the kid climbed up from the far end ran across & jumped. I was hunting in the grass a ways away & saw it happen. From my side of the coin, I wanted to roll on the ground laughing, but from his side it was enough to make you cry. If I had video of it, it'd be hillarious.

But it was a lesson learned.

[colorado14ers]

I usualy go to parks later in the day and when it gets dark and everyone leaves, i go to the tot lots (they are next to tennis courts so its lit up and im with my dad, so its safe). also being 14, i get away with more

[Terrafisher]

Learned this one from geocaching....

carry a clipboard with you and wear an orange vest and hardhat. Most people won't give you a second look. They'll most likely think you're some type of surveyor, contractor, or company employee trying to locate markers or such.


Just suggesting... it works with geocaching quite well.

[joeman]

Totlots are part of my sunrise tour. Kids who drop, even throw mems down without regard for them will sometimes go nuts when you're there. Many will not ask but if they think you've got a target they'll start tearing into the dirt under your coil.

And liars?!? Biggest lairs on earth are the little ones around you sometimes. Had them tell me their aunt, cousin, mom and pet dog lost whatever I found. Without ever laying eyes on it.

Other times it's all good and only one or two kids will approach and seem genuinely interested.

Overall, get out when kids step in is my advice. Just move on to another totlot. There's so many of them out there these days you hop from playground to playground fairly quickly.

One thing I don't understand is the design of modern playground equipment. There's gotta be something wrong with them people. Those Picasso-esque designs are beyond my ability to figure out.

BAWAHAHAHAH! Awww man, I just about shot a nice stream of water outta' my nose with the liar comment! Damn that was funny... Hee, hee...

Yeah, the little ones sure have a GREAT imagination and are pretty creative when it comes to 'buried treasure'! Heh, heh...

To the OP.... I've ONLY done TOT lots when they're empty and mostly just before dark or first thing in the AM in order to make sure that I wasn't being bothered and some 'Mom' or 'Babysitter' wasn't worried about little 'Johnny or Suzie' going to play because of the weirdo digging holes under the slide.. :P

[savant365]

I have a black tee shirt with big white letters on the back that say "BOMB SQUAD" for some reason no one comes near me in the parks.

[wildman4910]

And liars?!? Biggest lairs on earth are the little ones around you sometimes. Had them tell me their aunt, cousin, mom and pet dog lost whatever I found. Without ever laying eyes on it.

That's why you keep an old pull tab in your pocket!!

[BlueDuck]

I usually hit them early when no ones around.

[bwirth1999]

Just don't stare at the children.

[clearblk]

I'm new to this but I would say to just go early or in bad weather and leave when the kids show up. I'll be hitting some Tot Lots in a couple of weeks and will post results if I can find the cord for my camera. Found an old train station that is no longer there to detect before the playgrounds.

[Treasure_Hunter]

I'm new to this but I would say to just go early or in bad weather and leave when the kids show up. I'll be hitting some Tot Lots in a couple of weeks and will post results if I can find the cord for my camera. Found an old train station that is no longer there to detect before the playgrounds.

I hunt tot lots and I could care less if there are kids there or what parents there think....It is my taxes that pays for the up keep of the park as well as the kids education....If I am going to pay for it, I am going to use it..........

[SeaninNH]

If there are kids there I usually stay to the edges or the area that they aren't playing, but I do most of my detecting in tot lots at night from 9pm-1am so I rarely see kids.

[ivan salis]

me I always show folks that come up on me the trash and other "dangerous" items i remove from the tot lot areas --once they see I'm removing threats to lil johnny or suzy's safety --they get a much better attitude toward the "crazy old detector dude" and will be much more likely to be pro let the detector dudes detect in the park

if mobbed by a bunch of kids -- I move on normally -- but if it is just one , I might not -- if they are polite and not overly bothersome -- I will show them what I'm doing and let them dig up a coin --with the parents ok of course (normally its the mom out with em)

remember in todays world if some nitwit wants to try banning detecting in your local parks --it pays to have "freinds" to show up at the public hearing on it * --and doing a bit of good "pr" can help turn folks from not a friend into a freind of metal detecting

[Jeep]

Sunday morning, 0630 to 0900 every week.

No one around and all the loot is mine

[gleaner1]

Good tot lot etiquette opens doors to good tot loot.