Detectorist in Richmond Va

[darktower007]

So I had a lengthy conversation/debate with the people at the parks and rec dept this morning. I read a few places that Detecting was totally banned in Richmond... like they will take your detector and fine you banned.

So I looked up the parks and Rec site for verbiage... nada.

I searched muni codes.... nada.

I even drove to 3 parks.... nothing posted.

So I called and spoke to two people and they said. “Oh yeah no metal detecting in parks.”

I said “Okay show me or tell me the Muni code, law, bill, or regulation that states that.”

They couldn’t.

I told them “If no law exists, if it’s not on the books, if it’s not posted, AND obviously if it’s not a historical, archeology sensitive, or State/National Park I’m going to metal detect.”

They said “well...I’m sorry you can’t... and I’m looking on the website, I can’t find anything either”

I said “Okay I’m going to the park to metal detect.”

Click... hung up.
So the verbal “No you can’t” isn’t a no in my book, since I’m not breaking any laws on the book... and as always I search for park rules posted at the site.

I’m sorry I can’t stomach people who white knight and state “no” when they truly don’t know.

Okay off my soap box! Lol

 

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[Carolina Tom]

Good show, I like it. Let us know how it plays out.

Charlotte Park & Rec has a regulation about digging in the parks or removing anything from the park. I talked to them about it, and they said 'no'. We do it anyway, but not when there are a lot of people around, and stay away from kids, and no camo or shovels, you know, the common sense stuff. I have been approached by park rangers a couple of times, so far so good, I'm polite and they don't boot me.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Here in Lorain county I was detecting in a tot lot in one of the county metro parks. A kind ranger came up to me and told me detecting was not permitted, I was not getting a fine or ticket and I could keep my meager finds. As soon as I got home I searched the County metro parks page and could not find the rules. I actually had to "Google" Lorain County Metro Parks Rules to find them. Detecting is legal without a permit on the dry sand beaches and dry river beds. It also stated that detecting was allowed but you needed to have a permit. No where in the rules does it tell you who to contact to get a permit. Needless to say I know where to get my permissions now, the permits are not an annual thing like other parks, but for a specific date and time period.

 

[Tedyoh]

No Camo? I'm out....thats all I wear

 

[darktower007]

No Camo? I'm out....thats all I wear

Always camo.. I prefer a Ghillie suit! Lol

 

[Tom_in_CA]

So I had a lengthy conversation/debate with the people at the parks and rec dept this morning. I read a few places that Detecting was totally banned in Richmond... like they will take your detector and fine you banned.

So I looked up the parks and Rec site for verbiage... nada.

I searched muni codes.... nada.

I even drove to 3 parks.... nothing posted.

So I called and spoke to two people and they said. “Oh yeah no metal detecting in parks.”

I said “Okay show me or tell me the Muni code, law, bill, or regulation that states that.”

They couldn’t.

I told them “If no law exists, if it’s not on the books, if it’s not posted, AND obviously if it’s not a historical, archeology sensitive, or State/National Park I’m going to metal detect.”

They said “well...I’m sorry you can’t... and I’m looking on the website, I can’t find anything either”

I said “Okay I’m going to the park to metal detect.”

Click... hung up.
So the verbal “No you can’t” isn’t a no in my book, since I’m not breaking any laws on the book... and as always I search for park rules posted at the site.

I’m sorry I can’t stomach people who white knight and state “no” when they truly don’t know.

Okay off my soap box! Lol

Good story. However a question for you: Why didn't you just go detecting, once you'd satisfied yourself, from your own study, that there's no laws/rules forbidding md'ing ? (silent on the subject) ? Because now that you had that conversation, guess what might come up on the agenda @ the next city council meeting for a proposed law/rule ? You might have been swatting hornet's nests. I would have just gone, and called no one.

It's the same in my city: No law or rule whatsoever. But I bet if I picked up the phone and started calling people, I could find someone to tell me "no" (eg.: "safe answer" psychology routine). Yet I can tell you for a fact that you can detect them till the cows come home. And be hard-pressed to find someone who cares or notices you.

I hope your call did not put any ideas in their mind. Just pick low traffic times and avoid busy-bodies. When it comes to nice-manicured turf, it's gotten to where I do most of mine at night. So peaceful. So serene. Like nose-picking: sometimes you need to choose dicreet timing so as not to offend the squeemish.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

....Charlotte Park & Rec has a regulation about digging in the parks or removing anything from the park. I talked to them about it, and they said 'no'. .....

I got news for you: It's not just Charlotte that has that. It's every single public park in the whole USA. Some variation of "dig" or "alter" or "deface" or "molest", etc.... If those automatically mean "no md'ing", then we can all just hang it up right now. But since we cover our spots and leave no trace, then .... no ... doesn't apply. I haven't alterED or defacED anything. Might someone disagree with those semantics ? SURE. But like you say: Go when such kill-joys are not around. You are simply not going to convert every last person on earth.

And don't ya just love the part about prohibitions on "removing" stuff ? (so that no one thinks he can help himself to the park benches, or harvest all the flowers in the gardens, etc....). Was it ever meant to apply to md'ing ? OF COURSE NOT. But put the "pressing question" in front of some bureaucrat , and ... sure... he can cite that . We "remove" things after all. Heck, he can say it falls afoul of "harming earthworms" or whatever.

this is why I do not ask anyone. If I am skittish about some place (which isn't every often), I will look it up for myself.

 

[relic nut]

This is why I like private property.
I only have to convince one person of my intentions, and everyone else can just druel with envy.

 

[dsdigger]

darktower007, did you get out and get some swinging in uninterrupted? As most towns in VA seem to have the don't deface the lawn, etc. . . . they could say what they want but I have not seen no md'ing many places except for National Park and the like which are known. If you are headed for an area or park in Richmond, I would be more worried about either historical or just not a good neighborhood. The Ghillie suit sounds interesting, little hunt and seek. You hunt while they try to seek you!

 

[eastcoastdetectorist]

Here’s a thought: Why not hunt public schools instead of parks? They produce roughly the same amount of finds (at least in my experience).