Fined in San Francisco

[G.I.B.]

Come on Doug-

Everyone knows that Whites beeps matter-

Fight that ticket- get out there and swing that detector!

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

Legal precedent is not binding from a single court's decision. That's TV law, not the way it actually works.....

Correct. But if you DID have a "dismissed ticket" paperwork to show any future busybodies, I betcha it'd work wonders to deflect them . doh!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Is paying the fine and rolling over the new American way ? Did our forefathers roll over for king George and just go ahead and pay the tax ? Davy Crockett said "Make sure you are right, then go ahead".

Everything you're saying is accurate. However, you ALSO have to ask yourself: "What is the lesser of two evils" ? And "what is the best way to attain our goal?" [The goal being: To have more places to md at]. And if the ANSWER to that question is to "Raise as few red flags as possible", then sometimes "fighting" is NOT the answer.

Does that mean I like it ? No. But just saying, sometimes you HAVE to treat isolated fluke incidents as just that: Isolated fluke incidents. Oh sure: If it's totally winnable and utterly arbitrary, fine, fight it. But if not, then the only thing you stand to gain by making a big stink, is an actual law against us

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... Just pay the fine and let the San Francisco City Parks keep their precious little dirt piles.

Great post. If the person has time to fight it (because in THIS case, it's totally win-able, d/t the prior permissions, etc...) then fine. But if NOT then by simply paying it, they ALSO would not set any precedent, and save themselves a bunch of time. Because I GAURANTEE you that md'ing is going on (and will continue to go on) at SF city parks ad-nauseum.

In fact, a very nice seated liberty quarter was just posted on kinzli forum from (gasp) a SF city park. 2 barber dimes, etc... surfaced on the same hunt (say it isn't so !!)

 

[ringhunter100]

why is the federal park jocks fn with you in city limits (plead not guilty) because unless you are on a federal land/park, that ranger has no power but you do live in California and they the local gov do whatever they want anyways so good luck n fight that bullshit ticket man

 

[Gone Diggin Doug]

I want to thank you all for the advice. I ran into a couple of detectorists at Martin Luther King park on 3rd St. this afternoon to let them know to watch out. I told them my plight and they said they have been detecting in SF for years and never were ticketed. Well I checked the ticket on the courthouse webpage to see if the Park Ranger finally submitted it, sure enough it was there and it wasn't $60 that he said it would be. It is $193. So I will be contesting this in court, I will mind my manners and try not to cause a stink. If it was 60 bucks I would just pay it but 193 seems a bit extreme. Happy hunting.

 

[SeabeeRon]

I want to thank you all for the advice. I ran into a couple of detectorists at Martin Luther King park on 3rd St. this afternoon to let them know to watch out. I told them my plight and they said they have been detecting in SF for years and never were ticketed. Well I checked the ticket on the courthouse webpage to see if the Park Ranger finally submitted it, sure enough it was there and it wasn't $60 that he said it would be. It is $193. So I will be contesting this in court, I will mind my manners and try not to cause a stink. If it was 60 bucks I would just pay it but 193 seems a bit extreme. Happy hunting.

Hope for a positive outcome for you with this! Almost $200 is nothing to just walk away from!!

 

[Gone Diggin Doug]

Tom,

After posting earlier today I checked my find bag from that day when I got the ticket. I thought I had found a token, about the size of a dime. I didn't think it was a dime because it didn't feel heavy enough. Turns out it is an 1893 Barber dime. It is not in the greatest shape but it is the oldest coin I have found. I have another coin that is the same size but it is really encrusted with some dirt and one side is broken off, I need to get that cleaned up as well.

GDD

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Doug, I hope the defense points that I and others have given here will work. You have a great case on multiple counts:

a) you had the go-ahead from more than 1 agency/person. Albeit perhaps misguided, but ... THE GO AHEAD all the same. Perhaps judge might even say they were misguided. But it should still negate your ticket in that you were "acting in good faith."

b) you weren't destructing or damaging or defacing anything. Since you leave no trace of your presence. Such wording implicitly refers to the end results status afterall.

c) This ONLY came about because the police were merely responding to some busy-body. But that they themselves would probably have cared less.

And even if he says the ticket sticks: If it were me, I'd keep detecting those parks. Because JUST like those people you ran into at MLK, and JUST like multitude others of us, we/they have been detecting those parks for years. Oh sure, sometimes a busy-body to deflect or give lip service to. But no, not a blanket rule/law.

congratz on the barber dime !

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Get ready for El Nino Doug. You may be bidding good riddance to land/park hunting anyhow. Watch for the storms starting in December. If the beaches around SF erode, you could be a very busy man digging silver and such ! Oh sure, technically some are federal (those that are GGNRA). You could study the map boundaries to see where the various boundaries are. But if it were me, .... I'd be looking for that "ring my wife lost last week here".

I've heard of a guy who hunted stinson beach (yes, the federal part) for the better of a year. Because he simply didn't know any better. He did quite well just working the dry sand towel line, volleyball courts, etc... For the LIFE of him he couldn't understand why the "locals weren't all over this". Imagine his surprise when he began to meet other hobbyists, join a club, etc... and heard that it was supposedly off-limits. Odd part was: he'd been there in broad daylight for months on end. In full view of rangers, lifeguard towers, etc... Nobody had ever said so much as "boo". You can imagine his temptation to simply keep going, since it was obvious no one cared less.

So too did a friend of mine go to Ocean beach (another arm of the GGNRA boundary) to look for someone's lost ring (a legitimate search). He wondered if he needed to get "special permission", but in the end, just decided to print out the L&F ad, and just go look. He would just show it to anyone who approached him. He was never questioned or bothered.

Not saying that makes it right, but ... just sayin' !

 

[SeabeeRon]

Tom,

After posting earlier today I checked my find bag from that day when I got the ticket. I thought I had found a token, about the size of a dime. I didn't think it was a dime because it didn't feel heavy enough. Turns out it is an 1893 Barber dime. It is not in the greatest shape but it is the oldest coin I have found. I have another coin that is the same size but it is really encrusted with some dirt and one side is broken off, I need to get that cleaned up as well.

GDD

Congratz on the nice old Barber dime!

 

[watercolor]

I want to thank you all for the advice. I ran into a couple of detectorists at Martin Luther King park on 3rd St. this afternoon to let them know to watch out. I told them my plight and they said they have been detecting in SF for years and never were ticketed. Well I checked the ticket on the courthouse webpage to see if the Park Ranger finally submitted it, sure enough it was there and it wasn't $60 that he said it would be. It is $193. So I will be contesting this in court, I will mind my manners and try not to cause a stink. If it was 60 bucks I would just pay it but 193 seems a bit extreme. Happy hunting.

There's a good chance the Ranger will be a "no-show" and your case will be dismissed. We're all wishing you the best.

 

[The Urban Prospector]

I bet if you searched the legal annals far enough and long enough, you'd find someone who got a $60 ticket for leaving their dog's poop in a park. So that analogy is not exactly accurate to this one (tickets for md'ing have their equals for dog-poop tickets too).

But let me ask you this: When was the last time you ever heard of a dog owner approaching city hall asking "Hi can I let my dog poop in the park and leave it there?" Never, right ? Thus why then do we md'rs think we have the need to go ask at city hall "Hi can I detect and dig in the park please ?"

Furthermore...when the family is at the park for a picnic and mother is preparing some vittles while dad peruses the San Francisco Chronicle, does little "Billy" get fined for using mother's spoon to dig out the ramp and little parking spot for his two Hot Wheels? Sheesh...forget about the meth lab operation going on down the street, let's concentrate on some serious lawlessness like these metal detectorists and those who don't wear their seat belt.