Scared to metal detect a park?

[Tom_in_CA]

... i wasnt aware of any changes to the rules. This dude carried all the rules around in his pocket..... .

thanx for answering that. You don't give any info. about the "trooper in PA (ie.: what type site, and "could the md'r have known", etc....). But as for YOUR SPECIFIC example, all I can say is this: If, as you say, it was a "rule", then you could have availed yourself of it. Ie.: it could be looked up, by oneself, somewhere. No rules or laws are "secret". If they're a park rule or code, the those exist somewhere in print that you can look up. Yes , what happened to you "bites", but just saying, that it doesn't mean that we need to ask desk-bound pencil pushers "can I?".

And yes I knows there's good and bad ways of asking (to induce a "yes", rather than an arbitrary whimsical "no"). But even at a police station, I've heard of strange answers. Like "ask at the park's dept.". Or "yes but you can't dig" (even though you never mentioned dig), etc..... So if you want to talk to a live person, perhaps you can ask: "where can I find a list of all the rules and regulations of muni codes involving park usage ?"

But back to your particular confiscation: Whenever I pose the question of "show me an example", I'm painfully aware that .... someday, someone will have an example of "cuffed and stuffed" for merely detecting a sandbox. In other words, no doubt someone WILL have a "dire scary story". My answer to this, is that so too, if you study news accounts long enough, can you probably find examples of someone jailed, fined, ticketed, and confiscated, for nothing but a tail-light out. By an over-zealous cop. I mean, sure ANYTHING is possible. I have a link to a guy who got a ticket for eating a hamburger while driving ! Does that mean none of us will eat an drive now ? No, of course not. We consider such things "flukes".

But back to your particular case, it could be argued that there was a rule that you could have looked up. And I would also say that his guy was way over-zealous, and this was a fluke, and you most certainly should have simply been appraised for future use. This is far from typical, and I would classify a fluke.

 

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[Xraywolf]

Not unusual to be intimidated going out in public for the 1st time detecting, I remember going outside my yard for the 1st time, I felt like a girl on prom night nervousness as can be.
I'm not shy at all or susceptible to intimidation, I think I just feel a little goofy. I remember when I was a kid and saw guys detecting, I'd think "Look at that old loser, scrounging around for pocket change, poor guy !" and now, I think people will think the same about me.
Just a bit self conscious I guess, but doesn't effect me much anymore as I generally don't give a rats ass what anyone thinks about me. Still, I shy away from very public places and have never randomly asked a permission [of someone I didn't know] to detect - Just not my style. I figure, if someone asked me if he could hang around my property and dig up my yard, I'd say "no, any more questions ?"
Often I'll go out at night with a head mounted flashlight to detect, just to avoid publicity. tot lots I exclusively hunt at night, but thats more out of respect for kids, don't want to intrude on their playing time or give parents anything to worry about.

As far as cops, has been my experience that it doesn't matter if you wave and smile at them or just ignore them, if they are going to accost you they will - Especially doing something as self evident as metal detecting, as its not an inherently suspicious activity and its not like they might think you are up to some nefarious deed no matter what your demeanor and attitude is. They know exactly what you are doing, and I don't think a happy, smiling guy or morose, glum looking guy looks any more or less suspicious than the other, if they think they can ride you about something and are so inclined, they will.
Being all mushy nice and friendly to them, cops recognize suckup attempts as well, and could interpret that as trying to cover something up, so I wouldn't make any effort to do anything or act any way you usually would not. Just go on about your business, if its not prohibited then you have nothing to worry about.

Parks can pay off but most tend to be trashy, some pure trash nightmares, I tend to avoid them for just that reasons and look for things more off the beaten path.

 

[s.c.shooter]

Usually if it is prohibited it will be posted at the park entrance. Read the list and if metal detecting isn't there how can anyone say that you are in violation.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Usually if it is prohibited it will be posted at the park entrance. Read the list and if metal detecting isn't there how can anyone say that you are in violation.

It is *possible* that the rule could be down at city hall, yet not on the wooden sign at the park entrance. HOWEVER, I'd agree with you, that in the off-hand chance this is the case, then you'd be appraised and .... now you know better.

I mean, we're NOT talking something like "public nudity" or "murder" or ..... something that, even though "not on a sign", yet you are expected to know. Metal detecting is not of this caliber where you assume it's disallowed UNTIL you see a sign to the contrary (eg.: "metal detecting allowed here" sign). Unlike public nudity or murder, it's not inherently implicitly wrong everywhere. Hence I'd agree, that if it's not on the sign, I would think you'd be told, and now you're warned.

I'm SURE someone can come on with a fluke example. But that's just the point: they'd be flukes. I'm as bold and brazen as they come. I've been given "scrams" scores of times. One time it even back-fired on the police person who was accosting me, and he ended up losing his job over it (long story). Not saying I'd wish that on anyone, but ... .just saying you gotta have a tough skin in this hobby sometimes. It DOES contain connotations (on manicured turf grass anyhow). So, sure, ... do your homework if you're skittish. And then pick low traffic times so as not to ruffle anyone's feathers

 

[oredigger62]

Hey Tom ,
I am not sure about the particulars on my friends encounter with the Pa state trooper. He never really shared specifics because he was as ashamed about the whole thing , as i was when it happened to me. One things for sure. In Ohio they are really big on " ignorance is no excuse ". They are so money hungry . The one suburb that borders one side of the park is called Fairview park. A few years back they arrested and booked 2 guys for DUI's on bicycles. They rode their bicycles up to the bar so they didn't need to drive since it was only a mile or so. They got popped on the way home.

S.C shooter. In response to your post. The Judge claims that nothing has to be posted as long as it is in print and accessible. He then went on to cite an example. Drive down your street. Do you see signs telling you to not drink and drive ? Or a sign telling you not to use drugs ?

Ever since that encounter i had i have had great success checking in with the local police when going to new areas. Not on the phone but in person. In most cases it seems better to talk to the brass than it is the first person you see. Always get a name , just good to have. That is what i do , it works for me. I don't have to go sneaking around early in the morning or late of an evening. And when in the Cleveland area i sure as heck would not ever go detecting after dark... might not be alive in the morning.

 

[Geobound]

As others have said, if you don't want to draw more attention to yourself than necessary then do it in off hours.

I wouldn't suggest skulking around late at night, but perhaps 6-8 (am and pm), when staff have either not got there yet or likely have gone home.

The other thing (and likely the biggest) DON'T USE A SHOVEL TO DIG YOUR HOLES IN A PARK!

Use your small digger, and try not to mutilate the lawn.

We all get excited about pulling that find out of the ground, but it's been there years so a few extra seconds to dig a cleaner plus won't make the target disappear.

As a side note, when I've hunted tot lots in the past I do it when the kids are likely not to be there.

If it's a decent size lot then I stay on the opposite side of where the kids are (when possible), if the park starts to get too congested then I leave and come back at a later time.

Drawing undo attention to yourself is the first thing you can do to get evicted from a site.

Don't panic go in like you know what you are doing, and if there is any confrontation (official or not) I will pack it in and come back another time.

Main thing is to have fun and be safe.

Happy hunting.

 

[Rawhide]

I wait for the biggest events and go right through the middle of em. Just dont do anything illegal.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Yes, indeed!!

One is often better off asking for forgiveness than asking permission....

Welllll, I wouldn't go so far as to quote that pat-saying. Because it implies to the doer is doing something wrong. Ie.: that would need "forgiveness". Thus implying illegality or wrong-ness. Why start with that implicit premise ? I don't think we are doing anything wrong , thus nothing to be "forgiven" for.
Now is that to say that a BUSY-BODY might not think like we do ? SURE ! And then in that sense, sure, give lip-service (so as not to swat hornet's nests opening up your actions for further nit-picking). If you want to call that "forgiveness", then sure. But it's more along the lines of "not spitting in people's holy water". It's not saying the water IS holy. Not sure if this makes sense. But just saying it because when that pat-saying gets tossed out there, it only seems to imply, to the skittish person, that he is breaking a law by implementing that.

Tom, you think too much....

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... He then went on to cite an example. Drive down your street. Do you see signs telling you to not drink and drive ? Or a sign telling you not to use drugs ?....

I see an inherent flaw in these analogies. When is it EVER right to "drink and drive" ? When is it EVER right to "use drugs" ? Yet last I checked, there's no shortage of people md'ing (gasp) parks. Hence: While it's NEVER right to drink+drive, or do drugs: Md'ing is going on ALL THE TIME.

Thus in 2 different categores. MD'ing is not inherently evil like your examples. So ON THE CONTRARY , it is assumed legal TILL TOLD OTHERWISE. Not like your examples, where it's never right.

 

[Escape]

Laws are laws. You just don’t assume them out of existence. I doubt breaking the law on the assumption that it didn’t exist would hold up in court. Assuming is not finding out for sure. Assuming what the law is and not knowing could be troublesome.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Laws are laws. You just don’t assume them out of existence. I doubt breaking the law on the assumption that it didn’t exist would hold up in court. Assuming is not finding out for sure. Assuming what the law is and not knowing could be troublesome.

Sure. And by looking them up for oneself, means we have ceased to "assume". Now we would "know". Right ?

Re.: "till told otherwise" of post #49 .... when it said "till told otherwise", is to mean: Told by the law that a person can avail themselves of, by looking things up himself.

 

[Daryn]

Go early. Like 5am early during the week.

 

[Goldfleks]

Pretty sure if OP goes to this park and just does his thing, no one is going to say anything other than, "Find anything good?" or "Do you really find a lot of money doing that?" or "Find any rings today?"

 

[Goldfleks]

Oh, and just to mention... I felt awkward detecting the first few times I did it as well. Once you get out there and realise nothing is going to happen, the feeling goes away.

I confined myself to sand boxes and beaches for the first few weeks until I procured a proper set of digging tools for hunting on the grass. Now that I'm comfortable not leaving a mess, I don't worry about the grass.

 

[oredigger62]

I see an inherent flaw in these analogies. When is it EVER right to "drink and drive" ? When is it EVER right to "use drugs" ? Yet last I checked, there's no shortage of people md'ing (gasp) parks. Hence: While it's NEVER right to drink+drive, or do drugs: Md'ing is going on ALL THE TIME.

Thus in 2 different categores. MD'ing is not inherently evil like your examples. So ON THE CONTRARY , it is assumed legal TILL TOLD OTHERWISE. Not like your examples, where it's never right.

His point was that you dont post a sign every time there is a law or rule. And nobody is required to do so. When something gets put in print it becomes a matter of public record. You need to remember that the whole country is not liberal california. Things that are done all the time in california are revenue producing ticket magnets in other parts of the country. Likewise with Arizona. things we do here would get us arrested in many states back east. Maybe some day the whole country will catch up and be all the same.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Start searching and have fun.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

His point was that you dont post a sign every time there is a law or rule.... .

I understand that. There *could* be a law or a rule down at city hall, that doesn't happen to be on the wooden sign. Right ? Fine then, go to city hall and look things up for oneself, if a person is skittish.

But unlike drug dealing and drunk driving (which are NEVER "legal"), md'ing is legal all the time all over the place. So there is no reason to think that our hobby is as *obviously illegal" as those other actions, such that we need to assume we're illegal, unless given a princely sanction to the contrary.

I happen to think md'ing is educational, harmless, helpful, nutritious, wise, etc......

 

[oredigger62]

I understand that. There *could* be a law or a rule down at city hall, that doesn't happen to be on the wooden sign. Right ? Fine then, go to city hall and look things up for oneself, if a person is skittish.

But unlike drug dealing and drunk driving (which are NEVER "legal"), md'ing is legal all the time all over the place. So there is no reason to think that our hobby is as *obviously illegal" as those other actions, such that we need to assume we're illegal, unless given a princely sanction to the contrary.

I happen to think md'ing is educational, harmless, helpful, nutritious, wise, etc......

I agree Tom. It just makes no sense to me that people spend hours or days to research a possible old place to detect but wont spend 10 minutes to make sure there are not any ordinances prohibiting it in some city parks.

I am stuck in this crappy town for another year in ohio. On the plus side my street was built in 1798 when it was dirt road to the cemetary in my back yard and all the homes are 100+ years old for several blocks in each direction. When the town was settled in 1749 the plot was less than 300 yards from my front porch. Now it is a park... one of five within just a few miles of my house. 2 of them are now banned from any detecting period.... including the original one. Now that stinks. One of the original fords that crossed the river is at the end of my street. It is also included in the restricted park. So much history and so many restrictions. I for one am not going to step foot on that property with a detector because it in fact turns a legal activity in to an illegal activity. On the bright side , the historical society is at the end of my street and are very welcoming. They are becoming a wonderful asset ... They have a favorable view of detectorists. Stay warm my friend !

 

[darktower007]

Just use the common sense the lord gave you and have a good time. Go EARLY in the A.M. Sunrise is THE best time to hit a City Park! You can usually get in two-hours before anyone gets in your face. Be polite, walk away if confronted. As far as just driving by? It's a 60/40 shot in your favor if it isn't posted. I always strike at dawn on an iffy location. That is your best shot at getting it done!

This is good advice. I have been eying a park near me that is really busy in the afternoon but a ghost town in the morning. Going at dawn may just give that precious hour to dig up gold!


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[Honest Samuel]

Go early. Like 5am early during the week.

Sounds good, but, I do not get up before Noon.