Dealing with Onlookers

[Dan Hughes]

My latest podcast begins with some tips on what to do when it's too cold to go treasure hunting. Then I offer help with how to handle people who hang around you when you're detecting in a public place.

Listen here: http://thetreasurecorner.com

---Dan

 

[Seamuss]

When people approuch me I look to be on official business for someone. I don't say anything to deceive them but tell them in a polite way that I'm trying to find a lost item. They don't have to know the item is change, rings or anything else.
I guess in a way it is deceiving to avoid their inquisition. Oh well.

 

[davidtn]

Dan...awesome Podcasts you have there. I book marked your website. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

If I'm working the beach, I tell persons that I'm a parolee, "rotating the sand on the beach" as a public service to work off my sentence. Then I point to a random stranger on the beach (or my buddy if I'm detecting with another person), and say "he's my parole agent". That gets some wierd looks!

If I'm working a park or on land somewhere, the usual passerby jokingly says "if you find a diamond ring (or a gold coin or some other such object) it's the one I lost". To which I reply: "Did you loose a wad of $100 bills with a rubber band around it?" Of course they always anxiously reply "Yes! did you find it?" To which I reply, "no, but I found the rubber band. Do you want it back?"

But otherwise, when someone asks "what're you finding?" I just say "metal"

 

[Pimp Lenin]

If I'm working a park or on land somewhere, the usual passerby jokingly says "if you find a diamond ring (or a gold coin or some other such object) it's the one I lost". To which I reply: "Did you loose a wad of $100 bills with a rubber band around it?" Of course they always anxiously reply "Yes! did you find it?" To which I reply, "no, but I found the rubber band. Do you want it back?"

I like that one!

You can always tell them that you are looking for a land mine that was recently reported to be in the area.

 

[Lowbatts]

If I'm working the beach, I tell persons that I'm a parolee, "rotating the sand on the beach" as a public service to work off my sentence. Then I point to a random stranger on the beach (or my buddy if I'm detecting with another person), and say "he's my parole agent". That gets some wierd looks!

If I'm working a park or on land somewhere, the usual passerby jokingly says "if you find a diamond ring (or a gold coin or some other such object) it's the one I lost". To which I reply: "Did you loose a wad of $100 bills with a rubber band around it?" Of course they always anxiously reply "Yes! did you find it?" To which I reply, "no, but I found the rubber band. Do you want it back?"

But otherwise, when someone asks "what're you finding?" I just say "metal"

Been asked by several folks, "You find my lighter yet?"
Always my response, "Was it a gold finished Zippo Harley Commemorative with sapphires?"
If they say "Hell yeah!" instead of looking dumbfounded, then I just say,
"No, not yet."

One I'm still working on has something to do with the metal munching moon mice from an old Rocky and Bullwinkle episode. I stay up all night working on these, c'mon now.

 

[done dug it all up]

I like to carry a large whole fish in a grocery bag and when they start asking questions i whip out the fish and slap em with it.

 

[jeff of pa]

Best thing to do is Be Very Friendly & Open
to any Questions asked.

Show them you are a Good Person.

Anything less could get you Banned from many areas.

All you need is to P.O. the wrong person.

 

[done dug it all up]

ya so maybe its time to retire the fish.

 

[Lowbatts]

Best thing to do is Be Very Friendly & Open
to any Questions asked.

Show them you are a Good Person.

Anything less could get you Banned from many areas.

All you need is to P.O. the wrong person.

Have done this many times myself. It seldom works with idealogues, such as the nature nuts.

"leave only footprints, take only memories..."

Ever been swarmed by a pack of elderly birders? Geez one day I thought I'd had it. Of course even with the headphones on I heard 'em coming 100 yards away. But when they saw me, near an old bush, pulling that old cigarette case out of the ground, they flipped and started yelling about me keeping them from seeing the birds because the birds would not land while I was there.

"What peculiar rationale?", I rhetorically asked a nearby indigo bunting as he exited amid the cacophony of senility on display.

Flailing their field glasses about wildly as their blue hair and comb overs tossed to and fro amidst what had been a tranquil day detecting...

Hard not to follow the original advice, should have left footprints on their faces and taken the memories of their crumpled bodies with me.

 

[jeff of pa]

Best thing to do is Be Very Friendly & Open
to any Questions asked.

Show them you are a Good Person.

Anything less could get you Banned from many areas.

All you need is to P.O. the wrong person.

Have done this many times myself. It seldom works with idealogues, such as the nature nuts.

"leave only footprints, take only memories..."

Ever been swarmed by a pack of elderly birders? Geez one day I thought I'd had it. Of course even with the headphones on I heard 'em coming 100 yards away. But when they saw me, near an old bush, pulling that old cigarette case out of the ground, they flipped and started yelling about me keeping them from seeing the birds because the birds would not land while I was there.

"What peculiar rationale?", I rhetorically asked a nearby indigo bunting as he exited amid the cacophony of senility on display.

Flailing their field glasses about wildly as their blue hair and comb overs tossed to and fro amidst what had been a tranquil day detecting...

Hard not to follow the original advice, should have left footprints on their faces and taken the memories of their crumpled bodies with me.

I Can Happily say I Have never Expierenced this Nightmare

 

[Mich. Wolverine]

For the most part people are curious about what your doing and I have had alot of nice conversations about metal detecting with on lookers. I was detecting the dirt underneath some sidewalk the city had popped that was next to a house. An elderly lady came out and said I was making a mess, so I politely told her that I had permission to do it and that I wasn't hurting anything. After a couple of minutes she lightened up and told me about her life living in Africa and other stories. She was living alone an in her late 80's even though the meeting didn't start off to friendly I think she found it nice just to have a conversation with someone. Most people that I run into usually joke around and say whatever you find I get half.

Wolverine.

 

[davidtn]

I like to carry a large whole fish in a grocery bag and when they start asking questions i whip out the fish and slap em with it.

Now THAT...is funny!

 

[y4ng]

i've serious problem with this issue considering that detecting is not known in this part of the world.

quite a bunch of people came up to ask me what am i doing, is the machine a GPS sort of thing.

then i would tell them its a metal detector and show them my finds. occasionally i would show them how it works.

there's this incident where i met 2 elementary school kids at a playground. they disturbed me by burying those chocolate coins with golden aluminum wrappers into the sand and when my detector went pass that spot, sounded off and i dug it out, they started laughing like hell

others would be like asking me how much that machine is and where i got it.

seriously i'm considering about starting a small business selling detectors here if it could spark enough interest. earn a little pocket money for myself

 

[mikeofaustin]

On most days, I'll find a toy car, matchbox or some sort... When I get the mother and child watching me (the child is more curious and usually walked up to me), I'll always give 'em the toy, to try and make points with the mom.

 

[Monty]

It depends on the situation. Most times I make some sort of joke like, "I'm looking for treasure but I'm not quite rich yet". Sometimes I don't have to say much of anything like, " Are you looking for buried lines"? "Yes"!
My worse encounter was a pack of 13 to 15 year old gang banger wantabes. They caught up to me out in a field quite a ways from my truck one day. They got real pushy and started trying to mess with my equipment. Finally I told them I couldn't get into it with them because of the two kids I killed last time and the police and my parole officer were probably watching me now. I pointed to a car with a couple of guys in it over in the parking lot. They backed off long enough for me to get to my truck where I kept my loaded .45. Lucky for both of us they didn't bother me any more but went on off to find someone easier to roust. That's the only time I've ever been scared while detecting. Now my .45 always goes with me. I would hate to shoot anyone let alone a kid, but with my back injury I can't defend myself.
Little kids are a pest sometimes but usally I try to joke with them and maybe give them some pennies and Mom usually tells them to stop pestering me.
So, you have to be inventive sometimes. Interesting topic. Monty

 

[corklabus]

Don't retire the fish......Just tell 'em you're dirt fishin' and show 'em the one you already caught.. Yeah, let 'em figure THAT one out..........

 

[pokerdad911]

I always detect early in the morning to avoid that kind of thing. I am in construction so my days & weekends start at 4am .6 if i want to sleep in .

 

[pookie-princess of rust]

lol!!

I like to carry a large whole fish in a grocery bag and when they start asking questions i whip out the fish and slap em with it.

when i was detecting at a park, a little kid was asking his dad what i was doing and his dad told him i was looking for metal. then the kid asked if i was looking for worms. i said "i'm not looking for them, but i have found a few". lol.

also people have asked me if i was a millionaire yet

 

[ashleen]

If I really don't want to be bothered, I just shhhhhhhhhhoosh 'em; and say no more.
If it's those teenagers that just want to harrass.....I scowl at them and tell them to go clean their room!
Works like a charm

the little kids I really enjoy; tho.