Good Comebacks? Dont bother...
Hecklers are a rarity for me, since it’s my observation that most people are oblivious to others and take only passing notice in the first place.
The one exception is the beach, where there is little to see BUT the other people, so detectorists are noticed a bit more there. Couple this with the normally crowded conditions at your average beach and you can get a few pests. Usually it’s a smart-aleck kid who will say something obnoxious, but not too often. Detectors aren’t a new thing nowadays and most people know what you are up to.
In and around town, I often wear a bright highway repair mans vest, which lends an officious air to what I am doing and few people bother me then. I used to wear work mans clothes, too, that I picked up at the thrift store. When worn together, I looked like I worked for the city and no one bothered me at all.
Wait a minute- - - there was this one woman in the park, who thought I was monitoring radiation, because the government was secretly up to something…somewhere. I kept moving and left her to push her shopping cart, wringing her hands and muttering to herself.
I say all that to say this: I go along with DFX-Greg – I have no obligation to offer rebuttals, comments or even perfunctory responses to anyone. I don’t feel the need to engage in one-up-manship and so I DO NOT show anyone anything that even remotely resembles treasure, fake or not. Show someone a honkin big CZ ring, as if to say, “See, smart ass, I got you beat?” Not gonna happen. I don’t need to choke them up or anything else, so I tend to respond in monosyllables like no, maybe, nuttin’ - and that’s about it.
Occasionally, if it’s someone nice or a hot chick (which is VERY rare) I’ll yak it up – hoping to turn up a good lead or tip. But, even then, I rarely tell anyone that I find anything of real value. The thing I say the most is that I can’t do sports anymore because my knee is whacked, so this is therapy. Then I tell them I think my detector is broken and haul out a handful of trash, shoving it under their nose. “See,” I say.
They don’t linger long.
Honestly I would have acted the same as the guy did...picked up there money and kept walking...
