I got run off, In MO

[luck]

This is my first post. So I just spent alot of money on a new M. detector and went to some land that I thought was public property because they are in the beggining phase of constructing a new PUBLIC school. I was told that I could not detect here because the contractors would not permit it. I was told that they are afraid that some one will find something and possibly stop their construction process. I was a little agrivated , But can they do that? Its now public land!!!

 

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[stevesno]

This is my first post. So I just spent alot of money on a new M. detector and went to some land that I thought was public property because they are in the beggining phase of constructing a new PUBLIC school. I was told that I could not detect here because the contractors would not permit it. I was told that they are afraid that some one will find something and possibly stop their construction process. I was a little agrivated , But can they do that? Its now public land!!!

This decision is usually made by the superintendent of the job site....I try to butter him up some how....Make as good a first impression as possible...Steve

 

[muleskinner]

Try again at the end of their day.

 

[sniffer]

usually construction sites are off limits to everyone except authorized people due to insurance costs.
they're trying to cover their butts and until construction is complete it's not considered open for public use.

 

[jeff of pa]

It's next to Impossable to change somones Mind.
The Excuses they give are usually off the top of there Head
and Used instead of just saying

No !

If at the time of being told
these things you would have assured them you would
Sign a Waiver and
not report any major finds they most likely would
have come up with another excuse.

I'v only had one Land owner use the
"Don't Report Finds to the Historical Society"
because he just put his land up for sale.
But when he said it I could tell
he was already wanting to say yes
and just setting down rules.

 

[lou423]

I was kicked out of a TVA park in Chattanooga. They said that I needed to register. They wanted my social security number, place of work, phone numbers and more. It is ridiculous.

I went to a housing project that was being demolished. I went to just to ask. I was coldly told that they did not want me or my buddies there.

It is very hard to be a metal detectorist. If is not the government, then is something else.

 

[Chitlin]

Same here... County parks are off limits....I talked to a lady at the rec department yesterday in the town across the river...she said no, no and no...then told me stories of smart elic people who ignored her so she called the police. I am going to call the city today and ask them about it. There is a park, mostly used only by drug dealers and a place for city workers to "hide" in city trucks while we pay their salaries (I'll try to leave all that out)... but really, there are tennis courts, basketball, a small play area and a baseball field that noone uses... there is no "landscape" to destroy...(however there was a main road going right through it during the Civil War)... I don't understand the big deal. People around here flip out at the site of a metal detector. I posted a similar story about being run out the sandbox digging pennies with a plastic kids rake a month ago. Every kid out there was enthralled watching me "hunt for pirate treasure"... but this middle aged bitty flipped. Said her husbands works for the parks ..blah blah blah.... she was really tense so I put the machine away.

Also this past Sunday I went to a 400 acre parcel that held some potential. A girl I surf with has a family farm and supposedly after many weeks of discussion it was a go. 20 minutes out the truck, (girl and her husband were with us) along comes d!@# uncle who was really bent out of shape... I approached his truck to talk but he sped off.. 5 minutes later along comes her Mom to tell us we have to leave. I had already put my machine away...what a bummer....

O'well.... I guess part of it is finding the site as well as the treasure. Happy hunting for a site, then happier hunting for the relics.

 

[deepskyal]

A BIG concern of contractors is theft of their property and building supplies and the police keep a very close eye on major projects like schools and such. If denied permission, walk away.

This is a poor example but, with politics the way they are...we had a guy here try to burn down a new school they were building because the school board estimated how much higher taxes would go. That surely ruined a potential detecting site, and probably many others because the new school would replace a couple others that have some history.

There's always some jack arse ruining things for us and we get blamed for things we don't even do.
Al

 

[mastereagle22]

Yeah it makes no sense, unless that person or persons has burried something they don't want you finding what difference does it really make? I mean I have people tell me no and then I say ok and walk off. Whatever is in the ground is going to stay there and do no one any good. What the heck? Oh well I just try and find a new place to go to. Don't give up. The first few months I was told NO a lot. But then I developed a thicker skin and a new confidence and I have gotten a lot more yes answers recently.

 

[savant365]

I was having a beer at the same bar with the director of parks and recreations here in town and slowly brought up the topic of MDing in the parks. I knew that he was against it but by handling it in a nonchalant manner I was given permission to dig all I wanted but if he found a bunch of holes in his parks my butt would be in a sling. I think getting pemission depends on how well you can deal with people. I really don't get turned down very often but I always try to find out as much about the person I am going to ask before I approach them.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Muleskinner's advice is best. Always hit demolition sites after 6pm.

Your "school" situation is exactly what happened here in my town: The local public high school (built 1919) was slated to undergo rennovations, part of which would entail ripping all the grass out of the inner-court. This sounded juicy for metal deteting, because hundreds of kids each day, had sat on this lawn eating their lunches for over 70 years So when our club saw this article in the news about this upcoming project, we took interest. But we also knew that, as is normal with all construction/demolition projects, there would no doubt be a fence erected. So our club sent a nice letter to the school district, before the project started, asking permission to get in there during that one phase. We went on and on how we are insured, would turn over anything of interest, etc... Well you can GUESS what their answer was? "no"

Fast forward to when the project was starting: I drove past at dusk one day, and saw a guy detecting in there. I recognized him as a local md'r, who was not a club member. So I scuttled under the fence, and went out to see what he was finding. He opens up his apron which was filled with coins! Silver, wheaties, clad, etc... So I tell him "we asked permission, but were denied. How'd you get in here?". He just looks at me and says "you ASKED? What'd did you THINK they were going to say? This is a public school" He went on to say that he'd been in their each night, for the past several days, in full view of Main St. traffic, and no one had said a thing. In fact, the nightly janitor and other after-school staff would come by each night and ask "how you doing tonight?" etc... You see the psychology at work here? If you ask a bureacrat accross town, or a contractor on site during the day, they are bound to tell you "no", lest they get sued. But the reality is, often-times, no one really cares, if you just keep a low profile, don't stick out, etc....

 

[Bridge End Farm]

This is my first post. So I just spent alot of money on a new M. detector and went to some land that I thought was public property because they are in the beggining phase of constructing a new PUBLIC school. I was told that I could not detect here because the contractors would not permit it. I was told that they are afraid that some one will find something and possibly stop their construction process. I was a little agrivated , But can they do that? Its now public land!!!

I think it is more liabilities with a contractor on the no answers, unfortunately folks do sue and some look for places to sue by tripping over/slipping on something. They assume all responsibilities of the property once work starts to completion.

I have never been turned away at a public park and ensure that the digs I do are very neat and groomed once I get the target out.

I like the story of the MD club asking about a public school and told no and someone else (non club) is hunting it in front of God and everyone else. lol

 

[mastereagle22]

I have seen this but in a different form. There is a person locally that has a friend that works for the construction company. He detects and has an in with this guy so everyone is told no but he is given the green light. Not fair but who says life is ever fair?

 

[The Buzzard King]

Apparently this is pretty common everywhere nowadays because of theft and liability type issues.
But I think every situation is different, and there CAN be different "possible time frames of permission", depending on where they are in their construction progress. I think you gotta play it by ear, and see how far you get sometimes.
Most likely, the time you CAN detect, is immediately after they're done clearing an area. But once they bring in their big toys, and building materials, they don't want you near them.
There was, and still is, a MAJOR project going on near me, taking place in what's regularly a PUBLIC park, and a PROVEN hotspot for old coins. This particular site had the "Authorized personel only" signs around it. So I went and spoke with the crew about detecting, and they told me to "Have a blast, but just wait till after 5 when we leave". Then sure enough, after 5pm, I'm in there swinging, and 3 cop cars pull up, (Yes, with lights on!) to see what I'm doing. Of course they never saw a Lesche before either! I told them I was metal detecting, and looking for old coins. I showed them the 2 Injuns I had just found. They looked at me like I was from Mars, and just wanted to check my ID. (These cops are used to serious drug related crime in this particular area). Then I explained to them that the crew gave me permission, but not till after 5. So the cops tell me that I'm not aloud in there on "their time" now. "If the crew lets you detect while they're here, that's fine, but not after 5".
Anyway, the progress of this particular project is so far along now, (and now they've layed down about 3 ft. of this shale-like stone everywhere), that I've long since given up. Those coins are gone to history.
On the other hand, I've had several GOOD construction site experiences also. I've gotten some YES's in construction zones where they've just cleared everything, and everything's fairly smooth, and it's very unlikely that you can fall, trip, or hurt yourself in any way. And since it's already dug up, there's NO WAY you can mess anything up that they're doing. Got a lot of good coins, and infomation about other upcoming projects, and locations of their dirtpiles that I can hunt.
So alot of times you just gotta improvise, and play it by ear as you go along. Things can change on a daily basis, depending on who you talk to.
All you can do is be REALLY nice to everyone. And WHENEVER someone gives you a YES, MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER THEIR NAME! Because you WILL be using it as soon as someone gives you a hard time again! lol!
Let THEM have a power struggle over it!
This is all just my opinion of course.
Wow, sorry for the long post/semi-rant. H.H.