It Finally Happened: City Park Employee Rolled Up On Me

[Goldfleks]

I noticed him the first time as I was probing the ground, popping a pull tab from 2" below the grass. I KNEW it was a pull tab, but dug it anyway, imagining all the lost gold rings I had passed up by ignoring strong tab signals. I tossed the pull tab in my junk pouch and powered up my MTX looking for the next target.

A minute later he passed again. I could feel his eyes burning a hole into my back as I kneeled down to dig another target. This time pulling out my Hori Hori to retrieve a piece of foil at 6" down. I easily imagined all the thought going through his mind about how I was defacing his park and I could see the grimace on his face as he felt me stab the lawn and saw my flap into the belly of the tender green grass. I defiantly lifted my shiny foil ball above my head and watched as is glittered in the fading light of the sun. I was dusk and today's light was nearly gone.

I popped a few more targets, including a Canadian $2 coin which rang up as a penny. I cursed softly under my breath with the scratch my screwdriver had scored across the foreign currency, wishing I had dug a flap for the coin instead of trying to pop it through the grass.

And then it happened...

I could hear the buzz of the golf cart behind me, it's electric motor struggling to push the oversized maintenance cart up the hill to where I was probing the ground for another satisfying pull tab. I looked over my shoulder, still kneeling, as the city park worker closed the distance between us.

My hand slowly reached for the hilt of my Hori Hori, confident that the sun behind me would silhouette my body and not give away my intentions. I thumbed the quick release button on the sheath and readied my Hori Hori, my knuckles white with anticipation.

The cart drew closer...

And closer...

Soon he was upon me!

The door opened!

The city park worker stepped out!

I quickly drew my Hori Hori!

And before he knew what was happening, I sunk the blade deep into the soft tissue of mother earth!

I smiled with satisfaction as my blade cut through the crunching roots and buried twigs and soil. The grass never had a chance! And behind me, the city work looked on as I pulled out another gleaming pull tab, and then deftly replaced any disturbed soil and quickly tucked the edges of my flap back under the earth. It was as if I had never been there.

"Ever find anything good?" He asked. Genuinely curious. "Just trash and pocket change," I replied. As I flicked the pull tab at him. The sun quickly setting behind the hill and the park settling into dusk.

We then got into at least a 15-minute conversation about detecting the parks and the beach. About his boss who found an expensive ring but was on duty when he found it so felt obligated to turn it in. And then got flack from the other employees when he went and claimed it after 30 days (lost and found laws) because the original owners never called the parks department to ask if it had been found.

I also found out I'm one of only two people who actively detects this particular park, which explains why I find so many quarters. It also explains why the sandboxes are often EMPTY. As apparently this particular lady shows up at least once a week to detect the sand at the three playgrounds. Probably looking for rings pulled off the fingers of mothers playing with their children. He also gave me information one when a massive event is going to happen where they are expecting at least 10,000 people over the weekend, Fri/Sat/Sun. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Could be good for clad, could be awful for trash.

Good luck out there! City Employees are always watching!

 

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[Chug And Red]

Reds going to love this one, Happened to us several times Go With the Hint About the Event Chug Ps Your A Great Writer Like Red

 

[diverrick]

I had a park guy run me off, said i was tearing up his lawn, that he works so hard to make pretty. I explained I was carefully putting the plugs right back in, and that i was actually aerating the soil as well as removing items that could hurt someone of they fell/slide over them, such as pull tabs. It was Bermuda grass after all. You can't kill that stuff. It did no good talking to him. I was still ruining his grass in his mind. So now I go on the Weekend when the city guys are gone off drinking beers, Lots of coins as it gets used for amusement rides and sport events. Your guy was much nicer it sounds like.

 

[Truth]

Very entertaining and well written!!! Lol


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[Xraywolf]

Good story, felt like I was there - I could feel the glistening CA sun softly but firmly caressing my manly shoulders, the smell of vibrant ocean air wafting into my throbbing, receptive nostrils !

At least he seemed civilized, most guys that roll up on me are confrontational jerks right off the bat.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Great story, still smiling!

 

[Rawhide]

Our parks run this big tractor that puts 3 inch holes in it. That is the best time to hunt. I love the tot lots and find enough to keep me happy. My competition has died off and hunts have returned to normal. The park guys are great. I help when I can. Just follow the rules.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

good writing skills !

 

[Goldfleks]

Oh also forgot to mention.

Parks only 25 years old. So I guess other than random denomination coins from other countries, all I can expect is modern clad. Other than the occasional ring if I stick to it long enough. I do think I'm going to go detect the big field today where they had this concert for toddlers/mothers over the weekend. Might be something there.

Thoughts?

Should I just find an older park for when I want to park hunt? And choc this one up to tot lots (kids sandbox right?) if I get the itch since I'm close? And or follow the "big events"

Another thing that sucks... A lot of the new playgrounds have this awful rubber turf they are putting down on the ground now instead of sand. Went to multiple sites that simply don't have any sand to detect in these days. What a pain in the butt.

 

[WhiteTornado]

Oh also forgot to mention.

Parks only 25 years old. So I guess other than random denomination coins from other countries, all I can expect is modern clad. Other than the occasional ring if I stick to it long enough. I do think I'm going to go detect the big field today where they had this concert for toddlers/mothers over the weekend. Might be something there.

Thoughts?

Should I just find an older park for when I want to park hunt? And choc this one up to tot lots (kids sandbox right?) if I get the itch since I'm close? And or follow the "big events"

Another thing that sucks... A lot of the new playgrounds have this awful rubber turf they are putting down on the ground now instead of sand. Went to multiple sites that simply don't have any sand to detect in these days. What a pain in the butt.

They put that rubber mat stuff down in a tot lot near me. Nothing is going to sink into that stuff.

As far as continuing to go to that park? That's really up to you. If it were me, I'd probably only go after a large event, so you have a better chance of finding jewelry and other goodies. Otherwise, you'll probably only be finding clad. Happy hunting and thanks for the neat write-up.

 

[releventchair]

Oh also forgot to mention.

Parks only 25 years old. So I guess other than random denomination coins from other countries, all I can expect is modern clad. Other than the occasional ring if I stick to it long enough. I do think I'm going to go detect the big field today where they had this concert for toddlers/mothers over the weekend. Might be something there.

Thoughts?

Should I just find an older park for when I want to park hunt? And choc this one up to tot lots (kids sandbox right?) if I get the itch since I'm close? And or follow the "big events"

Another thing that sucks... A lot of the new playgrounds have this awful rubber turf they are putting down on the ground now instead of sand. Went to multiple sites that simply don't have any sand to detect in these days. What a pain in the butt.

Some thoughts..
What was there before it was a park?
Was fill brought in ,and if so from where?
When deep fill is added ,it ends somewhere. Somewhere where pre fill ground can be reached at shallower depths.

Cleaning an area makes those after events hunts go faster to locate that gold and diamond ring ...Or fresh pull tab.

 

[Goldfleks]

Was fill brought in? That I don't know how to answer. I think this land was part of an old ranch at some point in CA history. That or farm fields or Orange Groves.

 

[Relicific]

You could write a book.
Nice post

 

[Truth]

Was fill brought in? That I don't know how to answer. I think this land was part of an old ranch at some point in CA history. That or farm fields or Orange Groves.

When you dig is there sand? Down here that's what we call "fill".


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[Back-of-the-boat]

I had a park guy run me off, said i was tearing up his lawn, that he works so hard to make pretty. I explained I was carefully putting the plugs right back in, and that i was actually aerating the soil as well as removing items that could hurt someone of they fell/slide over them, such as pull tabs. It was Bermuda grass after all. You can't kill that stuff. It did no good talking to him. I was still ruining his grass in his mind. So now I go on the Weekend when the city guys are gone off drinking beers, Lots of coins as it gets used for amusement rides and sport events. Your guy was much nicer it sounds like.

And don't forget about all the can slaw you pull out of the ground that his mower creates.But he's worried about his beautiful grass.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Oh also forgot to mention.

Parks only 25 years old. So I guess other than random denomination coins from other countries, all I can expect is modern clad. Other than the occasional ring if I stick to it long enough. I do think I'm going to go detect the big field today where they had this concert for toddlers/mothers over the weekend. Might be something there.

Thoughts?

Should I just find an older park for when I want to park hunt? And choc this one up to tot lots (kids sandbox right?) if I get the itch since I'm close? And or follow the "big events"

Another thing that sucks... A lot of the new playgrounds have this awful rubber turf they are putting down on the ground now instead of sand. Went to multiple sites that simply don't have any sand to detect in these days. What a pain in the butt.

A lot of the parks here have switched from wood chips to shredded tires and tubes but they don't take the airstems out they shred those into real nice sharp chunks for kids to get cut up with at 1 park I pulled out a coffee can full.

 

[Goldfleks]

When you dig is there sand? Down here that's what we call "fill".


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Don't think so. Not everywhere anyways. Deepest I've been is about 8" down on a small coin spill chasin quarters and it was all real dirt. No sand. Park is all different elevations in many area's. There "could" be fill where they have the Soccer Goals/Baseball Home Plate. That's the only level area of the park, so I'm guessing if any area has fill, it's around that part as it's unusually level compared to the rest of the landscape.

 

[JoeDirty]

I might hit city park New Orleans soon. Pretty old. Civil war site as well. 1300 acres I think.