Monty
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2005
- Messages
- 10,746
- Reaction score
- 167
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Sand Springs, OK
- Detector(s) used
- ACE 250, Garrett
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
I have been down with sciatic problems for the better part of two months and at times it got so bad I had to walk on crutches. So mostly this summer I have sat around being a couch potato, just dieing to get out and metal detect sowewhere.....anywhere! So one morining when it wasn't too hot out I thought to myself, "Darn it, I'm going to see if I can do this with crutches"!
So, first I had to figure out how to support myself and swing the coil. I parked a crutch under each armpit and balanced myself as best I could and freed up one arm to swing the coil. I found out if I swung too close to the aluminum crutch it would send out a silver signal, so I had to lean way forward to get away from all that metal. That put me off balance and I soon crashed, luckily onto the fairly soft grass on my front lawn. After checking myself for anything broken I figured I was OK so I laid down the detector and soon discovered I couldn't get back up! After fumbling around and getting halfway up and having to sit back down several times I eyed the 3' rock retaining wall in front of the house. If I could just reach it I could get up. So I started a slow crawl on all threes....couldn't put weight on that one knee I found out. After several short slow crawls and frequent stops, I reached the wall and was able to hoist myself up. As I looked back I realized I had left my crutches and detector some 30 feet away and couldn't walk back to get them! So, back down on my knees or knee as it was, and slow crawl back on all threes again too my equipment. I figured out I could hook my crutches on my good foot and drag it, and I could push my detector ahead of me with one of my hands. So, here I go back to the wall only much slower dragging and pushiing the crutches and detector. By this time it was about 95 degrees and I was starting to pant and sweat profusely! I was able to climb back up on my feet and got firmly anchored on my crutches, but.....but, now I couldn't pick up my detector! So, back down on my hands and knee, prop the detector up on the wall and climb back up the wall and get the crutches, ooops! dropped one! And it bounced off the wall out of reach! I said^%%$%^%#$ !! and hopped on one foot and crutch to retrieve it. This time I kicked it back up to the wall, sat down on the wall and was able to reach it. I wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. So, being so hot, and hot from the heat too I hobbled over to the shade of my big oak tree. When I got there and once again tried my balancing act it wasn't long before I hit a coin signal. I got down to dig and realized....darn, I forgot, I can't get up! So I dug up a zinc penny and did my three legged crawl over to the oak tree once again dragging my crutches and pushing my detector. By this time I was thoroughly exhausted and so hot I sat down on the grass and lay back in the soft grass in the shade just to cool off and catch my breath.
In what seemed like no time I heard a car door slam and someone walking. I opened one eye and saw a kindly looking lady coming across the yard from the street. She said, "Don't worry sir I called an ambulance! Startled, I sat up and said,"Huh"! Well it was all I could think of! In the distance I could hear a siren. I proclaimed, "No, no, I'm just resting"! The lady said, "Well, I saw you fall down several times and I thought you were having a stroke"! " Call 'em back, call 'em back and cancel, really I am OK"! All the while the siren's were getting louder! Next thing I knew a fire truck rounded the corner and came to a screeching halt in front of my house and I could hear the ambulance not far behind! The lady being embarassed I suppose jumped in her car and left me sitting there with my crutches aschew and my face red to take the heat. Neighbors for a block were out in their yard seeing what was going on and a crowd had already started to gather. Well, 3 or 4 people gathered round. After I explained what had happened and since the lady ran off I don't think the emergency people believed me! Next a police car arrived and the fire chief, the ambulance driver and the policeman all three stood there with hands on hips warning me about false 911 calls. And I just sat there dumbfounded and took it all in. The ambulance driver wanted to give me an IV and take my vital signs just for practice but I vetoed that. I climbed back up the tree to my feet, this time not forgetting to pick up the detector first and crutched myself back inside the house. As I peeked out from between the blinds in my bedroom I saw everyone mill around for a minute or two and finally they drove off. A few of the neighbors stuck around to see if I would come back out, perhaps to watch the show, but eventually everyone left. So, no you can't metal detect on crutches or at least I can't. Monty
And I swear that this is a 100% true story, except for the parts I made up!
So, first I had to figure out how to support myself and swing the coil. I parked a crutch under each armpit and balanced myself as best I could and freed up one arm to swing the coil. I found out if I swung too close to the aluminum crutch it would send out a silver signal, so I had to lean way forward to get away from all that metal. That put me off balance and I soon crashed, luckily onto the fairly soft grass on my front lawn. After checking myself for anything broken I figured I was OK so I laid down the detector and soon discovered I couldn't get back up! After fumbling around and getting halfway up and having to sit back down several times I eyed the 3' rock retaining wall in front of the house. If I could just reach it I could get up. So I started a slow crawl on all threes....couldn't put weight on that one knee I found out. After several short slow crawls and frequent stops, I reached the wall and was able to hoist myself up. As I looked back I realized I had left my crutches and detector some 30 feet away and couldn't walk back to get them! So, back down on my knees or knee as it was, and slow crawl back on all threes again too my equipment. I figured out I could hook my crutches on my good foot and drag it, and I could push my detector ahead of me with one of my hands. So, here I go back to the wall only much slower dragging and pushiing the crutches and detector. By this time it was about 95 degrees and I was starting to pant and sweat profusely! I was able to climb back up on my feet and got firmly anchored on my crutches, but.....but, now I couldn't pick up my detector! So, back down on my hands and knee, prop the detector up on the wall and climb back up the wall and get the crutches, ooops! dropped one! And it bounced off the wall out of reach! I said^%%$%^%#$ !! and hopped on one foot and crutch to retrieve it. This time I kicked it back up to the wall, sat down on the wall and was able to reach it. I wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. So, being so hot, and hot from the heat too I hobbled over to the shade of my big oak tree. When I got there and once again tried my balancing act it wasn't long before I hit a coin signal. I got down to dig and realized....darn, I forgot, I can't get up! So I dug up a zinc penny and did my three legged crawl over to the oak tree once again dragging my crutches and pushing my detector. By this time I was thoroughly exhausted and so hot I sat down on the grass and lay back in the soft grass in the shade just to cool off and catch my breath.
In what seemed like no time I heard a car door slam and someone walking. I opened one eye and saw a kindly looking lady coming across the yard from the street. She said, "Don't worry sir I called an ambulance! Startled, I sat up and said,"Huh"! Well it was all I could think of! In the distance I could hear a siren. I proclaimed, "No, no, I'm just resting"! The lady said, "Well, I saw you fall down several times and I thought you were having a stroke"! " Call 'em back, call 'em back and cancel, really I am OK"! All the while the siren's were getting louder! Next thing I knew a fire truck rounded the corner and came to a screeching halt in front of my house and I could hear the ambulance not far behind! The lady being embarassed I suppose jumped in her car and left me sitting there with my crutches aschew and my face red to take the heat. Neighbors for a block were out in their yard seeing what was going on and a crowd had already started to gather. Well, 3 or 4 people gathered round. After I explained what had happened and since the lady ran off I don't think the emergency people believed me! Next a police car arrived and the fire chief, the ambulance driver and the policeman all three stood there with hands on hips warning me about false 911 calls. And I just sat there dumbfounded and took it all in. The ambulance driver wanted to give me an IV and take my vital signs just for practice but I vetoed that. I climbed back up the tree to my feet, this time not forgetting to pick up the detector first and crutched myself back inside the house. As I peeked out from between the blinds in my bedroom I saw everyone mill around for a minute or two and finally they drove off. A few of the neighbors stuck around to see if I would come back out, perhaps to watch the show, but eventually everyone left. So, no you can't metal detect on crutches or at least I can't. Monty
And I swear that this is a 100% true story, except for the parts I made up!
