Scared to metal detect a park?

[Detecto]

But maybe...what is the worst that can happen?

1. The park is literally across the street from City hall, in my town of approx 30,000.
2. The park is in one of the busiest streets of town.

I worry about some do-gooder busy-body calling the police or someone staring at me outside the window of city hall. My town is notorious for busy-bodies who want to take the enjoyment of as many people as possible.

There is no rules on the books about metal detecting in the parks sub-chapter, other than the generic "don't dig up the grass" ordinance, but I'm sure every park has that..

The park goes back to before 1862.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[rebbel31]

Nope not scared. Be respectful ie fill up your holes, take your trash. Md 101. Watch for flying discs and dog bombs and you'll be good to go. Gl and post your cool finds.

 

[darktower007]

First I would google your park and metal detecting and see if any links pop up. I did for one near me and got mixed yes and no on threads. Also considering going to city hall and if after research you cannot find a city ordnance against it, ask permission. If they say no ask to see the policy or ordinance number. (I'm persistent as heck lol) like Andy Dufrain in Shawshank keep asking till they let you! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian Finder]

I would also be reluctant, the worst thing would be they ask you to leave. But you do know... you own that park just as much as the police
or city workers.
Brian

 

[smokeythecat]

I found out the local city wanted us to have permits. So I got one. And about 55 coins so far including an Indian cent, 3 cent silver, war nickel and 10k ring.

 

[sprailroad]

Detecto, This may be a little longer than it should, but here goes. Nothing is posted, so I say go ahead, we already know your not going to leave any holes or mess etc., and going into city hall and asking permission may not be a good thing to do, 999 times out of a thousand, whoever you ask would not have a clue, and would simply say NO, because it's easier, and you know the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind?), If you went across the street to ask about detecting, you would bring to attention something they may not have paid any attention to before hand. Having said that, this is something I always do and that is I always carry a small plastic bucket around for all the trash I dig,(along with picking up plastic water bottle caps etc) this way anybody can easily see the junk being cleaned up, as well as being easier for me to carry the trash, and second, in a pocket of my coin pouch, I always carry two rounds of live ammo that I have dug up from parks, one is a .40cal in dug condition, and the other is a .22cal LR that has obviously been bounced around in a lawn mower. Now, if approached, anyone can see the trash removed, and I mention the live ammo, and show them. IF, I am told that I cannot detect there, I simply tell them that it was not my intent to upset anyone, and I'll leave. I have only been approached one time, and after they see the trash and ammo, they wish me luck on finding something good.

 

[patiodadio]

I went early to a park and playground area before anyone else was there. I was a little afraid someone would call the law on me also. I had been there maybe 30 min. when two guys pull up in a side by side ATV. They were grounds keepers and they were friendly. We talked a few min., then they wished me luck and left. I am sure they were checking me out which I guess was their job. Anyway, being polite and respectful and not leaving any trace of where you have been pays off.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

Ain't scurred. Go and detect.

Pro tip: Show confidence while detecting and nobody will bother you most of the time.

 

[hikingthehills]

Carry a dropcloth with you for the extra dirt. That way you leave no mess.

 

[dsdigger]

If you ask, They will say no. If there is a time that there is less traffic and people around that is not at night (some parks close at dark, some do not), try to aim for those times to detect and if asked to leave, leave. If you are breaking a law, ask what that might be and if one that allows permits and who to contact. Since you have checked and nothing found, try it and see.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.....I worry about some do-gooder busy-body calling the police or someone staring at me outside the window of city hall. .....

Detecto, welcome to T'net.

You acknowledge that there are no *specific* prohibitions @ your park's rules (which is most often the case in most any city across the USA). Aside from the usual obligatory boiler plate language (that is everywhere) about "alter" , "deface", and so forth. Yes, anyone can still gripe, at any time. Because, let's be perfectly honest: Metal detecting has ... uh ... "connotations". Someone can think you might be about to leave a hole.

So for such high traffic sore-thumb areas as you describe, I pick lower traffic times, to avoid such lookie-lous. If that means hunting at night, so-be-it. You're simply not going to please everyone . And going and asking permission doesn't solve this issue, for 2 reasons:

1) some desk-bound pencil pusher can just give the easy/safe answer of "no". When , in fact, perhaps he'd never had given the matter a moment's thought, until you came in with your "pressing question".

2) Even if you got a yes (because you mince words and don't use words like "dig" in your question), you can STILL run into problems in the field. You whip out your "permission". Only to have it promptly revoked, after they get onto their cell-phone and say: ".... but he's tearing the place up!" (which isn't true, of course). Then you are scolded for getting permission under false pretenses, blah blah.

There is no beating around the bush. If someone is skittish about this, they should stick to beaches, forests, and other types terrains. You're simply not going to get red-carpets rolled out for you, by every last person. So, like nose-picking, sometimes you just pick more discreet times, so as not to offend the squeemish. I too would feel awkwards in some uppity-up turf at high noon/high-traffic times. So .... I pick better times

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... if after research you cannot find a city ordnance against it, ask permission. ...

Huh ? Ask permission for that which is not dis-allowed ?

.... If they say no ask to see the policy or ordinance number....

Oh sure, and then here's what happens next:

a) They cite some ancillary verbiage like "alter", "deface", "take", "remove". Then what do you do ? Get into a semantics debate with them about how you'll leave no marks, etc... ? And do you really think you're going to win that debate ?

b) If the person you're challenging DOES concede that they can't find specific verbiage to deny you (yet they have images of geeks with shovels), then guess what gets brought up at the next city council meeting as a proposed rule to introduce ?

You've got to be careful, that you could bump into the psychology of: "Sometimes no one cares .... UNTIL you ask". Don't swat hornet's nests.

 

[Deft Tones]

Swagger into the place like you own it and have a ball!

Good hunting!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Swagger into the place like you own it and have a ball!
Good hunting!

Yes, indeed!!

One is often better off asking for forgiveness than asking permission....

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

2 things:

NEVER ask permission, ask them "is there any law against MD'ing?". If Yes, ask them to cite you the law.
NEVER allow anyone on a forum to talk you into breaking the law.


Personally, I consider parks fair game in the absence of any law.

 

[RobRieman]

Go have fun. Worse they will do is tell you to leave.

 

[Detecto]

Thanks guys, you gave me some newfound courage to go out once it warms up!

 

[Relicific]

Just do it
I learned that from the nike ads

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... One is often better off asking for forgiveness than asking permission....

Welllll, I wouldn't go so far as to quote that pat-saying. Because it implies to the doer is doing something wrong. Ie.: that would need "forgiveness". Thus implying illegality or wrong-ness. Why start with that implicit premise ? I don't think we are doing anything wrong , thus nothing to be "forgiven" for.

Now is that to say that a BUSY-BODY might not think like we do ? SURE ! And then in that sense, sure, give lip-service (so as not to swat hornet's nests opening up your actions for further nit-picking). If you want to call that "forgiveness", then sure. But it's more along the lines of "not spitting in people's holy water". It's not saying the water IS holy. Not sure if this makes sense. But just saying it because when that pat-saying gets tossed out there, it only seems to imply, to the skittish person, that he is breaking a law by implementing that.

 

[Goldfleks]

Reading posts like this made me a little awkward on my first trips to the park. I felt like a criminal. WHAT LAWS WAS I BREAKING. I had read so many posts like these.

Now I just do my thing. No one cares.

I remember the first time I saw a lifeguard patrolling down the beach. My heartrate went up, I was SURE he was going to ask me what I was doing. I looked into my bag of trash for the hunk of barbed wire I had removed from the sand, ready to offer it to the Lifeguards for their blessings. I peeked under the brim of my hat as the red truck got closer, my heartrate increasing, ready for confrontation.

The truck came closer...

closer...

And drove right past without even looking at me.

Same with park maintenance, city cops, motorcycle cops, and basically everyone else. People got things to do much more important than worry about someone swinging a detector on public grounds. 99% of the time everyone is worried about their own lives, not yours.

Sure, don't break the law, do a quick search for the do's and don'ts on your city's website regarding their parks. And be about your business. Be clean and neat when detecting on public property on manicured lawns, etc etc.

I will say one thing. As a woman in the hobby, I don't feel like a creeper when detecting around playgrounds during the day. Little bit of gender bias you guys have to deal with I'm guessing Most of the time the kids ask what I'm doing and want to know what's in the holes, and the Mom's don't make any issues.