Security guard on Saint Pete Beach

[MiamiFox]

I found this on YouTube. Anyone here hunt this beach? Is the water off limits too?

I wonder what the guard would have done if the guy just walked into the water and started hunting.

 

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[flgliderpilot]

Well you are free to comment on his videos fellas, which I recommend you do.

 

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[Fletch88]

A lot of wrongs here. 15 min. of fame on Utube and clearly he has no idea why the mall cop was attempting to get him to move on. Had he stayed in the water id be amazed if there would have been a problem at all..... and ya he bought a Go Pro to video girls some without their permission. DewGuru..... i think your term for him fits. The mall cop clearly doesnt know the law of property line here in Fl...... but im sure his peacock method has worked before. In this case he needed to told the real reason...... hes making people uncomfortable and he was clearly up in the towel line beyond where he should have been at that time of the day. Some people in uniform exceed their authority. Id moved to the water and moved on...... ooooo but then im not sure his detector even worked there. He doesnt have a clue.

I would certainly agree. I like to go at less busy times and never even get within 30-40 feet of anyone, just out of respect for their personal space. Too bad he was using a Delta 4000 or he could have hunted in the chest deep water.

 

[dc426]

This is the reply I got from PCI this morning.

Thank you for contacting us. Although the security guard over reacted, we do reserve our beach area for our guests. We have spoken with Mack regarding rules and regulations but his responsibility is to ensure our guests stay is enjoyable and uninterrupted. Postcard Inn does own the land up to the water line but that's not to say that using metal detectors is not allowed as long as the user is being respectful of the other beach goers. We apologize for this instance.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

And this is why 90% of my hunting is done at night nowadays. Especially turf (where it has ... uh .... "connotations"). So peaceful. So serene. Some call it "sneaking around". Ok, fine then, I "sneak around".

 

[ARC]

Hunting amongst sunbathers is lame...
Besides they are probably laying on top of the lost stuff anyway.

In my opinion they are "in the way"... heh

And If I were to be hunting next their sunbathing...
I am in THEIR way.

 

[G.I.B.]

This is the reply I got from PCI this morning.

Postcard Inn does own the land up to the water line

Ahhhh, no they don't.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

This is the reply I got from PCI this morning.

Thank you for contacting us. Although the security guard over reacted, we do reserve our beach area for our guests. We have spoken with Mack regarding rules and regulations but his responsibility is to ensure our guests stay is enjoyable and uninterrupted. Postcard Inn does own the land up to the water line but that's not to say that using metal detectors is not allowed as long as the user is being respectful of the other beach goers. We apologize for this instance.

Ahhhh, no they don't.

This reminds me of those situations where someone goes to various city halls, park's dept's, cops, etc... asking "can I metal detect here ?" Someone tells them "no".

Hey, hard to argue with that answer, eh ? Must be gospel truth, eh ?

 

[lookindown]

Ahhhh, no they don't.

Yeah, they are still lying...what they mean to say is they WISH they owned it to the water line.

 

[RustyGold]

A little power and they think they own the place!
That goes for the truculent security guard as well!

 

[G.I.B.]

Florida Supreme Court finding.

This is in regards to property having titles that state, to the high water line, in their deeds. There has been a longstanding dispute as to the rights to the beach. Some have held that they own to the high water line (as in the property deed) and try to make people not walk on the dry sand.

In any event, all rights end at the wet sand, that is without dispute, owned by the state of Florida.

This is where they are putting cabana type chairs for rent, jet ski business rentals and the like in the dry sand. The business is utilizing the dry sand, but not interfering with the publics use of the dry sand. This also gives PCI the right to prohibit alcohol on their part of the dry sand, due to things continually getting out of control with their drunken guests.

Here is an excerpt from the court opinion.


Although the Florida Supreme Court in City of Daytona Beach v. Tona-Rama, Inc.,[90] reversed the lower court's finding of a public prescriptive easement in the dry sand,[91] it did recognize the doctrine of custom as a means to establish public beach access in Florida.[92] In particular, the court noted:


If the recreational use of the sandy area adjacent to mean high tide has been ancient, reasonable, without interruption and free from dispute, such use, as a matter of custom, should not be interfered with by the owner. However, the owner may make any use of his property which is consistent with such public use and not calculated to interfere with the exercise of the right of the public to enjoy the dry sand area as a recreational adjunct of the wet sand or foreshore area.

 

[Lady Pirate]

It just floors me that people use video to incite an uproar. News media is a good example of this. But who is filming the detectorist to show what he is doing? Three sides to every story. His story, his story and then the truth. Seems that he was pushing for a reaction. Be prepared and have the rules and regulations on paper, with you. Expect the unexpected when going to places where there is plenty of people because there is always someone to call an official..... just because. Think outside the box people.

 

[ARC]

Um.. I am pretty sure the guy detecting filmed it.
Not trying to be a smart arse.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Um.. I am pretty sure the guy detecting filmed it.
Not trying to be a smart arse.

No, she said who is filming the detectorist up until the confrontation...(ie: what was he actually doing to get people upset with him). Well we already know what he was doing... being obnoxious and creepy with a camera walking around young girls filming them.

 

[Boatlode]

I would have told Mack to blow me and continued right on detecting. Let Mr. Toughguy call the real cops.

If he laid a hand on me I would have broke his arm.

 

[jeepGold]

He would of gotten a shovel uppercut and a citizens arrest if he laid a finger on me. Metal detecting or not, security guard or not.

 

[mham2]

I was not going to comment on this post but I have seen enough.the guard may have been out of place?but when I go to the beach with my family to enjoy the day on the beach the last thing I want to see is some idiot with a metal detector in my face let alone a camera .nothing good can come of this for the hobby of metal detecting .when I metal detect I am there at daybreak and leave when the beach people show up and let them enjoy there time on the beach.This type of publicity will do nothing but add more restrictions on the hobby .Thats just my opinion

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I was not going to comment on this post but I have seen enough.the guard may have been out of place?but when I go to the beach with my family to enjoy the day on the beach the last thing I want to see is some idiot with a metal detector in my face let alone a camera .nothing good can come of this for the hobby of metal detecting .when I metal detect I am there at daybreak and leave when the beach people show up and let them enjoy there time on the beach.This type of publicity will do nothing but add more restrictions on the hobby .Thats just my opinion

You're right. This could be one of those "legally in the right" type of things (as many posters here insist), yet ...... despite being "legally in the right", it just ends up being a lightening rod for some bored bureaucrat to dream up a "no detecting" rule.

Thus sometimes "out of sight is out of mind". Whether or not someone is "legal" or not, is sometimes not the bigger issue. Thus sometimes the less people think about us, the better.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I see many posts here indicating that metal detecting around beach goers is rude, obnoxious, bothersome. That people at the beach dont want to see guys with a metal detector, etc. Well you know what, too bad. I have to pay $40 every year for my metal detecting permit. I could care less what someone on the beach thinks. No I'm not literally hunting along side their blankets but I will meander around them. What about the family with the obnoxious kids throwing sand on you, the kids with the loud boom box, the teenagers playing ball and kicking sand everywhere, the people that have all the space on the beach to choose from but camp right next to you. Guys, we have jus as much a right to be there as anyone else, stop drinking the koolaid.

 

[jeepGold]

I personally hate most people. Probably why this lone wolf hobby of mine is so appealing. Given the option to hunt at night or in the day, I'll take the night. Given the option to hunt on a cloudy chilly day vs a sun slamming 80+ day, I'll take the clouds. I HIGHLY agree with many opinions here. We do have the same rights, but there is a level of etiquette that needs to be in place. Just because some turd kid is obnoxious, just because some dumb teenager is bumping Tupac on a stereo or just because others are ******s, that doesn't mean you need to join the same profile as them. Understand that you can have 300 people walking around the beach like sheep, but with you and your metal detector, you are like the one lone llama walking around and its VERY obvious. Some are curious, some are oblivious, some are at guard. For the sport, not the person, stay out of people's comfort zones. That means personal space of a decent 10 ft.
If I have to end up at a beach at 630 am, I know that I only have about 2 hrs to hunt. By then I'm getting in the way of water line walkers and people migrating to set up for their fun day at the beach. At that point I can either go deeper in the water or higher up the dry sand line. To continue to be pompous and hunt around people is a complete turd move. Mix that with the habit of NOT covering your holes regardless of how deep you might think it is, is a turd move.

When people ask, (and the nicer people will) "Did you find anything today?", you say, " I did ok ".. and that's it! Don't brag about the ring you found or cry about the lack of finds. Ignorance is bliss. If you found a ring and bragged, that person might tell 3 others and so on. Before you know it you've got yahoo's stomping the beach thinking it's a jewelry store. Lay low, stay out of sight and STOP drawing so much attn.

Why are people making videos of metal detecting? Although there is nothing wrong with detecting, it's not particularly an action sport or of a lot of excitement. Do they carry a camera so that when they find that 4ct diamond they can remember that moment? Hell if I know. I keep my go-pro mounted on the dash of my 4x and keep the finds to me and my group of friends.

As for the guard, yes sir.... move on.... Kill him in your dreams, call him names under your breath.... then come back at night. and clean out the beach. Karma will catch up to Mr. Douchbag.

 

[sandswimmer]

Here in Pinellas County, where this happened, we don't need or pay for permits to hunt our beaches. The public beaches are open to all hunters, just pay for parking at the most. Even some of our state parks, if you are allowed to detect, you might need a permit, but there is no fee. I prefer to keep it this way! Using common sense, being stealthy and considerate of others should help keep government out of the picture and out of our pockets. SS