Stranger Danger Question.

[UnQle Rob]

Hello All,

Like most of you, I have hunted in schools and playgrounds. You think that you are alone, and you turn around, there stands an unaccompanied kid(s) (under the age of 10). The kid(s) say hey, you find anything? I try not to be rude, because (I know that it is hard to believe), I was a kid once. My wife would say twice or possibly three time. But I say to the kid(s), "I am not allowed to talk with/to strangers." When I say that, I hope that it triggers the child to realize they just approached a stranger. Typically, they walk away.

My question to the forum, how do you handle child(ren) that are under the age of 10?

Thanks for your input.

 

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[Escape]

We work hard to be fearful of one another. Never thought of it.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I welcome them and if they are interested I will take the time to explain what I am doing. That way, when they are older and see someone metal detecting they won't call that cops to say there's a guy digging graves in the park.

 

[Rawhide]

I love em, I look for the folsk and tell em to go find thier parents if I dont see them.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've been hit with several crowds of kids. They like to throw pennies on the ground, and finally they go away. I do not need any kind of trouble. And dealing with a stranger's kids can too many times lead to issues.

Ignoring them is the best approach, painfully long time wise but eventually works.

 

[releventchair]

It varies.
We learn by asking questions.
Polite ,actually curious kids I'll entertain.
I can give a hard enough look to discourage most ne're do wells.
My experience has most of them stay a short distance till told they can approach.
I do much prefer parents are involved , or at least in line of sight.

Have had positive experiences for the most part , well worth my time.

 

[P@tch]

Usually when kids ask me if I'm finding anything I say heck yes then I give them one of the coins I found. Usually all the kids come around anyway so why not get them interested in a good hobby. Parent's are always close by anyway. Of course I have 8 grandkids and I'm use to it

 

[ScubaDetector]

Some kids talk. I talk back. Others are rude and yell stranger danger, I ignore them. It just depends on if the kids are brats or inquisitive.

 

[Sandman]

I usually answer questions. When I am wading and after answering too many questions at a beach in the water I sometimes reply that a kid drowned here recently an I am searching for his body... They scatter...

 

[G.I.B.]

On dry land I hand them my scrap aluminum pieces, tell them it's raw silver ore.

In the surf I keep 'em talking as long as I can and start creeping into deeper water.

They give up when they start gurgling...

 

[jeff of pa]

I always Carry a Big bag of Candy and leave a trail like Cookie Crumbs as I detect .

seriously though, I try to be as polite as they are .
on occasions I've had Children tell me I can come detect their yard.
Not sure how that would have gone over with the Parent though had I taken them up on the offer.

if they are a bunch of kids out for a laugh at the expense of adults.
I pretend I can't hear them over my headphones , turn my back to them & they soon tire.

 

[Rodbuster209]

I ignore them while at the beach or water hunting, if I go to a tot lot I leave if any kids show up.

 

[Ammoman]

Knocking the coil into a few shins works great. Oops! Am i the only one that does that?

 

[BigWaveDave]

I got no use for kids...sometimes not even my own.

 

[joee5]

I ignore them

 

[Dave Rishar]

I'm constantly finding can slaw and bottle caps, and I'm more than willing to regale passers-by with tales of the wonderful can slaw and bottle cap finds that I've made if they ask. I usually even have a few handy to show as examples for the curious, but they're not normally curious any more by that point in the conversation, and if they were, they aren't after that.

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Talk to them on their level if the situation calls for it. Polite kids deserve to be treated as polite little adults.

Now pushy brats are another story. They usually occur at the beach for me. Often they mob your scoop as soon as it comes up and wont move back so you can even swing. For those oxygen thieves (and their 'parents' watching nearby and doing nothing), I fake a signal, scoop once, then tell them: "well that's either a lead sinker or a gold ring down right there, but its too deep for me." Then I enjoy a few moments watching them push each other away from the hole they are all trying to dig in wet, collapsing sand before moving on away from my troubles.

 

[jeff of pa]

Talk to them on their level if the situation calls for it. Polite kids deserve to be treated as polite little adults.

Now pushy brats are another story. They usually occur at the beach for me. Often they mob your scoop as soon as it comes up and wont move back so you can even swing. For those oxygen thieves (and their 'parents' watching nearby and doing nothing), I fake a signal, scoop once, then tell them: "well that's either a lead sinker or a gold ring down right there, but its too deep for me." Then I enjoy a few moments watching them push each other away from the hole they are all trying to dig in wet, collapsing sand before moving on away from my troubles.

last one I had grabbing in the holes was a 6 maybe 7 year old girl in ball field.
no parents around but she told me I could hunt her Grammas yard .

anyway when she grabbed for the hole I just told her "carful ! could be Glass in there, I get cut all the time"
& she backed off.

for those who share their finds with the kids, I don't even give kids Zinclons.
I need to bring them home here.

at one point she wanted to see a wheatie I dug.
When I handed it to her , she faked putting it in her pocket & Smiled
I said "noooooo I neeed that" and she gave it back.

but as Champ says. Respect goes a long way. if you talk to them with respect.
they usually reciprocate with the same.

 

[Sandman]

At one beach at a freshwater lake I had a young girl ask me what I was doing. I told her I was looking for money and if I found enough I would buy a drink at the concession stand. Few minutes later I starting finding pennies. The girl is ahead of me dropping them in the water for me to find. I gave her a little silver ring I found an her smile was worth it.

 

[UnQle Rob]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am sure you all understand my concerns of child safety, not so much of child interference.