Theres a guy in the park waving a knife

[jglunt]

There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Went to my local park today where I've been hunting for 6 years. Not much interesting in the way of finds. Just some clad, lots of the usual pull tabs and a 9mm luger shell casing for about an hour and a 1/2 worth of swinging. I had been there about a 1/2 hour and was tamping down a plug that I had just dug when I looked up and saw a local patrol officer approaching. He asked how I was doing to which I replied "getting lots of fresh air". He then said that someone had called 911 and said there was a guy in the park waving a knife and in the same breath he said "but he didn't mention you had a metal detector". In my left hand was my detector (I'm a southpaw) and in my right hand was my digging tool, pinpointer and a towel which is usually the way I walk around when I'm swinging. He just smiled and said he ran my plate in the parking lot (the only vehicle in the lot) and was I Mr. Glunt, to which I replied "Yes". He then said "well, good luck" and went about his merry way and it turned out to be a nonevent. What really kind of irked me was that someone would use the 911 emergency system for such a call and then leave out a detail such as my 6' long metal detector.

People are strange.

JG

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Skrimpy]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Unbelievable. Here's another relevant quote,

"The two most common elements in the Universe are hydrogen and stupidity."

Wow. Now that's funny stuff!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[TreasureTales]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

It's hard for me to condemn the caller since I don't know his/her side of the story. Not saying you were doing anything scarey, but we don't know if it was an elderly person who was afraid to go into the park with you there, or whatever. So I'll give them a pass. The cop sounds like a very reasonable and friendly guy - with a good dispatcher. In my hometown, the police will NOT respond to a call without first getting the caller's life story and plugging it into their computer data base. Sucks.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

It's hard for me to condemn the caller since I don't know his/her side of the story. Not saying you were doing anything scarey, but we don't know if it was an elderly person who was afraid to go into the park with you there, or whatever. So I'll give them a pass. The cop sounds like a very reasonable and friendly guy - with a good dispatcher. In my hometown, the police will NOT respond to a call without first getting the caller's life story and plugging it into their computer data base. Sucks.

MMmmm, I think these are the same sort of people who flood the emergency dispatchers with superfluous calls and are more than just a nusence, they are a menace. "There's a prowler outside, There's a disturbance next door, The neighbor's dog is barking, I broke a nail, blaa, blaa, blaa....".


But I'll tell you one thing, the next time I get a nosy kid following me around on the beach when I'm detecting, I'm not going to say, "looking for land mines" anymore.

 

[TreasureTales]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Yeah, the caller should have phoned the police business number rather than 911, unless he/she was scared spitless. We just don't know, do we?

 

[Natman]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Sometimes when I'm out MDing I look up and there's someone looking at me as if I had 2 heads..it appears some people haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing or what I'm holding in my hand..I guess there's not too many detectorists in my neck of the woods..which is both good AND bad for me!

Nat

 

[tippy_canoe]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

I hate to say it, but even a 65% stupidity rate is still a conservative number in my book!

"Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups."
-author unknown

Skrimpy - you can even get your own motivational poster of it here:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/posters/32d4/


-tippy

 

[Monty]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

We have a village idiot, about 40 with the mind of about 5 and the poor guy rides around on a bicycle and bothers people. As far as I can tell he is harmless, just a pest. Every time I hit this one park he almost immediately shows up and follows me around asking questions, saying look over here, or is this worth anything (can lid), etc, etc. He really bothered me for the first few times but then I wised up and now I figure out a chore for him to do and he goes off happy as a lark most of the time. First time I had him searching trash cans for that stolen money the robbers stashed. He dutifully emptied every trash can in the park and neatly replaced all the trash. Last week we had a good rain the morning I went out and I had him looking for and collecting money worms (earth worms that come the surface after a hard rain). I had him convinced they would find coins if you turned them loose and followed them to their hole. Darn if he didn't find a penny! I have to make up a new chore each time because he won't fall for the same thing twice in a row, so he isn't that retarded. My wife says I'm cruel, but it doesn't do him any harm and keeps him busy. I think his biggest problem is shear boredom anyway. And then there is always the funny guy that comments on that really quiet weedeater I am using. He'll walk all the way across the park just to tell me that. Oh well,.......Monty

 

[dgaughan]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

probably well at least you weren't run off by the officer good luck and hh

 

[Skrimpy]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

We have a village idiot, about 40 with the mind of about 5 and the poor guy rides around on a bicycle and bothers people. As far as I can tell he is harmless, just a pest. Every time I hit this one park he almost immediately shows up and follows me around asking questions, saying look over here, or is this worth anything (can lid), etc, etc. He really bothered me for the first few times but then I wised up and now I figure out a chore for him to do and he goes off happy as a lark most of the time. First time I had him searching trash cans for that stolen money the robbers stashed. He dutifully emptied every trash can in the park and neatly replaced all the trash. Last week we had a good rain the morning I went out and I had him looking for and collecting money worms (earth worms that come the surface after a hard rain). I had him convinced they would find coins if you turned them loose and followed them to their hole. Darn if he didn't find a penny! I have to make up a new chore each time because he won't fall for the same thing twice in a row, so he isn't that retarded. My wife says I'm cruel, but it doesn't do him any harm and keeps him busy. I think his biggest problem is shear boredom anyway. And then there is always the funny guy that comments on that really quiet weedeater I am using. He'll walk all the way across the park just to tell me that. Oh well,.......Monty

OMG! It is sooooo cruel but it's still funny. Kind of like the squirrel catapult on You-tube. Look it up. You will wet yourself.

 

[garrettman64]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Glad you did not get arrested They may have sent out " Car 54 Tudy & Muldoon"

He He Happy Huntings sincerely from Garrettman64

 

[tabfinder]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

I hear where you are coming from....went to a sidewalk construction site next to the oldest house in town.....a lady was walking her dog and said hi; and that it was too bad I had to work so early in the morning on a Saturday!! LOL....thought I worked for the city! ALOT of people have no clue what you are doing....

 

[JT2]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

We have a village idiot, about 40 with the mind of about 5 and the poor guy rides around on a bicycle and bothers people.....

MONTY!! That is SO funny! LOL!

Why don't you just have him fill all the holes for you? That'll keep him busy!

 

[Yarrum]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

We have a village idiot, about 40 with the mind of about 5 and the poor guy rides around on a bicycle and bothers people. As far as I can tell he is harmless, just a pest. Every time I hit this one park he almost immediately shows up and follows me around asking questions, saying look over here, or is this worth anything (can lid), etc, etc. He really bothered me for the first few times but then I wised up and now I figure out a chore for him to do and he goes off happy as a lark most of the time. First time I had him searching trash cans for that stolen money the robbers stashed. He dutifully emptied every trash can in the park and neatly replaced all the trash. Last week we had a good rain the morning I went out and I had him looking for and collecting money worms (earth worms that come the surface after a hard rain). I had him convinced they would find coins if you turned them loose and followed them to their hole. Darn if he didn't find a penny! I have to make up a new chore each time because he won't fall for the same thing twice in a row, so he isn't that retarded. My wife says I'm cruel, but it doesn't do him any harm and keeps him busy. I think his biggest problem is shear boredom anyway. And then there is always the funny guy that comments on that really quiet weedeater I am using. He'll walk all the way across the park just to tell me that. Oh well,.......Monty

ROFLMAO, That is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Cruel but fair

 

[deedeelou]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Have to say I am on both sides of this. I know people sometimes call the cops when there is really nothing wrong going on, but on the other hand, everyone says to call if you see something suspicious. If you are carrying a big old knife in the park, that could be construed as suspicious to people who don't know better, regardless of what is in the other hand.

At least your cop used some common sense.

Recently in our area two boys were messing around the back of a car (their dad was driving) and one of them shot at a lady's car with a squirt gun when she honked at them when the light turned green. She called the cops and the boy was charged with assault. Sheesh.

 

[Skrimpy]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Sometimes when I'm out MDing I look up and there's someone looking at me as if I had 2 heads..it appears some people haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing or what I'm holding in my hand..I guess there's not too many detectorists in my neck of the woods..which is both good AND bad for me!

Nat

See, I've gotten that look before but I get the strange feeling that they think I'm doing something I shouldn't.

 

[Skrimpy]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

I hate to say it, but even a 65% stupidity rate is still a conservative number in my book!

"Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups."
-author unknown

Skrimpy - you can even get your own motivational poster of it here:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/posters/32d4/


-tippy

Tippy....roflmao. I have to get one. I saw a Homer Simpson T-shirt once. It was an x-ray of his head and he had a pea sized brain. Underneath him the T-shirt read.
"I see dumb people"

 

[jglunt]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

Have to say I am on both sides of this. I know people sometimes call the cops when there is really nothing wrong going on, but on the other hand, everyone says to call if you see something suspicious. If you are carrying a big old knife in the park, that could be construed as suspicious to people who don't know better, regardless of what is in the other hand.

I really hope that you are not suggesting we use the 911 emergency system to report every suspicious or what we deem suspicious event or activity.

I have no problem with the officer doing his job and checking my activity.

Here are the two points you missed.

One was what I considered the misuse of the 911 emergency system which, by the way, here in Michigan we all pay for through our property taxes.

The other was how some people will, in order to legitimize what they are doing, exaggerate, omit and even fabricate information totally oblivious to what they are setting in motion in terms of costs and labor.

This is why eyewitness testimony doesn't carry that much weight with law enforcement.

Jim

 

[Skrimpy]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

This is why eyewitness testimony doesn't carry that much weight with law enforcement.

It's the consistency between stories that they look for. Thus the separation of eyewitnesses/buddies when questioning more than one witness. It just doesn't hold up in court very easily anymore because most eyewitnesses have a nack for overexaggerating, or have a comlete lack of credibility.

 

[tinpan]

Re: There's a guy in the park waving a knife

hi all

911 = Aussie 000

cop =aussie cop no-ware to be seen



tinpan