This Happen to Anyone Else?

[Trent67]

This has happened at least once every time I am at the beach. Is this just a South FloriDUH phenomenon? Okay here goes- i am walking down the beach swinging my MD. It is still early, the beach isn't crowded but you have the early morning joggers, walkers, and sea shell hunters. I am walking slow and swinging my MD from side to side, ya know how we do it , and a person will almost walk right into you! Or they walk so close that you hit them with your MD!! I know for a fact that these brain dead people see me coming a mile away too. If this only happened a few times i would just shrug it off but it has happened a lot. I have even had to say something to a few people because it royally pisses me off!

 

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[sponge]

And they asked me, What did you find? I say a bunch of turtles trapped in a rock hole about to bake in the Florida sun. Whanna help save them? They reply hell yea, you the man! One of my memorable experiences.

 

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[lookindown]

Hmmm, hunted up and down Oahu beaches for many hundred of hours in the dark and the daylight, in the water, on the shore, and in the sand, on crowded beaches and near empty beaches, around joggers, tourists, drunk teens, bums, kids, onlookers, and...

I've never had anyone run into me, throw coins, insult, mock, harass, elbow, block me, step-on coils, or otherwise do anything but ask polite questions. The worst I can say is excited kids can get in the way ... but that is it.

I'm going to guess it may be because I look like a normal fit and healthy guy detecting in a professional manner, dressed in a casual but not unusual manner, behaving in a calm, knowledgeable, responsible, friendly way that doesn't attract negative attention.

Now, for arguments sake ... If I were covered in camo like a for-hire mercenary looking like an unshaven bum, looking like a freak-show, swinging a cheap detector wildly like I'm having a fit, displaying no tact or skill, staring wild-eyed in front of me ignoring everything and everyone else as if finding money (i.e., greed) was your sole motive, walking too fast as if you are in a hurry to go somewhere else or embarrassed to be there in the light, and just looking like a disheveled, out-of-shape (e.g., fat) freak with no self-respect or understanding of the hobby you are apparently not even enjoying (what's the big hurry?), searching like a greedy weirdo for what? Pennies. Of course some people will interpret your presence unfavorably, perhaps fearing you simply because you are too strange to be reconciled with anything near normal or respectable.

If you project a calm, intelligent, professional, knowledgeable disposition... people will trust that though they don't understand your hobby they respect how you present it to them. Act like a crazy fool and you're likely to receive negative feedback from irritated people. Most people are considerate of others, at least until they see you as a threat. Consider the image you present the next time someone "accidentally" bumps you, or throws coins in front of you, or mocks you under their breath.

You wrote this as a joke right?...if not then it sounds like you think were all weird looking bums and your mr perfect...that's some funny stuff right there.

 

[fongu]

Tell them you're looking for crocodile eggs. If people knew how much broken glass, screws, nails and yes syringes we find, they would appreciate out hobby more and thank us for cleaning up the beach and fresh water swim areas. When I lived in Florida and saw people detecting I never bothered them, but just thought it was something old people did that had nothing else to do. I was ignorant, but respectful. Wish I had knew what a great hobby this was then, but live and learn.

 

[mnixon]

comin up from behind ? well all ya need is one of those back-up sensors from a car .... and then at least you would know those tail-gunners are comin for ya !!!!! o wait ... another beep beep beep !! haha

ppl are like that here in the uppity sections of Austin,tx in grocery stores ..don't care about changing their path ...I feel like throwing down one of my plastic grenades and saying ....INCOMING .....

 

[mnixon]

or maybe a rearview mirror on the detector

 

[dieselram94]

I have the solution for all this. Next time someone is being rude and walking directly towards you, just start growling and snarl at them a couple times.
They think your crazy and definitely give you a wide berth. You will never see people move away from you as fast again in your life.

Anyway it works for me

Or you could just fart loudly!



Sent from a empty soda can!

 

[goldkey]

 

[RushinPA]

Ok my two cents.......Beechnut Tobacco T shirt, with stains of course. A little self talk, mumbling, debating, just loud enough and they might give you a wide berth. I know your pain, some people are so self absorbed, or dealing with the intricacies of life, they have no knowledge of where they are going. They are lost. think of it that way and your attitude toward them will change.

 

[Slimpickins]

Hang a baseball bat off your belt. It sends a message. If a cop questions it, tell him you're afraid of getting mugged.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Happens to me often, life is to short to worry about it, I just move out of the way or wait till they pass me then continue on...

 

[FLauthor]

I water hunt the Gulf and Lakes with my Excal and a floating sifting box. Curious children swimming near me always make a beeline for my box. Usually the bottle caps and tabs are place in a holding area in the corner. Coins and jewelry are immediately place in my pouch to keep children from helping themselves or tipping the box over in an effort to see what I've found. Adults never bother just children. I keep Metal Detecting business cards in a waterproof hold to hand out to curious adults with my name on the back so Kellyco knows who referred them.

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Hang a baseball bat off your belt. It sends a message. If a cop questions it, tell him you're afraid of getting mugged.

You probably don't want to do that. I don't know Mass law, but that statement tells a judge that you are carrying the bat with the intention of going armed- which is a crime in every state that I've lived in. Nitpicky for sure, but I have seen it applied in court. A better statement is that you often wade in calf deep (or more) water and are carrying the bat to ward off curious sharks. Enviroweenies that get torqued off by THAT statement rarely carry guns and if you are set for sharks........

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

You probably don't want to do that. I don't know Mass law, but that statement tells a judge that you are carrying the bat with the intention of going armed- which is a crime in every state that I've lived in. Nitpicky for sure, but I have seen it applied in court. A better statement is that you often wade in calf deep (or more) water and are carrying the bat to ward off curious sharks. Enviroweenies that get torqued off by THAT statement rarely carry guns and if you are set for sharks........

I had a beach police man once ask me why I was carrying a dive knife at the beach, I told him for sharks, (pause) both in the water and on land.... He said be careful and left...

 

[PullTabProphet]

This is a beach thing - but it originated in wal-mart. People become instant idiots when visiting either place. Blocking a whole isle as they slow walk or, ramming right into you because they are zoned out/distracted, whatever...no situational awareness at all. And then, they act all indignant like it's YOUR fault that THEY ran into YOU!