How many places have you been thrown out of? (Asked to leave)

[foiled_again]

It's never fun and always disappointing, but it happens. My own score is 4, as follows. Three have been in the past year as I have devoted more time to park and school hunting.

--grassy area adjacent to a very popular beach; the lifeguard said I was welcome to detect in the sand but not the grass. Solution; work it in the off season when there are no lifeguards around. The grass is LOADED with coins but very hard to work in some placed due to thick thatching of the grass.

-- School...guy didn't want me "digging holes". He may have had me confused with the thousand gophers that infest the same lawn

-- School--asked to leave by some district guy. The week before I had asked another district guy if it was ok. Oh well. School was pretty sparse but I dug a few wheaties there and was hoping for silver.

-- Park--I mentioned to the guy who accosted me that if he walked five feet from one of my digs, he'd never find it. He agreed but said other detectorists had left open holes and detecting and therefore banned.

And so it goes. Any good stories?

 

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[Pointman]

This was a public park/beach that I had detected several times before in full view of the local law. This day they saw me too, it was later when I was heading back to the truck a police car comes whipping up & stops in front of me the officer then informs me I can detect all I want but digging & removing any thing from town owned land is illegal. He says this as I am watching 4 people digging clams to take home and a boy & dog digging shells to take home, but I'm digging trash and clad & have a detector so "I am the bad one"!
I don't leave holes either, you can't tell where I dig, I use a screw driver most of the time.

I would talk with the city planning commission. It sounds like the officer is making things up; dictating as he sees fit. I wouldn't stop because of this, but I wouldn't want to take a chance that there is an ordinance against detecting (which I doubt).

I only been run off 3 times by myself. Once when I thought the property owner gave me permission and then was told that the land was someone else's and then once I dug at a private park and was recommended to leave but not necessarily run off. The park had been available before for the cub scouts when my son was a cub, but I didn't realize that it was owned by a private organization. Once I was told to quit digging in front of someone's house next to the road on the easement.

The other times I had been run off was when I was with a friend, who supposedly had permission. If I had a dollar for every time I had been asked if I had permission, then I would be able to pay my gas money at least half the time I have detected. I've had people stop me to ask me if I had permission shouting from their car windows as they drive by.

I was told one time by the county judge that I could detect, but not dig. The city didn't care, but it was on county property. They were afraid I would dig the utilities up. Well, I tried probing for my coins, essentially not digging, but they were too deep. I made sure that I was on the back side of the property away from "prying eyes" and dug using my hand held digger and not my shovel. I dug fairly shallow plugs and found some of my best finds this year as a result. I made sure that I filled all the holes back and picked up the trash.

 

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[oxbowbarefoot]

Officially, two.

 

[matrix master DBA]

Was at a park today and was told I could metal detect as long as I didn't dig any holes. I showed the guy the trash I was finding and a razor blade that I found in the playground. 10 years ago it was un heard of someone kicked out of a park for detecting. . I was leaving the park and there was a squirrel digging a hole.!!!

 

[foiled_again]

What was he swinging? A CTX?

 

[jackc]

What was he swinging? A CTX?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I would talk with the city planning commission. It sounds like the officer is making things up; dictating as he sees fit. I wouldn't stop because of this, but I wouldn't want to take a chance that there is an ordinance against detecting (which I doubt)....

Pointman, no, that policeman wasn't making those things up. I don't even have to know miss beep-beeps state or city to know that either. Because I can assure you, that every single park, school, beach, campground, etc... actually, all public land of every level, does in fact have verbage like that. It may not use the word "dig", but it's there. Ie.: "deface" or "alter" or "vandalize", etc... And same for "remove". That too is on every speck of public land, in some form. Ie.: prohibitions against "taking", or "removing", or "collecting" or "harvesting", etc.... So that no one thinks he can back his truck up and take all the tanbark out of the childrens playground. Or harvest the sod for his garden at his house. Or cut down tree limbs for fire wood, and so forth.

Hence, no, not a good idea to go "clarify" such things, lest you/we merely open up more cans of worms, which merely further cements the "no".

Sometimes simply a better idea to avoid such lookie-lous, and pick lower traffic times. I've had such encounters like that, and I do not consider them to be some sort of new rule I must go fight, or get clarified. Or "oh no, the park is off limits now". I just give lip service, give that one park a rest for awhile.

 

[relicmeister]

I got kicked off land by a landowner on land I did;nt know was private, and two weeks ago a NPS ranger confronted me on land I thought was beyond their
border, and still do, but I left and had no trouble with him. Last weekend a Fish and wildlife ranger told me I couldn't MD on F&W land ( actually just not remove
anything I found). He gave me no trouble, and he was only there because trout season opens this weekend. They're almost never there so I don't expect
to change my detecting routines. I believe if you want to be successful in MD you have to detect smartly and responsibly, and press the limits when neccessary or we'll all be relegated to tot- lots . Not me!

 

[matrix master DBA]

Even tot lots are banned here in Louisville Kentucky

 

[foiled_again]

That's really sick.

 

[DainBrammage]

Hi yea myself nephew and grandson went driving country side one afternoon looking for place came acrossed old school house so went back to closest house knocked on door little old lady answered door by opening just enough to speak I ask the lady if she owned the school she replied that she did but her sons took care of the place so asked if sons were around she said no so then I explained why I was asking about school and told her what I would like to do she replied that she guess it would be ok so we start swinging had been there about 10 minutes when hear a 4 wheeler coming it was one of her sons he stopped i explained that I had stopped at the house and talked with the lady he replied yea I know I then asked if he owned the church across the road and he rudely replied yes thats my property and you stay off of it I said no problem is it ok for us to be here he said I suppose since she told you ok so he left and we go back to searching I had just found first wheatie when car pulls up needless to say its her other son now he is more polite so it seems I explain that I talked to lady he said I know but now you have to go because that he might want to detect with his kids and grandkids so we left but I bet you he never does there were also to old privy holes that could of produced goodies but guess will never know this happened a year ago thanks for reading sorry for long post happy huntin

Dude, take a breath; try a comma or a period every now and again...

 

[DainBrammage]

Once I was told to quit digging in front of someone's house next to the road on the easement.
.

The easement is for the use of the city/county, not whoever wants it. The property owner still owns it; its not for anyone to use but the local government/utilities

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I have a feeling there may have been someone watching having nothing better to do, & seeing me with the detector "assumed" I was going to "dig" holes and called the law. Because the officer knew exactly where I was!

Earlier in the day he pulled in got out and yelled at woman and her little boy because the boy fed the sea gulls, but there IS a sign posted saying "no feeding the birds". But not one for digging lol!

If I get back there I will be detecting, because it didn't seem to bother them on my first 3 trips!
Of course I could paint my detector white, wear sunglasses, maybe who ever watches and likes to ruin other people's fun would "assume" I was doing something else!
Besides popping a coin out is not technically "digging", and Picking coins up off the ground is still legal...so far!

 

[Fixitdave]

Dude, take a breath; try a comma or a period every now and again...

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