I got ambushed at the tot lot today.

[Metal Militia]

Headed to the park to do some hunting today. It was my third hunt there and I've been cleaning out the trash and clad off the sidelines of the soccer fields, basketball, volleyball. I've planned on hunting the tot lot, but every time it's been packed.

Well I was working my grid on soccer field #2 and noticed there was no cars parked by the tot lot. Further noticing the tot lot was empty, I made a bee line straight for it. Got inside and immediately was ringing clad. I kept telling myself work fast, hurry but it was too late. I need to mention this tot lot is a fortress with bridges, netting, multi-tier with wood fencing all around. Only one way in and one way out.

I heard a faint "grandma what is that man doing?" (Trapped) Two seconds later, a cute little one about 5-6 pops into my view "what are you doing?" I give her a quick explanation and go back to swinging. Grandma tells her to leave me alone as I swing faster and start working away from them. I keep telling myself "maybe they'll stay on that side and I can work the other side. Swing swing shuffle shuffle faster swing swing... other side. Bam! a target. Pull out pin pointer kneel down. "what'd you find?" I hear.

Before I knew it the little girl was recruiting other kids to follow as I tried to work my way out of the maze of ropes, ramps, bridges, trees etc. Made it to the entrance as I pulled out my phone telling them I gotta run. Y'all have fun. So here's what I managed to find today.

Most interesting thing was a 7mm casing I dug about a foot from home base. Also a bent dime.

I believe I'm going back to the lake beach. Mad props to you park hunters . It's hard work digging sod...bring on the dry sand.
Best of luck on your hunts

 

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[treblehunter]

Nobody knows how hard digging is!

 

[MuckyBottles]

Why do my clad quarters always come out red and yours green..? Lol

 

[ModernMiner]

Funny post. Next time, tell them you buried a bunch of candy on the other side of the tot lot.
I had that same thing happen to me when I first started detecting with another guy. The kids were swarming around me and wanting to hold my digging tool and pin pointer. So what did I do......I told them that my buddy always finds all of the "good stuff". They tore off after him then and he flipped me the bird.
Thanks for the post,
MM

 

[GatorBoy]

Why do my clad quarters always come out red and yours green..? Lol

Acidic soil

 

[unfound]

great story..look at all that gas/battery money....I try to hit the tot lots really really early. You want to talk tough digging...I've been trying to find a friends lost gold money clip (14 years ago), his house was built on a reclaimed strip job.
You got grass and rocks...thats it....pull the grass and roots off the rocks to see whats underneath. They don't make a digger that can tame that stuff. I'm good for about ten holes everytime I go to look for it, then I get fed up and go find some easy tot lot to dig...lol.

 

[beez0404]

I had two young fellows following me one day near a tot lot. Their mom said to tell them to skidaddle if they became a bother. They were fine till one started tossing a pull tab in front of me OVER AND OVER again. I said "I think I heard your mom calling you!"

Nice bunch of clad and good job cleaning out all that junk.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Ya grass & rocky areas are harder. If you want the tots to leave you alone just say Loud enough for the adults to hear "I'm cleaning out all the broken glass and nails from this area ". The adults should shoo the kids to the other side for you.

If you really want to see them move mention disgusting needles from drug users.

 

[Old Dude]

This is exactly why I try going to parks early in the morning before the teen partyers that stay in bed till 12 at least get up, or the little ones get there. I had a whole family of immigrants follow me around the park one day. You'd think the kids would be the ones that bothered me, but the grandpa that kept saying " Why is it crying?" was worse. I couldn't make him understand how it worked lol.

 

[diverrick]

I just had the same thing happen to me two weeks ago. Kids mobbing me and asking questions, helping me dig, etc.. Found a ton of bobby pins in the tot lot for some reason. Never find those , but that day it was one after the other.
Some moms were cool about it, other thought I was some perve and moved their kids. I did have a really nice conversation with a very pretty young mom. I enjoyed the kids interest. Who knows maybe future detectorists.
if they bother you, I guess you could tell them loud enough for the mothers to hear. " i am looking for old land mines and grenades". Good laugh, but probably would get the popo after you soon enough. Far as I know, there is no law saying I can't look for grenades and land mines! As long as they are not mine. Just doing a community service.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

" Why is it crying?" That is funny, you should have told him it needed some gold to get it to quit crying.

 

[Old Dude]

" Why is it crying?" That is funny, you should have told him it needed some gold to get it to quit crying.

I probably had the old deer in the headlights look after that. I couldn't get out of there fast enough, lol.

 

[releventchair]

Go tell your mother she needs you!.
I don,t mind kids really. Some turn out pretty polite. In a park where kids turn up after school to get ground down a little before going home and parents catch their breath, a hot streak kept me past time to avoid them. One duo approached and skipped visiting the play equipment to ask what was wrong with me. Then what am I doing. Their mother hovered from a safe distance and when the kids seemed to not be harmed approached and all had a good time for a half hour till mom called time. After polite thank you,s they turned to leave and mom looked back over her shoulder with a great smile and mouthed thank you. I forget the recoveries or if they left with any but they understood a bit about detecting and had a positive introduction.

 

[vpnavy]

Thanks for sharing...

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

I've had the exact same experience a hundred times, kids are just fascinated at what we do. Keep on swinging that coil in the tot lots...some of the kids actually bring their coin collections to school. I've found Buffalo nickels, Indian Head pennies, silver rosie silver dimes, and even one Franklin half dollar!

 

[Chug And Red]

OMG, When they Swarm Around You It Is Bad, they star stepping over your detector While It is Laying Helplessly on the Ground! I Just Loudly Say I don't Thing Your Parent Have 600.00 Dollars to Spare If You Step On and Break My detector!! Next thing I Know the Are Being Move Back Far From Me, The coil on the At PRO has Been Stepped On Few times I Always Check it Carefully Before I Move On Chug