What 'comments' have you heard while detecting?

[tanacat]

I'm sure we've all had some doozies... here's a couple to start lol

Yesterday I was hunting next to a ball park where 10 yr old boys were playing baseball. They yelled hey there's no gold over there lady yo woman, you're wasting your time All the gold is in California oh, it went on and on... I just ignored them, playing deaf under my headphones, but was chuckling to myself.

Teachers outside an elementary school teasing me- asking if I was looking for lost lunch money... :angry:

But it's not always funny. Last fall I was HARASSED by a group of 8 yr old boys on a playground! They thought I was homeless, trying to find spare change for food. They said ooh ooh I think there's a penny right HERE...
I tried to explain it's a hobby and that I had 2 kids at home. They threw change on the ground and told me to go buy my kids some toys, followed me around, asking questions, seemed interested for a little bit, wanted to try it out (I refused, didn't trust them) They got sillier, egging eachother on. When a boy peed off the top of the jungle gym (off to the side-not at me- they were all laughing...)

I had tried to ignore them, but that was the last straw.

I walked abruptly over to the group and told them Hey, I used to work with juevenile deliquents and prison inmates and they all started out as bullies- just like you guys---you just think about that and then walked to my car. I find myself avoiding groups of kids now. lol

Anyone else need to vent?

[del]

yeah i get the name calling all the time :mad: :bangahead01: geek boy you look stupid get a job and a few more as well , but i persevere and ignore it to a point :ticked: :ticked: and then i tell Coinnut and the Wife to grow up and leave me alone . lol lol rofl rofl


and that usually works for a bit ;)

[coinnut]

yeah i get the name calling all the time :mad: :bangahead01: geek boy you look stupid get a job and a few more as well , but i persevere and ignore it to a point :ticked: :ticked: and then i tell Coinnut and the Wife to grow up and leave me alone . lol lol rofl rofl


and that usually works for a bit ;)


Hmmm.... seems I need to turn up the heat on ya lol I remember way back in ancient times (@1976) the old guys would look over at me digging in the park and ask you looking for worms kid? I would tell them, No, I'm looking for money and they would always laugh at me and walk away. I was hassled a bit by other kids at parks, but not much. Things were calmer back then. Now, you can probably get shot for your machine in the wrong park. That is why we detect woods - NO KIDS rofl but there are Wolves :shocked04:

[tanacat]

then i tell Coinnut and the Wife to grow up and leave me alone . lol lol rofl rofl

and that usually works for a bit ;)




Hmmm.... seems I need to turn up the heat on ya lol

You guys are a trip! Thanks for the laughs... :yes:

[tanacat]

Okay I'm off to hunt another playground (taking my boys).

Yep, I'll prob have a new story to tell tonight... :-\ lol :ticked: :confused: :shocked04: :tongue:

[RickO]

I have been asked if my MD was a geiger counter and also if I was looking for mines. lol RickO

[Lowjiber]

This is not a bad thing, but cute.

I was hunting a local park and a very nice little girl about seven years old came over from where mom & dad were laying on a blanket. She asked me the usual whatcha doin? questions...just about the time that a quarter hit my headset.

I told her I was finding money, and my detector just told me there was a quarter about three inches deep. I asked her if she wanted to watch me dig it up. Dad nodded his head, and she said Sure!!!

I dug up the clad quarter and she was amazed. I gave her the quarter, saying something like That's your first buried treasure. She ran over to show her parents and I kept on swinging.

About three minutes later, she came over and asked, Hey Mister...do metal detectors ever lie?

To which I replied, Sweetie, this one lies all the time. I thought dad was gonna bust a gut.

[angellionel]

Those are funny. lol I've had my share of questions asked too, all variations of what has been said. When detecting at the beach the nuisance tends to be teenagers, or even older guys, throwing pennies ahead of me to find. :rolleyes:

[tanacat]

Great stories lol People can be so rude. It can be humiliating, but I just remind myself that it's not personal.... I think the headphones make people more brave to say stuff, thinking you can't hear them.

I ran into a guy metal detecting in the park today, asked him if he gets harassed often. He said yeah, mostly asking if he'd found any pennies yet, with a smirk...

Then he said with the kids he tends to just give them 'something to remember him by'. I was shocked and said like- flipping them the bird? rofl He cracked up, said no giving them what he dug- penny or nickel lol

[John M]

I have had the usual heckling while I was in open areas.While doing an open area I was told by someone that I was potting.Now from what I understand potting is a sort of grave robbing or stealing.As far as being approached by kids I turn my detector off and leave.There are too many perverts and child molesters on the loose and I don't what any part of being blamed for any wrong doing.....the law seems to listen to the kid.This is why I love to hunt in the woods,the only heckling comes from the moron you are hunting with.

[tanacat]

This is why I love to hunt in the woods,the only heckling comes from the moron you are hunting with.

So you hunt with Del and Coinnut huh? lol

I'd never thought about that- being a man and kids surrounding you... esp just one kid. That's a good point. Being a woman I don't have to worry about that I guess.

I'm not sure who's more irritating, groups of little kids wanting to try out my MD (If it's just one or two, I'll let them swing it), or the older guys flirting with me, asking me to find the revolutionary cannon ball he lost last year or such.

[Lowjiber]

As far as being approached by kids I turn my detector off and leave. There are too many perverts and child molesters on the loose and I don't what any part of being blamed for any wrong doing.....the law seems to listen to the kid.
I'm amazed at how poorly some parents watch their kids. I've had children as young as five come up to me when detecting with no parent in sight. When that happens, I immediately head for the nearest populated area.

[tanacat]

About three minutes later, she came over and asked, Hey Mister...do metal detectors ever lie?

To which I replied, Sweetie, this one lies all the time. I thought dad was gonna bust a gut.


rofl that's a good one John Did you explain the similiarity between rings and pop tabs? I actually do enjoy little kids, when they're curious and friendly... :yes: I've had MANY kids say they want metal detectors after hanging out with me- hearing my schpeil about the mystery of the hunt and the 'potential financial gain' lol

[magic]

A few years back,
I was detecting in a local park and I usually keep a close eye on my suroundings because some of them are not the most friendly places... I noticed an older woman with a cane kept watching me and She had this mad look on her face. After about ten minutes of watching me, She started walking slowly over towards me. My first thought was that she was going to start fussing at me for some reason or another so I just kept on hunting and prepared for the worst.

She walked straight up to me and I looked up at her and she was holding out her hand. I just reached up to see what could it be that she was handing me..... She gave me a dollar bill!!! I was in such shock and loss for words that by the time I looked up again to tell her I didnt need it, She was already walking away.

It may be a bad thing but at the time it took me by such surprise that I just put the dollar in my pocket and went on....

[coinnut]

This is why I love to hunt in the woods,the only heckling comes from the moron you are hunting with.





So you hunt with Del and Coinnut huh? lol


How'd ya guess?? rofl

[tanacat]

She gave me a dollar bill!!! I was in such shock and loss for words that by the time I looked up again to tell her I didnt need it, She was already walking away.



What is it about metal detecting that makes people think they are poor, homeless, looking for change for food:huh:thinkingabout: Don't they know that you have to have some moola to purchase a detector?

Okay Okay, I admit that even I used to think it was simply a way to pass time and find spare change for retired people. :rolleyes: That's usually who I saw metal detecting! But I also knew it could be lucrative, finding jewelry too.
I've always wanted one though....

It'd be nice to change the stigma, but how? Oh well...

[Lowjiber]

It'd be nice to change the stigma, but how? Oh well...
It's funny. When I go detecting, I usually drive my Jeep. However, when I pull a metal detector out of my E-Class Mercedes, I get some funny looks.

We just gotta quit wearing plaid shorts and argyle socks. :rolleyes:

[del]

the only heckling comes from the moron you are hunting with.




So you hunt with Del and Coinnut huh? lol



:shocked04: :shocked04: :shocked04: wow , that just ain't right . lol lol lol

[tanacat]

We just gotta quit wearing plaid shorts and argyle socks. :rolleyes:


Even my hubby is guilty of it. When I decided to get headphones he said &quot:daydream:h, now you're REALLY gonna look like a nerd... rofl rofl rofl

I think he was kinda joking, but kinda being rigorously honest :cheesysmile: Oh well I don't care what I look like, I love hunting!

[coinnut]

So you hunt with Del and Coinnut huh? lol






:shocked04: :shocked04: :shocked04: wow , that just ain't right . lol lol lol


You are correct Del. THAT AIN'T RIGHT! So I fixed it to read correctly :cheesysmile: :cheesysmile: :cheesysmile:



So you hunt with Del huh? lol



Looks much better, don't ya think?? rofl

[del]

You are correct Del. THAT AIN'T RIGHT! So I fixed it to read correctly :cheesysmile: :cheesysmile: :cheesysmile:

Looks much better, don't ya think?? rofl


thats it , i'm telling your mom your not playing nice lol lol :tongue:

[Epi-hunter]

It's funny. When I go detecting, I usually drive my Jeep. However, when I pull a metal detector out of my E-Class Mercedes, I get some funny looks.


I get that look every time I pull my detector out of the trunk of my Lexus lol

On my most recent detecting trip (today) I was approached by a woman and her dog... she was around 60, and looked really irritated. She asked me in a very nasty tone if I had permission to be 'digging up the parks'. (I had to this point dug no holes at all, as I had just arrived). I told her I had permission to metal detect, then she basically repeated her question in another nasty tone. It just came out... I wasn't in the best mood anyway.... I said What... are you the park police? Then I gave her a copy of my permit to detect in the city limits. She looked at it and then walked off with her dog.

In the past I have had lots of the 'geiger counter' comments. I don't know why. I also get bothered by kids, since moving here to KY (not nearly so much when living in Iowa, for some reason). I ignore them and leave the area.

People approach me all the time trying to ask questions and when they are talking to me, I will point to my headphones and say something like, Got these headphones. Can't hear you! :rolleyes:

All that said... I do talk to people who are genuinely interested in the hobby, and not just trying to be irritating or nosy. :)

[CyberSage]

I have yet to be approached by anyone who has had anything but curiosity and questions about what I am doing. I live in a very friendly town I guess. I did however have one very interesting and harassing experience...

I was hunting a busy part of my favorite park. I heard through my headphones the shout from a passing car, Are you finding any gold? I looked up to see three young girls driving by, laughing and obviously making fun of me. I almost said something back and then noticed an open purse on the roof of the car. I smiled and waved. The car turned the corner and speed off at a very reckless speed. I watched the purse spill off the car roof onto the asphalt. They drove off not noticing. I looked back down at the ground and kept swing'in. rofl

[Cheap Thrills]

I once had this flaky Woman come over and try to read me the riot act :ticked: . She thought my detector was a machine for electrocuting Gophers . rofl

Baba

[Epi-hunter]

I once had this flaky Woman come over and try to read me the riot act :ticked: . She thought my detector was a machine for electrocuting Gophers . rofl


lol rofl rofl

[Tat2demon]

A few years back,
I was detecting in a local park and I usually keep a close eye on my suroundings because some of them are not the most friendly places... I noticed an older woman with a cane kept watching me and She had this mad look on her face. After about ten minutes of watching me, She started walking slowly over towards me. My first thought was that she was going to start fussing at me for some reason or another so I just kept on hunting and prepared for the worst.

She walked straight up to me and I looked up at her and she was holding out her hand. I just reached up to see what could it be that she was handing me..... She gave me a dollar bill!!! I was in such shock and loss for words that by the time I looked up again to tell her I didnt need it, She was already walking away.

It may be a bad thing but at the time it took me by such surprise that I just put the dollar in my pocket and went on....



People dont seem to realize how expensive these machines can be. Hell, I just bought a used V3 for twice what I paid for my little truck. :grin:

[coinnut]

I once had this flaky Woman come over and try to read me the riot act :ticked: . She thought my detector was a machine for electrocuting Gophers . rofl

Baba


You should have lifted it up and pointed it at her and said Gophers? NO, just people :grin:

[tanacat]

I once had this flaky Woman come over and try to read me the riot act :ticked: . She thought my detector was a machine for electrocuting Gophers . rofl

Baba




You should have lifted it up and pointed it at her and said Gophers? NO, just people :grin:


rofl rofl rofl Memories of Caddyshack are coming back...





I have yet to be approached by anyone who has had anything but curiosity and questions about what I am doing. I live in a very friendly town I guess. I did however have one very interesting and harassing experience...

I watched the purse spill off the car roof onto the asphalt. They drove off not noticing. I looked back down at the ground and kept swing'in. rofl


Hahahaha that's what they get, them bullies!

Well, like you I live in a pretty friendly town. All in all the majority of people that come to me are curious and friendly. It's a great icebreaker, like having a baby in a stroller or a cute dog on a leash lol

And many swear they're gonna invest in a nice detector. I've even given out business cards for my local White's dealer :yes:





I said What... are you the park police? Then I gave her a copy of my permit to detect in the city limits.

In the past I have had lots of the 'geiger counter' comments. I don't know why.

I've gotten several 'geiger' comments too!

So how do you go about getting a permit for the city? LFUCG? You told me you had one for a state park too? Do you just pay a little fee & promise to cover your holes and throw away trash? :huh:

[CBnKansas]

Me and my buddy Mineral Mike were looking at a 1921D Merc dime I had just found when a walker by ask what we were doing. When I told them I had found a mercury dime they got all serious and told me to make sure I did not touch mercury without gloves on. rofl We just looked at each other and then I assured them we had our gloves on.

cb

[coinnut]

Me and my buddy Mineral Mike were looking at a 1921D Merc dime I had just found when a walker by ask what we were doing. When I told them I had found a mercury dime they got all serious and told me to make sure I did not touch mercury without gloves on. rofl We just looked at each other and then I assured them we had our gloves on.

cb


lol lol He was right. A 1921D is a semi key date. Worth some bucks. :yes: I don't think he meant those kind of gloves though rofl

[drew73]

the nerd club :bop:

[toehead]

Mainly the curious kids. The little ones are curious, the teens are harassing. Once I was detecting a playground at a local school early in the morning during summer, I returned the next morning and began finding penny after penny in the sand by the swings (50 total). When I was pulling out of the school I noticed a kid standing in the picture window watching me with smile on his face, I waved and kept going. He obviously watched me the day before. Have had the occasional adult ask if I have found anything good, to which I usually reply Nah mostly just pull tabs and foil lol ;)

[tanacat]

Have had the occasional adult ask if I have found anything good, to which I usually reply Nah mostly just pull tabs and foil lol ;)


lol I do the opposite and make sure I have a couple goodies like 1833 LC or silver ring etc.. in my pocket to show off. Mostly good luck charms, but like to show that people don't think pennies is all we are looking for/finding... :yes:

[tony]

I once had this flaky Woman come over and try to read me the riot act :ticked: . She thought my detector was a machine for electrocuting Gophers . rofl

Baba


Where can I get one of them gopher tazers?!??!?!? darn things are tearing up my yard

[tanacat]

About a week ago a woman thought I was weed-eating the median! rofl She was hard of hearing- I realized when I stopped to talk to her, kept asking me to repeat myself...

[sjv]

I remember wayyy back when del an I were detecting a park some kid said whatcha lookin for . I said digging for China. lol lol lol

[sjv]

I remember the day Del, myself, and Chris were detecting a nice spot and some lady who did't even own or knew who owned the property was yelling at us :crazy:. She said this is private property, your stealing, then she went up the road an got her husband. He said he knew the owner but couldn't tell us :crazy:. Next time we went back there was NO trespassing sign, prolly one she put up. Here we are in the woods and we're getting harrassed. :ticked:

[coinhunter8898]

I have a nephew that ask and old lady that was wearing a hearing aid if he could look in her yard. He said that after he looked for close to 45 min the lady came out and told him Thanks for weed-eating her lawn and tried to pay him $5.00 for his time.

[tanacat]

I have a nephew that ask and old lady that was wearing a hearing aid if he could look in her yard. He said that after he looked for close to 45 min the lady came out and told him Thanks for weed-eating her lawn and tried to pay him $5.00 for his time.


rofl rofl rofl Sounds a little like my story- that's HILARIOUS!

[Stang1968]

I've had more than a few people come up and ask if I am looking for gold. I've also had the curious kids wander up alone to watch... I've done what others did and packed up it and moved to a more populated area of the field. At a park this past winter, I had a group fo kids and their mothers follow me for about 15 minutes asking me how it works, what do I find, how do I know if I should dig or not, etc. In the time they watched me, I found 3 pull tubs and an old washer lol.
Funniest time was when a small kid was being dragged by his parents past me screaming it's not fair he gets to dig! while pointing at me.

[tanacat]

Funniest time was when a small kid was being dragged by his parents past me screaming it's not fair he gets to dig! while pointing at me.


lol Oh man that's a good one!

I've had many ask me if I'm looking for gold too...

[sjv]

:ticked: What time are you coming home. From quess who?

[tanacat]

:ticked: What time are you coming home. From quess who?


rofl rofl rofl Yep, I totally resemble that comment....

[catskillcomics]

I have gotten a few kiddies hang around and curious of what I was doing and asking questions.. never really had anyone say much to me. Except earlier this year, at a park I had a lady come up to me with a nasty snobby look on her face saying I don't think you are to be digging up the grass I replied, well, I called the town they gave me the ok, all the while thinking to myself.. who the hell are you anyways, she just gave me another snobby look and said hmmp and stormed off..

The funniest comment I ever heard was a couple years ago when my hunting buddy was approached by a young lady, she said to him, what are you looking for? He replied, oh, just some coins and jewelry
She replied, Really, maybe you can help me find my earring I lost..
He says, where did you lose it at?
She replied, in my bed
rofl

[tanacat]

The funniest comment I ever heard was a couple years ago when my hunting buddy was approached by a young lady, she said to him, what are you looking for? He replied, oh, just some coins and jewelry
She replied, Really, maybe you can help me find my earring I lost..
He says, where did you lose it at?
She replied, in my bed
rofl


That's great- love it lol So did he take her up on the offer? ;)

[catskillcomics]

Oh No no.. but it sure was funny as hell..

but, I never quit understood why people see you out there with earphone its like a signal for them to come talk to you.. you don't do that with people listening to their Ipods and ask them what their listening too..

[tanacat]

Well I might as well share the latest, since you bumped the thread :)

I shared this in some other thread a while back... a little girl of 9 or 10 yrs sat in a tree watching me what seemed like forever. When I got closer she asked what I was looking for, to which I replied 'old coins and lost jewelry'. She jumped down, dug into the pockets of her pink frilly pants and said 'this is all I have'... She held out a few coins, quarter and some pennies I think. I was like &quot:daydream:h no no- but that is so nice of you. I tried to explain about it being a hobby, that I had a house and car, my detector cost money... but she still looked at me pitiful and offered the change again lol

[zrickkid]

I usually get the curious kids asking all kinds of questions. Once I had a little girl and her smaller brother follow me and ask me what I was doing. I told her i was looking for treasure. I gave her the next penny I found and she ran off to show her mom. Later her mom came over concerned about who I was and why I was talking to her daughter. She was trying to teach her daughter about strangers, etc and said this wasn't ok with her. I smiled and said lady im just out here for some relaxation and your daughter started talking to ME. I thought she was nice so I explained to her what I was doing and gave her the penny when I found one soon after she started following me. She was so excited and clutched it in her hand and ran off to show you. If you were so concerned about your kids where were you for the half hour or so they followed me around? (She was gabbing away with some other moms in a way off place in the park) Then she kind of realized I wasn't some pedophile and walked away with her two kids in a huff >:\ :confused:. The little girl kept looking back smiling and waving :teasing:. So after that kept on hunting :angelic:.

[tanacat]

I bet it is more difficult being a man out there in the parks... Some parents seem leary of me too, around their kids. But most are like 'leave her alone, she doesn't want you bugging her' or apologize for their kids questions. Most people are intrigued by the whole aspect of MDing. Okay, going out to hunt a few hours while hubby watches the rugrats! :happydance01:

[kenfen]

I live right by a huge city park. I cross the street and start hunting. The park is very old, with some of it dating back to the 1820's. It's the center of recreation for many people. Once I was detecting and a group of middle school girls went by.... they started chanting, Beep, Beeep, Beeeeppp, as they walked past me. One of them said, I have a piece of metal in my a**.... Pretty rude. I told them they should be ashamed to be so trashy mouthed. Other than that, most people leave me alone. They see me every day, so they get used to me. I usually avoid people and just detect the other way until they leave.

Regards, Ken

[coinnut]

. Once I was detecting and a group of middle school girls went by.... they started chanting, Beep, Beeep, Beeeeppp, as they walked past me. One of them said, I have a piece of metal in my a**.... Pretty rude. I told them they should be ashamed to be so trashy mouthed.
Regards, Ken


Hey Ken, I would have said, no that isn't a piece of metal in your a**, that is cupcakes, soda and McDonalds in there. Lose some weight, lose the attitude, and grow up little girls. rofl Kids these days are way ruder than any kid I remember when I was growing up. I ignore people as much as possible, but I always keep one eye on them too.

[kenfen]

You're right, Coinut. They are way ruder. And these are city kids, so they are a bit rough around the edges. I usually just flash my menacing looking digging tool that looks like a huge bayonet, you know the Lesche thing. That usually sends them in the opposite direction. I've never had real trouble, just a rude comment.

Once, a lady with 3 dogs whispered to her husband as I walked by, he's making all the holes in the park... I shot her a dirty look and thought to myself, yeah, the park should be just a place for your mutts to poo and piss in.

It was all worth it this year when I dug up my first 1800's coin. All the little comments melted away. Now I'm bold. I just go do what I do and ignore everyone. LOL

Regards, Ken

[tanacat]

I bumped this thread because there's some really funny stories- thought for sure you new folks would have some to add :)

[dave in iowa]

I've had mostlyl good expierienecs here in iowa , in my town everybody knows me. small town, , kids tag along ,i give them some clad and let them listen , even in the next town over , dubuque , big town i was in the so called gethoo(SP) area , and the kids and grown ups there just asked how deep does it go and havin any luck, cant say ive had any runs ins , lucky i guess. happy new year

[RaZR]

I've had really young kids come and ask what i was doing and then how it works. Several times it was three or four kids, brothers and sisters. And sometimes it does seem like forever till a parent shows up to see where their kids are. When my wife and i were detecting a middle school several boys 12-14 showed up and started asking all the regular questions. Then they started digging with their hands or sticks whenever we hit a target. Just to see what we were finding. Several said they were gonna ask for a detector for Christmas. lol
I had the guy that mows the lawns at the old junior high school (that is now apartments) come over while i was detecting. I thought he was gonna give me crap about digging holes all over. He just asked if i had found anything good. I grabbed the handful of dirty coins in my pouch and said yeah, i'm finding money. I had permission from the owner of the place to hunt the back lot and it had another lot next to the parking area. So i said i would like to be able to hunt there to and he said you can hunt anywhere around here you want. :smitten: I had a guy and his wife drive by once and ask if i was getting rich. I smiled. :grin:

[Bedrock]

That last one I had directed at me was when I was at a beach about a month ago. Some old guy strolled by, and said; If you find a Rolex or a diamond ring, it's mine. I should have shown him the watch I was wearing, and said; As a matter of fact.........

[pulltabsteve]

Get off my lawn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7X2_V60YK8#ws)

rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl

[tanacat]

rofl rofl rofl Okay Steve you definately won this contest lol Omg that was GREAT thumbsup01

Thanks, I really needed that laugh :)

[tanacat]

I had a guy and his wife drive by once and ask if i was getting rich. I smiled. :grin:


I like the smile, says it all lol I've heard that a few times too...



That last one I had directed at me was when I was at a beach about a month ago. Some old guy strolled by, and said; If you find a Rolex or a diamond ring, it's mine. I should have shown him the watch I was wearing, and said; As a matter of fact.........


lol I love that MDing is such an icebreaker. I'm a people person/ big talker :cheesysmile: and have met so many people.




I've had mostlyl good expierienecs here in iowa , in my town everybody knows me. small town, , kids tag along ,i give them some clad and let them listen ,

I bet it's nice living where everyone knows everyone -except when people know all your business right ;). Our city is about 500,000 & there's good parts and bad parts of course. Definately more positives than negatives when it comes to comments for me...

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Folks!
I have a few tactics I employ to avoid the sort of issues that other people tend to create.
Among them are some of the things I use to avoid confrontation.

1. I enjoy metal detecting at night, using a good quality headlamp strapped to my skull.
2. I also tend to avoid times when a tot lot is in use. School tot lots on weekends often works well.
3. An arsenal of witty retorts is an effective weapon. i.e.

kid: Hey mister, what'cha doing?
Me: The school hired me to iron the tot lot and they want it all pressed and creased for morning!

Kid: Is that a metal detector?
Me: No, it's a frisbee but this dang stick got caught on it.

Kid: How deep can it go?
Me: I don't know. How about you bend over and we find out?

Kid: Did you lose something here?
Me: Yeah, my solitude!

Kid: Can I try that thing?
Me: Sure, if you have an $800 deposit. Got that much on ya?

Kid: What's the best thing you ever found?
Me: A milk carton with your picture on it!

Kid: What's your name?
Me: MXT! See, my name is right here on the machine!

Kid: Do you come here every day?
Me: No. Sometimes I go to the dentist!

Kid: You won't find any gold around here!
Me: Then what do you call this! (I often keep a recent find handy for just such an eventuality.)

Kid: How long have you been doing this?
Me: (looking at my watch) Oh, about 15 minutes now!

Kid: What's your name?
Me: Ah ha! So you admit you ignored your mom and dad when they told you never to talk to strangers!

Kid: Will you be here tomorrow too?
Me: Nope. Not if you're here!

Most kids are fine, but there are some that are just plain obnoxious. These quips above are reserved for them.
Those that are behaved, I'll often find a signal and tell them See where the tip of my coil is pointed? There's a penny right there and you can have it if you find it! I've shown you where it is, now all you need to do is dig it up!

That last technique usually keeps them occupied and outta my hair for a few minutes while I hunt in relative peace.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[M-Taliesin]

We just gotta quit wearing plaid shorts and argyle socks. :rolleyes:


Howdy Lowjiber!
That's an image that's gonna take awhile to recover from!
And I gotta try to get to sleep tonight with that in my head!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[Dimeman]

One kid was watching me then asked his mother if he could have a dime............he came over and handed me the dime and told me I could have it since I was looking for change. I traded him a quarter for it. :)

I have had pennies thrown in front of me many times. One time I had found a clad half and 4 pre-teens threw some pennies in front of where I was searching. I dug one and showed them the half dollar and told them Hey thanks !!!! I bet they were looking at each other wondering which one they thought threw the half.

[channelmaniac]

Kids are generally fine... I only had one scary time and that was when the local group home took the MR kids out to the playground. One was about 15 and had HUGE arms. He tried to grab my Lesche and I had to tell him no. That was scary, but he calmed down and watched me after that. About 5 min later their group leader gathered everyone up to go.

Mom's however, are not. Especially stupid ones.

I had one lady, er... soccer mom, holler at me that I should put the knife away because there were kids on the playground. I simply took it and said it's not a knife and pushed my Lesche hard into my thigh and sliced across it like it was a knife and said it doesn't have an edge. It's a digging tool. and her eyes about popped out thinking there was going to be blood. She shut up after that and I kept popping quarter after quarter out from under the rope ladder.

One time I had my DFX out at the beach on South Padre Island and had a kid that just kept on & on with questions. She asked if she could try the detector and I said ask your dad since she seemed old enough (about 12) to handle it. Dad was about 25 feet away and was watching so he came over with her to see how it worked. I gave her the 15 second tour of instructions and she started off with it... but while she wasn't looking dad was dropping quarters where she'd find them. :) That girl found 4 quarters and was ecstatic. :clapping:

[russellt]

one time i was in a park and this drunk guy followed me around for at 5 minutes . i got in my car and left. it was 9 am.. i have had the recurring question have you found ant arroheads. ive been asked that about 5 times or so . i dont get it. arrowheads are stone predominately . especially here in cherokee and creek nation area of GA.. some people ask what are you looking for . or have you found anything.. no mordechai stories here

[giant056]

Times sure have changed and in my opinion it was a lot better back when I was a kid, I feel that I was very fortunate to be a baby boomer era generation, ah yes the good old days. I use to read boys life when I was a kid and use to drool over the metal detector ads.

[ec121connie]

On my most recent detecting trip (today) I was approached by a woman and her dog... she was around 60, and looked really irritated. She asked me in a very nasty tone if I had permission to be 'digging up the parks'. (I had to this point dug no holes at all, as I had just arrived). I told her I had permission to metal detect, then she basically repeated her question in another nasty tone. It just came out... I wasn't in the best mood anyway.... I said What... are you the park police? Then I gave her a copy of my permit to detect in the city limits. She looked at it and then walked off with her dog.



I had a similar experience some time ago. After the woman finished her rant I walked over to a picnic table, got out my camera and had a seat. About two minutes later she let the dog run free and use the park as it's own personal rest stop.

The woman noticed me taking photos of her and the dog. When she began complaining about her privacy rights I gave her a copy of park regulations regarding the leash law and removal of dog waste. I let her know I was going to forward the video and photos on to the Parks Department as well as the Sheriff's office.

I told her that those agencies would be more than happy to explain her rights under the law.

I haven't seen her since.

[coinnut]

I had a similar experience some time ago. After the woman finished her rant I walked over to a picnic table, got out my camera and had a seat. About two minutes later she let the dog run free and use the park as it's own personal rest stop.

The woman noticed me taking photos of her and the dog. When she began complaining about her privacy rights I gave her a copy of park regulations regarding the leash law and removal of dog waste. I let her know I was going to forward the video and photos on to the Parks Department as well as the Sheriff's office.

I told her that those agencies would be more than happy to explain her rights under the law.

I haven't seen her since.


Sweet! :clapping: Take your dog and his poop elsewhere lady lol

[Dixie Rebel]

Sir your buttcrack is showing. A comment I received while metal detecting from a little old lady. :embarrassed:

[Trigem]

Sad, :(but I think in the times we are living in, it might be better to go with others, always saver in numbers :poke:

[odave]

Question...What are You looking For Sir ?
Answer ..I'm Looking for Meteorite fragments for the dept of astrophysics
at the Observatory..That gets them thinking ..
True sometimes...


Question..Do You ever find anything Good ?
Answer I founds these Nails and Pull-tabs, oh and the hypodermic Needle over there
where Your kids are Playing..
True Story ..


Question ..A Lady asked..That looks fun ..Do You find interesting things with it ?
Answer ..Right then I found a Live .30-06 round close to the Kids playing on the Beach..
She was astounded and thankful..big time ..
True Story

And My favorite ...I knew You'd find it ..thank You..
True


And I once got called to the Hospital where My Wife works ..A Lady lost Her Camera after giving birth
and had all the Birth Pic's on it .. it was lost in all the Laundry....we rolled the Big Box with all the Laundry
bags down the hall and out side .On the third Bag I found it ..Beep.. I pointed at the Bag ..and the Camera
was found , Happy Hospital staff and New Mom.. A Very Happy ending
True Story

Haven't had any Bad experiences Yet ..

Dave :interesting:

[MercMan]

After buying the Etrac I had started going back to places that were hunted out with the older detectors. This area was an old swimming area (sandy) in a state park. It had been heavily hunted by others and myself. Over the years they would bring in more sand and freshen the beach area. So I had been on site for approx 1hr. There was an older couple that had shown up about the time I did and had been watching me search. I was digging anything that showed coin on the CO value. Clad money was within the first 3-4 but the wheats and silver were DEEEP. After about 1hr they had seen me dig some deeep holes (8+) and they got up and came over as I started digging a 13-43 that showed 10 on the meter. The gentleman ask me if i was having any luck. At this point I had about 4 wheats and 4 mercs in one pocket and the new money in another pocket. I pulled out the new coins and handed them over.( I never like showing the old stuff) As they were looking them over I kept digging and by the time they finished looking I had my hand wrist deep in the ground. He then tells me how he had hunted this site clean years ago and all I would find was new stuff. He looked at the hole and said son if you are digging that deep you missed it. I said well lets see and unplugged my earphones and re pinpointed - dead bottom of the hole. I took a couple more good digs out of the bottom and by now I am mid forearm deep....as I start pulling the loose sand out and waving it in front of the detector he again makes the missed it comment. No sooner than he said that than the next handful &quot:beerbuddy:EEPS and I start separating the dirt. That little rascal just lays open as pretty as you please, a 1942 Merc and I swear it must have been lost its second day in circulation! LOL I hand it to him and he just turns it over and looks at it is disbelief. At this point I pull the others out and show those to him. He looks them over quiet as a mouse then ask What kind of detector is that? Minelab Etrac I replied.....and his wife(without missing a beat) goes I think you better get one of those or quit! It was all I could do not to wet my pants. He hands the coins back tells me good luck and they left.
I either sold an Etrac or retired a detectorist! :peace:

[tanacat]

Thought I'd bump this thread for the funny stories and the chance for people to add some new :)

I've enjoyed reading back over these lol I'll have to think about it to add some more myself... one quick one is the sorority girls who thought I was nuts digging in their front yard of Victorian rental house - the landlord had given me permission but neither of us had informed them. Oops! And they for sure thought I needed to get a life. I could feel it and see it in their facial expressions as they each walked past me going to their classes over a few hours time :rolleyes: and how they kept peeking out the curtains. I felt like they were making fun of me, maybe my imagination, but probably not... :twirlingeyes:

At one point I was kneeling next to the sidewalk with a beautiful 1890 IH in my hand and so happy |:cheering: and showed it to one of the girls walking by at that time (proving that I wasn't just looking for clad pennies) but she was like ooh wow neato, rolled her eyes and walked on. Oh well... like I said in a recent post, some people just don't understand our passion. And that's okay. thumbsup01

[whammy]

The only negative episode I had was at a local beach. I was swinging away and two girls about 8 or 9 came up and asked the usual questions and then just followed me watching. The next thing I know, here comes mom wanting to know why I'm bothering her daughters. I left. One good episode was when I was detecting my cousins bean field. About 2 football fields away I saw 2 fawns. I didn't pay much attention and kept detecting. A couple minutes later I felt something touch my back, and I jumped. There were the 2 fawns looking at me. A couple minutes later they walked off. No idea where mom was, and no camera either.

[tanacat]

One good episode was when I was detecting my cousins bean field. About 2 football fields away I saw 2 fawns. I didn't pay much attention and kept detecting. A couple minutes later I felt something touch my back, and I jumped. There were the 2 fawns looking at me. A couple minutes later they walked off. No idea where mom was, and no camera either.


Wow that's neat :yes: Bummer you didn't have a camera -would've made a really nice video :shocked01: Along those lines my hubby and I were hiking to Iceberg Lake in Glacier Park, Montana and came across a grizzy sitting on his rump in the sunshine. And our camera wouldn't turn on lol

[POKIE73]

me and my freind earl were detecting in my home town park when a car pulled up and two kids got out they played for a couple of minutes before they seen us they both came over more curious than anyhing asking questions and offering to help dig when my buddy earl got a good signal dug up the plug and a shiny merc dime pops out the little boy about 6 or 7 years old looks earl right in the eye and says hey mister you gonna put that back we both busted out laughing aND TO THIS DAY WHEN HE MAKES A GOOD FIND I ASK HIM IF HE IS GOING TO PUT IT BACK DENNIS

[carl2112]

while in parks ive had more then one person yell at me from there house saying things like lost my rolex let me know if you find it to which i reply if youve got a picture of it ill be sure to look for it