Ever have anyone try to take/borrow your detector while detecting?

[yowow#1]

It was the first for me. A couple weekends ago a woman and a little boy approached me while i was detecting and the woman started talking to me and the little boy who appears to be about 10-12 years old starts trying to take my V3i out of my hands. I say i'm sorry son i can't let you have my detector. And the woman says "he is just wanting to play with it", that is why we walked over here. I say sorry ma'am. She gives me a GO TO "someplace that ain't nice" look and says come on little jonny or little freddie or whatever his name was. I'm thinking good riddance.... Whatever happened to parents that had brains and taught their children courtesy and respect?
Long gone for the most part i suppose....This is just a short overview of a longer uncomfortable story.. just thought i'd share.

 

[Tom Slick]

I heard a story about 20 years ago where some guy started a conversation with another that was metal detecting. The guy asked if he could give it a try and as soon as the detectorist handed him his detector, the guy ran off with it. I wouldn't ever let a stranger "Try" my detector.

 

[khouse]

I was detecting a sand vb court while a big party was going on under a shelter house. Then two boys around 12 or 13 walked from the party and one asked if he could try detecting. I didn't want to look like a meanie so I said OK. He started detecting and the other boy said "it's my turn" the other guy said "no" Then the one boy tried to rip it from his hands and I start toward them to get my machine. Then the one boy starts running with my machine trying to get away from the other boy. That's when I started yelling to stop. I got my machine back and left the park with a very good lesson learned.

 

[yowow#1]

These folks were at a county playground / park / tot-lot area across the road from me, and approached me from across the county road to borrow my $1200.00 detector for her 12 year old son to play with?? I'm sure she was just ignorant of ???.. but she got pissed that i wouldn't let her 10-12 yr. old kid "play" with my $1200.00 detector..

 

[yowow#1]

I was detecting a sand vb court while a big party was going on under a shelter house. Then two boys around 12 or 13 walked from the party and one asked if he could try detecting. I didn't want to look like a meanie so I said OK. He started detecting and the other boy said "it's my turn" the other guy said "no" Then the one boy tried to rip it from his hands and I start toward them to get my machine. Then the one boy starts running with my machine trying to get away from the other boy. That's when I started yelling to stop. I got my machine back and left the park with a very good lesson learned.

WOW!!.... And you know i think it is only gonna get worse as people watch the T.V. Detecting shows.... Because that was actually what triggered my situation. "folks watching metal detecting on t.v. and getting excited to try it". Not that i don't encourage helping folks and i tried to explain that to this lady, but she just thought i was just a donkeys butt for not turning her 12?? year old son loose with my detector.

 

[dirt doctor]

When detecting , I avoid places where there are people at all costs . I don't have a lot of free time to hunt and I don't want to waste it being anyone's baby sitter , entertainment or victim . I also got really tired of people who want to waste my time telling me their life story . This limits the number of locations I can hunt and I'm sure I am limiting my finds but the peace and quiet is worth it . I've met a few nice people out there but there seems to be an ever increasing number of dingbats emerging as time goes on . I don't need to subject myself to the likes of that woman and her brat . It's good you that you didn't let little Pugsly touch your detector .

 

[khouse]

I don't think the detecting shows are helping our cause in a lot of ways.

 

[mudpuppy]

WOW! I generally run into older adults 'cause I'm out pretty early, and like Dirtdoctor, I avoid people and try to keep any conversation short and on point if I can...maybe someday the right person will come along that may want some hands on training at their 1800's family estate or something...No I have never had a kid come up to me like that while out detecting...Few years back though,

I did have a kid come up to me and start kicking me in the shins, for no reason! The kids dad was there talking to me as their kid unloaded kick after kick to my legs, the dad acted like there was nothing going on, and so did I, I was leaning on a cane at the time, and the kid then tried to pull the cane out from under me, so I just put more weight on the cane so that would not happen, as the kid tugged away at my cane, their dad acted oblivious to it all, so as soon as I felt the kid get ready to give a mighty tug, I eased up and let go of the cane! The kid flew backwards smashed right into a tree, fell down and started crying! I acted like it was all an accident! used the kids own meanness, dumbness and momentum to teach him a lesson since his father didn't seem interested...
I avoid kids, if I'm out detecting and kids show up, I'm gone...
Mud

 

[Fletch88]

I try to avoid people at all costs by going at daybreak or after dark when land detecting public areas. I was beach detecting once during the daytime, and this kid ran up with his mom and gave me the usual 20 questions. The little boy was helping me dig with his hands in the wet sand with his hands. I told him to let me scoop out target and he could find the zincoln, at least that's what I was hoping it was, in the pile after I dumped it. He kept sticking his foot in the hole as I was digging even while I continuously was telling him to back up, as I didn't want to hurt him with my scoop. The mom was oblivious to the whole situation and before I knew it he was snatching on my sand scoop. What happened to telling kids "no" when an adult instructs them to do something. I've leaned to never make eye contact, because it's human instinct to walk over and asked "finding anything good" once you do!

 

[Goldstrike]

Yep, I've had solicitations from others to 'try ' my detector out but I have simply said words to the effect that sorry, I just have too much tied up in my equipment to risk it getting damaged. I have never had anyone be offended or give me attitude at this explanation. No one will get to try out my detectors, adults I do not personally know and PARTICULARLY teenagers and younger. They will run with it and you'll never catch them, it just will not happen!!
Mud, I would have fell down in 'severe' pain and would be babbling and repeating about something that sounded like LAWSUIT!!!!!!! I bet you a new CTX that they would have ran like crazy and you would have never seen them again lol!!!!

 

[Steve O]

I had let a friend use my f75 on his first hunt. I just happened to be looking at him go over a target when he decided to dig. He dropped it from waist high to the ground, gasp! I strolled over and calmly said "you can't drop the unit like that bud, not at all good for it". I felt like saying " %$#@)(()!! what the #@!*& are you doing you stupid #&%#$@)&&....that's a thousand dollar piece of equipment you HAD in your hands, go sit in the !^%$))*^ truck, shesh."

 

[Rainyday101]

I go detecting early or late to avoid people. I wear headphones and act like I can't hear them. I like using a baggie over my detector and hunting in the rain when nobody is around. If I see people move into an area near me, I move away. I act attentive to the task at hand and ignore all people passing by. About the only people I ever talk to are the occasional other detectorist, park employess, and park rangers. Life is good.

 

[John(Tx)]

I mostly water hunt with the Exca II, I've had people come up to me and say, "I've been thinking about getting one of those, how much do they cost?" I tell them and they will say, "wow, that's alot of money, can I use your's to see if I like it?" My answer is always "NO", I don't have the time to explain how it works, they will leave me alone after that.......

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I have had youngsters ask if they could try my detector. This usually is in city parks. I ask them if they have a thousand dollars to pay for my detector if they break it. The answer is always NO. Then I tell them that I am sorry but I cant take the chance if you don't have the money.

I have never had an Adult ask if they could.

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Was detecting in a soccer field a few years back right next to a road .All of a sudden hear this squealing tires
young woman opens car window starts screaming obscenities and raving about some thing just looked at her
and blew her a kiss car tires squeals off with her giving me the figure. Just shook my head and resumed detecting.
If I see any group of kids or mother and child I'm gone. That why I like getting in the field at sunrise when the
ankle bitter are still dormant.

 

[Mega]

Only ever been challenged once in all the years that i have been detecting this was not on a playing field as over here in the UK councils dont allow detecting on public places due to health and safety ,but i was on one of my permissions when a guy who was high on either drugs or drink came over from the sports ground wanting too cause trouble and possibly take my detector.

I advised him that it would be far better if he backed off as my stainless steel spade can inflict if necessary a fairt amount of damage in self defence,he retreated at a very fast pace thinking it was the better option.That was the only time that i have had any form of trouble as when you have your headphones on you cannot hear everyone creeping up on you.

 

[Elton]

I don't think the detecting shows are helping our cause in a lot of ways.

They do portray us as a bunch of idiots on those shows. People maybe figure were dumb enough to hand over our detectors......

 

[khouse]

You got that right Elton.....

 

[hunter12]

I don't loan my md to anyone,I bought a used basic Md for my gran kids to use.I MD when I want, when i can. I ignore people when i think they will be a PIA. I have rights to be left alone too.If I talk with people i keep it short, when asked what i found, i just say nothing or Penny's.

 

[Hobo lobo]

Once when I was detecting on a Ca. beach some guy with his wife asked me how much money I found, I said 32 cents, how much did you make last year. He didn't answer me.