Public perception of md'ing (as it pertains to rules formulations)

Tom_in_CA said:

And even if you were right, then : All the more reason that it doesn't cross their desk, as something that needs their princely decision. Eh ?

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But this an unrealistic dream...an expectation that simply does not mesh with the real world. People are going to ask permission to detect, no matter how desperately you don't want them to do that. It's likely that there isn't a park in this Country that has not had someone ask permission to detect at some point in the past. And if your hypothesis were true, then there should be no parks left in the Country where we can detect. But we know that this is not the case?


And I think you completely underestimate public opinion. People have the propensity to contact "people in charge" to voice their opinion(s) when they feel slighted, or wronged, or pissed off. They almost never "call" to leave a positive message...it's almost always only just to complain. Do you think the lady across the street from the Church didn't contact the Priest or Minister of that church? I'd wager she did. And I'd also wager she was not contacting him/her to say how awesome metal detectorists are.

FliesOnly said:

... People are going to ask permission to detect, no matter how desperately you don't want them to do that. ....

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Yes. In the course of my "un-healthy bee-in-my-bonnet" fascination with how-these-things-evolve, I have , of course , tended to notice, read, and follow the topic. And you're right : There are people who are *just* not comfortable with anything less than an express "yes". They are just not comfortable with grey-area verbiage that *might* apply. So they will run hither and yonder till they find someone to give them the green light. I agree that that's their personal caution level.

However, In my following the topic, I have ALSO seen how other people do indeed get swayed, in the forum-conversations, to see the other way of thinking. Opinions do/can indeed get swayed , to drop this notion that it's md'rs duty to "grovel" wherever they come to.