ROWS (right-of-way strips), commonly known as curb strips, can be fertile ground for detecting. But there are some folks who will take issue with someone detecting in front of their house on property they maintain. A tribal "he doesn't belong here" mentality. Regardless of legality, there are homeowners who can and will make a stink about you hunting those ROWS.
If you detect ROWS, you will be challenged sooner or later. Count on sooner if you are detecting strips in front of occupied houses without talking to the homeowner behind them first. Count on sooner still if you are detecting them during high traffic times. I speak from experience, I hit ROWS hard for multiple years.
A few suggestions (beyond having very thick skin
) to those who may be considering detecting these strips:
#1 - Answer the what are you doing question with the phrase "city owned". As in "metal detecting this city owned right of way strip". Many don't realize that this is city owned property...of course, that's assuming it is city owned property where you are detecting. City owned is the most common, but by no means universal. You can often find out ROW ownership by looking online. I wouldn't suggest asking at city hall. But if you do, don't mention metal detecting unless you want to wind up with a reflexive "we don't want you doing that" from some bureaucrat who wouldn't have given it a thought otherwise.
#2 - Almost invariably, if someone has an issue with you being there, you can tell by the tone of their voice when they first approach you. Saying that you are looking for a lost ring works like a charm to disarm. Have a convincing backstory ready.
#3 - If someone has an issue with you, smile and leave. Get off the block and out of eyesight. Don't argue about having a right to be there. Being smart trumps being right every time. Getting the local governing body to enact an ordinance is typically very easy for a disgruntled resident to do. And cops
who want to resolve a resident complaint will sometimes take the "Mexican tourist" attitude: The resident belongs there and if you weren't around, there wouldn't be a problem.
#4 - Watch your step. ROWS are major hot spots for dog poop, a certain percentage of dog walkers apparently think picking up droppings is not required here. When that certain smell follows you from one dig to the next, you've stepped in it. Or worse, kneeled in it.
#5 - Be careful and leave no trace of your retrievals. This is particularly critical for when you are challenged.
#6 - Most people who say something to you will be pleasant. Unless their attitude proves otherwise, look at people who approach you as a resource as opposed to an annoyance. Smile if someone is friendly to you. Smile even more if they're not.
Funny thing is, I never had a man give me any serious bleep. It was always women. The only man who gave me pause was the guy who came out of his house with gun in hand. He didn't point it at me just asked what I was doing. I told him and he just said "Oh OK, I saw you duck down and thought you were messing (not the actual word used) with my car," then turned around and walked back inside. I got away from detecting ROWS in front of occupied houses in fairly short order and just went to vacant homes, businesses on the weekend, churches on Saturday, apartments without onsite managers, etc. The problem with doing them like this is you really aren't detecting much ground. Even though ROW strips have a decent percentage of keepers per square foot, there's usually not much ground to cover with each one.
What I have since realized is that those ROW strips work best for me as great little welcome mats. It's the easiest permission to get from a homeowner, and often leads to permission for the rest of the yard.
If you detect ROWS, you will be challenged sooner or later. Count on sooner if you are detecting strips in front of occupied houses without talking to the homeowner behind them first. Count on sooner still if you are detecting them during high traffic times. I speak from experience, I hit ROWS hard for multiple years.
A few suggestions (beyond having very thick skin
) to those who may be considering detecting these strips:#1 - Answer the what are you doing question with the phrase "city owned". As in "metal detecting this city owned right of way strip". Many don't realize that this is city owned property...of course, that's assuming it is city owned property where you are detecting. City owned is the most common, but by no means universal. You can often find out ROW ownership by looking online. I wouldn't suggest asking at city hall. But if you do, don't mention metal detecting unless you want to wind up with a reflexive "we don't want you doing that" from some bureaucrat who wouldn't have given it a thought otherwise.
#2 - Almost invariably, if someone has an issue with you being there, you can tell by the tone of their voice when they first approach you. Saying that you are looking for a lost ring works like a charm to disarm. Have a convincing backstory ready.
#3 - If someone has an issue with you, smile and leave. Get off the block and out of eyesight. Don't argue about having a right to be there. Being smart trumps being right every time. Getting the local governing body to enact an ordinance is typically very easy for a disgruntled resident to do. And cops
who want to resolve a resident complaint will sometimes take the "Mexican tourist" attitude: The resident belongs there and if you weren't around, there wouldn't be a problem. #4 - Watch your step. ROWS are major hot spots for dog poop, a certain percentage of dog walkers apparently think picking up droppings is not required here. When that certain smell follows you from one dig to the next, you've stepped in it. Or worse, kneeled in it.
#5 - Be careful and leave no trace of your retrievals. This is particularly critical for when you are challenged.
#6 - Most people who say something to you will be pleasant. Unless their attitude proves otherwise, look at people who approach you as a resource as opposed to an annoyance. Smile if someone is friendly to you. Smile even more if they're not.
Funny thing is, I never had a man give me any serious bleep. It was always women. The only man who gave me pause was the guy who came out of his house with gun in hand. He didn't point it at me just asked what I was doing. I told him and he just said "Oh OK, I saw you duck down and thought you were messing (not the actual word used) with my car," then turned around and walked back inside. I got away from detecting ROWS in front of occupied houses in fairly short order and just went to vacant homes, businesses on the weekend, churches on Saturday, apartments without onsite managers, etc. The problem with doing them like this is you really aren't detecting much ground. Even though ROW strips have a decent percentage of keepers per square foot, there's usually not much ground to cover with each one.
What I have since realized is that those ROW strips work best for me as great little welcome mats. It's the easiest permission to get from a homeowner, and often leads to permission for the rest of the yard.
