reply
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-reg...s-restricting-use-of-metal-detectors-20130921
Looks like another ignorant public official wants to ban metal detecting in Erie Co. NY.
AT-digger, I've studied your link. But as usual in such articles, there's no mention of what started those balls rolling. Here is something that is said though:
"
The Erie County policy could take effect in spring 2014 at the earliest. The proposal follows a few recent incidents where those using metal detectors have been asked to leave county and city parks after they were observed digging the ground to remove metal objects. "
However, in the very same article, notice this quote as to "origins" :
"The policy that Schinzel proposes is modeled after the one in Monmouth County, N.J., where he worked before coming here."
Does anyone else see the contradiction here? I would infer that from the 2nd quote, that he's got this brilliant idea, based on some sort of restrictions seen at the
previous job he has. Yet the first quote says it was born-out-of-holes someone saw.
Notice that whenever some bureaucrat says "because of holes", we all say: "
durn those md'rs who must've left holes". But I'm of the opinion that there wasn't necessarily any incidents of "holes". Because think of it, what's the knee-jerk image that some people have when asked to think of metal detectors? HOLES! So they just say "
no, because of holes". It's just the "
go-to" answer by the person you just asked "can I metal detect ?".
As for the things about "removal of items from public grounds", well I got news for you: such "rules" about "harvesting", "taking", and "collecting" are ALREADY in effect at EVERY SINGLE park, school, campground, beach, etc... across the entire USA. So that no one thinks they can cut down trees, take home the picnic benches, harvest beach sand for commercial purposes, etc.... Were they ever meant to apply to individual coins and pulltabs and the seashell your 10 yr. old daughter just picked up? No. But can they if you asked long enough and hard enough of enough desk-bound bureaucrats? Sure!
While it's possible that some bureaucrat drove past a park, saw an md'r leaving holes, and got a bee in his bonnet to regulate/out-law this, yet in a lot of other cases, it's people who read stories like this (with the "coming to a town near you" hype), so they rush off to their city and county halls, asking if it's ok to detect. Whomever they ask gets a bee in their bonnet to implement rules to "address this pressing issue" Aaarrggghh.