Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
A couple of recent questions have been posed here, re.: MD'ing at tourist beaches @ various other countries (Caribbean, Mexico, So. AM, etc....) . Very legitimate and fair questions that hobbyists ask each other.
I posted this a few years ago, but it bears repeating :
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s (pre internet era), Fisher Co. used to have a monthly periodical newsletter mailer. That got mailed out to their customer list. Each edition would have their latest product news. And md'rs send in their pictures and stories of finds made with Fisher machines, etc... And each edition had a "Letters to the Editor" section. Where readers could send in questions about products, or md'ing in general.
One edition had a letter, where a reader asked if metal detecting in Mexico were allowed/legal. Apparently they were getting ready to head south to one of the tourist beach resorts. And were thinking of taking their detector.
Fisher, in response, replied: "No". And went to cite some laws or something about it. I recall that the title to their reply was something like : "When traveling to Mexico, leave the detectors at home".
In the NEXT EDITION, several other readers had written in to object to this answer. Saying things like "Since when ?" and "Where did you get that answer?" and "We go down there all the time with no problem", etc....
Fisher, in defense of their prior answer, gave the reason for their reply: They asked. Yup, when the earlier inquiry had come in, they simply forwarded it to some type of border lawyer, or consulate in Mexico. I mean, gee, who better to ask than Mexico themselves ? Right ? And they were simply passing on the answer they received. Hmmmm.
And perhaps the answer was couched in something like shipwreck salvor laws. Or exporting gold bars across country borders. Or raiding the pyramid cultural heritage language, etc... Ok, could those be applied to individual coins/rings from a beach ? Sure. I suppose. Thus Fisher was merely passing back the answer they received. "Don't shoot us, we're only the messenger" .
And what is odd, is that there was/is no shortage of md'rs that you can spot, on some of those Mexican tourist beaches. And there are metal detector dealers in the major cities of Mexico (Including Fisher dealers, doh! ). Presumably selling them for lawful purposes. Eh ?
So you can see the confusion that arises. Which, of course, will probably only cause skittish readers to run hither and yonder more, to get this clarified . Thus perhaps leading to more "safe answers" from purist archies or dingbat border personnel.
See how that works ? Obviously it was a giant case of "No one cared till you asked" routine. And this just goes to show that it can happen on a national scale too. And "links lead to links". And ... before you know it, you can never put it to rest.
I posted this a few years ago, but it bears repeating :
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s (pre internet era), Fisher Co. used to have a monthly periodical newsletter mailer. That got mailed out to their customer list. Each edition would have their latest product news. And md'rs send in their pictures and stories of finds made with Fisher machines, etc... And each edition had a "Letters to the Editor" section. Where readers could send in questions about products, or md'ing in general.
One edition had a letter, where a reader asked if metal detecting in Mexico were allowed/legal. Apparently they were getting ready to head south to one of the tourist beach resorts. And were thinking of taking their detector.
Fisher, in response, replied: "No". And went to cite some laws or something about it. I recall that the title to their reply was something like : "When traveling to Mexico, leave the detectors at home".
In the NEXT EDITION, several other readers had written in to object to this answer. Saying things like "Since when ?" and "Where did you get that answer?" and "We go down there all the time with no problem", etc....
Fisher, in defense of their prior answer, gave the reason for their reply: They asked. Yup, when the earlier inquiry had come in, they simply forwarded it to some type of border lawyer, or consulate in Mexico. I mean, gee, who better to ask than Mexico themselves ? Right ? And they were simply passing on the answer they received. Hmmmm.
And perhaps the answer was couched in something like shipwreck salvor laws. Or exporting gold bars across country borders. Or raiding the pyramid cultural heritage language, etc... Ok, could those be applied to individual coins/rings from a beach ? Sure. I suppose. Thus Fisher was merely passing back the answer they received. "Don't shoot us, we're only the messenger" .
And what is odd, is that there was/is no shortage of md'rs that you can spot, on some of those Mexican tourist beaches. And there are metal detector dealers in the major cities of Mexico (Including Fisher dealers, doh! ). Presumably selling them for lawful purposes. Eh ?
So you can see the confusion that arises. Which, of course, will probably only cause skittish readers to run hither and yonder more, to get this clarified . Thus perhaps leading to more "safe answers" from purist archies or dingbat border personnel.
See how that works ? Obviously it was a giant case of "No one cared till you asked" routine. And this just goes to show that it can happen on a national scale too. And "links lead to links". And ... before you know it, you can never put it to rest.