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Cops Called

MidTN

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
359
Location
Tennessee
Have any of you ever had to call the cops on a property owner? I was hunting curbs strips today and a man came out and told me I could not park my truck in the ROW in front of his house. I was hunting a curb strip across the street from his house. I told him I never entered his property or any of the the other properties on the street. He got a little ticked and went in his house so I was thinking he went to get a gun so I called the cops on him. Cops came and told him I had every right to metal detect the curb strips and I had the right to park anywhere in the ROW. This is a first for me.

All of this trouble for 2 clad quarters, 1 dime and 5 copper pennies.
 
Detecting that close to the road it would be good to wear a reflective vest for safety, a possible side benefit might be that such people might assume you are a county worker doing some project :lol: (I would not lie if asked, but if they assume such it saves everyone a hassle when you are not doing anything wrong to begin with)
 
I stand on the sidewalks when I hunt curbs and the strips are about 3' wide. The concrete curb next to the pavement is about 6-8 inches tall so I'm not worried about getting hit by a car. My town only has about 1,500 people living in town. The city employee's don't even wear vest when working near the ROW.
 
I don't know much about the law, but I just hunt my parks, rotating every so often, and haven't even seen a cop anywhere. I guess they don't think a boy with a magical metal detecting stick will do much, and are right to think so. There are some grouches, but most don't give any attention.

I'm a detecting ninja! Into the park, a couple of beeps, then out of the park. Need to get myself a "stealth" scoop, then I'll be a, well, something so well hidden I don't know what.
 
I don't know much about the law, but I just hunt my parks, rotating every so often, and haven't even seen a cop anywhere. I guess they don't think a boy with a magical metal detecting stick will do much, and are right to think so. There are some grouches, but most don't give any attention.

I'm a detecting ninja! Into the park, a couple of beeps, then out of the park. Need to get myself a "stealth" scoop, then I'll be a, well, something so well hidden I don't know what.

As long as you don't see a sign that says "No Metal Detecting" you should be fine.

More than once police have parked to take a break at a park where I was detecting (and even using a Sampson detecting shovel) and have yet to ask what I was doing there. I've even detected a field right near a police station parking lot and have not had anyone say anything to me. I guess it's likely because they realize I am doing nothing wrong :D
 
I somehow doubt an orange vest would prevent someone with that much audacity from being the jerk he was to you. He might even get more upset thinking you were tryin to outsmart him. To me it would be a nice surprise to have the cops back me up like that. But you're in TN and I think Law Enforcement there is quite a bit more reasonable than in places like California, NY, NJ, NM, MD, MA... All the Blue states are very bureaucratic and try to make having fun very difficult for those who don't pay and pay big time. That's why there are so many gated communities in those states. Those are the privileged ones who pay for extra "rights" and get them. The last story I heard like that came from California, no less. The tendency is well documented and continues to be documented. It's funny how there is very little democratic about those so-called "democrat" states. From what I see they seem to be havens for the elite and privileged, and everyone else can just take a back seat or stay home as far as they're concerned.

So, congrats on you for calling the cops first and actually getting their support. That's a success story I like to hear. I've long been attracted to your state...and Kentucky...and West Virginia...because it seems like ordinary average people are respected there. The jerk you met was the odd man out!

I don't hunt on private property much. There is one place I go, but EVERYBODY local goes there to ride dirt bikes, hunt, hike, take pictures, metal detect... :-) And there is 100 acres there of rugged terrain which has been for sale forever. ZERO no trespassing signs. And once a local cops even told "sir, you can do anything you want up here within reason". I said "thanks!" and didn't inquire further, although I would like to know who really owns all that.

Truth be known, although I don't make a statement by open-carrying a gun, I do concealed-carry most of the time. It is for rabid or dangerous animals as much as for any violent person I might encounter. I hope I never EVER have to use it, but I believe to have and not need is better than to need and not have. In my state, getting a permit is like buying a beer. If youre 21 you're good to go. 1 in 7 people has a permit in Pennsylvania and we have very little trouble with gun violence except in the bad neighborhoods in the cities and that usually involves people who DON'T have permits and probably aren't supposed to have a gun anyway because of a long record of bad behavior. I'm very happy that I live in a reasonable state.
 
Have any of you ever had to call the cops on a property owner? I was hunting curbs strips today and a man came out and told me I could not park my truck in the ROW in front of his house. I was hunting a curb strip across the street from his house. I told him I never entered his property or any of the the other properties on the street. He got a little ticked and went in his house so I was thinking he went to get a gun so I called the cops on him. Cops came and told him I had every right to metal detect the curb strips and I had the right to park anywhere in the ROW. This is a first for me.

All of this trouble for 2 clad quarters, 1 dime and 5 copper pennies.

yeah and probably won't be the last!

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
A friend of mine and his wife Nd they started wearing road vest and they say it works and now one bothers them.

I think I would say I was Undercover Surveillance and have a constitution vest on. But don’t ever say you are police. Ever now and then just stop and look around lol.
 
I remember living in Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh. You are right Metal Pig everyone I knew there was armed including my self. Is it still called Act 120?

Now in Ohio it's a little different. The CCW law here is completely different. Open carry is legal but cops will arrest you for inciting panic.

MdTn you did the right thing by knowing you were completely lawfully detecting. Calling the cops on that aggressive guy was the right thing to do.
 
I read that 1/3 of the country is on some kind of prescription mind-altering drug. Another 1/3 is on something else. People are on edge. Keep that in mind when dealing with the public. It doesn’t take much to set ‘em off. It’s why I detect mostly out of the way spots.
 
I read that 1/3 of the country is on some kind of prescription mind-altering drug. Another 1/3 is on something else. People are on edge. Keep that in mind when dealing with the public. It doesn’t take much to set ‘em off. It’s why I detect mostly out of the way spots.

Yep. Lots of unstable people out there. Some of them have no problem trying to find or make trouble. I definitely carry everywhere I go, but I also try to fly under radar, not look like a good target, make sure I'm nice and friendly to everyone (at least at first), and try to make sure I have enough gab/BS to talk away any trouble that might be coming. So far, all the rest have kept the first from being needed, and I hope to keep it that way!
 
I remember living in Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh. You are right Metal Pig everyone I knew there was armed including my self. Is it still called Act 120?

Now in Ohio it's a little different. The CCW law here is completely different. Open carry is legal but cops will arrest you for inciting panic.

MdTn you did the right thing by knowing you were completely lawfully detecting. Calling the cops on that aggressive guy was the right thing to do.

I'm not sure if they call it Act 120.
When I first moved here I believe Ohio still did not honor P.A.permits. Now they do, but they are still a stricter state and you DO have to obey THEIR laws. There is duty to inform police that you are carrying if asked. I think you also cant carry in establishments that serve alcohol. Things like that you gave to stay on top of. Also, a "loaded weapon" could even be a loaded magazine with the actual gun unloaded but still in your vehicle. So when I travel I've taken to carrying a revolver instead of semiauto. Easier to unload quickly and safely. No extra parts, and doesnt look as mean. I just want a little insurance when I travel, is all. Dont need to be a commando.
 
Almost called the cops once... A couple weeks ago I was metal detecting a park in the middle of town when a very interesting looking man approached me. He started calling me every name in the book and demanded I show him the contents of my detecting bag. Apparently someone emptied his bank account and he thought I had a credit card scanner of some sort because I was the only person he walked past on his way to the bank. I opened my bag and showed him all the trash I dug and he went on his way cursing and looking like a moron. I would've felt bad for him if he wasn't such a jerk. I wanted to tell the guy, " Why the heck would I still be here if I just stole all your money?"
 
I read that 1/3 of the country is on some kind of prescription mind-altering drug. Another 1/3 is on something else. People are on edge. Keep that in mind when dealing with the public. It doesn’t take much to set ‘em off. It’s why I detect mostly out of the way spots.

Me too. I'm kind of shy of detecting in busy public places. I would put that aside for the right opportunity, but I much prefer a quiet country setting where people are not in each other's faces.
 
Me too. I'm kind of shy of detecting in busy public places. I would put that aside for the right opportunity, but I much prefer a quiet country setting where people are not in each other's faces.

It don't get more country than Mt Pleasant, TN. Population 4,500.
 
No one calls here.. I wear a t-shirt most of the time and it either rides up exposing my carry pistol or I print very loud... the police have enough to worry about... I'm shocked no one has called on me yet... I'm a homeless looking character swinging a $1500 detector!
 
Been hunting 30 years and never had anything like that happen..but nuts are everywhere and you never know when you'll run across one .
 
Almost called the cops once... A couple weeks ago I was metal detecting a park in the middle of town when a very interesting looking man approached me. He started calling me every name in the book and demanded I show him the contents of my detecting bag. Apparently someone emptied his bank account and he thought I had a credit card scanner of some sort because I was the only person he walked past on his way to the bank. I opened my bag and showed him all the trash I dug and he went on his way cursing and looking like a moron. I would've felt bad for him if he wasn't such a jerk. I wanted to tell the guy, " Why the heck would I still be here if I just stole all your money?"

That guy must've had a screw loose...
 
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