I don't mean to steer from the subject but, assuming that the cops take all of your personal information before the warning, aren't you folks who go to the place at different times when there's low traffic nervous, do you feel relaxed and not worry that the cops could come again, and you would lose your gear and get a citation and possibly a ride to the station?
I've been through an experience where all of my personal info was taken down with a scolding to not do it again or else.
I don't believe that I'd ever have any relaxed fun in the same city public place again, even at odd low, parker times. It only takes one nosy person, who maybe lives by the place, or just happens to network with neighbors, to get a call at almost any time of day.
Once you get the info made legal record and the speech given to you...aren't you tense if you go back?
Good questions. Here's my take on these angles . For starters:
this will assume we're talking about a location where there is not any true & specific "no md'ing" law/rule. Such that, whoever is griping , is just because of some ancillary things they think applies. Eg.: holes, or alter or deface or remove, etc.... Thus don't anyone think that my thoughts on your question is "promoting law breaking". This is just for those grey-area places @ routine innocuous parks. Not obvious sensitive monuments where there may-in-fact be specific language.
In my experience, whenever a cop takes out his steno pad, and writes down your name and such, it is just a bluff . Just to look scary to you. It's
not being entered into any data-base somewhere. I know because I've even had my "name taken down" multiple times (given enough years) on the same location. No one is cross-referencing, or recalling you from a prior warning, based on their having taken your info @ an earlier occasion.
NATURALLY this does not apply to if your back a day or week later, and the same cop wants to scram you. Because , of course, you will be in their recent memory. But in cases of "6 months" or a "year later" or a "different cop", then .... no ... I've never had any issues with the name-taken phenomenon.
Perhaps an LEO could chime in here, to confirm what I'm saying. That these times where a cop jots down your name (yet no ticket, no real/specific rule, etc...) that those are just bluffs to make it look hard-core. Because, trust me: The cops have bigger fish to fry than a geek with a detector who looks for pennies.
As for the other part of your question, about prior scrams leaving the md'r with a "looking over his shoulder" feeling: Sure, this is inevitable. HOWEVER, this is EXACTLY WHAT DRIVES the very scrutiny that simply leads to future questions. Think about it: If you're detecting an innocuous park, with the skittish evasive behavior @ every passerby, then .... sure as h*ck: People pick up on that body language. And that merely makes them think "Gee what's that person doing ?"
So the first and foremost thing is to NOT display this "Oh no, does he see me ?" persona . If you stare down passing cop cars with this evasive body language, then that's the FASTEST way to draw attention to yourself.
Hence, ironically, sometimes the best attitude to have, is to
"act like you own the place". And then ironically, you're more likely to be ignored. Doh!
