Myers Depot Metal Detectors

The lifeguard wouldn't let me in the water!

Swing360

Swing360

curbstrip nut
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Went to my normal lake today (where I have completed 16 missions prior), geared up, walked to the waters edge when I hear a loud whistle as I am about to dip my toes. Obviously this is the lifeguards whistle so I turneed my head to him to see who he is about to give a warning to AND IT WAS ME!

He is already out of his tower by this point on his way to me semi-yelling "hey, you can't bring that in the water".

Now... this is where I probably could have handled the situation slightly better, but I'm a smart alick and today I paid the price for it.

For whatever reason the first thing out of my mouth was "yes I can..." like a 12 year old and he raised his voice "NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT IN THE SWIMMING AREA, THAT THING IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO OTHER SWIMMERS" and and at this point I'm laughing and made a snide comment about how "just being out here is a potential hazard if they have to pay you to baby sit". He didn't like that either and refused to let me in the water even though it's a public lake and I'm not doing ANYTHING illegal.

I continue to argue with him for a few more minutes and saw I was getting no where. Even after explaining the !!!! I dig out of the water and Yada Yada yada.... he informed me that if I wanted to get in the water it will have to be after 7 when the lifeguards are off duty and it's "swim at your own risk".

Now... I could have just gotten in the water and have been legally within my rights as there are no written or posted rules about metal detefting. ESPECIALLY in the water, but I didn't want to make a bigger scene and make it harder to get in the water next time.

I could have even gone outside of the swimming zone, but the algae bloom is so thick right now I can hardly move my coil through it let alone walk in the 2 feet deep soft muddy silt stuff.

I probably could have even gone to another beach on the lake (there are a few), but I didn't want him to have radio'd down to his buddies and make another scene or have police invloved (which in hindsight I would have been welcomed since it would probably have gone in my favor)

I ended up compromising even though I shouldn't have had to, but in life sometimes we have to make compromises and I feel like that was a big one. Not because it has to do with my love of metal detecting, but because I was kept from doing something I am ALOWED to do. And as far as the lifeguards view point goes... I can understand it to. There are a lot of people and kids in the water and if one were to get hurt by my scoop then I am at fault just as much as the lifeguard is since his job is to make sure the water is safe for everybody.

All in all I'm not sure why I wrote this out, but I wanted to vent and since I did it on my phone I feel like deleting it would be a waste :) haha
 
Quite a few beaches in my area don't even allow us on the beach when the lifeguards are present, they kick us right off. Usually from 9 am to 6 pm.
 
Sometimes you have to compromise in order to keep the situation from getting worse. The lifeguard is probably allowed to make that call if he wants too , even if there is no specific rule about it. If he "thinks" its unsafe then what can ya do.
 
ohiochris said:
Sometimes you have to compromise in order to keep the situation from getting worse. The lifeguard is probably allowed to make that call if he wants too , even if there is no specific rule about it. If he "thinks" its unsafe then what can ya do.
Click to expand...

That was kind of my thought after arguing with him about it...

Cfmct: That's crazy to me... first time I've encountered this since I am new to water hunting. This is the first time where I have had an issue with the lifeguard patrol which seems odd as most don't even pay attention to me and one of the life guards loves it when I come around and he is on duty. I think I have him 90% convinced in water hunting.
 
I think you did the right thing because if you got him mad enough, he might have gone to the right people and had them post the waters as off limits to detecting.
 
That would really make me mad. It takes me roughly 2 hrs to reach any of the beaches I go to and then to pay $15 to get in only to be told I couldn't detect. Detecting is the only reason I go to the beach.
Cfmct said:
Quite a few beaches in my area don't even allow us on the beach when the lifeguards are present, they kick us right off. Usually from 9 am to 6 pm.
Click to expand...
 
i was at a guarded beach one time and the life guard asked me if i'd be going in the water. reason being: no one else was there at the time and had i gone in, then they would have had to sit out "on duty" and babysit me rather than chillax in their little shelter building. :roll:
 
We have some of the same rules here "May 22 to September 7 metal detectors may be used on designated beach areas from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m"

After Sept. 7 you can go all day until 10:30pm

Your right, designated beachs so I go to some of those un-designated ones. :D
 
What a fiasco! Bummer about the lifeguard situation, but I agree that you did the right thing. I've not tried detecting around lifeguards yet and probably wouldn't bother.

Here is my lifeguard story: There is a small lake here that has a swimming area where lifeguards are present during the summer. It's a very popular swimming area for people with small children. My family was there and I was out playing in the water with my kids. The area has two roped off sections, one a little deeper than the other. I had my youngest in a life jacket as she wanted to be out deeper than her waist and is a not a confident swimmer. Her older sister wanted to swim out into the deeper section, so we went with. No sooner had I crossed the rope into deeper water with my buoyant buddy than the lifeguard starts yelling at me. Took me a moment to figure out that I was the offender. Apparently the deeper section is off limits to life jackets (during lifeguard hours) meaning my youngest couldn't go out there while wearing her lifejacket. (???!!!!). It had to be explained to me that kids needed to be able to be confident/competent simmers to be out in the deep water, so by removing the lifejackets from the situation then the lifeguards didn't have to pay attention to potentially unskilled simmers. I finally acquiesced, but still thought it was a stupid rule by requiring the removal of an element of safety as I saw plenty of little kids who probably should have been wearing lifejackets out there. Anyhow, my wife explained that I was not the one in charge of making the rules and arguing with a kid who has been hired to enforce them wouldn't make anyone happy. Sometimes you just gotta say "Whatever." :shrug:
 
interesting story swing360. Especially since you'd gone numerous times before, in front of other authorities, and no one else had cared less. So it must be as Ohio Chris says:

".... even if there is no specific rule about it. If he "thinks" its unsafe then what can ya do. "

Meaning that, public officials, lifeguards, LEO's, etc.... are given latitude in doing their job, to interpret as they see fit. So that like in this case, even though as you say, there's no prohibitions on what you're doing, yet he can morph something else he thinks applies. Ie.: "safety" or whatever.

While I know that sounds capricious and arbitrary, yet it's what the public official needs to do their job. Because let's face it: It's impossible to write laws listing every last thing you can or can't do. So some laws are purposefully written vaguely, so as to apply to a myriad of circumstances that may arise. You know, like laws that "forbid annoyances", for instance.

If it were VERY capricious and arbitrary, you could try to complain to his supervisors. But ..... then that "clarifying" could create other problems you don't want. Like .... if this "pressing question" of your complaint reaches pencil pushers and bureaucrats higher up, who's to say what their "safe answer" might be ? doh!

So while yes, I'd have questioned him there at that time (as you did), but ... otherwise, sometimes in the face of a "scram", it's often better just to give lip service and come back when that single busy-body isn't around. Heck, I do most of my hunting at night nowadays. So peaceful. So serene :)
 
My dad was a lifeguard in Long Island and here in Florida, I was one in the early 70s after high school. When on duty, its your beach, your responsibility, your rules. Some just take the authority thing a little too far!
Like others have said...Don't push it, just go another time. DL
 
I would have asked him to explain how my walking back and forth in knee-high water, swinging a lightweight stick in a 3-foot arc, was a hazard to anyone. It cold have been an entertaining explanation.
 
kelpike said:
That would really make me mad. It takes me roughly 2 hrs to reach any of the beaches I go to and then to pay $15 to get in only to be told I couldn't detect. Detecting is the only reason I go to the beach.
Click to expand...


Ct beaches have a lot like that... they don't allow scuba, flotation devices, metal detecting during beach hours... you can hit them on rainy says or at the end of the season. Many of the beaches I hunt are between $25 and $50 per day so I wait until the end of the season.
 
Tom_in_CA said:
interesting story swing360. Especially since you'd gone numerous times before, in front of other authorities, and no one else had cared less. So it must be as Ohio Chris says:

".... even if there is no specific rule about it. If he "thinks" its unsafe then what can ya do. "

Meaning that, public officials, lifeguards, LEO's, etc.... are given latitude in doing their job, to interpret as they see fit. So that like in this case, even though as you say, there's no prohibitions on what you're doing, yet he can morph something else he thinks applies. Ie.: "safety" or whatever.

While I know that sounds capricious and arbitrary, yet it's what the public official needs to do their job. Because let's face it: It's impossible to write laws listing every last thing you can or can't do. So some laws are purposefully written vaguely, so as to apply to a myriad of circumstances that may arise. You know, like laws that "forbid annoyances", for instance.

If it were VERY capricious and arbitrary, you could try to complain to his supervisors. But ..... then that "clarifying" could create other problems you don't want. Like .... if this "pressing question" of your complaint reaches pencil pushers and bureaucrats higher up, who's to say what their "safe answer" might be ? doh!

So while yes, I'd have questioned him there at that time (as you did), but ... otherwise, sometimes in the face of a "scram", it's often better just to give lip service and come back when that single busy-body isn't around. Heck, I do most of my hunting at night nowadays. So peaceful. So serene :)
Click to expand...


Exactly !! :yes: Given the responsibility for the safety of anyone in their sight , lifeguards are usually allowed certain authority and liberty when it comes to judgement that wont be questioned by those above them. And given the nature of their job and its responsibilities.....whats the value in butting heads with them in a disagreement ?
 
ecoast said:
in metal detecting, it pays to keep a 'low profile'
Click to expand...

Pirates are best unseen. :cool:

Do they need to know I am scooping generations of accumulated wealth out from under their noses? :no:

Given time to think about it they might get their own machine.
 
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