Detecting courthouses

2108silver1 · Jul 16, 2019

So I try and do the right thing. I have had sheriffs tell me yeah come detect the court lawn have fun. I have also been passed person to person who finally say i have to appear before the county comissionors to ask permission. So what do you all do. Seems the guys in you tube must just show up on a Sunday or an evening and nobody cares. Any thoughts. Seems like If ya just call the sheriff there or the police and ask they would be the ones who would come run ya off anyway.

Scooterjim · Jul 16, 2019

Unless their is a "Keep Off The Grass" sign just hunt it. The reason you are passed person to person is no one knows if it's allowed or not. There probably is a law that says you can't damage the grass. It's a great example of if no one cares it's legal, but if someone cares you will be asked to leave. Go on a weekend or after hours when the person that cares isn't there.
Most cities have a online site with park and city ordinances if it doesn't specifically mention metal detecting just do it. If you are allowed to walk a dog or throw a frisbee you are allowed to metal detect, until someone tells you different.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 16, 2019

Hey there silver-1, this is the "bee in my bonnet" topic. Doh. And yes : You have discovered the "aha moment". :roll:

Basically it's this: "Sometimes: No one cares UNTIL you ask"

2108silver1 said:
So I try and do the right thing. ...

Ok. And why isn't "the right thing" to do: To look up potential laws/rules for yourself ? :?:

If you find nothing in the muni code or park rules that says : "No metal detecting", then presto: It's not prohibited. Right ? Why wouldn't that be the "right thing" to do , to answer this question ? :?:

The trouble with asking desk-bound pencil pushers is multi-fold: The mere fact that someone is standing there, at their desk (or email or phone call) asking "can I do such & such" : Merely implies that something is askew. Eg.: Potentially harmful, illegal, damaging, etc.... Otherwise : Why would you be asking ? No one asks if they can do innocuous / benign things. Right ? Eg.: fly frisbees, skip stones on the pond, etc.... Therefore, the moment someone is standing there asking "Can I?", that simply infers something is risky or harmful or whatever . And then guess what ? That simply steers their answer :roll:

Then you end up getting a "safe answer" to your "pressing question" :roll:

I have seen this over and over and over at places where ... . quite frankly ... it was never a problem prior to that :mad:

And worse yet : Sometimes a law or rule or policy is "born". Eg.: guess what that same person (who passed out the 'no') will think, the next time he passes the court-house lawn, and sees an md'r ? He'll think "Aha ! there's one of *them*". And start booting others (that... previously ...he'd have never have noticed or paid-mind-to).

Not saying that md'ing doesn't have connotations in nice-manicured turf. Fine then, go at night, or early or late on Sundays, etc... If you want to call that "sneaking around" ? Fine then: Sneak around. It's a little like nose-picking: You can knock yourself out trying to get every-last-person on earth to approve of you. Or ... you can just practice a little discretion in timing.

jmaryt · Jul 19, 2019

Tom_in_CA said:
Hey there silver-1, this is the "bee in my bonnet" topic. Doh. And yes : You have discovered the "aha moment". Basically it's this: "Sometimes: No one cares UNTIL you ask"

Ok. And why isn't "the right thing" to do: To look up potential laws/rules for yourself ? If you find nothing in the muni code or park rules that says : "No metal detecting", then presto: It's not prohibited. Right ? Why wouldn't that be the "right thing" to do , to answer this question ?

The trouble with asking desk-bound pencil pushers is multi-fold: The mere fact that someone is standing there, at their desk (or email or phone call) asking "can I do such & such" : Merely implies that something is askew. Eg.: Potentially harmful, illegal, damaging, etc.... Otherwise : Why would you be asking ? No one asks if they can do innocuous / benign things. Right ? Eg.: fly frisbees, skip stones on the pond, etc.... Therefore, the moment someone is standing there asking "Can I?", that simply infers something is risky or harmful or whatever . And then guess what ? That simply steers their answer

Then you end up getting a "safe answer" to your "pressing question" I have seen this over and over and over at places where ... . quite frankly ... it was never a problem prior to that And worse yet : Sometimes a law or rule or policy is "born". Eg.: guess what that same person (who passed out the 'no') will think, the next time he passes the court-house lawn, and sees an md'r ? He'll think "Aha ! there's one of *them*". And start booting others (that... previously ...he'd have never have noticed or paid-mind-to).

Not saying that md'ing doesn't have connotations in nice-manicured turf. Fine then, go at night, or early or late on Sundays, etc... If you want to call that "sneaking around" ? Fine then: Sneak around. It's a little like nose-picking: You can knock yourself out trying to get every-last-person on earth to approve of you. Or ... you can just practice a little discretion in timing.

tom make sure you mention WHY no one cares until you ask! it's human nature!
they care when you ask, because they don't want you finding anything that they cannot find! JEALOUSY! ohhhhh! jealousy! so they DENIE,AND DENIE you the permission just to be miserable human beings! lets admit the "real" truth here!

i'm just sayin'
j.t.

Big Treble · Jul 19, 2019

Not that I'm saying it's ok, but its public, if there is no sign, I would check the city website. If nothing is there, officially you should be good.

However if its historic, and in a very visible place, you can assume some busy body will call you in, and the cops will come, and they may ask you to move along. But if nothing posted anyplace I wouldn't think you would get a ticket of any kind.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 19, 2019

Big Treble said:
Not that I'm saying it's ok, but its public, if there is no sign, I would check the city website. If nothing is there, officially you should be good.

However if its historic, and in a very visible place, you can assume some busy body will call you in, and the cops will come, and they may ask you to move along. But if nothing posted anyplace I wouldn't think you would get a ticket of any kind.

The only things I would add to this post is :

a) Yes, "obvious historic sensitive monuments" are outside of the "don't ask silly questions" admonition. Ie.: Even if there's no rule or law , etc..., yet ... Let's be real here: If it's a sacred monument, then you're not wise to go "waltzing over beach blankets " at an archie convention there.

So the admonition does need some common sense applied. But ... that's probably an un-spoken "given". :roll:

b) And even after you've looked up to satisfy oneself that there's nothing saying "no md'ing", we still have to be mindful that md'ing can carry "connotations". Eg.: that you might be about to leave a hole, etc.. So we still need to .... uh ... pick low traffic times when it comes to nice-manicured turf, etc..... NOT because we're necessarily "doing anything wrong". But ... like nose-picking .... sometimes we don't want to offend the squeamish :laughing:

Big Treble · Jul 19, 2019

Tom_in_CA said:
The only things I would add to this post is :

a) Yes, "obvious historic sensitive monuments" are outside of the "don't ask silly questions" admonition. Ie.: Even if there's no rule or law , etc..., yet ... Let's be real here: If it's a sacred monument, then you're not wise to go "waltzing over beach blankets " at an archie convention there.

So the admonition does need some common sense applied. But ... that's probably an un-spoken "given".

b) And even after you've looked up to satisfy oneself that there's nothing saying "no md'ing", we still have to be mindful that md'ing can carry "connotations". Eg.: that you might be about to leave a hole, etc.. So we still need to .... uh ... pick low traffic times when it comes to nice-manicured turf, etc..... NOT because we're necessarily "doing anything wrong". But ... like nose-picking .... sometimes we don't want to offend the squeamish

I agree I would pass. It might look tasty, but when you know it will be nothing but bad heartburn later, I'd just opt for something else in the first place.

jmaryt · Jul 19, 2019

hunt it anyway! all they will do is 'toss" ya! make 'em commit!
if ya get 'run"? plan b! .i'm just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

yooper69 · Jul 20, 2019

Had one of my best hunts ever at a courthouse 14 silvers .7 buffs wheat cents galore. Military buttons.etc I went after they closed . Had a few people that worked there pull in and go inside come out then leave. Not 1 time did anyone ever say anything to me. Just smiled and left. There was another one i wanted to detect but the only time i was ever in that town was while traveling for work so i thought i would just go in and ask what a joke. I was passed from one floor to another to talk to basically larry currly & mo. Not one of them had any kind of clue what to say or tell me. I thought to myself these people are in charge of this town and none can give a answer. I say go for it . They aren't going to arrest you . No law against it unless posted. Swing away.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 20, 2019

yooper69 said:
.... Not 1 time did anyone ever say anything to me. Just smiled and left. .....

Good post yooper69. And do you know why none of them said anything ? And why they just smiled and otherwise ignored you ? Because : You didn't ask them and their superiors "Can I?"

Now hurry: Rush back and do "the right thing". Ask away. And don't stop till you've reached the utmost highests of the pecking order (after all, you "can't be too safe"). Make us all proud. Then you can similarly meet Larry Curly and Mo at the location where it's been a non-issue up-till-now :laughing:

jmaryt · Jul 20, 2019

as per previous post: make 'em commit! if they run ya! go to plan b.
askin' will get ya a "ticket outta town" tryin' to do the right thing has it's limits
in THIS hobby...been there! done that!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

jmaryt · Jul 20, 2019

yooper69 said:
Had one of my best hunts ever at a courthouse 14 silvers .7 buffs wheat cents galore. Military buttons.etc I went after they closed . Had a few people that worked there pull in and go inside come out then leave. Not 1 time did anyone ever say anything to me. Just smiled and left. There was another one i wanted to detect but the only time i was ever in that town was while traveling for work so i thought i would just go in and ask what a joke. I was passed from one floor to another to talk to basically larry currly & mo. Not one of them had any kind of clue what to say or tell me. I thought to myself these people are in charge of this town and none can give a answer. I say go for it . They aren't going to arrest you . No law against it unless posted. Swing away.

absolutely! found this to be the case over many years. "smart money" says "hunt it!"..if they pitch ya go somewhere else!..easy! most of the time in MY experience
been left alone to do my thing.if a "black and white" shows up, they know you are just a hobbyist.will check you out to satisfy a complaint, and again, in MY experience, will leave ya be and "screw!"

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Detecting courthouses

2108silver1

Senior Member

Scooterjim

Elite Member

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

jmaryt

Elite Member

Big Treble

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

Big Treble

jmaryt

Elite Member

yooper69

Elite Member

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

jmaryt

Elite Member

jmaryt

Elite Member

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