Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,724
Years ago, someone posted this encounter. It bears repeating.
Some dude was metal detecting on an east coast beach. I forget which particular beach, and/or which particular entity. But whatever beach it was, was NOT an issue for md'ing (ie.: not disallowed).
The md'r was minding his own business detecting. Some passerby pedestrian lady stopped and watched him for a few moments. Then she went over and chastised him up and down. Read him the riot act citing some sort of cultural heritage verbiage. She was harping on him that it was not allowed to find 'artifacts', or some such rant.
When the md'r realized he was talking to an archie, he gleefully opened up his apron and showed her that all he had was modern coins. (which was, in fact, true). And that it was not disallowed. The lady collected herself, and went back into deep thought, trying to figure out a proper response to the the md'rs reply.
So she then says to him: "Well maybe they're not "artifacts" now, but in another 100 yrs, they will have been old. And you have just robbed future generations of learning about their past."
I forget how the md'r handled her at that point. But as you can probably surmise, there's no winning an argument with this type. Even if he could have prevailed in this debate-of-wits, she could merely move on to some other objection. Eg.: bothering sand crabs, or L&F laws, etc.... There's simply no winning.
Fortunately, these types are probably only 1 in a million.
Some dude was metal detecting on an east coast beach. I forget which particular beach, and/or which particular entity. But whatever beach it was, was NOT an issue for md'ing (ie.: not disallowed).
The md'r was minding his own business detecting. Some passerby pedestrian lady stopped and watched him for a few moments. Then she went over and chastised him up and down. Read him the riot act citing some sort of cultural heritage verbiage. She was harping on him that it was not allowed to find 'artifacts', or some such rant.
When the md'r realized he was talking to an archie, he gleefully opened up his apron and showed her that all he had was modern coins. (which was, in fact, true). And that it was not disallowed. The lady collected herself, and went back into deep thought, trying to figure out a proper response to the the md'rs reply.
So she then says to him: "Well maybe they're not "artifacts" now, but in another 100 yrs, they will have been old. And you have just robbed future generations of learning about their past."
I forget how the md'r handled her at that point. But as you can probably surmise, there's no winning an argument with this type. Even if he could have prevailed in this debate-of-wits, she could merely move on to some other objection. Eg.: bothering sand crabs, or L&F laws, etc.... There's simply no winning.
Fortunately, these types are probably only 1 in a million.