An interesting thing happened at the school....Get out!

[JamesBondaka]

I have hunted a particular school for about 4 years now. The usual interest from people and some wanting to make sure I'm "hunting" correctly. Never any major issues of any degree. About 2 years ago I was hunting on a Saturday. I went by a storage shed that was left unlocked. I peeked in and there was a ton of sports equipment in there. Bats, cases of baseballs, soccer balls etc etc. I called the police to notify whomever in charge of the locker. I did talk with the Assistant principle and in short he said, "you hunt the grounds anytime". Which was nice but there is no policy or laws against hunting anyway.

Now, to the present. I decided to go late on a Friday. There was some people there but not too many. After hunting for a while....someone approached me. It was the soccer coach and he said I was destroying the grounds. Just a little detecting and that I was finished for the day and headed home. He said good and don't come back. I tried to explain to him exactly what and how I was doing it. Cut a small plug, replaced and tap down, without any signs of use. He said your destroying the grass. I said there was no harm done. He disagreed. I also said your soccer players do MORE damage to the field in 5 minutes than I do all day. I also mentioned that I was given permission to hunt by the asst principle. He said he would have me trespassed or arrested if I came back.

I contacted the school and talked with the principle. He said sometimes some people get a little carried away with their position. He added that unless he hears or sees any damage to the grounds caused by metal detecting....I am welcome to hunt there.....as its community property and to be enjoyed by all... >DD<

 

[Elton]

It's always nice to hear when someone stands their ground when they are right. " it works out".
>DD<

 

[JamesBondaka]

Thanks!

I think the moral of the story is......go detecting on Saturday instead of Friday! ;-)

 

[Tom_in_CA]

ha, I think there's a valid point to this. On the one hand, it's great that you got your permission to silence the busy-body. However, on the other hand, it was quite possible that (......... since a lot of time had elapsed between your occurance of having alerted them to an open-shed, to the present) someone could have sided with the soccer coach. Ie.: the squeakiest wheel can get the grease, etc... This is not at all uncommon, where someone gets permission, only to have it as quickly revoked the next time some gardener or cop comes up and says ".... well I don't like it".

yes an option is to "get your yes clarified". But another option is to avoid that one griper in the future. Go when there's no soccer matches, and/or he's not there. Presto, problem solved that way too

 

[GeorgeinSC]

Unfortunately Most of the Schools in my area are marked with "No Trespassing" Signs and are completely fenced with gates. I have not had any problems at those that are not fenced but they are in the minority.

 

[JamesBondaka]

yes an option is to "get your yes clarified". But another option is to avoid that one griper in the future. Go when there's no soccer matches, and/or he's not there. Presto, problem solved that way too

The problem is that you never know when he IS there...so I thought this was the best approach. As said in a previous post.....the moral of the story....go on a saturday >DD<

 

[Sven]

yes an option is to "get your yes clarified". But another option is to avoid that one griper in the future. Go when there's no soccer matches, and/or he's not there. Presto, problem solved that way too

The problem is that you never know when he IS there...so I thought this was the best approach. As said in a previous post.....the moral of the story....go on a saturday >DD<

LOL, what's he live in the shed?
I tend to go very early in the mornings or a few hours before dark. If you see any sort of soccer team arriving, I pack up and leave. Never ran into a problem this way.

 

[BillF]

I was detecting a school this spring when the school security a.k.a. cop wannabe, approached me. I was lucky, he didn't accuse me of any damage, just wanted to see my permit(PERMIT???). Seriously?
Really wanted to ask him if he didn't have anything better to do, but that never goes well for me.
Needless to say, I went to the district office the next day and bought my P-E-R-M-I-T. $5, good forever. Yea, right.

 

[shadowulf]

I was detecting a school this spring when the school security a.k.a. cop wannabe, approached me. I was lucky, he didn't accuse me of any damage, just wanted to see my permit(PERMIT???). Seriously?
Really wanted to ask him if he didn't have anything better to do, but that never goes well for me.
Needless to say, I went to the district office the next day and bought my P-E-R-M-I-T. $5, good forever. Yea, right.

Yes, but Barney Fife has no leg to stand on unless you "break" the rules.

I does suck that you have to get a permit. But it is better than the alternative.

My city has a "permit" that's free of charge. Its more an acknowledgement that you are aware of the rules.
I have had local cops come up and ask me for it. I pull it out of my wallet and show them. It usually ends there.

I usually have more issues with the self-designated "detector police" who try and tell me I'm destroying their park.
They are the ones who will try and make MDing a crime.

 

[ironsight]

Thanks!
I think the moral of the story is......go detecting on Saturday instead of Friday! ;-)

Better yet, i only hunt school grounds on Sundays and only when there is no activity around or any cars parked in the lot!

Public park kiddie playgrounds are even a more touchier issue.

 

[BillF]

Without a permit, he has plenty of leg to stand on. If them's the rules, then them's the rules.
The parks don't need a permit, but they do have specific rules, and some parks are off limits. Not sure why.
Hope James has no more problems with his coach.

I was detecting a school this spring when the school security a.k.a. cop wannabe, approached me. I was lucky, he didn't accuse me of any damage, just wanted to see my permit(PERMIT???). Seriously?
Really wanted to ask him if he didn't have anything better to do, but that never goes well for me.
Needless to say, I went to the district office the next day and bought my P-E-R-M-I-T. $5, good forever. Yea, right.

Yes, but Barney Fife has no leg to stand on unless you "break" the rules.

I does suck that you have to get a permit. But it is better than the alternative.

My city has a "permit" that's free of charge. Its more an acknowledgement that you are aware of the rules.
I have had local cops come up and ask me for it. I pull it out of my wallet and show them. It usually ends there.

I usually have more issues with the self-designated "detector police" who try and tell me I'm destroying their park.
They are the ones who will try and make MDing a crime.

 

[BillF]

It absolutely sucks that the schools you pay taxes for lock you out of the grounds. Not right.
Several of the high schools here have tall fences with locked gates. Again, not right.

Unfortunately Most of the Schools in my area are marked with "No Trespassing" Signs and are completely fenced with gates. I have not had any problems at those that are not fenced but they are in the minority.

 

[JamesBondaka]

Thanks!
I think the moral of the story is......go detecting on Saturday instead of Friday! ;-)

Better yet, i only hunt school grounds on Sundays and only when there is no activity around or any cars parked in the lot!

Public park kiddie playgrounds are even a more touchier issue.

I dont think I will as the Principal told me that he was personally going to have a little "chat" with the soccer coach. He said it was NOT good in the community "spirit" of things to act that way. If he saw someone driving their car on the grounds that would be one thing as its a clear destruction of property and as WE all know...this is another.

Yes, it a shame that some schools fence the grounds etc. They had so many issues of wackos stealing kids so they have resorted to this.

 

[digginLa]

Luckily I don't need a permit to hunt and most of the schools around here aren't fenced in the bad thing is most of the ones that are have been that way for as long as I can remember so I doubt they've ever been hunted so the possibility of finding some silver in two of them is a good possibility, ahhh well at least if I'm not getting to hunt them no one else is either.

 

[JamesBondaka]

Luckily I don't need a permit to hunt and most of the schools around here aren't fenced in the bad thing is most of the ones that are have been that way for as long as I can remember so I doubt they've ever been hunted so the possibility of finding some silver in two of them is a good possibility, ahhh well at least if I'm not getting to hunt them no one else is either.

Go ask... Who knows maybe no one has asked before...... OR tell them you will split what you find.....cant hurt.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I've actually gotten to where I do a lot of my turf hunting (for nicer groomed turf) at nights. Ahhh, so peaceful. So serene.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

George, at these schools around you which, in recent years, have gotten fences (and the obligatory "no trespassing" type signs), do they really deter other after-school users? What I mean is, I too have seen such signs at the turn-style gates (permanently propped open it seems) saying things like "visitors check in at the office", or "no trespassing" or whatever). Yet for some reason, it's still not at all uncommon to drive by and see others who still walk their dogs there. Or who jog the track. Or shoot hoops, etc.... Is that the case at your fenced schools too? Or are they truly buttoned up like Ft. knox?

 

[Coast]

Schools are public property as long as they collect taxes they are public, they can pass policy forbidding metal detecting. I just stay out of the way of everyone's way, permission is a give and take thing.

 

[togamac]

This issue has come up multiple times in the three years I have been reading this forum (including at least once by me). I've concluded that the Barney Fifes will always be out there and that the best practice is to use stealth, either by going at night or pre-dawn. That is, unless you like butting heads with these yokels.
HH

 

[Coast]

Yep stealth and politeness when confronted.