confession and apology

[March22Collector]

I'm honestly confused. What is wrong with using that shovel if you're digging good plugs and filling in the holes nicely? I find it much easier to get very nice plugs with the shovel, ones that fold right back in and are not noticeable.

 

[mudpuppy]

M22C...Nothing intrinsically wrong with a shovel, hell, folks have been digging holes on this planet for a long time! The problem is not with effective and rightly dug holes, but with folks that see you (us) in a public park with a shovel! Just dont get seen and theres no problem!...Its a matter of 'perception' and all, and everybodies got a cell phone and just looking to bust some guys chops when they see one of us in a park with a 'shovel'...just something to be aware of is all...we are being watched, and a fellow has got to be sensitive regarding ignorant folks with a cell phone..nobody gives a tinkers cuss about an old guy in a park wearing shorts with a screwdriver, but put on knee pads, a tool belt, and carry a shovel, and look the hell out!.
Mud

 

[William-NM]

Like the others have said, it's a perception thing. I rarely hunt parks or schools, and if I do, it's early Sunday morning. I made an exception to check a park after our blues festival. I was just popping coins/jewelry with my big screwdriver - good thing, because a parks employee came over and checked me out. I showed him how I retrieved the coins and that no hole was left and he went on his way. Might have been a different story if he saw a shovel, especially a bigger one. I think that the idiotic TV shows have done some damage (not Diggers, the other one). The lower your profile, the better.

 

[upnorth]

and everybodies got a cell phone and just looking to bust some guys chops when they see one of us in a park with a 'shovel'...just something to be aware of is all...we are being watched, and a fellow has got to be sensitive regarding ignorant folks with a cell phone..nobody gives a tinkers cuss about an old guy in a park wearing shorts with a screwdriver, but put on knee pads, a tool belt, and carry a shovel, and look the hell out!.
Mud

Yes indeed. The basis for this entire apology was because a local saw me with the Raven last year on a bad back day. Now I have a rep I suppose, which I had no clue about. I just saw some passive aggressive grumblings on another forum. I knew nothing about all this until I was detecting a park and saw some guy taking pictures or video of me (another detectorist ) while I was swinging, and packing the little Leshe hand digger. It kind of pizzed me to have some stranger taping me on the sly. He was laying back in a reclining position with his hand holding the camera, barely noticeable. So I walked up and started chatting to him as another fellow hobbyist. The filming thing was kind of a peripheral irritant and I just wanted to chat up another hobbyist. He seemed ok then I saw the grumblings on the forum later, which was posted a ways back. On one hand I can see guys being alarmed about my shovel use, which is appropriate. But on the other hand being watched and taped while practicing reasonable ethics in pursuit of the hobby feels personally intrusive and kind of creepy. I rarely ever had, and simply quit, using the shovel in parks anymore. I got it and it wasn't that often. If people can't simply have a friendly and rational discussion with you about an issue, as opposed to surreptitiously filming you, for whatever reason, then I want nothing to do with them. Ethics swing both ways.

 

[mudpuppy]

Wow Upnorth! That guy was seriously out of line! Sounds like he needed some sort of thing to have so he could write a post instead of finding metal, he figured he'd film you instead, so he could act all 'ethical' and whatnot!...what a pathetic yutz!

Next time you see him, go ahead and film yourself kicking him in the pills!...You did nothing wrong at all! Getting noticed by one of us is not the same as getting noticed by a commoner..that was a real cheap shot on his part, just to make a post about 'shovels in parks' or somesuch...keep an eye on that sumgun if you can track his schedule/route...you should have words with him at least...mainly four letter ones!..definitely a creepy spineless dude, probably fakes half his finds too...Knowing the backstory to your original post now...If I was you, keep using the digging gear you prefer...for you went unseen by anybody that mattered, and that counts...
Mud