Do you feel Uncomfortable

[FatCat1]

Does anyone feel awkward when there are people around you metal detecting. I feel like a douche

 

[G. Edwards]

No people don't bother me at all. Especially when i'm getting gold or silver. And they know i'm not homeless with a $1200.00 metal detector , a cell phone, and the way I dress. most of them wonder what you are doing, and if that thing really works. They want to ask a bunch of dumb questions but are to shy. some will venture up and ask. most people are nice and won't bother you, some will try to throw coins when you are not looking to see if you will find them, they think it's funny to see you find there stupid pennies. but i look at it this way, five pennies make a nickle. I've walked away from people like that with five or so extra bucks cause they keep throwing quarter, dimes and nickles, sure makes my bank account look good. anyway don't even think about the people concentrate on your detector and you'll find much more goodies. good luck and have fun, that's what the sport is about. Not the people. Gene

 

[edjcox]

Your a hightly skilled technician using an expensive sophisticated instrument searching for pennies...

Tell em that and they will laugh, break the ice, and leave you alone to find that diamond ring, the $20.00 Gold piece, the watch and whatever... Meanwhile they'll be wondering why you keep it up..


Hang in there, you only get better with experience.

 

[G. Edwards]

Yes pennies are a pain, but Quarter sound the same as pennies to me with my bad ears from the Vietnam war. I would like as you say find twenty dollar gold pieces, but I'm not sure Southern California has a whole lot of those around. all though I have found my fair share of Gold and silver rings over the last 20 years. Gene

 

[FatCat1]

Thanks Guys

 

[John - Maryland]

Don't feel uncomfortable at all. Love my hobby. Life is good!

 

[jspeedy]

Friday I had about 2 hours to get out so I went to my local park. I spent an 30 min. of that time chatting with a police officer and later another 30 min. talking to a grounds keeper. The officer was a great source of information about places to hunt. I left with 2 pennies but also with 2 great allies.

 

[lafatlife]

Fatcat, I do. I don't like to detect when there are a lot of people around especially teenagers. They are mouthy and disrespectful. I ignore them and pretend I can't hear them when they drive by and make comments.

 

[salty2009]

when i first started, i used to feel very uncomfortable, i realised the headphones can be used to ignore the idiots, they soon get bored and wander off to annoy someone else, you also get used to it being a bit of a spectator sport and i have developed what i call my "no shame hat", it's metaphorical, but has increased my self confidence no end ,I just don't care anymore,even away from detecting, this has helped may carrier in sales also. I'm more outgoing and confident purely down to overcoming my perceived fear of intimidation whilst detecting. The truth is most people don't care what your doing, some are interested and a tiny minority of idiots want to take the P**S, just go deaf for these morons,if all else fails ,just remember who's carrying the big spade!
So Put on your "No Shame hat"
Enjoy your hobby, the fresh air and exercise, you've nothing to be ashamed of and remember to smile at people, it works wonders
Salty

 

[montanagold]

That's funny I usually don't feel weird but I often get people asking me if I'm looking for power lines. I even had an old guy come up to me a few months ago and just started talking telling me where they had run the power lines in the park I was hunting in.

 

[salty2009]

Its a personal thing Montana, i think some people were born with the "no shame hat", in a nice way My wife was , nothing fazes her, i could die of embarrassment sometimes, some of the things she says and does.
In the u.k most of our power lines are "overhead", i have had one chap, who stopped to talk whilst i was on a beach, get very concerned when he saw the words "Minelab" on my e-trac and was convinced i was looking for unexploded ordinance in secret, (not helped by the way our government conduct some of their affairs), even when i showed him my collection of ring pulls and bottle tops, he wouldn't have it, and went off to tell all his friends of the hidden dangers lurking on the beach

 

[Dwayner]

I like to hunt early morning when people are not around. I don't like crowded places. Never liked being the centre of attention. Hard to blend in sometimes.

I guess you get used to it.

 

[Onus]

Not unless they crowd me. I had a freshly vacated lot I wanted to hunt. I arrived at daylight and was on my second sweep when two other guys showed up. There was about a half acre of land on the lot but the started about 20' from me and cut me off from the rest of the lot. Aholes! I started to go over and talk the them but decided I didn't want to bother with such rude individuals. So, I went to another lot and found some goodies. They were still there when I left. Onus

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[edjcox]

for onus

Instead of not talking to them you should have gone over and introduced yourself and asked if they had gotten permission to hunt the property....

Would have but them on edge and you could then have broken the ice with a "say let's divvy this place up and work it systematically.."

Now you would have hunting buddies instead of assuming they where Aholes...

An opportunity missed...

 

[thunderstorm]

No,just ignore the ignorant.Here in Britain its pretty much the same.Some sarcy comments...found anything interesting(with smerk on face)..oh well keep looking!! so nice the other day to say yes actualy ive just pulled this 2000 year old coin from the soil..LOOK!!...haha!that shut them up.
Recently theres been alot in the news here about various hoards bing found...so many are starting to realise we are not as daft as they may think we are.

 

[TURNMASTER]

As long as you are legal it's no big deal. Be confident look like you know what you are doing, even if you don't. Around here it would seem that everyone had/has an uncle or dad or friend who is in the hobby. OR they have thought about doing it. most seem curoius. Even the teens,

I don't hunt parks much though.

HH
Jeff

 

[Onus]

Not particularly uncomfortable but what does a douche feel like? Onus

 

[Onus]

It was public land. Onus