Jim, when I was in high school, when I'd first gotten into metal detecting, was also when I got my first taste of old-town demolition hunting. At that time (1980-ish), they'd torn out the downtown sidewalks for rennovations. The population of my city would have been about 130k (?). So, no ... not "rural". But no, not megatropolis like NYC either.
Perhaps I exaggerate when I say there was "no fences". Sure, there was *something*. But not like today. Perhaps orange ribbon strung up between cones. Or sure, fencing, but not locked (you simple pushed open the panels and walked right in, etc...). But yes, I am exagerating when I say "absolutely no fences" (because lest someone step off the sidewalk and fall into a big pit next to the street, doh!)
As for sidewalk demolition/tearout projects, they can't have "fences" around them anyways. I mean, doh.... if it's in front of busineses that remain open-for-business, they have to allow access in some way. Thus they just string up orange tape between cones, and perhaps put up a sign at each end "sidewalk closed", blah blah. Sometimes you gotta do .... what you gotta do.
Perhaps I exaggerate when I say there was "no fences". Sure, there was *something*. But not like today. Perhaps orange ribbon strung up between cones. Or sure, fencing, but not locked (you simple pushed open the panels and walked right in, etc...). But yes, I am exagerating when I say "absolutely no fences" (because lest someone step off the sidewalk and fall into a big pit next to the street, doh!)
As for sidewalk demolition/tearout projects, they can't have "fences" around them anyways. I mean, doh.... if it's in front of busineses that remain open-for-business, they have to allow access in some way. Thus they just string up orange tape between cones, and perhaps put up a sign at each end "sidewalk closed", blah blah. Sometimes you gotta do .... what you gotta do.
