Nice (Silver) Surprise and then a Hasty Departure

[Vol Fan]

Not really big deal as far as it being anything old, but took my sons to a park just 2 streets over from my house to let them play around with an X-Terra. They are interested in learning, so I am showing them the ropes. They thought they were using Mommy's detector, but in reality it is one I picked up for them for Christmas. Gonna have to cut the lower pole down. But I am straying from the topic here. I had hunted at this park a few times, and it has been good for lots of clad, as there are lots of ball games played here on a regular basis. There is a concession stand, bleachers, hillside people sit on, and a playground. But to my knowledge, it is not a very old park, and the homes around it are all built from the mid-50's on up.

So they are hunting the playground, and they find some pennies, then a dime, then a couple quarters along with the usual assortment of junk. They have fun, then decide they want to play on the playground. So I take my Explorer and decide to cherry pick with a coins pattern I made. The area is super trashy. I take about 2 swings and get my ears blasted, out pops 2 quarters from right under the surface, get a few more coins at a regular pace. Then I get a nice high mellow tone and it shows about 3 or 4 inches down. I cut a plug (ground is full of gravel) and check the hole, still in there. Remove some more soil and see something shiney. I am thinking no way is there silver here. Well not just silver, but a 1943S silver quarter, no more than 3 inches or so down, not really masked by anything. With my really tight coin pattern I scanned in, the XS locked right on to it no problem. Well this got me excited, so I am ready to really slow down and start hunting this section.

With in a few minutes, I hear a dirt bike. Comes flying thru the park, right by the playground where my 2, 7, & 8 year olds are playing. He was chasing 2 kids on bikes. The ducked thru a hole in the fence and began mocking him, then they took off. Saw him tearing up and down the streets, then heard a big commotion at the far end of the field, screaming and cursing. Grabbed the kids and hustled to the van to head home.

This is my big gripe, many of our parks are no longer safe to take my kids to. The city just spent tens of thousands of dollars on new equipment in a park just down form our house. With in a matter of days it was covered with graffiti, most of it profanity (and most of it misspelled too). Generally, when I drive buy there are 10 to 12 thugs in the 19 to 25 year old range in the park, sitting on the playground equipment. I have drove by and seen them brawling, guys fighting each other, girls fighting each other, girls fighting guys. Constantly yelling and cussing F this and MF that. This burns me up to no end. Now don't get me wrong, I am 37; 5" 10"; 225 lbs and have been training Judo, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, along with boxing and kick boxing for the better part of 18 years. I have no problem handling myself in a one on one; hand to hand confrontation. But these guys are cowards, they attack in gangs but will tuck and run if caught in a one on one confrontation. Plus, they generally pack weapons. Finally, I am usually there with my wife and kids, and I don't really want my kids to see me in a fight like that. This neighborhood was so nice and quiet just 5 years ago, but this element is now a permanent fixture here. Pants down around their knees, walking spread out across the road, threatening anyone that so much as makes eye contact. My best neighbor and very good friend just moved from the house he had built 30 years ago because as he said "after 30 years of a wonderful neighborhood, I don't walk out my front door to check my mail with out carrying a pistol now." Just a sad sad thing. We have been here going on 8 years, and have made a lot of friends, and my children are best friends with the kids across the street. Now, we are looking to move as soon as we possibly can. Oh well, rant over, but I tell you what I really want to do, is get about 15 of the neighborhood men with 15 nice ball bats and clean up our parks.

 

[diggingfix]

I hear ya vol fan, some of the oldest parks in the area with probably the best coin are amuck with graffitti and shootings, I am going to try one of em early chilly morning when the rats are still nesting. Good luck, nothing like silver to fire up the motivation.

 

[therick]

n/t

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[Vol Fan]

Yeah man, my first thought was to get my wife and kids behind me, and I wasn't sure who to be more concerned with; him or the "kids" (thugs) on the bikes. Either way I had my Gator Digger ready in one hand. Had someone tried to jump me (us), they were gonna walk away licking some wounds. We are starting to have problems with groups of 10 to 12 walking the streets here. My neighbor had 2 mountain bikes stolen out of his driveway in the middle of the afternoon this summer. I have attached a photo of what I have envisioned on occassions. By the way, I am the one doing the slamming here. We were drilling double leg takedowns. Fun fun fun.

 

[Brainwasher]

Vol, nice find with the quarter. Your "gang" problem unfortunately happens all over the country in big cities and even rural areas. The problem is often the result of poor law enforcement response, but sometimes the cops have their hands tied without a little help. Most cops don't want to be sued for harrassment, so if they see a group like that and they aren't committing an offense right in front of them, they don't have any probable cause to do anything. Your town counsel might be able to enact some statutes forbidding the loitering, or forbidding people above a certain age from being on the equipment, but in my opinion, anonymous phone calls are the way to go. No retaliation if the don't know who called, and it give the cops a legal reason to be there to intervene. Regular visits from the cops will probably make them want to hang out somewhere else. Reporting an attempted assault or attempted murder (moterbike trying to run over little kids), or seeing what appeared to be drugs in the park might get a canine unit out there. If it is not too far out of control, a motivated police officer can sometimes put a dent in that. When I lived in NC we had a little group of thugs who figured out the power box at the end of street was a great place to hang out. They would leave trash, beer bottles, and harrass the little kids in the neighborhood. So, a nice policeman started showing up. Wrote them all tickets for loitering, disturbing the peace, and littering. After awhile of paying fines and juvenile court dates, they started fading away. You confronting them yourself can put you and your family in danger. Some of these gangsters are murderers and have no conscience. No doubt you could take on any of those punks, and maybe even all of them, but why risk it. Your tax dollars help pay for a competent police department. You might want to consider dressing down your detector with some duct tape though. A shiney new toy might mean someone trying to steal it for drug money. If it looks broke and taped together, they might not even give it a second look. Just a thought. HH jeff

 

[Vol Fan]

Hey,

Thanks for the tip on the detector, had not really thought of that.

I would avoid confrontation at all costs in the interest of my family. We have had cops come out and sit at various locations in part due to complaints about the people speeding through the neighborhood too. It does ok for a while, but obviously, they have other things to do besides sit in our neighborhood all day. Sad really, we have 2 really nice parks, one on a nice lake and the other at Fort Dickerson (a civil war earthen fort), that I will not hardly venture into at this point because of the drug dealing and they are also now known as a hot spot for homosexual prostitution. The one on the lake has the gates locked nearly 24/7 now, so our tax dollars go for keeping it up, but no one can use it except the druggies, homeless, and people having sex out on the woods. The park at Ft Dickerson is actually open for detecting (you cannot detect the actual fort, but the areas around it are ok to hunt, I asked and was given the go ahead), but every time I have gone, I have had other men following me around park. Even had one wink at me and nod towards the woods (makes me nervous about bending over to dig any targets ). Cops raid the place form time to time, but they keep showing up.

People complain to county commission and city council, but not much happens. It has been the topic several times on the local talk radio programs here as well. Unfortunately, it seems our politicians are currently to occupied with making back door deals and undermining the voters to actually give times to addressing real issues (there was just a big law suit brought against commission for violating term limits and what is called our "Sunshine Law" which requires everything to be done in an open door fashion). I'll end my rant again. I have reached the point where I want to see the thugs and the politicians tarred, feathered, and rode out on a rail.

Hey, on the upside, I was just given permission to search some county managed land that has a history of heavy use dating back to 1881. there was a mining operation there for decades. Thing is, it too has become an area for this type of activity. I will likely have to find someone to go with me (other than my wife), and sadly will likely have to go armed. Who knows though, it is turning cold, so an early trip on a frosty morning will likely see the place thug free. Most rodents are nocturnal anyway.