:usaflag: This evening I decided to take a spin on a local beach!! :detecting:

[Cupajo]

As I often do this evening I drove to the end of the center road that leads directly to the waterfront and parked there. As I was getting my gear together a local constable drove up and said that I couldn't park there!

I assured him that I had been parking there in spite of the no parking, police only sign for months!

I also told him that I was only parking there in the early morning and late evening hours and never on Friday or Saturday evenings as I was aware these were very busy times and I didn't want to be in the way!

I assured him that as a long time resident I had been permitted to park there and that I had spoken to several officers about this very thing!

He said how do I write a $50.00 ticket for several people for parking here and then allow you to park here?

I told him that was simple, tell anyone that may ask that I was performing a public service by removing harmful things from the beach (and he would be right!).

As payment I was satisfied with interacting with anyone that may be interested in what I was doing and the few clad coins and the very few valuables I might recover!

I mentioned that I had returned 33 gold rings to their owners and that just this week I had removed a steel eating fork, a steak knife and three pieces of broken bottle from the beach!

I also mentioned that I was constantly filling holes dug by children and some thoughtless adults so no one would step in them and be hurt and taking away any potentially harmful items from the beach such as two fishing hooks, rusty nails,and wire in the past several weeks!

I mentioned too that I had spoken to another constable and a couple of state troopers about what I was doing and they had left me alone!

He relented and a short while later a state trooper was parked nearby and presumably they had a chat.

I moved to a place where they could easily approach me if they so desired and they both drove away.

Hopefully I am free from further problems, but I assured the young man that if there was any problem and I would have to move, just let me know and I would park at a nearby parking area that I bought a permit for.

Another day in the life of a treasure hunter!!

CJ

 

[deerman]

If you have a permit to park close by why create a problem by parking there in the first place?Sorry I just don't get it?I know the good we all do by removing
trash,glass,bottles etc.. so people don't get hurt on the Beach's/water you still may get a 50.00 ticket one day just because a police officer try ed to park there
because of something coming up at the beach were seconds count and he/she got there and your parked in a spot that is there for a reason and is posted
NO PARKING POLICE ONLY ...you might cost someone there life because your to lazy to park were your allowed and HAVE a permit????? Is it worth the little coffee
money you make just to park a block closer?SORRY if this offends you or anyone else but i know from personnel exp. that a few seconds is all it takes as i lost my son
in a drowning at a local lake and the first police diver was at the lake and in the water in less then 5 min. to pull my son out so think about it the next time you park there

 

[Willee - Texas]

Breaking rules others must follow is a very smug thing to brag about, Cupajo.

Brag about all you find, your hand made scoops, and what a service you do for the public, but parking in a marked NO PARKING zone and then arguing your "special" right to do so is just plain inflated ego.

You should have got a ticket like anyone else would have.

Just my two cents ...

Willee

 

[kered]

Would have served you right had they stuck a ticket the minute you hit the beach, finding a bit of gold now and then should be payment enough for cleaning the beach, but to expect parking privaleged too is out of line as far as i'm concerned

 

[Cupajo]

The area is large enough for ten police cruisers and emergency equipment as well.

My vehicle is in no way interfering with any access to the beach and the spot I am occupying has been the only parking available for a house that is all but abandoned.

In the hours I frequent the beach there are few if any people about and I usually don;t even see a cruiser while I'm there.

I never intended to portray myself as someone willing to break the law, nor do I suggest anyone else do it.

The parking place I have a pass for is not open in the early morning either.

I'm sorry I didn't make the circumstances more clear and caused you to think poorly of my actions.

I must admit that I have taken some pleasure in being known to the local constables and their allowing me to park there.

Looks like I need to re-think the situation!

GL&HH,

CJ

 

[lazyaussie]

thanks for clearing that up CJ play nicely you guys .
lazyaussie

 

[thinkin2]

The problem with this is that you are breaking the law however trivial it may seem to you. Even if you aren't obstructing anything it's still against the law for you to park there. Since you have talked with several officers in the past and most everybody has allowed you to park there then maybe you could go to the station and talk with them about giving you some kind of sticker or something that shows you have permission to park there during certain hours. That way you aren't breaking the law and the next time some officer who doesn't know you shows up you won't have a problem. You might even offer your services to them if they ever need help searching for evidence in exchange for this privilege. You should have done this in the beginning. All of the good things you do on the beach are overshawdowed by the fact that you are breaking the law and that reflects not only on you but on our hobby and therefore all of us. Anyway, good luck working something out and happy hunting.
Jerry

 

[Cupajo]

Thanks for all of your replies folks.

I see how I have placed the officers in a legal dilemma if they really were to have concern about my transgressions (law breaking!).

So far the service I have rendered has far outweighed any such concern with the exception of this one officer and that reflects well on him!

He is showing that he values the law and I must not do anything that will tarnish that!

I'll follow your suggestion and talk to the leaders of our town and see if they will at least recognise my small contribution and perhaps allow me easy access to continue making this contribution to public welfare.

As for causing our hobby to be seen in a bad light that is something I would never intentionally do!!

Over the years I have done more than most in our hobby to have it viewed in a favorable light!

Thanks for allowing me to share with you my experiences and as always, your quick and straightforward replies!

Regards and Best Wishes to You All,

CJ

 

[Michaeldoc]

I see your point, sort of. However, safety issues aside, by challenging the young officer he might get a bad taste in his mouth about anyone metal detecting, regardless of where one parks. The hobby is under assault from all quarters and all it takes is one eager law officer to push the envelope with the powers that be. You might have "won" this battle, but it could cost many detectorists the war. Just my 2 cents. Why rock the boat? Oblige the officer and move on.

 

[Cupajo]

I agree completely!!

CJ

 

[thepest]

one of my ship mates always said.... " if it was wrong, but you got away with it, it was right" .... right or wrong....
what are the police going to do to an old man..... who's a tax payer...... with a clean record..... and good intentions.... it would never stand up in court.... the judge would laugh that ticket right out the door..... that's why they left him alone....

 

[Cupajo]

Another way of looking at the situation of course!

The parking spot in question is available to the property owners at that location who are not using it and it is not well defined (altho the is a "Reserved Parking" sign) and no one seems to know who the owners are.

It's kind of a grey area in that the police parking is only feet away, but the dividing line is not clearly marked.

The hours I frequent the area are when virtually no one is there.

I have decided that it is in the best interest of myself and the image of our hobby if I don't place the officer in the position of having to make this decision and park elsewhere until I can get clarification from those folks "in charge"

Regards,

CJ.

 

[Furious T]

CJ, if several officers have already let you park there, then it seems to me that they think you are doing nothing wrong, otherwise they would not have let you park there in the first place. The officer you spoke to a few evenings ago may be new to your area, and I cant see that you did anything wrong by letting him know that other police officers have allowed you to park there. Of course, he is paid to uphold the law, and as he said, he must be consistent in his application to his job. The circumstances which you have described relating to the size of the parking area and the fact that you are there when hardly anyone else is around put a different slant on things, and probably explains to some degree why the other officers leave you alone. I think that the fact that the paid parking lot is closed for most of the time you are there is another factor in your favour. I guess that you, like the rest of us, need to respect and obey the law, but in the circumstances you have described, I cant see that you are doing anyone any harm. Clarifying the situation with the police or other interested authorities might give you peace of mind when you are detecting...but it is possible that by merely trying to formalise the situation could result in you being officially banned from parking there at all. If the officers are happy to let you park there, that seems to be fine, but you must appreciate that you run the risk of an officious officer giving you a ticket when you are not there to explain. HH Sapper.

 

[Cupajo]