Ironically, it's scary ominous pieces like this, which merely serve to produce the very thing, we're told to be worried about.
The vicious cycle works like this: Skittish people read about bootings, solidarities we must form to fight laws, potential arrests & confiscations, etc.... Sounds logical to "sound the alarm", right? But here's what ends up happening: People hear/read about these horrible dangers, so what's the next thing they logically do? Run down to their local city hall, or county offices, or wherever and ask "can I detect at the park or school?" Afterall, they certainly don't want to be arrested as the stories they've just read suggest, right? Afterall, you "can't be too safe", right? Afterall, the code of ethics tells us to "be aware of all laws" (implying to ask if you are uncertain), right? What this ends up doing, IMHO, is getting bureaucrats, who perhaps never gave the matter thought before, in whatever podunk little town or county you are in, to simply make rules, to "address this pressing issue". I've seen this happen over and over, where no rules existed, and perhaps, no one really even cared (detecting had always simply gone on, and it never occured to anyone that there was even anything wrong with it). But then someone takes it upon themselves to waltz into the police dept, or city or county hall, and they get a "no"?? What's up with that? Someone there morphs something else to apply (cultural heritage stuff, or vegetation stuff, or whatever), and hands down a "no". So guess what will happen when that same deskbound bureucrat sees an md'r in the park (whom he previously perhaps would never have paid mind to or noticed)? He'll think "aha, there's one of them", and start booting others, pass memo's to the rank and file in the field, etc...
Thus the vicious cycle: the bootings from the above scenario cause more articles for us to be "up in arms" get written (afterall, you don't want to be booted do you?) thus only causing more alarm, and more people grovelling to get their "no's" wherever they're at. Sheesk people! Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Sure there be rules, in some places, now, but you have to ask yourself: "How did that start?" Quite often by this very vicious circle spelled out here.
Very nice post & article Eddie Thanks for posting