Treasure Classifieds Forum

I am not certain if this has been discussed here but hey it happened to me three times already and I like to hear what has happened to you while detecting.

First - My friend Ernie (he isdeceased now) were surrounded by a gang of six young men at a park around noon one sunday. Yes, this area is really not for regular folks and we stayed to long. Long story short - when I came ouot of the porta john - they moved back some. I proceded to show my digging tool by moving my clothes back and it look like I had a large knife. After a few short questons from the leader they did move on but - we were scared that day for sure.

Second - again with Ernie at another park on a sunday morning we get out of our cars and stand on the side walk just chatting before we take our detectors out. Ernie like to have a cigarette and chat before we detected. Some old guy parks his car and gets out. He runs behind the tree in front of us and starts throwing stale bagels at us. Ernie ducks the first toss but I catch mine and throw it back at him. He said some crazy stuff and runs to his car and drives away - too weird for us so we move our cars to another area and hunt there a few blocks away.

Third - today = I posted my coin shooting finds earlier but had to tell you abouit this old guy who walks up to me and ask the usual. I finally show him some coins and he takes on to look at, I was surprised at that but no big deal right? He comes back twenty minutes and says are you having any luck, I said the same as before - finding some coins. He wants to but a detector for his property in NY. I tell him he can look on the internet for a few  and he says that he only looks on the internet to read about - ready - Aliens! He goes on for ten minutes about his sighting and his friends sighting. Finally I tell him I am short on time and want to detect. He says ok nice talking to you and I wish you good luck.

I know what you are thinking - it's Friday the 13th! Right! 
Is there a full moon tonight?

Please no brag or I got the best story here - please relate stuff that has happened to you that hasn't been already posted. I know I replied to a bad story this week so forgive me - I had to get this out -

Crazy stuff. That bagel story is FUNNY. I think I would just crack up laughing if that happened to me.

Pittsburg Will - thinking back it was funny, this guy had a Don King hair do - it was up all the way around his head and it was gray hair too. At the time we looked at each other and said we need to get the hell out of hear before he come back....we got spooked good

From growing up in Brooklyn, I am accustomed to having eyes in the back of my head. As you know, some parts of NJ are rough. You NEED to be as aware of your surroundings as possible. For instance...

If I'm swinging or digging and see a hoodlum looking person walking my way, I go into "fake mode", where I will PRETEND I'm still swinging or digging, but I'm actually watching & waiting for the person to walk past me. I make sure I am facing their direction, and am watching them from the corner of my eye. It APPEARS as I'm fully engrossed in what I'm doing, but I'm not. I'm on guard. Additionally...

I normally lift my Predator Digger and rest it on my shoulder, so it is CLEARLY visible. It's a deterrent, but it also puts me into "batters stance" in the event something goes down.

In broad daylight it is very rare that a single person will try to jack someone, even if it's a bad area. Especially if they notice a digger, or you look hard. Too much of a hassle. What you really have to watch out for is when the young punks are in small groups, as that's when the trouble normally happens, as they like to show off & look tough in front of their homies.

Knock wood, I've never had any serious problems, but a few close calls. Case in point...

I was out with my buddy Gerry one day, and we were just about done on the hunt. There was a group of guys loitering by a park bench, and I noticed them earlier. As we were leaving, all of them walked passed Gerry & I, except for one punk, who asked us out of the clear blue if we can help him find an apartment. I immediately sensed no good, and went into kill mode. He was asking us where he can find a yellow page to look up realtors, and all types of crazy shit. He looked like project trash. He then asks us to lend him $5,000, and that's when I knew for sure what he was up to...

He was feeling us out. If we got nervous, or went into our pockets to give the guy a couple of dollars, we would've been robbed, but we aren't stupid. I looked him straight in the eye, told him we weren't interested, hoisted my digger on my shoulder, and we backed away until he started leaving.

Punks will kill someone for loose change, and when they see our machines they aren't dumb, they smell money. That's why 99% of the time, unless it's an inquisitive elderly person, or someone who is clearly on the square, if I'm asked what I've found, I normally reply with; "Not a damn thing!"

Joe

Nails, bottle caps, and a couple pennies.

I agree with Joe on this. I've only had one issue and they were either undercover cops or actual drug dealers. I couldn't tell but I handled it without further interference. I like the bagel reference. That's pretty funny. Some people are just plain nuts. Period. What you have to understand is to treat them that way. When I worked in Manhattan, a long time ago now, my masonry buds told me, "Act like you own the place and hold your ground, we'll show up for support eventually."

So what it boils down to is ego v ego. It's risky I know, but sometimes having Crotal Bells in Spades is an advantage as is a nice shiny sharp tool on the shoulder or belt.

We are dealing with abject poverty, an aging, ruling population, ruthless drug addiction and the new millennials who have no jobs, no prospects of them and an education consisting of flat screen TV's and iPhones.

I am enrolled in a Carry Permit class on the 22nd. I hope to Dear God I never have to use the defense aspect of that class. Avoidance of the issue at hand has always been my motto. So far it's carried me well. But I'm not a kid anymore. And I plan on detecting wider areas as long as the motivation and my fleshy frame can carry me.

It's simply called "Freedom."

And that's life.

Ed/ODF

I carry a pistol and a shovel.. not to many people mess with me while im out.

Many good points here already and many members haven't even replied yet.

I have been back to the old areas because we all know that there are old silvers there but sometimes it looks like Frightmare on Elm Street. Early Sunday mornings -  seems to be the best but have to leave before noon.

One a Newark cop called an Essex county Sheriff and he questioned me and my buddy for about fifteen minutes. These two thought we were buying drugs from the locals. I finally smiled and reached into my puouch and should them the bottle caps and nails and a few coins, but not the silver ring that I just found. That did it - they left but wrote down our plate number and showed us the list of license tags in their note pad.
My friend said why didn't you show them the ring? I laughed and said no way - the junk was good enough.

I hope we get more posts on this subject - we all need to share these and make others aware of their surroundings.

(03-14-2015 11:29 AM)jmabercrombie29 Wrote: [ -> ]I carry a pistol and a shovel.. not to many people mess with me while im out.

Short & sweet, I like it!!!!!

Joe

I certainly won't mess with you ! Thanks for the tip.....ha ha ha