Curious Bystanders - How do you deal ?

[Skysie]

HI everyone,

I'm just wondering if you guys have any curious bystanders, and how you deal with them? I'm a bit of a loner /quite shy and talking with strangers just makes me feel all kinds of awkward. I remember as a kid watching people with detectors on the beach and the numerous people constantly stopping them and asking what they were looking for/what they had found etc.

Do you tell them much? brush them off? make small talk? wear headphones so you just cant hear them? I'm just curious as to everyone's experiences

 

[Gold miner]

Encourage them!!! Say hey, "I found a $2 coin here last week, not bad for 2 hours eh???"
They will soon leave you alone, thinking that you have a problem...
(which you do!! )

 

[Skysie]

lol! I will have to try that one - cheers

 

[Goldbuzzhashit]

Had it happen to I at the beach with scoopa, told them I lost my watch and wedding band, replays of good luck, but no offers of helping on the shovel.

Another asked "what I was looking for" but was genuinely interested and when I pulled out a hand full of ring pulls and an old coke can his interest turned to "what ever"

FYI, only keep your trash in your collection pouch, keep all your coin and rings in your pockets, and when asked show them the trash and your doing your part to clean the beach, parks.

 

[texta]

what if you just start a coughing fit and tell them that being outdoors is good therapy for the disease that you have .. that should work .


johno

 

[Goldbuzzhashit]

Like that one texta.

 

[Nugget]

I usually tell people I'm looking for lost treasure, and when they ask have you found anything I always say "not this time" regardless of what I have found on the day. Sure you get a few aholes along the way but I just try my best to break conversation and just keep going.

I have no problem with encouraging others to get into the hobby and at times you come across a decent person with a genuine interest, I usually go the extra mile for these people and give them a bit of a demo

If your not breaking the law, it doesn't matter what others think really. Personally I think swimming or riding a piece of fiberglass in unknown shark infested waters is a little crazy, or what about lying out in the sun for hours on end waiting to get skin cancer , each to their own I suppose :lol:.

 

[Skysie]

Thanks guys for your responses - I would never have thought to say I was looking for a lost item of my own, knowing my luck the person would in fact offer to help with the shovelling, lol.

 

[Keen Ken]

I wear a bulky looking pair of ear phones, if I get bugged too much especially by a group I normally say "What?, What did you say? sorry can't hear you, I have my ear muffs on" (which I genuinly can't hear through real well) and keep moving ignoring signals till they move on.
Ever had a kid come up and grab what you just dug out and run off saying "Mummy,mummy look what I just found" :|

 

[Nugget]

I was detecting a beach one night and had an old guy come up to me while I was neck deep in a hole, he scared the crap out me and I actually yelled out the "F" word pretty loudly (dam headphones ), he was asking if I could help find his car keys. I spent about the next 30-40 minutes looking but no luck, so I took down his number and said I'd give him a call if I came across them.

A random story I know, but I just thought I'd share it you :lol:.

 

[Yellow fever]

I had some elderly women ask if I was having any luck and I said if it was clean up Australia Day I was doin really well . Another Radom story I thought I'd share

 

[Scoopa]

I've had many people come up and ask what I'm doing over the years however two great ones stick in my mind. 1st one was a couple of kids hiding aluminium cans in the sand ahead of me. Every time I found their can they thought it was great! The 2nd was at a local beach which has a bar overlooking the beach. These young fellows on the grog kept throwing one and two dollar coins onto the beach infront of me. Everytime I found a coin they'd yell and carry on. Some $70 later who was laughing. However most people are just curious and interested in what you're doing

 

[Skysie]

:lol: hahahaha Nugget, I would have probably fainted or lashed out and cracked him one - unsure of what would happen first lol.

Scoopa - $70 not a bad effort, wouldn't mind someone throwing $70 at me. Im def one of the curious ones, but id never just approach someone, I watch from afar and then decide i'm going to have a crack at it myself, much to the surprise of my husband who has rolled his eyes at another "hobby" I want to persue.