# Got kicked off the lot by another digger !



## caldigs (Oct 15, 2008)

Has anyone ever been kicked off a construction site by another digger, but not known it at the time ?  It happened to me twice in the same town by the same digger !! I should have caught on after the first incident.  

 The first time we were digging a big bomber pit and had just got down to the LOADED trash layer when two shady looking guys approached us and asked what the hell we were doing.  They claimed to be working on the site and said we must leave.  Not wanting to risk it, we left.  We ended up coming back a week later to find that our pit had been re-opened and finished. We had been worked !!!!

 Then about a year later, we were digging on a lot a few blocks away when a city worker approaches us and says we have to stop digging and leave.  He started rambling on about us trespassing (and pretended to be speaking with someone on the radio) and then claimed that nobody could be on the lot because it was contaminated.  When asked what the lot was contaminated with, he would not answer.  It was a total line of BS and at that moment the long time digger of the area shows up and guess what, he's friends with the city worker !!!!! Was it a coincidence ? NO, and guess who was on the lot digging the next week.

 It's unfortunate that after 40 years of digging a digger could be so greedy and territorial.  I am very passionate about my privy digging and bottles, but it is sad that this hobby has more than its fair share of liars and cheats.

 Why does the 'bottle hobby' attract so many of this caliber ????????????


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## sweetrelease (Oct 15, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: caldigs
> 
> Has anyone ever been kicked off a construction site by another digger, but not known it at the time ?  It happened to me twice in the same town by the same digger !! I should have caught on after the first incident.
> 
> ...


 one word "greed" i know it well because i have it like most of you ,but you'll never sat it[]


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 15, 2008)

I am sure glad I dig nice peaceful backyards,where the home owners come out and ask if we would like some iced tea.
   There are no construction lots to dig in this neck of the woods any way.[8D]


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## Bixel (Oct 15, 2008)

I agree with Rick on this one. Backyards are nicer, if you can find the good ones. If you have permission, nobody can "scare" you into leaving, you just get the curious homeowners out there, asking if you have found anything "good" yet, or asking "You young boys need anything to eat or drink...?" (I am turning 20 in a month, and the other person I dig with is the same age, so we get called young alot.... also get weird looks for our hobby)


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 15, 2008)

You are young [] Keep on diggin[]


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## Bixel (Oct 15, 2008)

I plan on digging, thats for sure. Now I just need to find a good old dump.


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## Jim (Oct 16, 2008)

Sorry to hear about that. Unfortunately, there are some greedy punks that are afraid someone other than them is going to dig a good pit. Fellow diggers, collectors and historians should be happy for others who have a good dig. There will always be those few who think that everything should be theirs.

 I realize that every area is different, and I also dig primarily in back yards, but have done a few digs in lots and construction/demo sites. Any time I dig anywhere, I always know that my digging partner and I are the ONLY ones with permission to dig there. Should anyone ever try to "scare us off" with such a cheap tactic, I would simply instruct them to get the hell out of there and find their own permissions and pits before I call the property owner.  ~Jim


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## baltbottles (Oct 16, 2008)

Caldigs,

 That really sucks about getting run off of thoes sites. In my city most yards are small and cemented over so the construction sites are my best hope for digging early privies here. Luckly for me there really isn't much commpettion here. Thers only about half a dozen heavy diggers and I'm good friends with all of them. I guess I'm weird but I always enjoy when I hear of someone finding good stuff. I'm just happy to see the stuff being saved and not carted off to a land fill to be destroyed. However I do dig in other cities like Philadelphia where the compettion is verty feirce and I have herd of guys calling the cops on diggers that were doing good on a construction site so they could jump their hole. 

 Chris


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## dollarbill (Oct 16, 2008)

Shoot all the good city sites that are opened uparound here by the city  are tied up right away here by a few guy one who has been mayor even . OH well I stilll find glass .
    bill


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## appliedlips (Oct 16, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: caldigs
> Why does the 'bottle hobby' attract so many of this caliber ????????????


 

       I disagree that there are more than a few bad apples in the hobby.Bottle folks on a whole are some of the best people I have met.

       That said.I once had the cops called "almost certainly" by another digger who didn't want me digging in a city, shortly after moving to Ohio. Because of his lies I know it was him but can't prove it.He is a member of this forum and may or may not read this post.If so,he knows who he is.A silly thing to do,especially for someone who digs  vacants,exclusively.


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## downeastdigger (Oct 16, 2008)

Â Â Â Â  I disagree that there are more than a few bad apples in the hobby.BottleÂ folks on a whole are some of the best people I have met.

 Â Â 


 I agree with Doug, I haven't met many diggers I didn't like.  Now dealers, thats another story


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## 77waystodeal3 (Oct 16, 2008)

You haven't meet me.........HEHE.........[8D]


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## caldigs (Oct 16, 2008)

Not sure about you guys, but over here in CA there are several privy diggers I'd rather not associate with.  Some will kick you off lots, some will lie about what they found, some will steal from you, and some will not share information even if they do not dig anymore !!!  Besides these bad apples I do agree that there are many great people in this hobby.


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## beendiggin (Oct 16, 2008)

Bram, I agree with you, watch out for the dealers.  Bottle diggers and collectors as well as homeowners are all nice 99.9 % of the time in my experience.   Sorry about your situation , Caldigs.


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## whittled (Oct 16, 2008)

If you ever have a doubt, when they tell you scram, start filling it back in and say I want to leave it the way it was. If they say "NO" you know there going back.


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## sweetrelease (Oct 16, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: lobeycat
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 ah yea, i was jokin my man[sm=tongue.gif]but you took it to a whole new level lol. i do hear what you are saying though, if you are thinking about bottles every minute ,well you might need help[] ~matt


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## privvydigger (Oct 16, 2008)

I usually tell them don't bring words to a gun battle.........
 Most recently a crew dug up one of my permissions....I know I know....their all alive and well.......I just don't do it to other's no matter what
 privvydigger


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## tigue710 (Oct 16, 2008)

I kicked a guy off a dump a month ago.  It is a secured permission dig and he shows up saying he used to dig there and asks if its ok and wants to jump right in my hole with me!  Then he starts picking through my tail pile and asking if I want bottles laying on the ground!.... even  better he lets it slip that he is an antique dealer, and then to top it off he happened to show up right after I posted a dig on another forum, and claimed to have dug only stuff that I posted!  I about whooped his but as we told him to leave because scabs are not welcome...

 I wouldnt try the stuff this guy pulled on you, thats not right, but I'll send a scab packing quick...


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## jesster (Oct 17, 2008)

sorry you had to deal with scumbags. I would be really pissed if someone tried that on me and jumped in my hole after i left. If they just asked, i would let them dig with me, more dirt that can be moved and just divvy up the spoils. so far I've met no one but nice people while digging.


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## tigue710 (Oct 17, 2008)

[:'(]


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## jesster (Oct 17, 2008)

I agree, i wouldn't go around asking diggers to join me, but if i was digging and another digger came along, i wouldn't mind sharing. I wouldn't try and scam the person into leaving and I would be pissed if they tried to scam me. good dumps take a lot of work to find.


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## Lordbud (Oct 18, 2008)

I think out here in California the high prices realized for good Western glass add to the greed factor more than elsewhere.  I'm sure that is the motivator for the "bad apples" out here who
 claim-jump and tell half-truths or no truths...


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## farmgal (Oct 20, 2008)

I'm a newbie here and to digging so I only dig here on our old farm. Only thing to scare me off are the moose and spiders. My late Uncle was big into digging back in Connecticut. Wish I was into it back them..oh well.


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## farmgal (Oct 20, 2008)

You mentioned Ohio and just today I was cleaning a jug type bottle and it is from Ohio. It is quite wide and squat with a narrow opening that is broken. It reads on the front Trade (with a triangle) mark 
 pat'd. in USA
 No 1.456.716
 Perfection Stove Company
 Cleveland, Ohio. Made in the USA
 Is that anything you might be familiar with? I found in it North dakota. I will try and get a pic tonight of it...


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## LC (Oct 20, 2008)

Sounds like you may have a kerosene jar used on the old small cook stoves , not sure without a picture of it though .


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## wedigforyou (Oct 20, 2008)

If it's a secured permission dig won't the landowner step in on your behalf? This happens in our area all the time so it's just part of diggin'.   Like farmgal, we really enjoy diggin on our own farm property.


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## caldigs (Oct 23, 2008)

> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud
> 
> I think out here in California the high prices realized for good Western glass add to the greed factor more than elsewhere.  I'm sure that is the motivator for the "bad apples" out here who
> claim-jump and tell half-truths or no truths...


 
 Yes ! Lets just say I found a super rare and VALUABLE bottle in his town.  I'd say the subsequent jealously is most likely his motivation to act this way.


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## farmgal (Oct 23, 2008)

Morning LC
 I was just wondering if you saw the pic of the kerosene bottle I posted? I forget who  had mentioned it. Sorry new to the forum and get confused easily..hehe It is under my other pics farmgal.


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## CALDIGR2 (Oct 23, 2008)

I long ago stopped being jealous of anyone digging bottles, anywhere. After 50 yrs of stirring the earth, I have dug my share, and more. One thing I have NO time for are fence jumpers and those who are not willing to ask permission. Year before last, some out-of-towners came here and blasted a parking lot, leaving their hole wide open and crap lying everywhere. To make it worse, the pits were TC garbage. Had I caught those blighters, their day would've been riuned. The owner of the lot was understandably PO'd, and doubly so because their "handywork" cost him a few thousand bucks to repair. Property owners will not stand for this kind of behaviour, and I fully understand their position.


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## BittersMax (Oct 24, 2008)

I seriously doubt any digger would have someone kicked off a lot unless there was good reason. It wasn't me but I do keep an eye out for unethical digging  in the towns I regularly dig and will  deal with such behavior. Reason being is that I have a  good reputation among town folks in my dig zones and work hard keeping it that way. More than once I've filled other peoples holes or cleaned up their mess just so no one gets upset over digging.  All it takes to ruin it for those who do good work is one bone head to pull a "dig and dash" destroying  property like what CALDIGR2 is referring to. Bottle digging  becomes a  negative word and will spread around town, then the guy who does good work can be denied a permission. I've been turned down for this very reason and even accused of other diggers negative actions. Yes, I've been places were I had no permission  but it was obvious no one cared. Anyone who intentionally damages property and leaves it has no place in this hobby as far as I'm concerned.   Use common sense if you dig, respect land owners and always clean up your dig site.


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## caldigs (Oct 24, 2008)

I agree with what both Mike and Lou have said.  Respect for the digging site is of utmost importance.  Being a digger that ALWAYS fills in holes and respects the property, it is VERY frustrating to have been blamed for several unfilled holes (including the one mentioned above). There are certain diggers in California that have taken to spreading rumors about the digging my partner and I do.  I just do not understand the flat out LIES that are being said.  I have NEVER left a hole open, and never plan to.       Being the new guys on the California scene, we know how important digging etiquette is.  We have experienced the recourse from past diggers lack of respect for digging property in certain towns and are now trying to right their wrongs.  A few months ago we set up an exhibit and gave a speech to the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco.  The response was tremendous and the event went late into the night as member couldnâ€™t stop asking us questions to quench their fascination with the topic.   Furthermore, we always try to give as many bottles as possible to homeowners that let us dig.  Almost nothing pleases us more than an awe stuck and appreciative homeowner admiring their new freshly dug bottle collection.  The tricky part of sharing our hobby is trying to make people respect the historicity associated with the bottles, not the dollar signs.  Thatâ€™s real difficult, especially here in California.


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## CALDIGR2 (Oct 24, 2008)

At this point in time I have to admit that I am an old guy. Keeping up with the "youngsters" is a chore that for various reasons I am less inclined to attempt these days. In fact, I am not as diligent about cruising the area towns as I once was. Other, less physically demanding, hobbies are becoming a large part of my routine. LOL

 Don't get me wrong, I still love digging, and will continue to get after it as long as I am able. It won't be on a daily basis, either, more like 2 or 3 times a month. Lately, I have worn my tired old butt completely out with all the pounding, digging bar action, pick slamming, and hard shoveling required to open a hole in the hard, rainless, dirt of this town. Many holes, no good "braggers" to show. Why do I put up with this? I really can't say, other than the love of the "hunt". Until it rains, digging will be on hold, more or less. Spending my time doing research will suffice for now. That, and walking the streets "permissionizing" a few back yards for this winter. We have several "virginal"(?) yards lined up so far. 

 "Bitters and Whiskeyville", a personal name for a local town, is also getting some long overdue attention. So far, most property owners are amenable to some exploration of their ground, so that will commence come the rainy season. IF the rain ever actually arrives, that it. So far, we have hit far fewer "ABDs' than expected, but that will probably change. Oh well, that's diggin'.


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