Disc Wars- The looser , the finder, and ebay

[TexasOutlaw]

Nice to see a pendulum shift here. I don't remember what forum, but I started a similar thread. The response was pretty much, you leave it you lost it.

I have similar problems here at my local course. The guy that runs a small disc "business" has created a device to locate discs in the water. It was actually my friend who got upset when he saw him fish out one of mine (a flash). The person sells them as used discs.

Down here we are a small enough community that we know what discs belong to who; for example, I am one of the only 2 that throw discraft. It does leave a bad taste in your mouth when someone takes your discs, not for the 12 bucks it is worth, but due to the sentimental value some of them have.

I don't expect a disc returned, nor have I ever had one returned. Here's kharma for you: after losing several discs that ended up in the used section, I found a disc that I believe belonged to this person (we kinda know who throws what here and what colors). I started to call him...

Figured, he could find it himself with his disc locating device in the lake. So in a way, I did return it.

[roadkill]

Well since this thread has been acknowledged as a rant thread instead of a poll question I have a rant of my own on this topic.

I was competing in the 2005 pro worlds in Allentown, Pa. and during my final round at Little Lehigh I had a valued disc go into the creek near the basket (I think it was hole 4). If I weren't in a tournament I would've promptly went in after it since it was only about 5 feet off the bank and 2 feet deep. However I felt it would be improper to delay subsequent groups by taking the 3 minutes or so required to scale down the muddy bank, wade in, retrieve it and then climb back up. So with only three holes left I decided to return for it at the conclusion of my round.

When I returned 20 minutes later it was gone. I checked at the score table and the lost and found table at tournament central yet my disc hadn't been turned in. The following day my disc still hadn't been turned in. My disc had my name, pdga # and current phone # on it yet no call was ever made.

This peeved me that at the disc golf world championships that someone would do this. Just the day before I found an abandoned roc in the middle of the fairway (long after play had ended for the day) at the same course and promptly returned it to the lost and found desk at tournament central. I wish the same courtesy would have been extended to me.

Okay rant over.

[Solty]

Well since this thread has been acknowledged as a rant thread instead of a poll question I have a rant of my own on this topic.

I was competing in the 2005 pro worlds in Allentown, Pa. and during my final round at Little Lehigh I had a valued disc go into the creek near the basket (I think it was hole 4). If I weren't in a tournament I would've promptly went in after it since it was only about 5 feet off the bank and 2 feet deep. However I felt it would be improper to delay subsequent groups by taking the 3 minutes or so required to scale down the muddy bank, wade in, retrieve it and then climb back up. So with only three holes left I decided to return for it at the conclusion of my round.

When I returned 20 minutes later it was gone. I checked at the score table and the lost and found table at tournament central yet my disc hadn't been turned in. The following day my disc still hadn't been turned in. My disc had my name, pdga # and current phone # on it yet no call was ever made.

This peeved me that at the disc golf world championships that someone would do this. Just the day before I found an abandoned roc in the middle of the fairway (long after play had ended for the day) at the same course and promptly returned it to the lost and found desk at tournament central. I wish the same courtesy would have been extended to me.

Okay rant over.

ROadkill...

i can attest to the discsnatchers at LL....i've scene it first hand...a kid jump in hole 6...near the bridge....and snatched up 16 discs.......all nice overstable discs b/c of the 90 turn on the hole over the water. It's BS.....

mike

[Drew]

In my opinion, discs that are found out on the course should be at least attempted to be returned, but in my experience those people who go wading or diving in the ponds do not return discs, but they might sell them back to you. The bodies of water here in florida can be dangerous to hunt for discs in considering the very high population of cottonmouths and alligators. if you lose a disc in the water i think you should try to retrieve it, but if you cant get it do not expect to get it back unless you have a standing relationship with the disc divers on the course. for the effort and risk that they put in to retrieve the plastic they can certainly lay claim to it. it is obviously ideal that they try and return it, but it is just not realistic to expect this. i recently found two discs while i was searching for my own. I eventually found my disc, but i was wading chest deep in water that is filled with harmful things for me to interact with. from microbes all the way up to snakes and gators it can be a very dangerous proposition to go for discs. the difference is that the disc meant more to me than those other ones did to their former owners. I think i know who one of the discs belongs to, so i will try and return it next time i am at club, but the other one i really like and i do not know who it belongs too. i agree that we should all attempt to return discs, but i do not know who this other disc belongs to, and i went through a good deal of trouble recovering it. i will try to return it, but if i cant i will remove the marker from it because i hate the marks and put my own info on the rim. i just dont want to run into the person on the course at some point and be confronted about "stealing" the disc. i didnt steal anything, infact i risked alot more than i probably should have getting it back, and defenatly an effort worth more than the twelve dollar price tag for a new one.

[roadkill]

I have to agree with a few posters that there is a difference between discs that players lose (location of the disc is unknown) and those that are abandoned (yep it's in the middle of that sewage laden pond but I'm not going after it).

A disc found in a tree or in high grass in all likelihood was lost. A disc that's clearly visible in the water was likely abandoned. (Mine at LL was an exception since a tournament was in progress)

When I throw one in water that I opt not to retrieve I don't expect it to be returned but if it is that's a bonus. There are discs that are easily replaced and discs that are much harder to replace. The uniqueness of the disc coupled with the effort required to retrieve said disc are the two primary factors of whether or not I attempt retrieval or just purchase a replacement.

However when I do venture out into the muck and mud and feel around with my toes to find my disc I undoubtedly will find 5-6 discs not belonging to me before I find my own. I will always try to contact and return these discs to their rightful owners.

The local course pro goes into the nasty pond about 2-3 times a summer and will fish out 50-100 discs each time. He always makes an effort to contact all those who have contact info on them. Personally if he charged $3-5 per disc I would have no problem with it as long as he offered the original owner first crack at it. The sludge is so nasty at the bottom of the pond that any clothing worn must be thrown away afterwords because the pond stench never goes away.

[swel304]

Nice to see the discussion take a more civil turn. I think if there is one thing we all know, and not just from this thread, is that no one EXPECTS to get a disc back. No one is OBLIGATED to return one that they found. But putting forth any reason that makes it acceptable just feeds the problem. Most people who participate in this kind of stuff likely arent smart enough to come up with thier own excuses, so why give them words to cling to in thier own defense? We arent talking about someone who finds the occasional disc here and there, we are talking about people who are activly hunting large numbers of discs for thier own benifit, with no intention of doing anything for anyone but themselves. Id say charging a few bucks for retrieving a disc from a nasty location is totally acceptable, though I think anyone who wants thier disc back would offer something without haveing a required payment. then again if someone is charging people, its that greed that will probobly lead them to clean them up and put them on ebay to make the most money from it. I mean when you hear these stories about people in rivers and ponds its never one or two discs its like 50-100, and the majority of them have no name/number anyway so whats so bad about returning the 2-3% of the find that does. It will definitly make you some good friends on the course, and may even make you feel good about yourself. Id rather have a few discs and alot of friends than more discs than I can carry and no one to play with.

[TexasOutlaw]

I'm actually more of a oh well I lost it person. If I have a disc I don't want to lose, I don't throw it in precarious situations. I certainly would not risk cottonmouths for a disc (gators maybe); those things are aggressive.

I know my gf and I were in Beeville some time back during a cold front, and she wanted to go in the water after her polaris. I told her that a 10 dollar disc is not worth being wet, cold, and uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

Losing a disc like this, I do not expect it returned even if I was from the area. But, in some bodies of water, you can search all day and not find a disc. I figure if it's worth getting wet over, it may mean something to you.

[superq]

I think the bottom line is that it is considered lost when you give up looking for it. Granted you took the time to write your name on it but I dont think that changes anything. Look at the people out in the rivers near baseball stadiums... ball goes in it is lost man goes in gets ball ownership has changed.

I personally always try to return found golf discs. Having said that suppose you are out playing a round of disc golf and see a $100.00 Bill laying on the ground, You pick it up to look at it (to make sure your good fortunes are as real as you think) and low and behold on the back of the bill written in ink is "This bill property of Joe Schmoe if found please call 555-1475.

DO YOU CALL?

I am not a cynical person and I am sure there are more than 10 people in the world that are mostly good. it is like grade school one of the first "life lessons" I remember getting "FINDERS KEEPERS LOOSERS WEEPERS"

SOOO when I have a disc that I know I would be lost without I make sure of two things.

1. I make the top so ugly that no one would want to throw it, and If I see it immediatly I know its mine
2. on the bottom in the middle I write
Quinten Street #16504
If found please call 785-383-2469 $50.00 reward!!!

I have lost discs 3 times with that written on them and got calls within the week on all three. (most of the time the returning party will not want the cash just something cool...)

[dave9668]

Id rather have a few discs and alot of friends than more discs than I can carry and no one to play with.

While playing during the summer I often found myself playing several holes and when heat exhaustion was about to overwhelm me heading into the woods for a little shade. One area is particularly heavily wooded, but I grew up in the country so im quiet at home in the woods or in ponds, lakes, you name it. I have found many discs, some with names, and called the owners to return them. Now they know me and if Im out on the course by myself and they see me they always invite me to play with them. Most people that I play with know that i pretty much have no fear of nature so if they lose one in a bad place they let me know and on my next day off I will take some time and do a little hunting. My main point is that i do, at times, go out and look for discs. If any of them have contact info on them I give the disc back. If not they are mine to do what with what i wish. Is a disc better to be found and used by someone, anyone or is it better sitting in heavily wooded areas or at the bottom of a pond to rot? Dont take that last statement as a defense of disc thieves because it is not. I am not nor have i ever been a thief.