[Clare~Bear]

A few miles from me is a good fossil hunting beach which I haven't explored yet.

Obviously you need stuff like a hammer/chissel to crack the rocks open, but this would require me to carry it on a bus for about 3 miles and then walk another mile or so to the part of the beach where I stand a chance of actually finding a fossil.

I'd carry it in a bag, I'm not exactly going to jsut carry it and wave it about in peopoles faces, but say someone saw it, especially a policeman . . . could I get in trouble? It's not like a sharp blade that i'm gonna stab someone with but you could still do some damage to someone with it and cos i'm only a young adult I dunno if they'd believe me, although they probably would if it was on the way home and I actually had a fossil or two . . .

And any fossil hunting tips would be welcome

[Bill_Gates]

dont worry about the totalitarian nanny state. Enjoy fossil hunting.

[tehforum]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
A few miles from me is a good fossil hunting beach which I haven't explored yet.

Obviously you need stuff like a hammer/chissel to crack the rocks open, but this would require me to carry it on a bus for about 3 miles and then walk another mile or so to the part of the beach where I stand a chance of actually finding a fossil.

I'd carry it in a bag, I'm not exactly going to jsut carry it and wave it about in peopoles faces, but say someone saw it, especially a policeman . . . could I get in trouble? It's not like a sharp blade that i'm gonna stab someone with but you could still do some damage to someone with it and cos i'm only a young adult I dunno if they'd believe me, although they probably would if it was on the way home and I actually had a fossil or two . . .

And any fossil hunting tips would be welcome

...

Just put it in an opaque bag.

[Electronica]

Stick all your stuff in a rucksack. And get some fossils in there and a fossil book for good measure, then if someone does stop you then your story about fossil hunting can be easily backed up.

[Clare~Bear]

Plus I know people that have found good fossils there but I don't think that many people actually use it, in the summer there's a lot of sunbathers on it, even up that far away from the shops and cafes.

I was going to put my stuff in an opaque bag, but the suggestion of a fossil book would help aswell it might actually be useful when i'm there . . .

[PaleontologistDH]

Well I keep my Pick axe, Chisel, hammer in a bag and only take it out to use is!

Hope this helps!
Daniel

[Alex17595]

when I went to lyme regis I walked about 5 miles with a hammer...

If its a busy place people would be used to it anyway....

Remember theres other fossils than ammonites

[james1211]

It isn't illegal to carry those things unless you're carrying them with the intent to commit a crime, where you could be arrested for going equipped.

[Sierra166]

(Original post by james1211)
It isn't illegal to carry those things unless you're carrying them with the intent to commit a crime, where you could be arrested for going equipped.

Errmmm, not exactly.

Going equipped to commit theft is a grey area, unless you look like you're likely to be out on the rob, then all will be fine.

Regarding Offensive Weapons, there's three types;
1.Made
2.Adapted
3.Other carried with intention to cause harm.

1. Any item which is manufactured to cause harm to another (baton, most martial arts items and flick/auto knives)
2. Any item which has been adapted so it can cause harm to another (think putting nails through a baseball bat etc)
3.Any innocent item which the person carrying it has the intention to harm another with it (Wrapping belt around fist, Carrying a biro to stab into someone's neck etc).

A hammer would fall under 3. You'd have to satisfy and officer on the balance of probabilities that you were not carrying it with the intention to cause harm. That's the legal eagle way of putting it. Most probably, if you do get stopped (which is unlikely), a polite attitude and something like fossils/fossil book to back you up will be fine. Police Officers also have common sense and generally get a feel for who's out up to no good and who's not. Just be honest, up front and polite and you'll be fine. That advise goes to anyone talking to anyone in authority.

Sorry for the legal eagle response, but I'm not one for telling half fact.
-

[james1211]

(Original post by Sierra166)
Errmmm, not exactly.

Going equipped to commit theft is a grey area, unless you look like you're likely to be out on the rob, then all will be fine.

Yes that's what i said.

[robo donkey]

My friend keeps a lot of his equipment in a smaller bag within his main bag, he does a hell of a lot of rockhounding and fossil digging in fairly public areas and says the less likely you can make joe public see something the better. You'd think everyone would have common sense not to report you instantly to the police for having some basic tools but it happens.

[hothedgehog]

You'll be fine, I'm a geologist and usually carry my hammer on the outside of my rucksack when I'm out and about in the field and in my bag whilst I'm getting to where I'm going. I've never had any questions further than an interested 'oh, what are you doing?'. You're only carrying an offensive weapon if you start flapping it around in people's faces. If you're worried, other general fossil hunting paraphernalia such as a fossil book and an outdoors outfit (waterproofs, walking boots, walking trainers).