Author Topic: Question about fines for trespassing and EMF detectors  (Read 978 times)

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Offline nekosensei

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Hey!  This is my first post here, so please excuse me if I'm doing this wrong.  I'm planning on participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November, and my story is going to be about a couple of ghost hunters that are, well, not that competent.  It should be a fun story.  The reason I'm posting is because I'm planning on having my characters sneak into Bachelor's Grove at the opening of the novel.  One of them is caught and gets a ticket for trespassing.  My question is this.  Have you ever gotten caught for trespassing in the Grove?  If so, how much was the ticket?  And did you have to appear in court? 

This next question is vaguely related.  My characters are also going to have a Tri-Field EMF meter with them.  Assuming there is ghostly activities, what kind of reading would they see on the meter?  Would this be caused by an electric field, a magnetic field, or both?  Would the device make any noise if it did pick up an anomaly?  If so, what?   There's a link to the Tr-field EMF meter here: http://www.trifield.com/EMF_meter.htm   

Also, I've been to Bachelor's Grove myself twice this year.  The first time was in February, and the second was in July or August.  Creepy place.  The first time, I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye.  Whatever it was, it was near the evergreens towards the entrance to the cemetery.  If memory serves me right, it was moving from right to left.  When I looked up from what I was doing (I was taking pictures of a headstone), I didn't see anything.  The second time, I could have sworn I heard whispering by the pond at the back of the graveyard.  Too bad I didn't have a videocamera or a microphone on me. 

Offline Exzyle2k

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Re: Question about fines for trespassing and EMF detectors
« Reply #1 on: Oct 27 2009 - 12:40AM »
Fines range... It's usually a civil ticket, which means it doesn't go on your record. Depending on the mood of the judge, it can be anywhere from $50 to $1000. If you get a cop who's having a bad day, and a judge who's getting tired of seeing trespass summons on his desk, expect a hefty fine. For story purposes, I would say he gets ticketed, summons to appear, and is fined $200 or so.

As far as the tri-field detector, while it sounds cool, I don't think would be good for a story. You don't want to blow your readers' minds with technology they don't understand. A simple EMF reader with a digital display is better because not only are they more readily available to most people (and some people even have them in their toolboxes), it's easily understood that it takes a reading, displays a number, and that's it. By trying to describe the three gauges and how they differ from one another and how to read it, I think it would be too much.

I'm also not a huge fan of the whole "incompetent ghost hunter" thing, because the vast majority of the public views paranormal research as a joke anyways. I think it could be better if you had a "Pinky & the Brain" mentality, where one person is experienced, has the tools, knows the histories, and brings a friend or someone along and that person is the one who leads his partner into trouble.

Just my two cents.
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Offline Rachael

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Re: Question about fines for trespassing and EMF detectors
« Reply #2 on: Oct 27 2009 - 04:44PM »
I think you should write about whatever your little heart desires, that's the point, isn't it?
Respect.  Mah.  Authoritah!