What to do when you know another person is playing with one of your lost disc?

I discovered today at Trophy Lakes that a person in our Club found one of my discs (at a different course), scratched off my name and had been playing with it. The only way I found this out was my disc was turned into the pro shop at Trophy Lakes after someone had dived for discs at the course. I do not know the person who wrote their name on my discs but someone told me the person recently joined our club. Any suggestions on how I should handle this so it does not happen to anyone else. I plan on talking to our President about it but I do not want any bad vibes or to isolate anyone.

[Mitchell]

I found 41 discs in the creek here this week. 4 were mine and my friend who went swimming too, 5 had no names, and 3 didn't have working numbers. Anything unnamed/unanswered that I didn't want goes into a box I have to give to new players to encourage them to play. I highly endorse clubs getting their old discs together and keeping it around, so that new kid can come out, planning to borrow his buddy's disc, and go home with a handful of plastic and good memories of some generous folks.

[Lyle O. Ross]

I tend to agree with Mark on this issue, but that may be because I can afford it. Most of the good players I know are somewhat particular about their plastic. Someone who is willing to pick up my plastic out of a lake and play with it is going to be new to the sport or at least somewhat inexperienced. I am happy that he/she is using the disc and might even offer them another if I have it handy. Only in one case have I asked for a disc back. I dropped a flat top Champion Stingray that was irreplacable and didn't realize it. When I finally did a disc count I went back looking and found a guy with three discs in his hand, a beat driver, a putter, and my Stingray. I smiled, said "good choice, I'll trade you a domier version of the same disc." The guy turned red and tried to give the disc back with no exchange but I had to insist.

[Nascar Dave]

we have a lost and found and lead by example, and so we believe it goes a long way towards disc kharma, even so that most people reward the finder in some way, another disc, a couple bucks, a cold beverage etc etc
it's produced such an example in our group that even the newbies turn in plastic for the most part, I've personally had discs come back months after they were lost
most of us also decline the return if it's direct due to the fact that we have for the most part replaced that disc in our bag
it's our give to recieve theory and it tends to work pretty well when everyone is on board

[Trozzle]

I would talk to your president and have him bring it up at a club meeting. He wouldnt have to mention your disc in particular, but he could bring up disc golf ettiquite. If this ney guy is there, he will be able to hear how most golfers feel about finding someone elses disc. It could also teach anyother new club members who are new golfers a thing or two

[Jamie]

see that is what happens....violence over disc?!?!?! It is truely the end times.

[Arthur Haverkamp]

I would go up to him, grab the disc and say; thanks dude, I lost that somewere...where did you find it?
Offer him a beer or another disc/money but do offer him something.
A beer is always the best....
What bad vibes?
If you don't have them than there shouldn't be any....
But don't let it go if you like the disc cuz' it will hunt you.

I just lost one of my babies. If I see anybody with that disc(no matter who it is), I will be all over that person to get it back.
I have 6 beers saying that he will give it back to me....;-)

[SUSAN]

PERSONALLY, IF I LOST A DISC AND SOMEONE ELSE PICKED IT UP LATER, I AGREE THAT IT IS ABANDONED AND "FINDERS KEEPERS" IS HOW THIS GAME IS PLAYED, BUT THAT'S WHY MOST OF US WRITE SOMETHING ON IT TO CLAIM IT LATER: NAME,PHONE NUMBER,ETC. IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING, I SUPPOSE THAT IT'S YOUR LOSS, BUT IF YOU DO, THE PERSON SHOULD GIVE IT BACK OR TRY THE PHONE NUMBER. I LIKE TO KEEP THE HONOR SYSTEM IN THE GAME AND IF YOUR THAT HARD UP FOR GETTING ANOTHER DISC OR HAVE THE BALLS TO SCRATCH OFF A NAME, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T PLAY ANYMORE OR GET A JOB!!!! WE ARE A FAMILY, WHETHER IT BE STATE TO STATE OR THROUGHOUT COUNTRIES; WOULD YOU STEAL FROM YOUR FAMILY? I WOULDN'T!!! I'D LIKE MY STUFF BACK,WOULDN'T YOU?

[humchris]

I think that its extreamly bad karma to take someones disc that has their name and #, and not call them. I allways try to return peoples discs to them if I find them, but sometimes people are lazy and never get back to me to get their discs back. Now I save them up until I have called them 3-4 times and then I take them to the disc golf shop in Eureka and they give you 1$ off on a new disc for everyone you bring in. There used to be a lost and found stump at the course I play at, but as the years went by people thought it was just a place to get free discs, so people stoped using it. Now the pawn shops take discs from people with names on them for 1$ so the homeless people are steeling discs to sell to the pawn shops.
I had a roommate that used to play only with discs that he had found and not returned so I gave him the ultimatum of giving people back thier discs or not playing with me, he chose not to play with me anymore. His Karma caught up with him though.
Usualy when I get a disc returned I give them a beer, a bowl or a few bucks, and most people I return them to tend to do the same, except for one guy who just took his disc and told me how greatfull he was to get it back, then left without even offering me a beer. O well.

[Mike Inscho]

I stick to etiquette. If I find one with a number and name.. I'll call the person. I'd expect the same but still haven't received a call for any of my lost disc. I agree with the disc that you don't get a call back from after the third time trying.... give em' to kids in the park or some of your friends that have never played before. Get more people into the sport.

[ANHYZER]

someone sold at least one of my lost lake discs on e-bay.....
the picture of the disc clearly showed my name on top...
its not right, i should get a chance to buy it back first...
but ...i knew the lake was there before i threw my disc ...so ??

[Eric Sears]

Actually Mark is right on. Admiralty Law. Look under Salvage and treasure salvage. If you leave your property or disreguard your property you have given up your rights to it. I know your thinking to yourself, well im going to come back and get it afterwards, but the person who just went and picked it up didnt know that.

I can saw though that If you put your Name and Number on the disc it has a better chance of coming back to you. Also if your one of the lucky ones, you have a store close to you that goes out, or has ppl go out and rake for disc and you can purchase them back for 2 bucks or something.

Hell for that matter there have been times when Ive had to buy my disc back from someone who found it. Other times, I just let them know and they give it back.

Good luck and happy retrieval.

Eric

mark ellis said:

When you threw your disc in the water and didn't retreive it, I think you abandoned it.

I don't mean this in a legal way, but in a practical way, you abandoned it. It sounds like whoever retreived it did not know you but if he is using it, at least he appreciated your taste in discs.

I have lost lots of discs and had many returned to me. I have always veiwed my lost disc as the property of whoever retreived it. I was the fool who lost it ( the vast majority of the time I threw my discs in some field and left one there). If the lost disc is one that is beloved then I will try to trade for its return and give the finder a disc they want. If the lost disc is not beloved then I would rather the finder keep it because perhaps it will be beloved to him.

For many years it seemed that the less I liked a disc, the more likely it would be returned to me if I lost it. So when someone told me they found one of my discs, it was almost for certain that it was a disc I didn't care about. The trend has reversed the last couple years and now I seem to be getting back the most beloved of the losses. Darn nice trend!