Last week I received a call from Chan seeking my help with finding his wedding ring that he had dropped in his car. I explained that using a metal detector in a car is not practical, but I do have other tools that may be useful. I was out of town when we spoke, but agreed to meet the following weekend.
I arrived and met Chan. He had the car parked in the same spot in the driveway, which had a noticeable slope. He said he was in the driver’s seat, with the door closed. He had removed his ring and it slipped out of his hand, falling between the seat and door. He heard it bounce off of something plastic, and it vanished. He said he had spent hours trying to find it, even dropping quarters to see where they might go. One of those also disappeared to parts unknown.
I started with a basic visual search, using a bright flashlight. Coming up empty, I fired up the endoscope camera and started checking the hardware under the seat. I saw a penny below the track the seat ran on, and Chan said he had felt it there when he had stuck his finger in the gap, but he realized it wasn’t his ring. Nearby was a second penny, but no ring. I moved to the vents below the seat, and under the carpet I found the missing quarter. I spent several minutes probing under the carpet, going in at various angles without luck.
I took a pause to reevaluate. I saw the plastic mounding covering the rear on the seat mounting looked like it would just pop off, and I was able to remove it. Chan was standing by the open driver’s door, and as soon as the mounding came clear, he shouted “There it is!” and he snatched it up. I also recovered the two pennies.
It’s not always the metal detector that finds the ring. Other tools, experience, no emotional attachment, or just a fresh set of eyes can get it done.
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