bicyclist340

bflentje noted above: "Aside from the park hour violation issue, you cannot require that cachers not seek your hides at night." In this area of Pennsylvania there are numerous caches in and around residential areas as well as other time sensitive areas where the cache owners state in their cache listings that caching should only be done in the daylight hours. While not a veteran at geocaching, the idea of walking around someone's property at night with a flashlight when asked not to do so seems like a pretty bad idea. If someone gives you permission to place a cache on their property with the stipulation that caching is only allowed in daylight hours, I don't see how bflentje's statement can possibly be accurate. If his statement is accurate, there are a lot of caches that would not be allowed. If a public park can limit caching to daylight hours, why could a private land owner also not limit caching to daylight hours on his own property. Otherwise, the landowner could simply tell us to pack our cache up and leave.

Thanks to those of you for the practical and positive responses to my question. I am new to geocaching, and I have enjoyed it very much even if I am not inclined to forsake all my other interests to spend all my time with this new one. Actually I think geocaching may fit in quite well with my cycling actvities. One of reasons for my original question was because a neighbor geocacher told me about his hiding a cache in a residential area and stated in the listing that cachers should not look for the cache at night. Apparently the cache was published at night, and several cachers were out that same night for first, second, and third to find bragging rights. I would not go out in the night for any cache, but I also would not go out in the night for a bike ride either. For those who choose to cache at night in a residential neighborhood, and when it is clearly stated in the cache listing that it should not be done at night, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth for those who do it and those who give them a pass by chalking it up to their being "hard core" or "FTF Hounds." I am sure it is a small minority who do this, but it does seem that they do it repeatedly, and it is known by others in the geocaching community who may not like it but seem unable to do anything about it. Von Horst mentioned several things to consider, and a few made me laugh at myself: He mentioned hiding it up in a tree, and I immediately thought of a cache I visited this past weekend. It was in a city park, up in a tree, and in plain view. I was tempted to climb the tree, but second thought led me to pass on the climbing idea and move on to another cache. He also mentioned hiding a cache on an island or on the side of a cliff. Again I am not inclined to go to take such rigorous measures. Lastly, he suggested, "Sometimes, if asked nicely, a reviewer will publish a cache on a specific day or time, so if a cache is published whilst the majority of FTFers are at work. This might just allow someone else a crack at the FTF (but then again might not!)..." That to me sounds like a very good idea to try. If the reviewer does cooperate, it would at least insure the first to find would be in daylight hours. Thanks Von Horst.

No, I am not trolling, I at no time suggested that premium members have their perks taken away from them, and I don't think there was any whining on my part. I was not suggesting that anyone should or should not become a premium member. Premium members have the option of listing their own caches for premium member only or for all members. I can understand that. It is their cache, and they have the right to decide for whom they want to list it and to whom they want to exclude from it. With the same understanding in mind, I was wondering if a non-premium member could list his own cache in such a way that would allow more of an opportunity to other people who are not the same ones who are the usual first to find cachers. Let's face it, here in South Central Pennsylvania, most caches are first found by a rather small group of people who work very hard to be the FTF, and they are almost always premium members. Again, I did not suggest that premium members not be given email notice of new caches. I simply asked if there was a way to open first to find opportunities to more people rather than the same few who are the usual first to find people. Not whining - just wondering. J-Way provided some useful ideas oh how to "negate the Instant Notification advantage." He suggested that making it a hard puzzle or a hard hide would cause most FTF hounds to pass on these since most are in it for the quick numbers. Another alternative he mentioned was to post the coordinates elsewhere first or just notify your friends via email before listing with Geocaching.com. I didn't even know there were any other sites other than Geocaching.com, so I am not inclined to go that route. Maybe the puzzle cache may be a good idea. Bicyclist.

When caches are placed, it is my understanding that Premium Members get advanced notices of same and are usually the ones who are the first to find so many caches. Are there any rules or guidelines which would prohibit someone from listing a new cache with a statement that clearly mentions that the cache will not be put in place until five days after the reviewer publishes it? The amount of time delay is not important; the intent is to give all geocachers a more level playing field when it comes to being the first one to find the cache. Bicyclist.