Fort Worth Area Caches Ransacked

[+EdDee]

I received this note from Geoblazers last month. I was wondering if anyone has any more information on this issue? I think it's really a sad state of affairs when someone feels the need to destroy another's cache. I'm saddened that my TB is now MIA. I just don't understand people.

 

EdDee

 

Geoblazers posted a note for American Heroes (Travel Bug Dog Tag) at

6/8/2005

 

Log Date: 6/8/2005

We went geocaching today and found caches that had been ransacked.

 

The caches were empty, except for a 8 ½ by 11 sheet of paper with a note

that said "This cache has been killed by C43DeathDealer" and "You will be

seeing more of me all over" with a red X in the middle of the page.

 

We visited four caches in the southwest Fort Worth area, and three had bee

killed by C43DeathDealer. They were:

 

Fish Head by Rob and Kids - Waypoint: GCNPND

Oh, Did I Wake You UP by Rob and Kids - Waypoint: GCNPNN

Bridge Over Troubled Waters by Cermak - Waypoint: GCF00

 

And the travel bugs in these caches were gone too:

 

"Little Bones (TBJZ29)" - Fish Heads cache

"Guinness (TBD243)" - Oh, Did I Wake You Up cache

"American Heroes (TBGYP1)" - Bridge Over Trouble Waters cache

 

I'm sending this note to fellow GeoCachers in the Fort Worth area.

Thanks,

 

Geoblazers

[+Hemlock]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

[+The Leprechauns]

This happens pretty often in different areas around the country. I've been lucky; there's never been a cache maggot in my home area. But, like you, I lost a travel bug when the cache was taken by a maggot. I had moved it all the way across the country to begin its journey, then it went missing after its first hop.

 

It's part of the game. There are bad people in this sport, just like in any activity. Try looking at the bright side: consider the thousands of caches that have been around for YEARS, without ever being stolen, because the vast majority of geocachers are honest and trustworthy. Even a fair percentage of random muggle finders will leave the cache as they found it.

[+BlueDeuce]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

Yep

[+Oakley1975]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

Yep

yep x 2

[+Joe Smith]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

Yep

yep x 2

yep X3,

 

and consider making them MOC, or an offset.

[+geekster]

List a new cache with lots of cool stuff then sit in the bushes and wait

[+Wreck Diver]

Another case-in-point for concealing the cache coordinates on the cache page unless the individual has taken the time to create an account and then logged in.

 

How many caches have to be trashed for juvenile entertainment before the geocaching.com administration takes this ongoing threat and chronic expenditure seriously enough to implement this simple preventative precaution?

[+teamjack&birdie]

It's not right, that being said, isn't it surprising that more caches aren't messed with? For the most part people on these forums are civilized and well... nice. But there are quite a few long timers with big numbers (maybe that is the problem) who are antagonistic, rude, condescending etc etc. Someone comes with an issue, a gripe, or even just a comment and they get bombarded with 'get over it' 'stop whining' and other here's why you're an idiot rants. Sometimes it seems caches get 'muggled' but it seems this case is probably someone who got pissed off after being ridiculed, ot by the cache owner but possibly by others in the geocaching community. This is of course just my humble opinion.

[+Miragee]

Another case-in-point for concealing the cache coordinates on the cache page unless the individual has taken the time to create an account and then logged in.

 

How many caches have to be trashed for juvenile entertainment before the geocaching.com administration takes this ongoing threat and chronic expenditure seriously enough to implement this simple preventative precaution?

That won't solve the problem . . . with throw-away email accounts from Hotmail or Yahoo!, anyone can register on GC.com and then see the coordinates . . .

 

Only long multis, puzzle caches, or offset caches will prevent this in an area prone to this sort of destructive vandalism.

[+Wreck Diver]

Nothing may completely stop it, but there's no need to encourage through further inaction.

[+Robespierre]

I thought I had a complete maggot this Spring seeking out just MY caches, but after a lot of messin' around, I think I just had "A Series of Unfortunate Events." I lost 4 caches, though, and two of them twice. I still don't have everything fixed.

[+ReyTheBear]

wow, they must be REALLY bored

 

as to closing the thread, i doubt that the person is reading any of the forums, but if they are it would be a good idea, of course we will probably never know

 

RTB

[+gpsjeep]

members only caches may help to alleviate these kind of problems.

Just a thought.

-Jeff

[+hukilaulau]

List a new cache with lots of cool stuff then sit in the bushes and wait

That would be my solution too. Let this punk find out that he is playing a dangerous game.

As many have said, there are all kinds of folks here in the geocaching community. Not all of them are mature, reasonable adults or pacifists!

[+sept1c_tank]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

Yep

yep x 2

yep X3,

............X4 and X5.............

[+Sonoran Privateers]

List a new cache with lots of cool stuff then sit in the bushes and wait

Ah hah! Someone that thinks like me! Of course, with my luck, I would mistake a family of four on their first cache hunt for the cache maggot and commit a class 2 felony!

[The Junkyard Dogs]

Close this tread and don't talk about it. Just quietly replace the caches. The maggot wants attention and you are giving it to him. Your best bet is to ignore him and he will tire of his antics.

Well, when your in texas you usually find a rope and a tree that is tall enough for the rope not to reach the bottom.

 

Beware, everything is bigger in TEXAS even the consequences. Just ask our President of the United States.

[+Fergus]

I grew up in southwest Fort Worth. The idea that someone is doing this to caches in my old home town makes me sick. I hope someone finds the bastard and is able to find something to get him or her thrown in jail.

[+cachew nut]

This happens pretty often in different areas around the country.  I've been lucky; there's never been a cache maggot in my home area.  But, like you, I lost a travel bug when the cache was taken by a maggot. 

Let's not mix terms here. While it's ok to call this person a maggot, the term "cache maggot" has been previously defined as someone who takes advantage of playing the game without a registered account, and not logging their finds online.

 

We don't know if this person has an account or not, but they are certainly not playing the game. So "maggot" or even "pirate" work here, but save "cache maggot" for the truly despicable.

Edited July 3, 2005 by cachew nut

[+teamjack&birdie]

Let's not mix terms here. While it's ok to call this person a maggot, the term "cache maggot" has been previously defined as someone who takes advantage of playing the game without a registered account, and not logging their finds online.

 

We don't know if this person has an account or not, but they are certainly not playing the game. So "maggot" or even "pirate" work here, but save "cache maggot" for the truly despicable.

 

Not being argumentative, but I truly don't understand (yet, that's why I'm seeking input) the problem with not registering or logging online. I don't log my finds as finds for other reasons, but I do leave a note and sign the log book. At first I didn't log online, but after reading some posts on the subject I decided to log and try and list what I took and left etc. as a courtesy to the placer and other cachers. What makes those you described above 'truly despicable'?

[+cachew nut]

Not being argumentative, but I truly don't understand (yet, that's why I'm seeking input) the problem with not registering or logging online. I don't log my finds as finds for other reasons, but I do leave a note and sign the log book. At first I didn't log online, but after reading some posts on the subject I decided to log and try and list what I took and left etc. as a courtesy to the placer and other cachers. What makes those you described above 'truly despicable'?

While looking for some previous threads to refer you to, I've discovered that perhaps my interpretation of "cache maggot" isn't exactly correct, and it could refer to a cache thief as well, so my apologies if I confused anyone.

 

The short answer to your question is that if you are not registered and logging online, then you are sharing nothing with the geocaching community, especially the cache owner who depends on those logs to know if everything is ok. It's not that anyone really cares what you left or took, it's about what is in the log. I'm sure someone will chime in as to why this is bad, or you can search some of the older posts in the forums for more about this.

[+jimmyreno]

Only long multis, puzzle caches, or offset caches will prevent this in an area prone to this sort of destructive vandalism.

I wish that was true. Tonight I went up to my Caesar's Salad cache with a bag of goodies to restock it and found everything was gone.

 

Someone who logs on here did it. It was located over the edge of a bluff with a great view and in the hills a mile from houses. No muggles ever go there.

Edited July 5, 2005 by jimmyreno

[+Greymane]

Speaking of bluffs, while I would never advocate violence, I can tell you first hand how placing someone on the precipise of death can change their view toward their actions and their fellow man. Texas has a long and illustrious history of solving issues like this. Death is a last resort for those who will not convert.