Did I Do The Right Thing?

[+TeamZebra]

I was checking the local caches last night and noticed a new WJTB had been brought into the area and dropped into a cache kinda close to me. I decided I'd try to lay hands on it today before heading off to work.

 

I work late, sleep late, etc.. and when I got up and checked the listing again the Jeep was still showing as being in the cache... HOWEVER, the cache was found this morning and the log from a cacher with 13 finds says he took the Jeep. He called it by name in his log so it wasn't just "Took a toy jeep". BUT he didn't log the Jeep, and it's still showing on the page.

 

Now here's my question. I'm trying to be nice and help a new cacher understand the process of TBs.. So I sent him an email. In my email, I politely reminded him that as a TB the Jeep needs to be logged when it's removed from a cache and again when it's placed in a new cache. I told him the Jeeps were being watched by many people and it's best to move it as quickly as possible. Then offered help if he needed it to log the Jeep correctly.

 

Should I have waited? Or is it OK to do this now? They are new and never logged a TB before. We've already got one Jeep icon showing up for an Unavailable cache, I'd hate to see this Jeep's icon sit in a cache he's not in anymore.

[+TeamZebra]

OK... All worked out. The cacher just emailed me back after logging the Jeep. He thanked me for offering my help and said he was just going to take a few pictures of the Jeep and release it soon. Looks like "Willard" may find his happy ending.

[+Sue Gremlin]

*shrug*

You say he found it the same day that you went hunting and hadn't logged it yet?

He may not be able to get to the internet for a few hours, so I'd say that's not untoward of him that he hadn't logged it yet. I mean, you don't carry a portable internet connection with you at all times, right? We had the same experience last week. It was a bummer that we drove all that way, but that's the nature of the game.

I don't think it's a horrible thing to send him an email, as long as it wasn't worded like "Hey, you MORON, you know you're supposed to log the ****ing *****mn ****** stupid Jeep, right, as***le?", and as long as you don't harrass him.

Me, personally? If I got an email from someone a half hour after I picked up the Jeep reminding me to log it, I might think "Sheesh! Gimme a break"! But that's just me.

 

Now, if this person had the Jeep for a week, I might start thinking about it. That reminds me, I have had a TB (not a Jeep) for a couple of days that is not logged properly. Thanks for the reminder.

[+TeamZebra]

No, that's not what I said. First, I didn't make it to the cache because I saw he'd taken it already.

 

He had logged the cache find. In his cache log (ONLINE) he said he took the Jeep and left a keychain. He had no previous TB logs so I offered to help him log the Jeep if he was unsure how to.

 

I was not trying to be an ***, not do I think I was in the email. Apparently he doesn't either because he THANKED me for offering to help. I was simply trying to keep people from going out there after seeing the WJTB icon on the list and then seeing this newbie took the Jeep and didn't log it. THey would think badly of him and assume the Jeep was stolen.

 

I don't expect people to log things within minutes of them finding it. I've had to wait a couple days before logging cache finds when we were driving a rig. But if he had logged the cache, he could have logged the Jeep.

[+Sue Gremlin]

I didn't mean to imply that you had been rude, sorry if you read it that way. And I misunderstood the rest.

Anyway, I am glad it worked out.

[+BlueDeuce]

It wasn't clear at first that the cacher had logged on-line yet. Since he had, a quick very friendly email is ok in most cases. Sometimes you even build a friendship since both parties enjoy the same hobby. Go figure!

Edited August 9, 2005 by BlueDeuce

[+Eartha]

I alos misunderstood and thought you had headed to the cache. now that it's clearer, what you did was fine. You were polite, and helpful.

[+EcoPit]

I had a similar situation two weeks ago. I did a cache that had no TBs listed on the page, but there was one in there when I opened up the cache. He had his mission written on a card, and I could help him along on it, so I picked him up. When I got home I checked his page; he was supposedly in a nearby cache. I checked that cache listing and someone had logged in the cache and said they picked him up. Then I checked the page for the cache I had just found and that same person had logged it and indicated they left the TB. So, I guessed they just did not know TB protocol. (Although it was the very first TB I picked up, and I figured it out, not that I am bragging or anything.) I decided to notify the TB owner and let them contact the cacher. I probably would have done it this way in your situation as well, but in my situation I thought it was especially appropriate because the person would need the TB code to log it, and I was not comfortable sending that out.

[+WascoZooKeeper]

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, no doubt numerous times.

 

It's always seemed klunky that you can DROP a travel bug at the same time you create a "found" log, but you can't RETRIEVE one -- you have to remember to go click a separate link at the corner of the page.

 

I can see that it might be hard to allow you to RETRIEVE multiple bugs the same way that you can DROP them, but it would be nice if there were simply a box at the bottom of the log page that said "If you picked up a travel bug, enter its tag number here:" and then took you to the TB page.

[+kentuckygirls]

I can see that it might be hard to allow you to RETRIEVE multiple bugs the same way that you can DROP them, but it would be nice if there were simply a box at the bottom of the log page that said "If you picked up a travel bug, enter its tag number here:" and then took you to the TB page.

 

 

That is an awesome idea! I think this would make it easier for everyone, not just new cachers!!

[+TeamZebra]

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, no doubt numerous times.

 

It's always seemed klunky that you can DROP a travel bug at the same time you create a "found" log, but you can't RETRIEVE one -- you have to remember to go click a separate link at the corner of the page.

 

I can see that it might be hard to allow you to RETRIEVE multiple bugs the same way that you can DROP them, but it would be nice if there were simply a box at the bottom of the log page that said "If you picked up a travel bug, enter its tag number here:" and then took you to the TB page.

I completely agree. I've also wondered why it has to be done as a separate action. It would help both new and old cachers... kind of a reminder there on the page. Heck, even just putting a link to the travel bug logging page at the bottom of the log screen would even help. Just something saying "If you found a Travel Bug in this cache, Click Here" and it takes you to the generic TB page where you enter the tracking number.

 

But I like your idea better, WascoZooKeeper, that would be sooo handy.

 

Maybe if more people were urged to log the bugs when they pick them up, they wouldn't be so hasty to KEEP them. It's sad that people put things out there for our enjoyment and someone has to spoil everybody's fun by keeping them. I liked the first WJTB I found. Pretty cool little car... but I didn't keep it. I let it go and went to Wal-Mart and bought one for $1.97. I'm thinking about painting some zebra stripes on it and setting it go as a "Striped Jeep Travel Bug".

[+Yamahammer]

Team Z, I see nothing wrong with what you did. I've done it with new guys and picking up TB's. Had one in one of my caches and asked the guy to log it out, no problem. I had dropped a WJTB in Texarkana and it finally got picked up and I asked the new guy to log it out. Both were totally understanding of what I was asking.

 

[+fly46]

Always a good idea...

I've sent quite a few.. "I saw you were new..." emails explaining various things. Some people responded politely, some ignored me, but none have told me to screw off yet, so I think it's all good. Certain aspects of logging - especially for bugs - can be confusing to a beginner.

[+TeamZebra]

Just to update... the cacher I emailed has released the Jeep today into another cache. All is well with "Willard" the jeep.