Cache At The Post Office?

[+ShowStop]

Got a question about the placement of a cache at a post office.

 

Would you ever hide a cache at a post office, even it if was well hidden/placed?

Do the guidelines specifically disallow this type of placement?

What if the cache was under the light post at the edge of the parking lot?

 

I'm guessing this falls under the "government building" part of the guidelines, but I was looking for confirmation on that.

[+TeamAO]

I would say that is a gov't building.

 

But on the micro in the lamp skirt...why hide it there? I'm not a fan of micros. But since you guys usually dump them anywhere, there are alot more light poles everywhere else.

 

At a post office, if it's a big town it may get found, and probably wouldn't get permission from the owner, which is the government.

 

Maybe Sam Walton would let you hide some around his property?

[+dkwolf]

I'm not an expert on the subject, but I'm going to guess that a cache at a post office would not get approved. Something about strange people walking around with a GPS rootin around trees and such might raise some alarm.

[+HugoBear]

Yep. I bet you'd have as much luck with your GPS walking around a fire department, police station, airport, national guard center...

 

But I'd try WalMart.

Edited September 7, 2005 by HugoBear

[+wandererrob]

Got a question about the placement of a cache at a post office.

 

Would you ever hide a cache at a post office, even it if was well hidden/placed?

Do the guidelines specifically disallow this type of placement?

What if the cache was under the light post at the edge of the parking lot?

 

I'm guessing this falls under the "government building" part of the guidelines, but I was looking for confirmation on that.

Go in, and chat with the Postmaster. Who knows, maybe he/she will say "ok". Might not get approved though.

[+ShowStop]

But on the micro in the lamp skirt...why hide it there? I'm not a fan of micros. But since you guys usually dump them anywhere, there are alot more light poles everywhere else.

I don't own any caches that are hidden under a lamp post, and I don't have any plans to hide one there. (I'll let others hide their caches there. ) I was mostly going for whether that cache placed on the outskits of the PO property would be OK (less muggle factor, less suspcious, etc) or it if would be no different then a cache placed under the bench right next to the front door of the building.

[+Cow Spots]

A caching friend of mine is a US Postal employee. He has stated that even placing a micro cache on/underneath a regular ol' blue mailbox is against the law.

 

So I'd think twice about it.

[+rjb43nh]

I'm really amazed that someone with 2500 finds, 43 hides, and many posts in the forum would ask a question about hiding a cache at the Post Office! Just like school zones extending beyond the physical buildings, I wouldn't hide a cache anywhere near a forbidden zone like a Post Office, airport, or federal building. With all the places to hide a cache, you certainly can find a legal spot to hide. Drop this bad idea, please.

[+kc8bdr]

Got a question about the placement of a cache at a post office.

 

Would you ever hide a cache at a post office, even it if was well hidden/placed?

Do the guidelines specifically disallow this type of placement?

What if the cache was under the light post at the edge of the parking lot?

 

I'm guessing this falls under the "government building" part of the guidelines, but I was looking for confirmation on that.

It is my personal opinion, but I am going to side with this as being a government building.

 

Also I would not hide one at a Post office or for that mater hunt one there. I just would not be comfortable in doing either.

 

Thanks

Jim

kc8bdr

[+ShowStop]

I'm really amazed that someone with 2500 finds, 43 hides, and many posts in the forum would ask a question about hiding a cache at the Post Office! Just like school zones extending beyond the physical buildings, I wouldn't hide a cache anywhere near a forbidden zone like a Post Office, airport, or federal building. With all the places to hide a cache, you certainly can find a legal spot to hide. Drop this bad idea, please.

I ask because there is such a cache hidden at a post office near my home. I wanted to see if I was correct in my thinking that it was a bad idea before I posted an SBA log.

 

I recently removed a cache from in front of a police station due to similar issues. I know the kind of problems bad placements can cause. "Putting geocachers in harms way" is a familiar phrase.

[+LadeBear68]

my mother is a Postmaster and I asked the same question. Response is that they are all governent property and OFF limits for placements of caches which includes blue sidewalk boxes.

 

There is a huge liability issue for the post office as well.

Edited September 7, 2005 by LadeBear68

[+TeamAO]

Well, since this probably slipped by the approver sleakly, maybe if you bring it to their attention through private email you could have them take a look.

 

If it's in the wrong place they could archive it, and if the owner really wants to keep the cache, they can move it to a more legal place.

 

 

I wouldn't blame the approver either, they have an impossible task. They work all day long, come home and read cache listing after cache listing. Some things get through, no one is perfect. I bet they'd appreciate it if you point it out to them by email or if necesary a SBA log.

[+AtoZ]

I'm really amazed that someone with 2500 finds, 43 hides, and many posts in the forum would ask a question about hiding a cache at the Post Office! Just like school zones extending beyond the physical buildings, I wouldn't hide a cache anywhere near a forbidden zone like a Post Office, airport, or federal building. With all the places to hide a cache, you certainly can find a legal spot to hide. Drop this bad idea, please.

I think this is a pretty RUDE post.

 

cheers

[+Team Perks]

I'm really amazed that someone with 2500 finds, 43 hides, and many posts in the forum would ask a question about hiding a cache at the Post Office!

I'm amazed that someone with 613 finds, 17 hides, and 53 forum posts wouldn't know better than to be so insulting.

[+Thrak]

I'd expect to be arrested and put into prison. That's enough reason for me not to consider the Post Office as a cache site. I'm allergic to prison.

[+Clan Delaney]

A cache at the Post Office isn't a completely bad idea, IMO. I've been considering a cache with a PO connection for awhile. The plan was to use a small PO Box as a stop on a multi. I ran into the issue of hiding something near the actual building when it came to where to hide the key for the PO Box. (Finally! a real use for a magnetic key holder!!) I wanted to put it close to the building, but my wife talked some sense into me, the whole gov't building issue and all. Best to be safe. I'll probably use a location across the street on the town common.

[+Renegade Knight]

No.

 

I thought about one inside PO Box but then realized that, while I could hide a clue there on a flat piece of paper I could not actually hide a cache there due to postal regulations. The piece of paper would be iffy but probably doable if done something like a name tag.

[+rjb43nh]

RJB43NH (me)-"I'm really amazed that someone with 2500 finds, 43 hides, and many posts in the forum would ask a question about hiding a cache at the Post Office!" 

I'm amazed that someone with 613 finds, 17 hides, and 53 forum posts wouldn't know better than to be so insulting.

I appologize if anyone found my statement to be an insult, at any level. What I have found, with my limited experience, is that questions like the OP asked just don't come out of the blue- there is some other reason for asking such a question.

 

In this case the real question was whether an existing approved cache on government property should have been allowed. To phrase the question the way it was phrased was intentionally misleading, and the OP has since posted his true reason for posting which I wholeheartedly agree with. I will stick by my original statement: -the OP's original post WAS amazing, and it couldn't be true on face value. I sure others were thinking the same thing as well. Perhaps both the OP's and my statement should have been worded differently. Unfortunately the written word doesn't carry the nuances of the spoken word and both his post, and mine were read "flat", without conveying the intended meaning. My post may have been brutally blunt, but it wasn't intended to be insulting or rude.

[+Team Perks]

rjb43nh -- In that case, my apologies for jumping on you.

[+Yamahammer]

I've learned through observation of the forums that sometimes OP's ask questions, not for themselves but maybe as a subject lead. I've thought some were kinda iffy. Many noobs patrol the forums and this kind of duscussion could save someone from making a terrible mistake. I know I've learn many lessons, that I would have never thought to be an issue but were. Many people. Many thoughts. Many answers. This is the place to get them.

 

IMHO.

 

[+rjb43nh]

Team Perks -"rjb43nh -- In that case, my apologies for jumping on you."

No problem. I was ready to poke one of your three eyes out-but I won't now! (meant as jest, no person or 3-eyed cat was to be harmed)

[+ShowStop]

I've learned through observation of the forums that sometimes OP's ask questions, not for themselves but maybe as a subject lead. I've thought some were kinda iffy. Many noobs patrol the forums and this kind of duscussion could save someone from making a terrible mistake. I know I've learn many lessons, that I would have never thought to be an issue but were. Many people. Many thoughts. Many answers. This is the place to get them.

 

IMHO.

 

Yes, I was fishing for feedback. I had recently been involved in an incident with the bomb squad over a different cache, which led to this cache being removed:

 

BUSTED! (GCK9ZJ)

 

This cache was placed near the front steps of a police station. I felt uncomfortable finding that cache due to its placement, and that made me remember the post office cache. I'm trying to be a bit more pro-active and vocal so others don't have to experience what I went through. Maybe I should have just titled this thread "Where not hide a cache?".

[+Clan Delaney]

No.

 

I thought about one inside  PO Box but then realized that, while I could hide a clue there on a flat piece of paper I could not actually hide a cache there due to postal regulations.  The piece of paper would be iffy but probably doable if done something like a name tag.

Never considered actually hiding a cache in the PO Box... you'd just open it, take an envelope with directions to the next leg, and close it up. Just like pickin' up the mail.

[+ShowStop]

No.

 

I thought about one inside PO Box but then realized that, while I could hide a clue there on a flat piece of paper I could not actually hide a cache there due to postal regulations. The piece of paper would be iffy but probably doable if done something like a name tag.

Also, whats to stop somebody else from leaving an item in the PO Box? They leave a nasty surprize for the Postmaster and you get stuck with the liablity since its your box!

[+badlands]

I found one that was either on or very close to Post Office property and never gave it a second thought.........................until now

 

Thanks for the topic an reminder.

[vagabond]

I think I know the one your talking about, Its probably the last one I did on the

ninth of last month. And I didnt feel comfortable doing it if I'd known where it was before hand I would have passed it by.

[+Renegade Knight]

No.

 

I thought about one inside  PO Box but then realized that, while I could hide a clue there on a flat piece of paper I could not actually hide a cache there due to postal regulations.  The piece of paper would be iffy but probably doable if done something like a name tag.

Also, whats to stop somebody else from leaving an item in the PO Box? They leave a nasty surprize for the Postmaster and you get stuck with the liablity since its your box!

Nothing, However my PO Box has clear glass, I could leave a clue visible in the glass with no access to the box itself.

 

Back to the OP: With permission anything is possible.

[+SteveDex]

I remembered something someone told me about not being allowed to put anything but mail in home mailboxes so I searched the net.

 

Here's what it says about the ones at the post office that you rent. See "Section 3.2Mail Only" at http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/D910.htm, only mail can be placed into a post office box.

 

And here's one that relates to the thing at the end of our driveway: "1.3Use for Mail" at http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/D041.htm. Only things with postage allowed.

[Paulcet]

Hmmmm. When I did GCA423 I didn't give it a second thought.

 

With 165 logged visits since November 2002, looks like it's not too bad. Maybe better check the news archives for cachers being arrested as suspected terrorists. Doubt it though.

[+KKTH3]

I had considered putting the first leg of a multi cache at the post office, but when i went to ask for permission it was after hours. I opted to place it at a grocery store instead since a manager was on duty at the time and I was able to get permission right away. Considering the type of hide, there really wasn't many other places outside of the post office that would ahve been appropriate for the hide. I'm glad I found one though - and one that was far less likely to cause problems at that.

[+Zekester & Simon]

Funny you should ask this question, as we found a cache by a post office just a few days ago.

 

Check out GCNZTF.

 

Ciao...