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Jeep Hog

birddog14

By birddog14
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birddog14

+birddog14

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have noticed lately in my area (DFW, TX) that there are very few white Jeep TBs coming up in caches. Now I realize that a lot of cachers in our area search or track white Jeep TBs in order to go get them, so when one is placed in a cache and logged it does not stay very long. But I have noticed that one person in particular has been grabbing Jeep TBs and holding numerous ones (up to 6 at a time) and holding them up to 5 weeks before placing them in another cache. This prevents others from entering the contest. The whole contest is to grab a Jeep TB, enter the program and pass it along so someone else can enter. The contest is not to see who can collect the most. It even says on the Jeep TB page - Current GOAL: Log your visit, and move me to a new geocache!

 

I have sent this person a message twice stating that they have held certain Jeep TBs for over a month. I did not get reply either time, but they did place the Jeep TB in a cache shortly after that. So I knew they got my message.

Edited by birddog14
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danoshimano

danoshimano

Posted
Posted (edited)

It seems to me the nature of this commercial contest would encourage that very thing in a percentage of the population. It may even be a high percentage.

 

I wonder how many of these have found their way to Canada, where the contest is invalid?

 

I will admit openly that I have one and I am thinking of keeping it as a souvenir. I would never dream of keeping any geocacher's travel bug, but this one is different. It's neat, it's not owned by any geocacher, and it is here in Ontario where there is no contest.

 

I am also curious about what is supposed to happen to these items at the end of the year.

 

EDIT: Added bold emphasis, for what it's worth.

Edited by danoshimano
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Fabu Two

+Fabu Two

Posted
Posted

I have also experienced Jeep TBs going missing in my area... knowing there are quite a few around, then seeing only one or two (if that) pop up in caches. I, personally, don't enter the contest... though I do like the icon. I recently grabbed one with the intent of placing in a new cache I am thinking of putting out - nice incentive, I think.

 

I will say - yes it irritates me that people hang on to them... I mean, this is a game after all... fun, comraderie, light, but friendly competition... no matter where we go there will be selfish jackasses who feel they are the only self-absorbed people on the planet with little regard for others or the world in which we live... and geocaching, and an entry in the Jeep Contest is no exception.

 

As far as keeping them in Canada... well, if you look on the TB page (as should be done with any TB) it says it's goal is to find it's way into another cache. THEY ARE NOT SOUVENIRS. When the contest is over, they continue to travel around... there are many Yellow Jeeps still found in caches. As is the responsiblity of any cacher... your mission should be to see he meets his goal - and gets into another CACHE.

 

If one wishes to keep one so badly, might I suggest a trip to the Toy Store... coughing up the $1.99... and gingerly placing their own property on the mantle... as opposed to contributing to the very thing THIS FUN HOBBY is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE.

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Frodo13

+Frodo13

Posted
Posted

My wife spent considerable time on the Jeep website (over fours hours) reviewing the listings for white TBs. We had been to three caches where the TBs were listed only to find them missing with no log (paper or internet). She discovered over 500 Jeeps were "out of circulation" and she was only counting people who had more than 3 or more Jeeps. I can only surmize the jeeps are the trophys of Geocachers who need some way to measure there skills or something else. She went so far as to send Jeep a nice note listing all of the offenders over a month ago and has not recieved a reply, I don't expect she will. As with all games, there are those who feel its ok for them to break the rules, even if the rules are the unwritten ones of fair play. I am planning on going to our local toy shop and ordering a few Jeeps and painting a few for my bookshelf, that way I will look cool.

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Eartha

+Eartha

Posted
Posted

That question has been asked over and over .

 

No one has come up with an answer yet.

 

As far as entering the contest, you do not need to have a jeep in your possession. From the rules page:

 

"NOTE: If the Travel Bug is not in the cache when you arrive, take a picture of your GPS unit showing the coordinates of the cache with the goal in the photo if you can, but if you cannot, then take a SECOND picture completing one of the three monthly goals to enter. Then visit http://jeep.geocaching.com, visit the listing for the cache page that the Travel Bug was not in, link to the Travel Bug page and submit your entry."

 

Here are the official rules.

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pghlooking

+pghlooking

Posted
Posted
I will admit openly that I have one and I am thinking of keeping it as a souvenir. I would never dream of keeping any geocacher's travel bug, but this one is different.

So its OK to steal something owned by a company that was put out for fun for your fellow honest geocachers, but its wrong to steal from the actual cachers themselves. Now there is a set of morals to live by.

 

How about you ARE stealing from the cachers themselves. You are taking some of their fun away with your selfisness. It has an owner and a mission. Its mission is to move to another cache, not your collection.

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Bill & Tammy

+Bill & Tammy

Posted
Posted

I agree. Taking any TB out of circulation (if you are not the owner) denies other cachers of a lot of the enjoyment of the game. Since gas prices have gone up we have been focusing on TB's lately. Since they show up at nearby caches they allow us to do something GC related without spending a tankload of gas. We greatly enjoy logging the TB's, finding out where they have been, adding our story and maybe even doing something creative photographically as an artifact for the TB owner. I usually have the TB back in circulation within the week at another cache.

 

Lets' keep the WJTBs and other TB's out there for everyone to enjoy!

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danoshimano

danoshimano

Posted
Posted (edited)

Notice I said I am *thinking* about it, not I *am*. That was the truth... I had a thought, so I posted it.

 

So much for throwing out an honest thought and getting accused of being a thief, and other heinous crimes against humanity (with the added bonus of name calling).

 

I pointed out a distinction between TBs and Jeep TBs, and would like to make it again:

 

1. An individual places a TB into the game at their expense for the enjoyment of themselves and other cachers.

 

2. A company uses the game to promote their product.

 

Note there is no conclusion. No, "therefore, anyone can keep a jeep TB." But there is a distinction. It would be nice to explore it without nasty conclusion-jumping invectiveness from what I assume are otherwise reasonable adults.

Edited by danoshimano
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Just 1 More

+Just 1 More

Posted
Posted

[Grab the ID# (because the person holding the jeep isnt going to let go of it) and submit a picture with a Wal-mart $1.97 jeep. See how simple it is?]

 

Sure it's simple but still wrong. These jeeps are no different then a regular tbs, they are supposed to move from cache to cache. By bending the rules, those hording white jeeps feel it's ok to do so. I have found 2 people in my state that have 7 or more in their possession. One submitted a picture with 5 white jeeps and it didn't make the current contest picture web site.

 

my thoughts are if you want to hang on to them wait until the contest is over, I would like to see Jeep continue to support the sport by having a contest and if they don't get enough entries my guess it they may end up not placing these cool travel bugs for us to go find.

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LarryGC

+LarryGC

Posted
Posted (edited)
Was the tag # shown in pictures or mentioned in any logs?  I seem to recall some uproar some dude was causing by logging bugs in and out of caches just to cause confusion.  I don't think he ever actually picked up the bugs, but logged ones he found out the tag numbers for through pictures and logs.

I just found 3 TB's and took pics of them. I used the Smudge option to wipe out those numbers before posting them up. I guess it would be a good idea for others to Smudge or crop out the tag numbers!

 

My son and I just started geocashing, it would be nice to find TB's where caches say they are. I guess there are always those who don't want to play right. How sad. Is there ANY hobby untained?

Edited by LarryGC
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Just 1 More

+Just 1 More

Posted
Posted

[if you look at the Jeep 4X4 owner page of the first 100 white jeeps almost 40 have 0 miles. ]

 

I as able to get a listing of all 5000 WJTB, their current location, and how many miles they have moved. Here are a few interesting facts (as of 9/10/05): 1,883 have traveled 0 miles, 2,575 have traveled less then 50 miles, 775 still show in the possession of Jeep.

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RigRat1

+RigRat1

Posted
Posted

I suspect that while some are grabbing the jeeps to keep, some are possibly holding them to keep them out of circulation to increase their odds at winning. I suggest checking the logs for each bug when entries are submitted and not voting for those that have had an extended possesion of a bug, and rewarding those that keep them moving. This might help to discourage those using this method to cheat the game. I have noticed in my area (FMN, NM) that 7 bugs were released in June and not 1 has seen 5 caches, although contest entries have been submitted on many of them.

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markandlynn

markandlynn

Posted
Posted

No one has come up with an answer yet.

 

It appears that they like geocoins have become collectors items which if slightly unfair was bound to happen.

 

Maybe TPTB could put brand new Jeep TB's up for sale in the shop after the competition has closed.

So we could now go and buy Yellow Jeep TB's from the Groundspeak shop.

This would give us the owners icon and if you buy one to keep and one to release gives others a better chance of obtaining the icon as a find.

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the hermit crabs

+the hermit crabs

Posted
Posted (edited)
That guy is a thief.  I know the one you're talking about -- he stole one of mine, too.  I hope to meet him on the trail one day for some " coercion" to change his ways.

He got one of ours, too. When it became clear that he wasn't going to release the stolen bugs (in spite of the remorseful log he wrote in which he said he would put them all back), we sent out a replacement with the copy tag. A few other victims have changed theirs to virtual TBs, or moved them to "Unknown location", but most of the stolen ones remain listed in this guy's possession.

 

(It surprises me that more people don't use the copy tags in cases like this.)

Edited by the hermit crabs
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joefrog

+joefrog

Posted
Posted
That guy is a thief.  I know the one you're talking about -- he stole one of mine, too.  I hope to meet him on the trail one day for some " coercion" to change his ways.

He got one of ours, too. When it became clear that he wasn't going to release the stolen bugs (in spite of the remorseful log he wrote in which he said he would put them all back), we sent out a replacement with the copy tag. A few other victims have changed theirs to virtual TBs, or moved them to "Unknown location", but most of the stolen ones remain listed in this guy's possession.

 

(It surprises me that more people don't use the copy tags in cases like this.)

Actually, what I did was go to the pet store, or a store where they do engraving. Have a new tag made with the original number, and turn it out again!

 

I encouraged him to sharpen the edges, turn the tag sideways, and shove it... well, you know. He won't spoil my fun that easy.

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hide & seekers

hide & seekers

Posted
Posted

I've only seen logs of a few white Jeeps in my area. Some have been picked up and still remain in a cacher's hands. Others have left the area.

 

I managed to get my first white Jeep today, but only because it was placed into my own cache today and I was able to send out my husband to pick it up. Since I felt a little guilty about getting it from my own cache, so I posted that I will move it along ASAP (I hope within a week) and I even posted that I'll be placing it back in one of my caches. I'd like other local cachers to have chance to log it and submit photos. I've even narrowed it down for them where it will go!

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birddog14

+birddog14

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I can understand someone finding a jeep TB that does not cache very often and possibly holding it up to a month.

But there is a one person who seems to just search Jeep TBs around hmy area. He is a new member that found geocaching from the Jeep website. He has 38 finds and has grabbed 8 Jeep TBs. In a few of his logs he even mentioned that he was looking for the jeep TB and it was already taken. Currently he has 6 Jeep TBs in his possession and has held one of them since 8-11.

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Tizom

+Tizom

Posted
Posted

Expose this "bug napper" and I will create a cache that is a "travel bug" hotel and he will visit but never leave. Come on people it is a simple game with simple rules. It's not that hard. Please stop this bug napper guy and lets get back to the fun. Like Prime Suspect says "never mess with a geocacher, we know were to hide the bodies."

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ParrotRobAndCeCe

+ParrotRobAndCeCe

Posted
Posted

What about Jeeps that never even got deployed in the first place? Is there any way to find out who was responsible for getting them out there?

 

Out of curiosity, I went looking to see whatever became of the Jeep that shares my name, and here's what I found:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=192568

 

Yep, it never left the hands of the "owner"....

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