Do You Cache As A Utility Worker?

[+Team Lazarus]

It seems that most people would overlook an urban microcacher if dressed as a utilities worker. Does anyone do this to draw attention away from themselves when caching the metropolitan areas?

[+WeightMan]

Right Wing Wacko keeps saying that the perfect disguise is an orange vest, a yellow hard hat, and a clipboard. The clipboard is the key, since you then don't have to actually do anything.

[+Renegade Knight]

I am a utility worker complete with company issue ugly orange vest.

 

No I don't wear that to be invisible when caching. It doesn't work when I'm wearing it. People always stop and ask me what I'm working on.

[+DocDiTTo]

It seems that most people would overlook an urban microcacher if dressed as a utilities worker. Does anyone do this to draw attention away from themselves when caching the metropolitan areas?

If a cache is placed in a location where I'd feel out of place hunting it dressed "normally" then I just don't hunt it. There are plenty more out there to find. Caches requiring stealth aren't my thing. I find them more annoying than anything, and choose to ignore them more often than not. To each their own.

[+Colorado Cacher]

Located under the Criminal Impersonation statute.

[+MLP-76C]

In my view, geocaching is all about camoflague, stealth and deception. Urban/suburban caches must be approached, recovered, logged and replaced without being detected by casual observers. To do otherwise would compromise the cache - putting it at risk for vandalism or theft.

 

To date, I have masqueraded as:

 

- utility worker

- loan officer

- snowboarder

- drug-sniffing dog trainer

- hunting dog trainer

- land surveyor

- building inspector

- construction worker

- softball player

- freemason

- window cleaner

- photographer

- x-ray technician

- fisherman

- bicyclist

- security guard

- grocery clerk

- package delivery driver

- golfer

- tree trimmer

Edited September 15, 2005 by MLP-76C

[ImpalaBob]

I recntly got hold of a white hard hat and added Groundspeak logos (the ones in the upper left corner of this page) to the sides. It looks real official and works great for caching in muggle hostile areas. I feel quite comfortable walking around and looking at stuff. Other cachers immeadiatly recognize the logo. ImpalaBob

[+wolfmaster]

 

To date, I have masqueraded as:

 

- utility worker

- loan officer.....etc

In reading the logs for one cache, I read that a lot pf people in near this cache had already been informed about Geocaching through other cachers. Searching one morning before work in my white shirt and tie, I informed two ladies that I was the Geocache inspector making sure the cache wasn't too easy to find. They were satisified and left

[+jeff35080]

- freemason

 

As a Mason... I wonder how you could pretend to be one of us... do we look different than others?

[+Phonedave]

- freemason

 

As a Mason... I wonder how you could pretend to be one of us... do we look different than others?

I was thinking the same thing. Is there someplace we are allowed to go, that others are not?

[+Phonedave]

It seems that most people would overlook an urban microcacher if dressed as a utilities worker. Does anyone do this to draw attention away from themselves when caching the metropolitan areas?

I am a utility worker (well I am management, but I used to be in the field)

 

Aside from a hard hat, we really do not look any different. Most of the time our guys are up poles or in manholes, not looking under park benches anyway

[+Dan-oh]

<snip>To date, I have masqueraded as:

 

- utility worker

- loan officer

- snowboarder

- drug-sniffing dog trainer

- hunting dog trainer

- land surveyor

- building inspector

- construction worker

- softball player

- freemason

- window cleaner

- photographer

- x-ray technician

- fisherman

- bicyclist

- security guard

- grocery clerk

- package delivery driver

- golfer

- tree trimmer

Man, you sound like a regular Fletch out there.

I'm gonna' need some pliers, and a set of 30 weight ball bearings.

[+jeff35080]

Is there someplace we are allowed to go, that others are not?

 

Shhh.... don't let 'em know about the 'treasure room'

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I have all the gear -- such as hardhat with company label, safety vest (wth company label), sturdy flashlights for belt, clipboard, yellow gum overboots, etc., and we carry it in the car at all times. I spent years as a heavy equipment rigger and welder in my twenties, and the experience pays off today. I even have business cards and a webpage for the "geo engineeering services" company, and professional magnetic sighs for my car doors (and rear.) However, the only thing that I EVER use regularly is the clipboard, which has a big label on the back reading "GEO SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL". The ONLY time I EVER wear the other gear, or use magnetic signs on my car ("VXP Services -- Geo Engineering and Monitoring", with webpage address and phone number) is when I am placing caches for my Psycho Urban Cache series here in the city of Frederick (MD), since these placements ALWAYS involve going into storm drains, snooping around sewer manholes, or placing items high up on lamp posts. I find that the outfit works admirably -- no one ever looks twice, as I blend into the background and look like I belong, and better, no one EVER thinks to call the police because of "...suspicious activity... a weird man is placing a box 30 feet up on a signpost on a downtown street."

 

I have also told persistent enquiring kids in public parks that we were botanists from a nearby "state universtiy" checking for deadly tree fungal diseases with the GPSr.

Edited September 16, 2005 by Vinny & Sue Team

[+Nerves]

Well, I don't wear any type of uniform or anything. Gad...what I wear to geocache is weird enough. But, I do try to think of possible responses should anyone ask me what I'm doing. Some of my typical answers, "I'm a botanist" (and that's why I'm down on my knees with my head stuck up the crack of this rock ya twerp!) or "I'm checking how much radiation is in the area with my detector" (i.e. GPSr - so get the heck outta here if you know what's good for you).

[+humanloofa]

I go out in my work uniform sometimes, I do maintenace work in an office building and have good luck while looking around. Sometimes people ask what I'm doing and I tell them I checking out the light pole, electrical box, sprinkles,etc.....

I can usualy give them a good line of crap that is believable, heck I check all those things at work regularly anyway. I have one of those metal clipboards that you can put paperwork in so if I have them my printouts go in there and I put some type of technical manual or schematic on top. If I'm in regular clothes and they ask what I'm doing well I've got lots of lies for that too. Looking for bugs, snakes, scorpions, if the GPS is out I'll tell them I'm checking the amount of EMF put out by a transformer or cell site. I am around whinny tennants all day, I geocache, and I golf, I am pretty good at making up a good lie ( just check my scorecard)

[FreeFloat]

I couldn't resist, but recently went out and snagged a cache on lunch break....... I wonder if any nearby joggers found a soldier in combat fatigues, wandering around the waterfront with a GPSr, to be suspicious??

 

[+Renegade Knight]

- freemason

 

As a Mason... I wonder how you could pretend to be one of us... do we look different than others?

In your case maybe just maybe you do look a bit different.

[+Fergus]

Right Wing Wacko keeps saying that the perfect disguise is an orange vest, a yellow hard hat, and a clipboard. The clipboard is the key, since you then don't have to actually do anything.

Please note, If you are carrying a clipboard people will get out of your way. At my old job I told people that if they realy wanted to get away with not doing any work all they needed to do was walk around with a clipboard.