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Electrical Box Caches?


zeus661

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...wish they PTB would actually nix these hides altogether.
Not calling for a ban, but certainly wouldn't oppose it!
I don't think you understand what the word "ban" means.
Oh, I think I do. I also think you misread my comments? I said I WISHED they would nix them, I never said I was pushing for banning them. Therefore, I'm hardly calling for a ban! But I certainly wouldn't oppose one either!

 

Oh, I also said I would continue to champion for the labeling....I'm calling for labeling! ;)

Okay I don't see a difference between 1) wishing the site would nix these kinds of hides, and 2) wanting the site to ban these kinds of hides.

 

But if you say there's a difference I'll let it go.

Asking cachers to make simple changes themselves and asking TPTB to make them go away are totally different...I'm sure you knew that though!! B)
True, but you weren't advocating cache owner change with your statement, you were advocating actions by TPTB which would amount to bannination.
I agree with the reviewer and wish they PTB would actually nix these hides altogether. ...

 

Hey sbell, remember that lake? Maybe you repeat questions already answered or commented on because you DON'T read or don't understand what your reading. Read what's there, I'm done commenting to someone who thinks I'd lie about something to prove my point! I guess it back to ignoring you!

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I find it kind of ironic that a community that poopoos small pocket knives in caches would even consider allowing caches that resemble electrical fittings of any sort. ...
If you understood why knives were made verboten, it would make perfect sense.
Hey sbell, remember that lake?
B) Lake???
Maybe you repeat questions already answered or commented on because you DON'T read or don't understand what your reading. Read what's there, I'm done commenting to someone who thinks I'd lie about something to prove my point!
I read what was there. You 'wished TPTB would nix these hides (fake electrical box caches) altogether'. From that post, one would believe that you wish that these caches were banned.
I guess it back to ignoring you!
Fine with me. ;) Edited by sbell111
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I find it kind of ironic that a community that poopoos small pocket knives in caches would even consider allowing caches that resemble electrical fittings of any sort. ...
If you understood why knives were made verboten, it would make perfect sense.

 

Respectfully, I don't think it would make perfect sense to me. Some of the arguments against knives in caches that I have read include children finding them, prisoners finding them while on work parties and the perception of non-cachers who hear that people are hiding knives in the bushes.

 

None of these arguments remotely compares to the real danger of a person inspecting an electrical fitting of any sort to find a cache. Electricity does not allow for any mistakes. Kids can be supervised, prisoners can be searched and, well, is a dollar store pocket knife in a lock in lock in the woods really scaring the non-caching public?

 

This is not a polemic for the placement of knives in caches. I don't place them, and I would trade them out fairly if I found them. It is more of a removing the splinter while ignoring the plank in the eye argument. Arguing for the placement of any cache resembling an electrical fitting while arguing against the placement of pocket knifes in caches is, in my mind, ironic and possibly negligent of the real danger levels of both.

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Putting a geocache in a real electrical box with real electricity running to it through [/i]real wires is a very bad idea. There is a very high chance of electricution if you open one of these. However, if you manage to purchase a fake electrical box without anything in it then it is a great idea to hide a geocache (or even just make the whole box a geocache) in one. Muggles usually stay away from electrical boxes and the person finding the cache does not need to use stealth because the Muggles will think they are an electrician. Just make sure the cache is labelled in a very obvious way and that you mention in the cache description it is (in) a fake electrical box.

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Hey sbell, remember that lake? Maybe you repeat questions already answered or commented on because you DON'T read or don't understand what your reading. Read what's there, I'm done commenting to someone who thinks I'd lie about something to prove my point! I guess it back to ignoring you!

I guess you'd better ignore me too because I agree with Sbell about agreeing with me.

 

You quite clearly said two things that contradict each other in the same post. It's no big deal, but it's really funny that you keep saying you didn't.

 

To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.

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To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.

By them having the power to deny whatever they choose to deny, they can pass the easy ones and deny the ones they deem questionable in their own judgment, thus placing the impetus on the hider to change the submission or appeal. Most hiders will change the submission and move on.

 

If the reviewers are not given broad discretion, the system might well get bogged down in bureaucracy as they would have to send every questionable submission up the ladder because they did not have the authority to deny it.

 

They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

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To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.

By them having the power to deny whatever they choose to deny, they can pass the easy ones and deny the ones they deem questionable in their own judgment, thus placing the impetus on the hider to change the submission or appeal. Most hiders will change the submission and move on.

 

If the reviewers are not given broad discretion, the system might well get bogged down in bureaucracy as they would have to send every questionable submission up the ladder because they did not have the authority to deny it.

 

They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

Or they can be given simpler rules and be told to err on the side of the cache owner rather than enforce arbitrary self created standards which is exactly how bureaucracy becomes burdomsome.

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Hey sbell, remember that lake? Maybe you repeat questions already answered or commented on because you DON'T read or don't understand what your reading. Read what's there, I'm done commenting to someone who thinks I'd lie about something to prove my point! I guess it back to ignoring you!

I guess you'd better ignore me too because I agree with Sbell about agreeing with me.

 

You quite clearly said two things that contradict each other in the same post. It's no big deal, but it's really funny that you keep saying you didn't.

 

To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.

 

No Mushtang, I'm ignoring sbell as he's called me a liar (or sugar-coated it enough so as not to be "disrespectful") on a couple occasions now and I'll not debate with someone who doesn't believe me. I do find it comical that he can't own up to his words though....

 

Since you say there's no difference in wishing for something and actually taking action and ASKING for something, I guess you must be right?? Must be I have no idea what I'm ASKING for nowadays. Maybe I'm writing up requests and lobbying the PTB now and just haven't realized it. I'd better get on the ball and start picketing outside GS... :P

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To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.

By them having the power to deny whatever they choose to deny, they can pass the easy ones and deny the ones they deem questionable in their own judgment, thus placing the impetus on the hider to change the submission or appeal. Most hiders will change the submission and move on.

 

If the reviewers are not given broad discretion, the system might well get bogged down in bureaucracy as they would have to send every questionable submission up the ladder because they did not have the authority to deny it.

 

They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

Or they can be given simpler rules and be told to err on the side of the cache owner rather than enforce arbitrary self created standards which is exactly how bureaucracy becomes burdomsome.

 

This last statement works IF you know for a fact that this reviewer IS injecting their "own" standards. For all we know, there was a change in opinion from TPTB.

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I find it kind of ironic that a community that poopoos small pocket knives in caches would even consider allowing caches that resemble electrical fittings of any sort. ...
If you understood why knives were made verboten, it would make perfect sense.
Respectfully, I don't think it would make perfect sense to me. Some of the arguments against knives in caches that I have read include children finding them, prisoners finding them while on work parties and the perception of non-cachers who hear that people are hiding knives in the bushes.

 

None of these arguments remotely compares to the real danger of a person inspecting an electrical fitting of any sort to find a cache. Electricity does not allow for any mistakes. Kids can be supervised, prisoners can be searched and, well, is a dollar store pocket knife in a lock in lock in the woods really scaring the non-caching public?

 

This is not a polemic for the placement of knives in caches. I don't place them, and I would trade them out fairly if I found them. It is more of a removing the splinter while ignoring the plank in the eye argument. Arguing for the placement of any cache resembling an electrical fitting while arguing against the placement of pocket knifes in caches is, in my mind, ironic and possibly negligent of the real danger levels of both.

The knife 'rule' was added because of land manager concern that they might be found by prisoner work crews. It is not safety related in the same way that you are arguing that electrical boxes are.
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To keep this post on topic, I agree that reviewers shouldn't be given the ability to refuse a cache listing on something that isn't against the guidelines. And as far as I know having a fake electrical box as a container isn't against the guidelines.
By them having the power to deny whatever they choose to deny, they can pass the easy ones and deny the ones they deem questionable in their own judgment, thus placing the impetus on the hider to change the submission or appeal. Most hiders will change the submission and move on.

 

If the reviewers are not given broad discretion, the system might well get bogged down in bureaucracy as they would have to send every questionable submission up the ladder because they did not have the authority to deny it.

 

They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

Or they can be given simpler rules and be told to err on the side of the cache owner rather than enforce arbitrary self created standards which is exactly how bureaucracy becomes burdomsome.
This last statement works IF you know for a fact that this reviewer IS injecting their "own" standards. For all we know, there was a change in opinion from TPTB.
If the response from the reviewer was "I think it sets a bad precedent...', then it is clear that it is his own standards.
... If the reviewers are not given broad discretion, the system might well get bogged down in bureaucracy as they would have to send every questionable submission up the ladder because they did not have the authority to deny it.
The reviewers do not have absolute discretion. For instance, if a 'lame' cache is submitted, they are to list it, even if they have to hold their noses while doing so.

 

If a cache meets the guidelines, it should be listed. The cache in question appears to have met the guidelines, yet the reviewer appears to have denied it based on his personal feelings.

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...This last statement works IF you know for a fact that this reviewer IS injecting their "own" standards. For all we know, there was a change in opinion from TPTB.

 

It's human nature. Reviewers are not robots (nor should they be) thus discression is individual and based on their own insight, widsome, rules of thumb, experience, and prefereces.

 

An example. I re-hired one of my better employees who had quit to try greener pastures. When they came back they said "I'd like to start on this day" I said "We can do that". When I went to HR they said "They need to start at the beginning of a pay period" I said "We need to honor the date we said they could come back". They said "no". It got escalated. The real deal came out. It's convenient for paperwork to start at the beginning of a pay period. however we honor what we told them. Next time see about getting the more convenient date".

 

The preference had a reason but wasn't the rule of law.

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I find it kind of ironic that a community that poopoos small pocket knives in caches would even consider allowing caches that resemble electrical fittings of any sort. ...
If you understood why knives were made verboten, it would make perfect sense.
Respectfully, I don't think it would make perfect sense to me. Some of the arguments against knives in caches that I have read include children finding them, prisoners finding them while on work parties and the perception of non-cachers who hear that people are hiding knives in the bushes.

 

None of these arguments remotely compares to the real danger of a person inspecting an electrical fitting of any sort to find a cache. Electricity does not allow for any mistakes. Kids can be supervised, prisoners can be searched and, well, is a dollar store pocket knife in a lock in lock in the woods really scaring the non-caching public?

 

This is not a polemic for the placement of knives in caches. I don't place them, and I would trade them out fairly if I found them. It is more of a removing the splinter while ignoring the plank in the eye argument. Arguing for the placement of any cache resembling an electrical fitting while arguing against the placement of pocket knifes in caches is, in my mind, ironic and possibly negligent of the real danger levels of both.

The knife 'rule' was added because of land manager concern that they might be found by prisoner work crews. It is not safety related in the same way that you are arguing that electrical boxes are.

 

Interesting tangent. So what I think you are hinting at here is that we should ask a land manager if it is okay to hide a cache that looks like an electrical box.

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I have found one cache that was hidden as an electrical box, but it was a 3-part mystery cache, and one stage of it was a key that opened the padlock to it, so I was pretty sure that it was okay. :) It ended up that the owner had somehow gotten an old electrical box and used that. :)

Edited by icefall5
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They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

 

Well the reviewer in question was dead wrong in all respects. He didn't even respond to an apeal and I don't have information on who to go to over his head. The pictures are posted on this forum that prove that this cache was 100% safe. It was even safer than many fake electical boxes because there was no electical power in the vicinity. Plus the cache container itself was visible, in the open and obvious.

 

The whole thing has got me so angry and upset that I'm tempted to archive all the caches I've set. I was suppose to go on a long distance caching trek tomorrow and Saturday to get my 700 but I'm not going. It's just not worth it and I've lost the motivation. I went on a long distance hunt last weekend and got all of three caches before loosing motivation because I was thinking about the problem.

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They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

 

Well the reviewer in question was dead wrong in all respects. He didn't even respond to an apeal and I don't have information on who to go to over his head. The pictures are posted on this forum that prove that this cache was 100% safe. It was even safer than many fake electical boxes because there was no electical power in the vicinity. Plus the cache container itself was visible, in the open and obvious.

 

The whole thing has got me so angry and upset that I'm tempted to archive all the caches I've set. I was suppose to go on a long distance caching trek tomorrow and Saturday to get my 700 but I'm not going. It's just not worth it and I've lost the motivation. I went on a long distance hunt last weekend and got all of three caches before loosing motivation because I was thinking about the problem.

I understand your frustration, and I very well might feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but stop and think. Archiving all your caches would just ruin it for everyone else, and not going on your trip just leaves you more time to sit and home and stew about the situation. Does it suck? Yeah, it sucks big time, but don't make it worse by doing what you're thinking of doing. Not a sermon, just a thought.

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I find it kind of ironic that a community that poopoos small pocket knives in caches would even consider allowing caches that resemble electrical fittings of any sort. ...
If you understood why knives were made verboten, it would make perfect sense.
Respectfully, I don't think it would make perfect sense to me. Some of the arguments against knives in caches that I have read include children finding them, prisoners finding them while on work parties and the perception of non-cachers who hear that people are hiding knives in the bushes.

 

None of these arguments remotely compares to the real danger of a person inspecting an electrical fitting of any sort to find a cache. Electricity does not allow for any mistakes. Kids can be supervised, prisoners can be searched and, well, is a dollar store pocket knife in a lock in lock in the woods really scaring the non-caching public?

 

This is not a polemic for the placement of knives in caches. I don't place them, and I would trade them out fairly if I found them. It is more of a removing the splinter while ignoring the plank in the eye argument. Arguing for the placement of any cache resembling an electrical fitting while arguing against the placement of pocket knifes in caches is, in my mind, ironic and possibly negligent of the real danger levels of both.

The knife 'rule' was added because of land manager concern that they might be found by prisoner work crews. It is not safety related in the same way that you are arguing that electrical boxes are.
Interesting tangent. So what I think you are hinting at here is that we should ask a land manager if it is okay to hide a cache that looks like an electrical box.
Interesting misinterpretation of my post.
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They NEED to have carte blanche authority. They SHOULD be careful in how they exercise it. I think by and large they DO, but there are exceptions in every endeavour.

 

Well the reviewer in question was dead wrong in all respects. He didn't even respond to an apeal and I don't have information on who to go to over his head. The pictures are posted on this forum that prove that this cache was 100% safe. It was even safer than many fake electical boxes because there was no electical power in the vicinity. Plus the cache container itself was visible, in the open and obvious.

 

The whole thing has got me so angry and upset that I'm tempted to archive all the caches I've set. I was suppose to go on a long distance caching trek tomorrow and Saturday to get my 700 but I'm not going. It's just not worth it and I've lost the motivation. I went on a long distance hunt last weekend and got all of three caches before loosing motivation because I was thinking about the problem.

I understand your frustration, and I very well might feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but stop and think. Archiving all your caches would just ruin it for everyone else, and not going on your trip just leaves you more time to sit and home and stew about the situation. Does it suck? Yeah, it sucks big time, but don't make it worse by doing what you're thinking of doing. Not a sermon, just a thought.

 

I agree with Smokie here, go out, cache, have fun and forget about the whole thing! Send your appeal to appeals@geocaching.com and see what they think about it! I also agree that punishing your fellow cachers because you feel slighted might not be the answer, but that's your choice!

 

Personally, if I were told no on a cache, I'd simply work it out with the reviewer on what would be allowed and go from there. In the end, the hide is my goal because I LOVE getting the emails from all those finding it, so if I have to move it (especially if it's because of a safety concern), I'm good with that! I didn't see (and maybe I missed it) where the reviewer said you couldn't place a cache on the location, just not in the electrical box...is hiding it in the box the ONLY location?

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is hiding it in the box the ONLY location?

 

Yes. The sagebrush and terrain don't support caching and there are no rocks here. It's TOO sparce. I wanted the cache on the outside of the fenceline surrounding the towers so nobody would have to cross the fence. I wanted the cache to be obvious so it would be a get and go. I wanted it to be as close to the site as possible. The cache itself is a Lucy's Mints tin with magnetic backing, large enough for coins and small trade items. There is a very nice view of the desert to the west extending about 20 miles from this location. Actually, as far as the cache storyline goes, it was suppose to be totally different and fictional.

 

The only other alternative would be chain an ammo box to the pole. With the oil field traffic and hunters, that wouldn't have lasted. I could have drilled out the pole and put the cache inside but the pole is too rotten. BLM wants it left as it is for the birds to nest (which they haven't done.) The fence posts are too old and fragile and BLM wants them kept as they are. I could have placed a post on the ground with the cache inside but BLM wants it kept clean. I forgot to mention the wind. It hits 100+ in this location. Things that aren't attached tend to blow away. That's why there are no rocks. This site is one of the oldest intact radio shacks in Wyoming so BLM was very picky when I took the lease.

 

I could go on.

 

I sent an E-Mail to appeals@geocaching.com with ALL the pictures, we'll see what they say and I'll let you know.

 

Jake81499

Edited by Jake81499
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I fully understand your frustration. I have considered quitting several times over similar things encountered in the hobby. I have known several others who have quit or, like myself, drastically diminished their enthusiasm because of various Barbara Streisand encountered in this activity.

 

In the end though, quitting only hurts oneself. None of us is so important as to be missed if we leave. In fact as far as ANY individual is concerned, after their rant thread is closed, no one will much care a hoot. And even during the forum suicide thread the predominant comment will be along the lines of "don't let the doorknob hit you in the southbound end."

 

Having a cache UNJUSTLY denied is really not worth punishing oneself over. Caching goes on.

 

On a side note, I can't believe the BLM is that strict. What is this land anyway, a brontosaurus or yeti habitat? Maybe the only place one of the last four polar bears has been sighted?

 

Since there are no rocks there, would the existence of one not be a fairly obvious place to hide a cache? Rocks are pretty generic, ubiquitous, difficult to recognise as NOT being native, relatively portable, can be carved out with hammer and chisel, and are rarely moved very far by 100+ mph winds.

 

So get a medium-big rock (weighing about 25-30 lbs) of a type common to the area. Carve a hollow in it. Place the cache in the hollow. Set the rock, hollow side down, on the ground a "SAFE" distance from the DEADLY NON-ELECTRICITY and resubmit the cache.

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One of the funniest thing I ever saw, whilst section hiking the AT, was an electric outlet in a dead tree, near a shelter. (Might have been a geocache... Dunno) One of the funnier caches I've found was a mailbox attached to a tree, a mile from the nearest road. I'm still contemplating an electrical box attached to a dead tree, about a mile from the nearest road. Or a plastic pink flamingo. Guess the flamingo would be safer???

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Flamingos are deadly... poisonous fangs and such... especially the plastic ones... oh, and they are made with lead based Chinese paint. Can't be too careful!

 

There is a now archived cache around here that was placed at the bottom of a speed limit sign. Nothing special there... except the sign was deep in the woods where there is no road. I think it was archived because someone complained that the chiiiildren might get run over whilst looking for the cache. <_<

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On a side note, I can't believe the BLM is that strict. What is this land anyway, a brontosaurus or yeti habitat? Maybe the only place one of the last four polar bears has been sighted?

 

Since there are no rocks there, would the existence of one not be a fairly obvious place to hide a cache? Rocks are pretty generic, ubiquitous, difficult to recognise as NOT being native, relatively portable, can be carved out with hammer and chisel, and are rarely moved very far by 100+ mph winds.

 

So get a medium-big rock (weighing about 25-30 lbs) of a type common to the area.

 

I'm in Wyoming. 30 to 40 pound rocks travel all over the desert and back again. Most of them started out somewhere in Utah and blew uphill to Wyoming. The windy side of this shack is actually erroded from the sand blasting and dented from the larger rocks bouncing against it. I'm amazed the solar panals and wiring have lasted as long as they have.

 

BLM here is very strict. We asked for a few acres of BLM land for a model flying field, they asked if we needed to clear any sagebrush, we said yes, they said no. We keep Naugas a secret so that Al Gore doesn't put them on some endangered species list. Somebody found a fake cow pie in the desert. BLM looked all over for a fake cow, didn't find any so they closed that area for hunting thinking hunters killed them all. BLM believed my geocaching story about cattle exercisers, now they are concidered monuments. You can no longer pee on a dirt road or the EPA gets all mad. BLM believed my story's about wind generators causing wind so they shut theirs off to test the theory. I could go on, and on, and on....

 

I sent an e-mail to the appeals@geocaching.com. They sent back a message in short order saying they sent a message to the reviewer to approve the cache. It's still not approved. I also went 120 miles today for caching. Only got 10, dissapointing day but I was in a hurry to get home.

 

Jake81499

Edited by Jake81499
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Flamingos are deadly... poisonous fangs and such... especially the plastic ones... oh, and they are made with lead based Chinese paint. Can't be too careful!

 

I've been putting a disclaimer on of few of my caches, "Caution; The contents of this cache have been known to cause cancer in California." or "This cache may contain lead. Please do not chew on it." or "Naugas heve been seen in the area, they bite."

 

 

Jake81499

Edited by Jake81499
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A few weeks ago I found this blog by Johnnygeo.

 

As one who has worked for Cable Television for many years as an installer then service tech and on up the ladder, I do need to admit that I have found many charged service boxes on houses. This is often caused by bad grounds. On another occasion in Fort Collins, I lifted the wrong lighting skirt and found someones stash. Not a Geocache but several bags of white powder, some needles and razor blades along with bags of cash. I didn't touch anything and scooted out of there like lightning. Didn't want to get shot. This one was by a car dealership. (The right pole was across the drive and I did find the real cache before leaving.) I wonder which hazard was greater, getting shocked or getting shot?

 

But all said, the cache I set is very safe. It's not a fake power box, it's an abandoned, destroyed, torn up, shot up, hanging by a thread, lidless, wireless box on a rotten pole with the cache's blue container plainly visible. If it wasn't safe I wouldn't have set it. The pictures are still posted.

 

Jake81499

Edited by Jake81499
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BLM here is very strict. We asked for a few acres of BLM land for a model flying field, they asked if we needed to clear any sagebrush, we said yes, they said no. We keep Naugas a secret so that Al Gore doesn't put them on some endangered species list. Somebody found a fake cow pie in the desert. BLM looked all over for a fake cow, didn't find any so they closed that area for hunting thinking hunters killed them all. BLM believed my geocaching story about cattle exercisers, now they are concidered monuments. You can no longer pee on a dirt road or the EPA gets all mad. BLM believed my story's about wind generators causing wind so they shut theirs off to test the theory. I could go on, and on, and on....

 

LMAO :P

Glad to hear about the successful appeal.

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:P After reading all the replies etc. and digesting what I felt was relevant..........I will continue using the "E.B." I feel the way I use them causes no danger / harm...........and re-cycling helps the over all scheme of things............. :D (the supply is endless and the price is right)

PAINTEDEBoxesTagged-1.jpg

And Yet More

EB2S-1.jpg

Edited by GIDEON-X
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But all said, the cache I set is very safe. It's not a fake power box, it's an abandoned, destroyed, torn up, shot up, hanging by a thread, lidless, wireless box on a rotten pole with the cache's blue container plainly visible. If it wasn't safe I wouldn't have set it. The pictures are still posted.

 

In light of the previous quote below, i am amazed the rotten pole is still there!

 

 

I'm in Wyoming. 30 to 40 pound rocks travel all over the desert and back again. Most of them started out somewhere in Utah and blew uphill to Wyoming. The windy side of this shack is actually erroded from the sand blasting and dented from the larger rocks bouncing against it. I'm amazed the solar panals and wiring have lasted as long as they have.

:P

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In light of the previous quote below, i am amazed the rotten pole is still there!

 

The appeal hasn't been successfull yet. The cache still isn't approved. They sent it back to the same reviewer and he's either not around or dragging his feet.

 

If you look at the pictures you can see the pole is broken off up on top. I hauled off the upper 10 feet to the dump. When I took the site the BLM just wanted it cleaned up and the fence repaired. The old shot up TV translator was still half in and half out of the shack. The power company had pulled all the other poles but this one. At the time the nearest electricity was about a mile to the south. Since then there have been several new towers pop up for oil field and cell phone. They had the money to have power run, I don't. So power is still a long ways off. In one of the pictures you can see the next closest radio shack. The picture is deceptive for distance. I've measured it and forgot the distance but it's around 600 yards. My shack is a tremendous lightning rod, infact the pole is where all the lightning strikes. I've been out there in a lightning storm and I had parked my van next to the pole before a storm hit. I had to wait inside the shack for the storm to subside. The pole took about 10 hits while we were there. It was way cool. That brick shack with the steel door where the only safe places around. The little lightning detectors in the shack where going crazy. Then the mud had become so bad we almost didn't get out in my 2 wheel drive van.

 

Yesterday while caching I found three caches that where much more dangerous than the one I set. Two where under locked boxes belong to the city of Casper. These are snake magnets. You have to lift the rubber seal at the bottom of the box, look under (face against the ground) and stick you hand in blindly to retrieve the cache. The third was BEHIND the high voltage input wiring bundles of a city owned cathode box for keeping corrosion off underground pipes. If there is a nick or chew mark on any of those wires someone is getting fried.

 

The same reviewer approved these caches.

 

Jake81499

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Or maybe because the speed limit sign was stolen property!!!

Actually there had been a road there years before and it was turned into a park and that part was left undeveloped and got reclaimed by Mother Earth. :P

 

(The chiiiiildren thing was facetious)

 

FWIW

I could see your tounge firmly implanted in your cheek on that one! :D

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In light of the previous quote below, i am amazed the rotten pole is still there!

 

The appeal hasn't been successfull yet. The cache still isn't approved. They sent it back to the same reviewer and he's either not around or dragging his feet.

 

If you look at the pictures you can see the pole is broken off up on top. I hauled off the upper 10 feet to the dump. When I took the site the BLM just wanted it cleaned up and the fence repaired. The old shot up TV translator was still half in and half out of the shack. The power company had pulled all the other poles but this one. At the time the nearest electricity was about a mile to the south. Since then there have been several new towers pop up for oil field and cell phone. They had the money to have power run, I don't. So power is still a long ways off. In one of the pictures you can see the next closest radio shack. The picture is deceptive for distance. I've measured it and forgot the distance but it's around 600 yards. My shack is a tremendous lightning rod, infact the pole is where all the lightning strikes. I've been out there in a lightning storm and I had parked my van next to the pole before a storm hit. I had to wait inside the shack for the storm to subside. The pole took about 10 hits while we were there. It was way cool. That brick shack with the steel door where the only safe places around. The little lightning detectors in the shack where going crazy. Then the mud had become so bad we almost didn't get out in my 2 wheel drive van.

 

Yesterday while caching I found three caches that where much more dangerous than the one I set. Two where under locked boxes belong to the city of Casper. These are snake magnets. You have to lift the rubber seal at the bottom of the box, look under (face against the ground) and stick you hand in blindly to retrieve the cache. The third was BEHIND the high voltage input wiring bundles of a city owned cathode box for keeping corrosion off underground pipes. If there is a nick or chew mark on any of those wires someone is getting fried.

 

The same reviewer approved these caches.

 

Jake81499

 

You've stated that a large rock (30-40 lbs) wouldn't stay put long (the wind??) and now you state the pole is a lightening magnet...WOW, must be one of the most dangerous locations I've ever heard of!

 

I find it hard to understand how the building and the pole (which you claim is barely standing to begin with) is even still there if the wind can roll a 30-40 lb rock around...and why have ANYONE visit a lightening magnet? 10 times while you stood inside the building? How close were you to the pole (and more importantly, what kept you from being hit by the lightening)? How could you count the strikes?

 

I have several large (30-40 lb) rocks in my yard right now, they've been there ever since I unloaded them a year ago and then grew bored with the landscaping ideas. Even with the 50+ mph winds, the rocks never moved even though I lost a tree...how heavy a wind would it take to move a large rock? And really, how much would it take to move one enough to dent the building?? I also have much smaller stones (bigger than pea sized but less than a baseball) those never moved around even during that 50+ mph wind....hmmmmm.

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For everyone that doesn't have a problem with this. and use the excuse well there are labels on them to let cachers know while muggles stay away. What is stopping some cruel and heartless person out there from slapping a geosticker on a real box near a cache hide. I haven't heard it happen yet, But I don't put it past the human race to do it. There was a picture in the CCC thread as well that showed a tube with wires in it that weren't actually attached to anything that was the cache. This to me makes for setting up very dangerous situations. I hate to think that the only way these will stop is for someone to be electrocuted.

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For everyone that doesn't have a problem with this. and use the excuse well there are labels on them to let cachers know while muggles stay away. What is stopping some cruel and heartless person out there from slapping a geosticker on a real box near a cache hide. I haven't heard it happen yet, But I don't put it past the human race to do it. There was a picture in the CCC thread as well that showed a tube with wires in it that weren't actually attached to anything that was the cache. This to me makes for setting up very dangerous situations. I hate to think that the only way these will stop is for someone to be electrocuted.

 

ummmm....better get out your flame-proof suit my friend, that response is SURE to bring some hot comments! :lol:

 

According to the many who are FOR these types of hides, it's the cachers' responsibility to be safe. So even if someone were sick enough to do what you mentioned, I'm guessing those people will still say it's your call. And it is...but when you get people placing these types of hides, you are certainly asking for trouble! People will get used to expecting the area to be safe (even if the cache isn't there and it isn't a safe situation, just where someone THOUGHT the cache might be) and will slowly let their guards down...it happens!

 

I liken it to this example: I started out riding my bicycle with training wheels and my Dad's help....but I got brave quickly with experience. Soon, I was jumping ramps and going fast down the big hill near my home. Sure, these situations were possibly dangerous, but I was able to and I watched my older brother do the same things. Naturally, I soon learned a BIG lesson about gravity when I tried to jump a slight hill but hadn't the speed to make it all the way up. I hit my head and split it wide open.

 

Likewise, the first electric box hide I found was a small plug outlet without any inner parts...nice I thought! Soon, I was seeing junction boxes, fuse panels and the breaker box caches...my first thought was that I'd better stay clear of the electric equipment...UNTIL I saw someone find a cache in them. Then, any time a cache was nearby one of these pieces of equipment, I suspected them and might even find myself checking them out if I was having trouble finding the cache. Funny, many weren't even IN ON or around those pieces of equipment, but how would one know without at least checking?? I personally am smart enough to realize that those things are dangerous and COULD be real...maybe some cachers aren't (actually, I KNOW some aren't). I've yet to let my guard down enough to get hurt (THANKFULLY), but that's not saying it can't happen.

 

I'm asking for people to label their caches, describe the container and let cachers know what to expect...it won't happen as this will "ruin the hide" for them...I guess making a tough cache is more important than being safe and responsible...It's all I can ask for. I do hope TPTB would take a serious look at these types of hides though, while I'd be all for this, I stop short of calling for the ban!

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....What is stopping some cruel and heartless person out there from...

 

What is stopping some creul and heartless person from putting Anthrax in our mail system?

 

There is nothing stopping some cruel and heartless person from doing about anything they or you can think up on their behalf. The precautions and risks remain the same.

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....What is stopping some cruel and heartless person out there from...

 

What is stopping some creul and heartless person from putting Anthrax in our mail system?

 

There is nothing stopping some cruel and heartless person from doing about anything they or you can think up on their behalf. The precautions and risks remain the same.

Beat me to it.

 

What is stopping you from enjoying yourself despite the evil that lurks at every turn? Perhaps just a little common sense?

 

The only way to prevent the evil of human nature is to eliminate human nature. Only way to do that is eliminate humanity.

 

With all the people gone we can finally have a safe world where the darling baby seals can play in peace. CRAP! The polar bears want to eat them. IS THERE NO PEACE? IS THERE NO JUSTICE? IS THERE NO SAFETY? :lol:

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I liken it to this example: I started out riding my bicycle with training wheels and my Dad's help....but I got brave quickly with experience. Soon, I was jumping ramps and going fast down the big hill near my home. Sure, these situations were possibly dangerous, but I was able to and I watched my older brother do the same things. 1- Naturally, I soon learned a BIG lesson about gravity when I tried to jump a slight hill but hadn't the speed to make it all the way up. I hit my head and split it wide open.

 

Likewise, the first electric box hide I found was a small plug outlet without any inner parts...nice I thought! Soon, I was seeing junction boxes, fuse panels and the breaker box caches...my first thought was that I'd better stay clear of the electric equipment...UNTIL I saw someone find a cache in them. Then, any time a cache was nearby one of these pieces of equipment, I suspected them and might even find myself checking them out if I was having trouble finding the cache. Funny, many weren't even IN ON or around those pieces of equipment, but how would one know without at least checking?? I personally am smart enough to realize that those things are dangerous and COULD be real...maybe some cachers aren't (actually, I KNOW some aren't). 2- I've yet to let my guard down enough to get hurt (THANKFULLY), but that's not saying it can't happen.

1- Different people learn at different rates. I am sorry it took this kind of accident for you to learn the lesson you just passed on to us, but it is incorrect to assume that any one person's experience is typical of the human race in general.

 

Some are actually able to learn vicariously (by observing the lessons of others) without the need to actually break their OWN heads. As i read your story for example, I, and perhaps many other readers have learned that riding a bicycle up jumping ramps could result in a broken head. You paid a lot of "tuition" for this life lesson that we get for free.

 

2- To talk like "letting your guard down" is something that happens in spite of your efforts to the contrary is just nonsense. You will only open a live electrical box if you CHOOSE to do so. If you open ANY box that you do not KNOW is NOT a live electrical box, then you have WILLFULLY put yourself at risk. It is not "letting your guard down." The box will not grab your unsuspecting, unguarded hand and cause itself to be opened.

 

COMMON SENSE RULE:

Cachers should NEVER open anything that even resembles an electrical box unless is CLEARLY labeled and posted as being the cache sought after.

 

Common sense practices:

Caches SHOULD NEVER be placed inside live electrical equipment or enclosures. Caches in fake electrical boxes SHOULD be clearly marked as caches.

 

The fact that SOME caches HAVE BEEN placed inside unmarked fake and actual real live electrical boxes does not change the common sense rule.

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i have found micros on electrical boxes........

 

Me too. I felt like I was doing one of those "find the object that is different" puzzles in a child's magazine. I stood back across the alleyway, looking at a cluster of electrical boxes. One was different, it was a 3x3 cache container with screw on top magnetically attached to the bottom of a box, no wires running in or out. Painted to match tho, nice job.

 

Like most here seem to, I have some reservations about messing around with electrical boxes and similar. It can be done with the look before touching rule, investigate then jump. However, numbers hunters may be tempted to run down the line lifting doors and tugging. We do need to think of the safety of the cache hunter when placing, things such as being sure no shock is possible, safe off-road parking along busy highways, not stuffing a cache into the mouth of a rattlesnake den. After all, do you keep children's treats or toys in the knife drawer?

 

Quite simply, on the part of hider and hunter, take the time to think first.

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For everyone that doesn't have a problem with this. and use the excuse well there are labels on them to let cachers know while muggles stay away. What is stopping some cruel and heartless person out there from slapping a geosticker on a real box near a cache hide. I haven't heard it happen yet, But I don't put it past the human race to do it. There was a picture in the CCC thread as well that showed a tube with wires in it that weren't actually attached to anything that was the cache. This to me makes for setting up very dangerous situations. I hate to think that the only way these will stop is for someone to be electrocuted.

Yeah, that one looked dangerous until the hider said that it was hidden in an antique submarine motor that was inert and on display at a museum...and it was archived after it had been muggled twice!

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I liken it to this example: I started out riding my bicycle with training wheels and my Dad's help....but I got brave quickly with experience. Soon, I was jumping ramps and going fast down the big hill near my home. Sure, these situations were possibly dangerous, but I was able to and I watched my older brother do the same things. 1- Naturally, I soon learned a BIG lesson about gravity when I tried to jump a slight hill but hadn't the speed to make it all the way up. I hit my head and split it wide open.

 

Likewise, the first electric box hide I found was a small plug outlet without any inner parts...nice I thought! Soon, I was seeing junction boxes, fuse panels and the breaker box caches...my first thought was that I'd better stay clear of the electric equipment...UNTIL I saw someone find a cache in them. Then, any time a cache was nearby one of these pieces of equipment, I suspected them and might even find myself checking them out if I was having trouble finding the cache. Funny, many weren't even IN ON or around those pieces of equipment, but how would one know without at least checking?? I personally am smart enough to realize that those things are dangerous and COULD be real...maybe some cachers aren't (actually, I KNOW some aren't). 2- I've yet to let my guard down enough to get hurt (THANKFULLY), but that's not saying it can't happen.

1- Different people learn at different rates. I am sorry it took this kind of accident for you to learn the lesson you just passed on to us, but it is incorrect to assume that any one person's experience is typical of the human race in general.

 

Some are actually able to learn vicariously (by observing the lessons of others) without the need to actually break their OWN heads. As i read your story for example, I, and perhaps many other readers have learned that riding a bicycle up jumping ramps could result in a broken head. You paid a lot of "tuition" for this life lesson that we get for free.

 

2- To talk like "letting your guard down" is something that happens in spite of your efforts to the contrary is just nonsense. You will only open a live electrical box if you CHOOSE to do so. If you open ANY box that you do not KNOW is NOT a live electrical box, then you have WILLFULLY put yourself at risk. It is not "letting your guard down." The box will not grab your unsuspecting, unguarded hand and cause itself to be opened.

 

COMMON SENSE RULE:

Cachers should NEVER open anything that even resembles an electrical box unless is CLEARLY labeled and posted as being the cache sought after.

 

Common sense practices:

Caches SHOULD NEVER be placed inside live electrical equipment or enclosures. Caches in fake electrical boxes SHOULD be clearly marked as caches.

 

The fact that SOME caches HAVE BEEN placed inside unmarked fake and actual real live electrical boxes does not change the common sense rule.

 

Well with that arguement lets put guns and knives in caches. or better yet lets hide the cache down the barrel of a revolver. Hey as long as it isn't loaded its safe. And let it be on the geocacher that blows off a finger or head learn their lesson over it.

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...Well with that arguement lets put guns and knives in caches. or better yet lets hide the cache down the barrel of a revolver. Hey as long as it isn't loaded its safe. And let it be on the geocacher that blows off a finger or head learn their lesson over it.

 

Caches being accessable to the general public need to have contents limited to what everone is allowed to have. Kids are prohibited from tobacco, alcohol and other items. Drugs, and a few other items are illegal.

 

But then again you were turning off your common sense for that post and turning up the smart assidness.

 

Safety is more than guardrails and childproof caps. It's what you bring with you. If you bring your stupidity then nothing I can do can prevent you from hurting yourself.

 

Now if you really think the ultimate way to teach safety is to harm people... :lol:

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...Well with that arguement lets put guns and knives in caches. or better yet lets hide the cache down the barrel of a revolver. Hey as long as it isn't loaded its safe. And let it be on the geocacher that blows off a finger or head learn their lesson over it.

 

Caches being accessable to the general public need to have contents limited to what everone is allowed to have. Kids are prohibited from tobacco, alcohol and other items. Drugs, and a few other items are illegal.

 

But then again you were turning off your common sense for that post and turning up the smart assidness.

 

Safety is more than guardrails and childproof caps. It's what you bring with you. If you bring your stupidity then nothing I can do can prevent you from hurting yourself.

 

Now if you really think the ultimate way to teach safety is to harm people... :huh:

Furthermore, i fail to see how one could blow their finger or head off with an unloaded revolver no matter how stupid they might be. The only unsafe thing you could do with an unloaded revolver is perhaps drop it on your toe or maybe pinch your finger between the hammer and the backstrap.

 

Now a LOADED revolver that you ASSuME is unloaded... that's a different story and it happens every day.

 

So, Computercachebug, i suppose you have a way to eliminate stupid acts? Please tell us. We'll elect you Earth Czar after Mike McConnell resigns.

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You've stated that a large rock (30-40 lbs) wouldn't stay put long (the wind??) and now you state the pole is a lightening magnet...WOW, must be one of the most dangerous locations I've ever heard of!

 

I find it hard to understand how the building and the pole (which you claim is barely standing to begin with) is even still there if the wind can roll a 30-40 lb rock around...and why have ANYONE visit a lightening magnet? 10 times while you stood inside the building? How close were you to the pole (and more importantly, what kept you from being hit by the lightening)? How could you count the strikes?

 

Hmmm counting lightning strikes, Listen to the cracks? Watch for the sparks flying off whatever it hit? How about looking outside. It's usually pretty safe inside a brick heavily grounded building. The pole on the other hand is not grounded. There is a metal rod sticking in the air attached to the side of a wood pole. Instant lightning rod, and I do appreciate it's being there helping to keep lightning from my equipment. Yes, the pole is rotten, doesn't mean it's not solid. I think I said the box was barely holding on, which it is, not the pole is falling down. Whether a 30 pound rock can blow around or not, there are no rocks larger than a pea on the site of the geocache and I'm not adding any.

 

The cache in question was approved today.

Edited by Jake81499
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