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Cache Placement Potential Problem


dkwolf

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Apologies from the start, I get long winded, but I feel the background helps with my question.....

 

I'm back in my hometown for a few days this week taking some GIS classes for work. So I'm sitting at my parent's computer last night, and see that there's a newish cache in the area that hasn't been found yet. I was initially very happy to see this, since for a long time, I had the only cache within 10 miles. Then, this summer another formerly-from-the-area cacher placed one--a micro--on the switch of what he thought was an abandoned railroad track. My next trip home, I got the FTF on it, but was disturbed about the location since I had followed a train home on those very same tracks; very much not abandoned. I alerted the hider to this, and it was agreed between us that he would archive the cache, and I would move the container to another location in town. All is good, I now had ownership of an 'urban' micro, which I wasn't too pleased with, but oh well, it's another cache in town.

 

Come winter, this cache turns up missing, so I temp disable until I am able to get back to replace it, at which time I discover that the location is under the snowpiles for the parking lot (15+feet at the time) So this cache has been disabled for 3-4 months.

 

The original hider of the 'railroad' cache apparantly was around over Christmas, and hid another micro, just over .1 from the relocated position of the disabled cache. In his description, he lists it as a micro in a public parking lot. This is not the case--it is a shared parking lot between Kmart, McDonalds, Godfathers Pizza, and Pizza Ranch. When I relocated the original micro, it got placed far, far from those buildings at a pay phone. The new micro is located between McDonalds and Godfathers Pizza, in a very high traffic location (stealth required) and listed as 'a lunchtime drive-up cache'. During lunchtime, this area would be PACKED. Also, because this area is frequently used by teens as a hangout during evenings, the police have a strong tendency to crack down on any loitering at all. They have gotten very protective of their property in the past, and unless permission has been granted (which given his description of the lot as 'public' I seriously doubt) I can see this being a problem.

 

So now I'm faced with what do I do? I don't really want to contact the hider myself, part not wanting to discourage another hider in the area, part not wanting to be asked myself to move it and assume ownership. For those same reasons, I don't really want to post another SBA log like I did on the first one. Should I email the approver with my concerns and let him handle the situation? Advice? Anyone?

 

(FWIW, I drove past this evening and can clearly see the cache from my truck, but I'm not even sure I want to retrieve and log it)

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Is the problem that it is in a very public place or that it is on private property? I don't think there are rules about public places. However, if it is on private property without permission, it is then a problem. If you don't want to go public with a SBA log, contacting the reveiwer is appropriate. I agree that the description obviously should be updated to correctly describe the location and high muggle factor. Personally, I would let the reviewer take care of it. If they don't see it as a problem, it probably isn't one.

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Let me see now...

An easily visible cache in an area used as a teen hangout. :mad:

You might as well sign the log while you can, it won't be around much longer. If the owner replaces it, it will disappear again, and again, and again.

So your problem will solve itself. :(

 

My concern, however, is that it sounds as though neither of you live in the area. Wouldn't both of the caches come under the heading of "vacation cache"?

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Let me see now...

An easily visible cache in an area used as a teen hangout. :(

You might as well sign the log while you can, it won't be around much longer. If the owner replaces it, it will disappear again, and again, and again.

So your problem will solve itself. :mad:

 

My concern, however, is that it sounds as though neither of you live in the area. Wouldn't both of the caches come under the heading of "vacation cache"?

Well, the easily visible part comes from knowing the area and knowing it's most likely a magnetic key holder. As I drove by, I watched the bases of the lamposts and spotted it between the bottom of the post and the concrete base. To a geocacher, it's obvious, to anyone else, it would go unnoticed.

 

You are correct, neither of us are from the area. I live just under two hours away, but make my way back to this town about once a month, once every other month at the greatest. If an issue arises with the one cache I do still have placed here, I have family memebers who know where it is and are capable of maintaining it for me, so the 'vacation cache' issue doesn't apply--at least to mine. I cannot speak for the other hider in this regard.

 

As for the area being a public lot in the regard that the public is expected to use it, I challenge you to pull into this lot at 8:00 on a Friday night with two cars, stop, get out and start talking. Time how long it takes the police to show up and disperse you with a warning--second time is a $50 ticket.

 

Also, I forgot to mention that when I saw this new cache placed in the same plaza as relocated cache I had 'ownership' of (which was still disabled) I archived my listing in that plaza.

 

Right now, I'm leaning towards sending a message to the reviewer and voicing my concerns, and letting them handle it from there. As to whether or not I'll drive out tonight and log the find, I don't know.....

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Ouch. I think I'm getting a headache.

Let me see if I got this right...

You put a cache in the plaza, but he shouldn't?

The police ticket people going to McDonald's at 8 PM? In a 'public access' parking lot? Yet, it is listed as a 'lunch time cache'.

The local reviewer missed both the fact that the original cache was a vacation cache, and near an active railroad.

You put out a vacation cache.

There seems to be something missing from this story.

There are many, many caches in parking lots. There are many, many really bad caches. Are you the Cache Police? I know that I am not.

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...Well, the easily visible part comes from knowing the area and knowing it's most likely a magnetic key holder.  As I drove by, I watched the bases of the lamposts and spotted it between the bottom of the post and the concrete base.  To a geocacher, it's obvious, to anyone else, it would go unnoticed....

Teenagers and employees and people driving by on the street see the cachers find the cache and go look. They know there is something there. That's all they need. It's not really about the spot as the exposure of the people seeking the cache. It will go MIA soon.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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<snip>

...In his description, he lists it as a micro in a public parking lot. This is not the case--it is a shared parking lot between Kmart, McDonalds, Godfathers Pizza, and Pizza Ranch. When I relocated the original micro, it got placed far, far from those buildings at a pay phone. The new micro is located between McDonalds and Godfathers Pizza, in a very high traffic location (stealth required) and listed as 'a lunchtime drive-up cache'. During lunchtime, this area would be PACKED. Also, because this area is frequently used by teens as a hangout during evenings, the police have a strong tendency to crack down on any loitering at all. They have gotten very protective of their property in the past, and unless permission has been granted (which given his description of the lot as 'public' I seriously doubt) I can see this being a problem.

 

<snip>

I think you should start at the bottom. If possiable try to find the cache, and if you find it log it (if this in not possible skip to the next step).

Take your concern, in a polite way, to the cache owner (the quote part could work for a an email). If the cache owner doesn't respond in the manner fitting you, take your concern to the reviewer. If that doesn't work, give up and think about the problem somemore incase you're overreacting.

I doubt I would skip right to the reviewer, unless it was apperent this is a BIG problem. So far as I can tell the problem here is??? the cache is likely to get muggled by teens, and/or snatched by a peace officer or shopkeeper.(or did I miss the point?:mad:)

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Why would you need to email anyone, simply because you don't happen to like their cache or where and how it was placed? It certainly sounds like it doesn't break any guidelines, as there are literally thousands of parking lot caches. I think your arguments about the parking lot being really busy and the cache likley disappearing are not the real issue. You just don't like the cache. Fine. Don't find it, put it on your ignore list and stop letting it bug you.

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I agree that caches are often ill-fated because the placer (despite good intentions) should have considered things more carefully. It would seem, however, that it might be time to step back, turn the whole thing over to another authority, and quit losing sleep. If it were on the edge of a dangerous cliff or on an active rr track, it would be time to act. I think perhaps you have some protective feelings which you should deactivate.

 

This is not a criticism. I have them too (in my area). They will make me a worse person if I don't control them. Give up that responsibility and things will be better. You will be happier............ and the cache....., well, the cache will likely have a short life.

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Do nothing.

 

Its too bad that the cache doesn't live up to your high standards. Perhaps you could place some good caches in your home area and not worry about policing caches that don't live up to your expectations.

Yes, im not sure why the concern for this one.

 

It met the 1.0 mile distance criteria from your cache so that is not a problem. You don't need to concern yourself about the cache's hiding spot being in a high traffic area, that is what the cache owner chose. And if McDonalds or any other business has a beef with it being in their parking lot, then they can take it up with the owner! :(

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