knowschad Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Just put your GPS up to your ear and do the old "Can you hear me NOW?" thing. Quote Link to comment
Ferret on crystal meth Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 I dont realy get asked that as im quite big and am normaly talking to myself so people tend to leave me alone. I have been asked once and I told them I was waiting for a crack dealer and they went away preaty fast. That works in any situation by the way. Quote Link to comment
rogheff Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I'm one of the lucky folks. I have a landscaping business and so have the perfect excuse for most situations - "just checking the plants". I have more issues when hiding a cache. "What's with the box?" "Why, yes officer I was carrying a box into the woods, and why yes, I did leave it there." I ALWAYS carry my geoshillellagh (with the geocaching staff medallion on it) with me when geocaching as it's a little easier to explain to those friendly officers that I'm doing something legit. It also helps resolve that hesitation when I encounter another geocacher on the trails. Quote Link to comment
+zipkast Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 In those high muggle areas: A metal clipboard, a geodetic surveyor cap from e-bay, along with a 300' measuring tape spool. If anyone asks tell them you have a contract with NGS to find benchmarks in a three county area. Quote Link to comment
+MaplessInSeattle Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 In those high muggle areas: A metal clipboard, a geodetic surveyor cap from e-bay, along with a 300' measuring tape spool. If anyone asks tell them you have a contract with NGS to find benchmarks in a three county area. i like that one Quote Link to comment
+7ofclubs Posted December 22, 2007 Share Posted December 22, 2007 I've used two excuses: 1) "Utah P and P surveying earth shifting equipment. Its really interesting, you see when a car or vehicle drives within 1 mile of the survey equipment the Earth can shift almost a milimeter and can affect the reproduction cycle of the American Earthworm. When two Earthworms are reproducing a milimeter shift can cause the penis of the male Earthworm..." Usually by that time they leave. 2) "University of Utah Entomology Department. We've had reports that Elephant spiders have been found in the luggage of the military returning from the Middle East. I'm trying to see how many have gotten into the wild here in Utah. Nerve racking job, these things are the size of my head, I hope I don't find anymore today." -=7ofclubs=- Quote Link to comment
+Seek2FindMe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 ---homework --class project (which usually means I am taking a picture) ---repacking backpack (usually self-explanatory and not questioned) - we are getting really good at making it look like that is all we are doing. Really get funny looks for the contents we are repacking. Kids along are good cover-ups in this case. Not so strange to have trinkets if you have kids along. All three of these were used on the same day in various locations with heavy muggle activity. Distraction and redirection items include: walking the dog; cameras/picture taking (sometimes with dead batteries but what do they know); cell phone conversations on turned off cell phones while walking & looking around (who can bother to interrupt a woman engaged in a passionate cell phone conversation while walking her dog and lugging around a camera?) Since we are new to this I am sure we are going to have our pat answers down, and make some truth out of them by incorporating geocaching into other areas of our lives. Quote Link to comment
+MN-CACHE-TRACKER Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Only once was I asked what I was doing. I was looking for a cache near the edge of town in the woods near a residential area when I was approached by an older lady who I noticed was watching me from her house from the time I left my truck, a blue Ford Explorer that could pass for a state vehicle. My answer was that I was there doing stage one survey work for a new sewer wast treatment plant. She responded OH and walked off, I'm sure to call all the neighbors. Quote Link to comment
+doodlee00 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I really have fun with this question. (It's a lot funnier if you've ever seen me. I was born without a right hand.) When someone approaches me, they usually have a funny look on their face, having seen my right arm, I just hold up my arm and tell them I'm looking for my other hand. "I had it when I came through here yesterday and I really want it back. If you see let me know...It's the one with the big green booger on the index finger" Quote Link to comment
+MaplessInSeattle Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I really have fun with this question. (It's a lot funnier if you've ever seen me. I was born without a right hand.) When someone approaches me, they usually have a funny look on their face, having seen my right arm, I just hold up my arm and tell them I'm looking for my other hand. "I had it when I came through here yesterday and I really want it back. If you see let me know...It's the one with the big green booger on the index finger" Ok, that sooo wins. You officially have the best excuse. Quote Link to comment
lancedx2 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 On my very first find, I was with a few people and we were all looking for the cache. The cache was in a hotel parking lot. Being our first time, we were pretty conspicuous and hotel security (about 3 guys) stopped us and asked us what we were doing. I didn't know what else to do so I just told them about geocaching. We thought for sure that they would remove the cache, but it has been found a few times since, apparently still intact. Quote Link to comment
+orome Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 A friend and I were in woods near a picnic bench, when the kids on it shouted out, "whatcha doing?" My friend's reply, "looking for a gun," shut 'em up right quick. Quote Link to comment
+rabid-chihuahua Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I usually have my dog with me so I keep a pooper scooper bag in my hand. So far nobodys asked what I'm looking for. Quote Link to comment
+kurat Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 "I'm using billion dollar sattelites to hunt tupperware." Straight off the T-shirt, and normally people will lkeave you alone after saying it. I laughed out loud when I read this - priceless! Quote Link to comment
murtmurt Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Whenever you are out geocaching and you run into another person(s), what do you say when they ask you what your looking for or what you're doing? Anyone know some good answers? The voices tells that there is a box here... yes, a treasure, a great treasure, must now search for box... Quote Link to comment
ADavid09 Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I have a friend who will use the same response whenever people ask him what he is doing, is up to, etc. Maybe I'll try it out on the trails. Q: What are you doing? A: Minding my own business, how about you? Quote Link to comment
+joranda Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I just say,"I don't know" Pretty simple. Quote Link to comment
+thewingfamily Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 About 30 feet off of a small path and me and my geo-toddler, 2.5 at the time and potty training, we (meaning I) was searching around and the geo-toddler was looking at the tree that the cache was near and being rather loud ...All of a sudden, a guy is walking up to us asking if we are ok. My son (without missing a beat,) pulls down his pants and pees on the tree and says "I am peeing." I have *never* been so embarrassed in my life. The guy just smiled and said "keep up the good work watering the tree" and walked away. Soooo, sooooooo, sooooooo mortified. Quote Link to comment
+GEOvloger Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 About 30 feet off of a small path and me and my geo-toddler, 2.5 at the time and potty training, we (meaning I) was searching around and the geo-toddler was looking at the tree that the cache was near and being rather loud ...All of a sudden, a guy is walking up to us asking if we are ok. My son (without missing a beat,) pulls down his pants and pees on the tree and says "I am peeing." I have *never* been so embarrassed in my life. The guy just smiled and said "keep up the good work watering the tree" and walked away. Soooo, sooooooo, sooooooo mortified. LOLZ thats classic! It reminds me of my latest geocaching video where i reenact the time i got caught peeing while out night caching by the POLICE! check it out and if you like what you see SUBSCRIBE! GEOvloger Quote Link to comment
jamesterry Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 (edited) "Sir, by the patriot act I have the right to detain you indefinitely without charges, I suggest you move along." Works best while wearing a suit. Edited July 24, 2012 by jamesterry Quote Link to comment
Chino1130 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 9/10 times I say "I'm taking part in a world wide, never ending treasure hunt". Usually it's older people that don't want me terrorizing their neighborhood, or security guards that monitor parking lots. I gladly explain to them what geo caching is and show them the app on my phone. I have never had someone be negative once I explain what I'm really doing. More often than not they are actually interested and blown away that something so huge is completely unknown to them. I figure I have a lot better chance of not having the cops called on me, or having the cache found and removed, if I just be polite and act as if I'm trying to spread the word on a nice recreational activity that cause no harm to anyone. Quote Link to comment
+E_ZIG_A Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) Why do we need excuses? Theres some funny excuses, but why do we need them? Because it's fun! Remember; it's a game! Edited July 25, 2012 by jmandea on patrol Quote Link to comment
+E_ZIG_A Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I recently did a multi-cache in a wooded area that required me to do a puzzle. Here I am in the middle of the woods, putting an Elmo puzzle together. For the non-geocacher, what in the world would someone think? :laughing: crying with laughter! We really are insane, aren't we! But we do this all the time! Often times I'm sitting there in the middle of the bush with some weird contraption (the last one being a metre long hyperdermic syringe!) and wondering what any passing muggle would think if they happened upon me at that instant.... :blink: Quote Link to comment
+BCandMsKitty Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Whenever you are out geocaching and you run into another person(s), what do you say when they ask you what your looking for or what you're doing? Anyone know some good answers? We're Geocaching, and then explain what that is, if needed. Quote Link to comment
+nthacker66 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 If I am doing something that is legal, i do it. If someone asks, I just say "geocaching" if they persist to ask in a nice way, I explain. If they get snarky I ask them to kindly go about their own business...only had one instance when I had to use the latter. every other interaction with people wondering and asking has been very pleasant. Quote Link to comment
+Mad Dawgg Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I go with- "I'm Beta Testing a new Tupperware container System. We figure if it will survive outdoors..." Mad Dawgg Quote Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Whenever you are out geocaching and you run into another person(s), what do you say when they ask you what your looking for or what you're doing? Anyone know some good answers? Geocaching. Quote Link to comment
+dprovan Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 We really are insane, aren't we! But we do this all the time! Often times I'm sitting there in the middle of the bush with some weird contraption (the last one being a metre long hyperdermic syringe!) and wondering what any passing muggle would think if they happened upon me at that instant.... :blink: I'm way more comfortable when I'm working with a weird contraption because they'll think I'm doing something weird that they wouldn't understand, and that's fine with me. Even reasonably accurate. When I just come out from behind a bush with nothing in my hands and a smile on my face, I'm sure they have a very specific idea exactly what I was doing, different, of course, depending on whether I come out alone or if my wife's with me... Quote Link to comment
vagabond Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 In 11 1/2 years and over 6000 caches I've been asked twice, and I told the truth. I've found 2 caches that were in front of police cruisers and the officers were in them, after finding the caches went and talked to them to explain and they weren't even interested in what I was doing. Quote Link to comment
+thewingfamily Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 We were doing a multi part night cache. We walked about a mile into the woods and found the two parts that we needed. It ended up that we had to walk the same way that we came in. We get about 1/4 of a mile and we see flashing lights. Not just a few. Red...blue...all of them. We get a hundred feet further and a cop comes out of nowhere and is shining a light directly in our eyes. He asks us what we are going, we tell him honestly. He says, "Oh yeah, I found that one last year...you are on the right track." We asked what was going on and it ends up that a bunch of kids had lit a bonfire that had gotten out of control. Drinking was involved and they had scattered. They were working on finding the kids and putting the fire out. He radioed ahead that we were coming out. It ended up that the final part of the cache was hidden about 10 feet from the back of the cruiser. Yeah, it was an interesting night Quote Link to comment
medoug Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 "I'm looking for a contact lens." Quote Link to comment
+oxford comma Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 It was snowing in ohio today- the kids and I went caching. a few into our run my feet got soaked in a very soggy low-lying ground area . once we got back to the car my daughter and I took off our shoes and socks. well, on the way home there was a nice little string of 7 caches aLong an industrial parkway. I figured " what the heck" and decided to go for them- they were basically p&gs . so of course , no cars in sight. I jump out barefoot and go for the finds - no LPCs though, and most required a bery short walk across some grass. wouldn't you know 6 out if 7 times cars drive by right as I am standing along the road with no shoes on. then I realized one of the cars keeps circling around and goes past me at least 4 times at various caches. I'm hoping that they were fellow cachers, but no one stopped to ask so I lucked out I think. Quote Link to comment
+geodarts Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 (edited) I am always tempted to say that I am tracking bigfoot, gathering evidence against slenderman, or explaining that I am on mafia business. But it is always simpler to briefly explain the game. The latter always works for me. Edited April 21, 2013 by geodarts Quote Link to comment
BRTango Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 (edited) Them: What are you doing? Me: I work for the county as an Aroboreal Numerologist. Them: What's an ar.. arb... arborea number... numberologist? Me: I count trees... 1... 2... 3... 4... Edited April 25, 2013 by BRTango Quote Link to comment
+JKMonkey Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Usually just say that I dropped something and then I'm not bothered, although I like the idea of wearing a hardhat and construction vest this way even the most suspicious muggle will just think I'm inspecting something and leave me alone. Quote Link to comment
+thewingfamily Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I was recently doing some owner maintenance and turned around just in time to be muggled by 2 black labs and a german shepard. Figuring that the owners were not too far behind, I headed out to the trail, dogs in tow. When I got to the trail, two girls came around the corner. I was bent down scratching the dogs. I said, "I think I found your dogs," one of the girls responded, "please tell me that the dogs didn't find a body...they didn't find a body right?" I was a bit confused until I realized that I was wearing my official looking "coroner" shirt. I think that I am going to get some crime scene tape so that I can mark a perimeter and I won't get muggled Quote Link to comment
+TeamMadHatter Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I would yell "STRANGER DANGER, I NEED AN ADULT!" and then run away. Quote Link to comment
+sasqwatches Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I haven't used it yet but I am waiting to use it "I dropped a contact and I am looking for it please don't come any closer you might step on it" Quote Link to comment
Mattyematt Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Officer, I am trying to find a place to bury this shovel. We had someone see us coming out of the woods with our kids and a shovel in hand (we had just buried a cache). The guy later asked what were we doing and we told him we had to bury a hampster. I also say I lost something and am looking for it. Not trying to pick, just asking out of curiosity, but don't the rules say a geocache can't be buried? Quote Link to comment
+OHail Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Officer, I am trying to find a place to bury this shovel. We had someone see us coming out of the woods with our kids and a shovel in hand (we had just buried a cache). The guy later asked what were we doing and we told him we had to bury a hampster. I also say I lost something and am looking for it. Not trying to pick, just asking out of curiosity, but don't the rules say a geocache can't be buried? The guidelines have changed since that was written in 2007. Quote Link to comment
Mattyematt Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Lol thanks. I should probably check the dates first. Quote Link to comment
+MountainWoods Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Perhaps what Sylvester Marcus said in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.