Cache Etiquette

[+fatdog]

We have been caching for some time now, and we love the hobby, however, we have run into an interesting situation that we would like opinions on-we have found several TB's in the past that weren't logged in so we thought nothing of the last two that we found in a recent cache that were not logged in. We recorded the info and thought nothing of it as we had done this several times in the past-Imagine my surprise when I recieved a rather snotty e-mail from the cachers that left it, saying that they had just returned from vacation and were upset that we had grabbed the TB's-They said it was common curtesey to wait awhile or to e-mail the cachers that left to check on why they didn't log it-this was five days after we took the TB's-This is a high volume cache site with several visits weekly, and I explained that we, like other cachers, do not read posted logs, but rely on the information, and if we "sit" on a TB waiting for people to get around to logging them that is it actually misleading to those who would go to this cache specifically for the TB's listed-They agrued with us repeatedly saying that we messed up the mileage and we think that they were wrong not to post the bug that day-we always take a laptop with us when we are vacationing, specifically for this purpose or we do not leave them if they can't be recorded in a timely fashion-were we wrong not to sit on these TB's? We feel that waiting for someone to log is against the idea of caching. especially if they are leaving or picking up a TB-what do you all think?

[+Team Teuton]

I think they are wrong.

 

(EDIT) But, you could log it into and out of the cache to correct its mileage.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Team Teuton

[+wiseye]

They should have logged them promtly.

[+New England n00b]

I admit I would be annoyed if that happened to me, but on the other hand, I dropped the TB, I should log it ASAP. Now, I know it isn't always possible to do so on vacation, but that's the price you pay... the dropper should deal with it.

 

You could offer to give them the number so the TB can be properly dropped and you can then retrieve it from the cache - that might make the cache owner happy, as s/he will have had a TB go through their cache. Thats always kinda neat.

[+IV_Warrior]

You could have easily checked to see who last had the bug and e-mailed them before grabbing the bug from them. Giving a little time for them to be logged into the cache they were in wouldn't have hurt anything. That said, a snotty e-mail from them (if it really was) didn't solve anything either. I'd say you were both wrong.

Edited August 7, 2006 by IV_Warrior

[+Harry Dolphin]

You are wrong. You should wait until it is properly logged into the cache, before logging a retrieval. A simple e-mail to the TB hider is common courtesy. Logging the TB into the cache is half the fun of moving travel bugs. Recently, I picked up two TBs in Maine that were left by a vacationer from Nova Scotia. If I had grabbed them, there would have been no record of their visit to Maine.

On the other hand, I dropped two TBs on a local hike. They had been grabbed before I got home!

I do not understand why extending common courtesy to your fellow geocachers goes completely out the window when it comes to grabbing travel bugs.

[+briansnat]

I think they were wrong. The point of TBs are to travel. They expected you to wait nearly a week before they got around to logging it? That's nerve. If the mileage was screwed up its their fault for not logging it promptly.

 

Also, as the finder, you have no idea if the TB has been sitting in the cache for 6 hours or 6 months. You could send the person who "has it" an e-mail, but I think if you don't get a prompt response, its time to move it along.

 

I know if I was my TB, I'd rather it get back out in circulation as soon as possible, instead of sitting on someone's kitchen table waiting for some procrastinators to log it.

 

If its a matter of showing the TB visited a certain cache in Maine, or Alaska or Outer Slobovia, you can always drop the bug into the cache and retreive it.

Edited August 7, 2006 by briansnat

[+BlueDeuce]

It is common courtesy to wait, but that’s all it is. You aren’t doing any favors for the bug, the bug owner or yourself, you are simply allowing the current holder the privilege to drop the bug with their log.

 

The best thing to do is wait a couple three days especially if it’s over the weekend, IF YOU CAN. If you have already dropped the bug into another cache you risk the bug getting further and further off track and possibly lost. If you have already dropped the bug you should grab it from the current holder, (explain why you are doing this), drop and retrieve it from the cache you found it in, then drop it into the correct cache.

 

If you can hold onto the bug, after a couple days send them an email. After another day passes I would go caching and would grab the bug away when I got back so it could be properly logged.

 

Now, if I was out caching and couldn’t log a dropped bug for five days I would send you an email thanking you for taking care of the bug for me. It would have been my fault for putting the bug into limbo, not the guy who fixed it.

 

Getting all snotty because they couldn’t get to an internet connection for five days and missed out on this so called special honor of dropping a bug they don’t even own, is the real lack of common courtesy.

[+SidAndBob]

If I was dropping the TB off I would have put a note in the log book explaining that I wouldn't be able to log the drop off for n days, or maybe even put a note in with the TB if it was in a bag. Then no-one would get their knickers in a twist.

[+Mudfrog]

You are wrong. You should wait until it is properly logged into the cache, before logging a retrieval. A simple e-mail to the TB hider is common courtesy. Logging the TB into the cache is half the fun of moving travel bugs. Recently, I picked up two TBs in Maine that were left by a vacationer from Nova Scotia. If I had grabbed them, there would have been no record of their visit to Maine.

On the other hand, I dropped two TBs on a local hike. They had been grabbed before I got home!

I do not understand why extending common courtesy to your fellow geocachers goes completely out the window when it comes to grabbing travel bugs.

 

I disagree. Any TBs that i happen to pick up are gonna get logged as soon as possible. I'm certainly not gonna wait for some procrastinator's log to come in. We all have responsibilities here and an even more common courtesy is to log promptly when we pick up or leave a TB in a cache. If you can't log this in a timely manner then you probably shouldn't grab or leave the bug in the first place. Logging these is pretty easy to do these days (local library, using wifi, etc,,,), even while you're on vacation!

 

Also, isn't there a log type that says something like "picked up from someplace else". Seems like you could use this and log which cache you got it from thereby keeping the mileage straight. Of course this is if they did the right thing and logged it when they picked it up.

[+StarBrand]

My opinion is you should wait at least a day or two for them to log it into a cache. I just returned from a weeklong vacation and 3 days of that, I was in such a remote area (Outside Baker, NV) that internet access or even telephones were difficult at best. It is dismaying to find out that a TB you moved 600+ miles will never show it because somebody grabs it and places it before it gets logged in. I had several that never had a chance to show in my possesion. Not a big deal to me but it is lost history and movement to the owner. I understand the goal is to travel but I have trouble seeing how an extra couple of days interferes much with that except in rare instances. Just my opinion though.

[+BlueDeuce]

My opinion is you should wait at least a day or two for them to log it into a cache. I just returned from a weeklong vacation and 3 days of that, I was in such a remote area (Outside Baker, NV) that internet access or even telephones were difficult at best. It is dismaying to find out that a TB you moved 600+ miles will never show it because somebody grabs it and places it before it gets logged in. I had several that never had a chance to show in my possesion. Not a big deal to me but it is lost history and movement to the owner. I understand the goal is to travel but I have trouble seeing how an extra couple of days interferes much with that except in rare instances. Just my opinion though.

 

It is possible to 'fix' the history, and pretty easy too.

 

Or You could simply 'discover' the bug later to get the stat, but what fun is that?

[+wimseyguy]

I'm going to side with the log 'em as soon as you can crowd. TB's are meant to move. I cannot see anything in the FAQ or anywhere else thay says there is a sensible waiting period before logging a cache or TB. They were wrong for sending a snotty email, perhaps you were too sensitive in receiving it? Who knows?

 

If I do find a TB that isn't logged into a cache I do log it in/out of that cache to try and keep its mileage as accurate as possible. In this case, I would suggest you offer to send them the tracking number and delete your logs so they can properly drop the TB and they you can relog the grab from the cache instead of them. That should make everyone happy.

[+pigpen4x4]

So, If say you are going to away from the computer for a while, and you are in a place to drop a TB, what if you enclosed a note attached to said bug explaining the situation.

I have found cachers to be very reasonable people, and I think MOST would wait if they knew the situation.

I cache with my Treo and can log at the cache site if I wish, and I have. But I have not run into this situation before. If I saw a note attached to a bug saying say, wait 'till the 14th to log as picked up, I would. But, maybe I'm not living in the real world.

 

PP

[+BlueDeuce]

So, If say you are going to away from the computer for a while, and you are in a place to drop a TB, what if you enclosed a note attached to said bug explaining the situation.

I have found cachers to be very reasonable people, and I think MOST would wait if they knew the situation.

I cache with my Treo and can log at the cache site if I wish, and I have. But I have not run into this situation before. If I saw a note attached to a bug saying say, wait 'till the 14th to log as picked up, I would. But, maybe I'm not living in the real world.

 

PP

 

Technically the current holder is not losing out on much by having the bug grabbed and logged. They still get their stat count. And when you drop a bug via the cache log, you cannot add any note or photo on the bug. You still have to go to bug page and post or edit a note, just like you would have to do if it was grabbed away.

 

They missed out on going 'click,click'.