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FTF Folks - Love Em? Hate Em? Just Don't Care?


Thrak

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EveryoneHowever some people take the FTF race a bit too seriously - one cacher here was STF on a cache, and left a very rude log complaining because the FTF, who found the cache the day before, hadn't logged it online yet.
I wouldn't post a rude note but, if I traveled 25 miles for a FTF and then discovered it had been found a day or two earlier and hadn't been logged I would certainly be peeved. ...

What if I get a FTF while visiting an area and don't log my finds until I get home a week later? What if I make the find in my own area on my way to the airport?

 

Come to think of it, why would it matter if I beat you to the cache by five minutes or five days? Either way you weren't first to find, but you still get a smiley.

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EveryoneHowever some people take the FTF race a bit too seriously - one cacher here was STF on a cache, and left a very rude log complaining because the FTF, who found the cache the day before, hadn't logged it online yet.
I wouldn't post a rude note but, if I traveled 25 miles for a FTF and then discovered it had been found a day or two earlier and hadn't been logged I would certainly be peeved. ...

What if I get a FTF while visiting an area and don't log my finds until I get home a week later? What if I make the find in my own area on my way to the airport?

 

Come to think of it, why would it matter if I beat you to the cache by five minutes or five days? Either way you weren't first to find, but you still get a smiley.

 

There can always be extenuating circumstances such as you suggest. Nobody would expect you to log the cache under those conditions. As for your second question the difference would be that, had the cache been logged in a timely manner when found by a LOCAL cacher who COULD log it in a timely manner, then I wouldn't zoom out for the cache in the early morning or at night but would wait and do it when I got around to it.

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EveryoneHowever some people take the FTF race a bit too seriously - one cacher here was STF on a cache, and left a very rude log complaining because the FTF, who found the cache the day before, hadn't logged it online yet.

 

I wouldn't post a rude note but, if I traveled 25 miles for a FTF and then discovered it had been found a day or two earlier and hadn't been logged I would certainly be peeved. I log a FTF as soon as I can so others won't rush off trying for it. However, if I get a FTF and then spend the next 4 hours caching before I get home the log simply has to wait. Like I said though, I do log a FTF as soon as I can. I have a friend who got up at 5:00 AM and drove 30 miles to snag a FTF that had been found the night before and not logged. With today's gas prices that can be a spendy FTF hunt.

 

I have gone on several FTF hunts only to find that they have had physical logs a few days old. It happens.

 

Getting upset over being STF is simply immature. Many times the difference between first and second is minutes or hours. To expect someone to log online IMMEDIATELY is ridiculous. Whether the FTF is logged in as few hours or a few days makes no difference in the result for the second finder. The possibility ALWAYS exists that the person seeking a FTF will download the page B4 the FTF is logged. Also there are some people who do not log online- I have been beat out by a few of these myself.

 

Today I found 2 FTFs. The second finder logged both of them about 15 minutes after I found them. Even though I didn't log online (and will not) there is no way the second would have aborted the trip had I logged online as quickly as possible- they were already enroute. Even if they had set up a watch to page their pager when the caches were logged, and I had logged them from my mobile device at the same time I signed the log, they still would have used their gas.

 

An FTF hound willingly accepts the risk that they will be #2. That is part of the game. You dont gotta be first everytime- enjoy the hunt and try again on the next new one.

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I usually smile when I think I'm going to be first but find I've been beaten to the punch, especially if by one of my friends. The first thing I do when I see that other name is do a quick scan to see if they are still lingering, watching me.

 

I also usually smile when I find a cache with a completely blank logsheet. If it's lunchtime, or right after average work hours, I quickly sign in and then lurk for a while to see if anyone else comes along, just so that I can see them curse my name. To date, I have not hung around long enough to ever meet another cacher at a FTF opportunity.

 

Either situation is fine with me. Once you've had a FTF or two, it's not a big deal to see another name on the logsheet, it's actually a happy moment knowing you just missed the encounter and you tell yourself that you will be faster next time. :D

Edited by cachew nut
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I've seen a few posts where it seems to really annoy the heck out of some people when a cacher is a "FTF hound". Some folks really enjoy being FTF and are willing to go out in the night or early morning or in terrible weather for a FTF. For some reason that really seems to make some folks angry. What do you think? Does it annoy you or do you just not really care or what?

 

Personally, I don't understand why it should upset anybody but..........

 

Oh man, over the last few days I've discovered how frustrating it is to have an "FTF-Freak" living in proximity.

 

If a new cache is placed anywhere in a 50km radius, this one cacher makes it their mission to FTF it within hours of publication.

 

At first I thought they were just in the area and had nothing to do - shift worker perhaps? After visiting their geocaching profile, they actually post their "score" of FTF's - 50th, 100th - which is just salt in the wound.

 

Whatever floats your boat but it would be nice to have some caches left to FTF.

 

I did my first FTF last night at 10pm about 20 minutes after the cache was published and the timing was definitely influenced by my knowing how much of an FTF hoarder this other guy is.

 

Interestingly: the local FTF-hound hasn't rushed to get to this cache subsequent to my logging it.

Edited by af895
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I've seen a few posts where it seems to really annoy the heck out of some people when a cacher is a "FTF hound". Some folks really enjoy being FTF and are willing to go out in the night or early morning or in terrible weather for a FTF. For some reason that really seems to make some folks angry. What do you think? Does it annoy you or do you just not really care or what?

 

Personally, I don't understand why it should upset anybody but..........

 

Oh man, over the last few days I've discovered how frustrating it is to have an "FTF-Freak" living in proximity.

 

If a new cache is placed anywhere in a 50km radius, this one cacher makes it their mission to FTF it within hours of publication.

 

At first I thought they were just in the area and had nothing to do - shift worker perhaps? After visiting their geocaching profile, they actually post their "score" of FTF's - 50th, 100th - which is just salt in the wound.

 

Whatever floats your boat but it would be nice to have some caches left to FTF.

 

I did my first FTF last night at 10pm about 20 minutes after the cache was published and the timing was definitely influenced by my knowing how much of an FTF hoarder this other guy is.

 

Interestingly: the local FTF-hound hasn't rushed to get to this cache subsequent to my logging it.

 

Now you see what he has to do to get them. If he is willing to do them late at night, early in the morning, at the drop of a hat, etc. then the FTF will go to him. If YOU are willing to do the same then you can get the FTF. It's YOUR choice.

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My wife (ClickChik) and I are having fun caching. We started about 2 months ago and we only had one GPSr then. Early on, a new cache was released while we were at work, and she rushed there to try for the FTF (and I rushed home to let the "puppies" out to go pee). She got her first FTF that night. After working as a team for about 3 weeks (with her being the one primarily keeping the GPSr) we decided to get a second unit, and start a friendly competition between ourselves. She travels to dog competitions, and has logged several caches while traveling. Last weekend we managed to log an FTF together (my first and her second). Yesterday I was having a tough day at work, and when I got an email about a new cache relatively near to my office, so I thought I would give it a try on my way home. I managed to get the FTF, and to be honest, I had more fun writing the log than getting the FTF. If you want, you can see my log at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...f0-7e5c8f15e819

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I get those notifications from Geocaching.com, and today one popped up on my email while I was working on something else. It took a few minutes for me to check the email, and then when I read the listing for the new cache, I sat on it for a few minutes trying to decide if I wanted to leave work right then or not. I decided that I would, so I printed off the cache page and jumped into the car.

 

Then, because of a discrepancy between the online maps and the road signs, I ended up passing the relevant intersection and continuing on for about a 1/2 mile before realizing my mistake, punching in the coordinates and doubling back.

 

By the time I had been through all that and drove up to the cache site, another truck was parked and the occupant was just finished returning the cache to its hiding spot. DRAT! I missed it by less than 5 minutes.

 

Had I not gotten lost, or had I not hesitated when I got the email, I could have been FTF, or claimed a shared FTF.

 

Moral of the story: Either be FAST, or decide that you don't really care about getting FTF's. :ph34r: I generally don't care, unless one happens to be close and I have a window of opportunity. I have had 3 "second to find" logs and 6 FTF's out of the 132 caches that I've done.

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That FTF-hound I spoke of in my last post did something that at least one local cacher is pretty disgusted with. (one other than me that is)

 

FTF-hound was doing a cache-owner a favor by verifying coordinates to a newly placed cache - the original coordinates were wrong and the cache was temporarily disabled.

 

Our FTF hound logged his "find" - while the cache was disabled and nobody else had the new coordinates - as an FTF.

 

I could respect this guy for pursuing FTF's at all hours but to me that doesn't qualify as an FTF... and says more about the hound's obsession than his skill.

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FTF-hound was doing a cache-owner a favor by verifying coordinates to a newly placed cache - the original coordinates were wrong and the cache was temporarily disabled.

 

Our FTF hound logged his "find" - while the cache was disabled and nobody else had the new coordinates - as an FTF.

 

Other than frustrating other FTFr's, they didn't do anything unacceptable. There are often caches that are hidden and you get to them hours after being published and there are logs sometimes days before. Some people give the coords to friends as soon as they place them. Also, with the Magellen contest (I think last year), caches were published on their site first (we had a few in our area) wel before being published on GC.com.

 

Remember, this gc.com is a listing service when it comes to the caches, nothing more. In fact, I am fairly certain there is nothing in even gc.com's policies about finding and logging the find prior to the published date, although I haven't tried it yet.

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Not for me but it is an important aspect of caching for some. I get an occasional FTF and have even run out late at night for one (next finder was 2 weeks later - sigh). Most of my FTF have been accidental and some have occured quite far from home while on vacation. Most of the time I wait till I am nearby for something else or I get that urge to go find something. I know some semi-local newer cachers have turned it into an artform in a nearby town. Sometimes as many as 4 groups will show up all at once to start the hunt. Never has happened that way closer to my home.

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Providing the FTF doesn't break any rules to obtain the FTF, I say more power to them. I like trying for them because in my area, new caches tend to become mini-events and we like running into cachers. We just got back from Reno and the only local cachers we met were met at a FTF attempt. Last year, we were heading out of town for Thanksgiving and had notifications setup in the new area. Just as we were pulling into town, 8 new caches came up on our way to my friends house. We stopped for two and were able to meet one of the local self-proclaimed FTF-Hounds (Thrak). FTFs are fun, but FTF inspired mini events are even better.

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Providing the FTF doesn't break any rules to obtain the FTF, I say more power to them. I like trying for them because in my area, new caches tend to become mini-events and we like running into cachers. We just got back from Reno and the only local cachers we met were met at a FTF attempt. Last year, we were heading out of town for Thanksgiving and had notifications setup in the new area. Just as we were pulling into town, 8 new caches came up on our way to my friends house. We stopped for two and were able to meet one of the local self-proclaimed FTF-Hounds (Thrak). FTFs are fun, but FTF inspired mini events are even better.

 

That was at GCRBT0. It was my second cache of the new series that had just come out and I found you two trying to "act casual" on the street corner in front of a Chinese restaurant since you didn't know if I was a muggle or a cacher. I walked up and asked if you had found it yet and you both instantly went from "muggle" to "active cacher mode". As I recall your flashlight hit the cache spot a split second before mine did and you snagged the FTF out from under me. It was pretty cool to get beaten on it by folks from out of town at 10:30 at night or so. :blink:

 

I scored 6 other FTF that night on that series. I ended up quitting because it got so late. I was logging my finds at 1:15 AM and I had to get up at 7:30 and make a long drive for a family Thanksgiving in Windsor. My wife thought I was crazy but I was having a blast zooming around finding the caches.

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Providing the FTF doesn't break any rules to obtain the FTF, I say more power to them. I like trying for them because in my area, new caches tend to become mini-events and we like running into cachers. We just got back from Reno and the only local cachers we met were met at a FTF attempt. Last year, we were heading out of town for Thanksgiving and had notifications setup in the new area. Just as we were pulling into town, 8 new caches came up on our way to my friends house. We stopped for two and were able to meet one of the local self-proclaimed FTF-Hounds (Thrak). FTFs are fun, but FTF inspired mini events are even better.

 

That was at GCRBT0. It was my second cache of the new series that had just come out and I found you two trying to "act casual" on the street corner in front of a Chinese restaurant since you didn't know if I was a muggle or a cacher. I walked up and asked if you had found it yet and you both instantly went from "muggle" to "active cacher mode". As I recall your flashlight hit the cache spot a split second before mine did and you snagged the FTF out from under me. It was pretty cool to get beaten on it by folks from out of town at 10:30 at night or so. :blink:

 

I scored 6 other FTF that night on that series. I ended up quitting because it got so late. I was logging my finds at 1:15 AM and I had to get up at 7:30 and make a long drive for a family Thanksgiving in Windsor. My wife thought I was crazy but I was having a blast zooming around finding the caches.

 

Yep, that was the night. :huh: You did give us quite the start when you showed up. Hubby is the one who beat you to it. I got the FTF on the next one that he and I went to. He and I split the FTFs on the two finals in the series. That was a fun night. Got to meet a local and score an FTF 170 miles from home.

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It doen't matter a bit!

 

There seem to be a few FTF cachers in our area. The benefit they provide are really good logs full of info on these new caches that makes them even more attractive!

 

Driver Carries Cache

(madmike)

 

madmike: Best. Avatar. Ever.

 

I'm probably taking the FTF's way too seriously. I wouldn't have claimed the FTF in the situation I described but to each their own. I'd love to bump into a cacher who was out for the FTF though - it's a social activity to me.

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I personally don't care, there was the big fiasco where Team Desert Eagle, who lives about 60 miles north of me was threatened by another cacher who said he'd steal his caches for every FTF over the limit of 3 per week. It was first in the MIGO forums, then it spread to here where it went for quite a while. Needless to say, the threats haven't slown him down any and I'm happy for him. He enjoys going for the FTF, good for him.

 

I honestly don't even know how many FTFs I have and I really don't care either

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I think FTF hounds, as you call them, are fantastic! Good for them for displaying such a high level of excitement about geocaching. When we lived in south Florida, in an area with few caches, about five of us started placing caches and then literally racing one another to be FTF. Yep, I did many at night and at about 5 AM. Nothing more fun than to sign the log and see my friend Tom or Leon walking towards me just as the sun came up. Now I just watch others have the fun -- yet we did nab about 4 FTFs last month!

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FTF's up here in northern Idaho are a bit different a lot of the time. Many caches are on mountain peaks, or require a 25 mile drive up 4x4 roads, then a 3 mile hike, or all of the above.

 

I don't know how long it'll take for my second cache Gemestelle to get a FTF - 5 mile round trip hike, 1/2 of it off trail, 2100' elevation gain, grizzlies spotted in the area.... lol

Edited by conradv
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Providing the FTF doesn't break any rules to obtain the FTF, I say more power to them. I like trying for them because in my area, new caches tend to become mini-events and we like running into cachers. We just got back from Reno and the only local cachers we met were met at a FTF attempt. Last year, we were heading out of town for Thanksgiving and had notifications setup in the new area. Just as we were pulling into town, 8 new caches came up on our way to my friends house. We stopped for two and were able to meet one of the local self-proclaimed FTF-Hounds (Thrak). FTFs are fun, but FTF inspired mini events are even better.

 

That was at GCRBT0. It was my second cache of the new series that had just come out and I found you two trying to "act casual" on the street corner in front of a Chinese restaurant since you didn't know if I was a muggle or a cacher. I walked up and asked if you had found it yet and you both instantly went from "muggle" to "active cacher mode". As I recall your flashlight hit the cache spot a split second before mine did and you snagged the FTF out from under me. It was pretty cool to get beaten on it by folks from out of town at 10:30 at night or so. :wub:

 

I scored 6 other FTF that night on that series. I ended up quitting because it got so late. I was logging my finds at 1:15 AM and I had to get up at 7:30 and make a long drive for a family Thanksgiving in Windsor. My wife thought I was crazy but I was having a blast zooming around finding the caches.

 

Yep, that was the night. :wub: You did give us quite the start when you showed up. Hubby is the one who beat you to it. I got the FTF on the next one that he and I went to. He and I split the FTFs on the two finals in the series. That was a fun night. Got to meet a local and score an FTF 170 miles from home.

 

My wife and I found you on your way out from getting FTF on the final cache in that series as we was hinking in Santa's Toy Box. We would have been FTF, but we stopped for lunch!!

 

Ed

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Wah! :wub: My latest cache was published four days ago, and no one's found it yet. Wah!

Do you think that it might be because it's a six-stage multi/mystery cache with two miles of hiking?

Oh, well.

that is funny i met your brother and have done a bit of caching with him because of going after some FTF's he has some very well though out caches and devious to boot. i have even managed to eek out a couple of FTF on his caches trying to beat the TUS to them.

Edited by superhoser
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Maybe this is a stupid question, but what does "the TUS" mean?

 

<snip> i have even managed to eek out a couple of FTF on his caches trying to beat the TUS to them.

c'mon now you know. after all you beat me to vem2.

 

i think the FTF race is really fun even if i don't have a chance when it's a puzzle cache.

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<snip> i have even managed to eek out a couple of FTF on his caches trying to beat the TUS to them.

 

I love going after FTFs! In fact, I only go after FTFs, and leave spoiled logsheets for other people. The most fun I have is in Seattle, where those TUS cache. The Tiresome Usual Suspects (TUS) are that group of cachers around here who always seems to get there first. When I get a chance to go after a cache (preferably at night and near the water), if I can leave my mark before one of them gets there I feel really, really happy. Maybe one day they will let me join! Why would you want to be second, third, fourth, or last? Otherwise it's just a smiley and anyone can get those.

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We're FTF freaks. Because of this we've 'earned' a reputation of being able to find new caches even if the coordinates might be a little off. So we're often asked, and agree, to 'do our part' in the community by verifying new caches before they're listed by other cachers.

 

But the thing we never do is claim FTF honors on those caches that we 'pre-find' for other cachers. That's just pathetic. Almost as pathetic as how obssessed we are with getting bona-fide FTFs. We'd never claim an FTF when we're finding a cache to verify it for the owners. That is waaaay not fair. We wait until it's been listed long enough for several other cachers to find it so they can fairly claim FTF honors.

 

- T of TandS

Edited by tands
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<snip> i have even managed to eek out a couple of FTF on his caches trying to beat the TUS to them.

 

I love going after FTFs! In fact, I only go after FTFs, and leave spoiled logsheets for other people. The most fun I have is in Seattle, where those TUS cache. The Tiresome Usual Suspects (TUS) are that group of cachers around here who always seems to get there first. When I get a chance to go after a cache (preferably at night and near the water), if I can leave my mark before one of them gets there I feel really, really happy. Maybe one day they will let me join! Why would you want to be second, third, fourth, or last? Otherwise it's just a smiley and anyone can get those.

 

and that what i enjoy about the FTF race you are a brute, force of a monster which makes it even more fun to try to solve a puzzle before one of your heads pop up and gulp up thre cache. :wub:

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I was FTF on a cache where the coordinates put me over 100 feet away from the cache, down a steep hill, in a patch of poison oak. I eventually found the cache and let the owner know that the coordinates were way off and gave him the corrected coordinates to post. I like to think a lot of folks benefitted from my effort. Now that was a hard earned FTF I can tell you. :(

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First To Find ( FTF)

 

The FTF chase is fun if you have a community of geocachers that are friends, communicate and make it fun.

 

We have our share, in the Alabama Geocachers Association, who love the FTF chase.

 

Some are so avid as to be dependable... one in particular has earned the moniker 'Cache Ninja' and you have to be both quick and good to get ahead of him!

 

Some of us will sign an FTF log and not post an online log, enjoying the "DOH!" response of a happy FTFer opening the cache, only to find our signature!

 

We had an event dinner the other night, and the host placed a cache beforehand but didn't publish it until afterward. After the event attendees were given an envelope, some with bogus coords, some with valid.

My first set was bogus, I went back, got another set, and there were four cars already there when I arrived.

Pouring rain, 9 p.m., after a big meal and 40-person get-together, maybe a dozen cachers at the site before me. No way am I gonna FTF this baby!

I was, however, FTF and had a ball (of course I'd have had a ball if it was a DNF!).

 

We all communicate privately and in forums, so that keeps it fun.

 

There were a few folks who got hot under the collar about the FTF hounds not giving them a chance. It's true that not everyone has the time or resources to chase FTFs. I quit chasing them at all during the year I was a Reviewer (didn't have to, but it would have appeared unfair), and the others backed off a bit voluntarily so as to give regular working stiffs a chance, so it worked out nicely and we now have a competitive but not lopsided FTF group.

 

The FTF chase in my area is fueled by fun; I have never seen an FTFer try to make his prowess a chest-thumping I'm-better-than-you thing, and the more capable FTFers are sensitive to the restrictions of others and are willing to give others a chance.

 

Regardless of job, family, a life, whatever inhibits your caching, you still have a chance at an FTF if you are willing to get out there.

 

Help build a community like that and you'll have no troubles!

 

Ed

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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First To Find ( FTF)

 

The FTF chase is fun if you have a community of geocachers that are friends, communicate and make it fun.

 

We have our share, in the Alabama Geocachers Association, who love the FTF chase.

 

Some are so avid as to be dependable... one in particular has earned the moniker 'Cache Ninja' and you have to be both quick and good to get ahead of him!

 

Some of us will sign an FTF log and not post an online log, enjoying the "DOH!" response of a happy FTFer opening the cache, only to find our signature!

 

We had an event dinner the other night, and the host placed a cache beforehand but didn't publish it until afterward. After the event attendees were given an envelope, some with bogus coords, some with valid.

My first set was bogus, I went back, got another set, and there were four cars already there when I arrived.

Pouring rain, 9 p.m., after a big meal and 40-person get-together, maybe a dozen cachers at the site before me. No way am I gonna FTF this baby!

I was, however, FTF and had a ball (of course I'd have had a ball if it was a DNF!).

 

We all communicate privately and in forums, so that keeps it fun.

 

There were a few folks who got hot under the collar about the FTF hounds not giving them a chance. It's true that not everyone has the time or resources to chase FTFs. I quit chasing them at all during the year I was a Reviewer (didn't have to, but it would have appeared unfair), and the others backed off a bit voluntarily so as to give regular working stiffs a chance, so it worked out nicely and we now have a competitive but not lopsided FTF group.

 

The FTF chase in my area is fueled by fun; I have never seen an FTFer try to make his prowess a chest-thumping I'm-better-than-you thing, and the more capable FTFers are sensitive to the restrictions of others and are willing to give others a chance.

 

Regardless of job, family, a life, whatever inhibits your caching, you still have a chance at an FTF if you are willing to get out there.

 

Help build a community like that and you'll have no troubles!

 

Ed

 

Wow -- this almost makes me wish I lived in Alabama! We'll maybe visit Alabama.

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I love the FTF but there are also times when I don't go in pursuit of them in order to give others a chance. I don't "need" to be first and, knowing how much I enjoy it, it only seems fair to give it a pass sometimes and let others enjoy being first as well. I know that my neighbor Bobolu passes on them once in a while as well - even though I sometimes refer to him as "FTF Bob".

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