Is it OK to call from GZ for a tip

[dunderhead]

In advanced years and unable to climb trees, at a GZ after laying waste to the surrounding area (it was due for ploughing anyway) and killed far too many of God's most industrious creatures, I pondered calling the setter, as I have his cell #, but thought it might not be acceptable, just wanted to ask "is it up the tree..yes or no only"

What is the etiquete please.

Edited August 31, 2006 by dunderhead

[Mr Walker]

Iv'e never done this myself, lots of the caching i do is out of cell phone range anyway, but i have e-mailed, rung or talked to both hiders and finders once i got home, to get hints on caches that are proving particularly elusive. From logs and other evidence in Australia, i would say it is common practice, although opinions would vary. Personally I would have at least one good search without phoning, unless it was a remote cache or one you were not likely to visit again. Often a second visit opens your eyes/mind to other possibilities, and the satisfaction of doing it yourself is immense. There is no guarantee the owner will help you, although the sort of hint you were asking for might be in order. Another time it might pay to ring is if the cache had not been found for a very long time or if the G.Z had been significantly disturbed in some way.

[+Tharagleb]

A widely used resource is Phone-A-Friend (there is even a geocoin for it). This includes calling any cacher you know who has done the cache or the cache owner. Most cache owners want you to find the cache and to enjoy your caching so they are very willing to help.

[+El Diablo]

It's perfectly ok. I've done it, and have had people call me for hints to my caches. We all want people to find our caches.

 

El Diablo

[+avroair]

Yes, I call the cache owner and have been called about caches. Sometimes to verify if the cache is disabled or to discern a hint as to what I am looking for.

[+MtnGoat50]

It's perfectly ok. I've done it, and have had people call me for hints to my caches. We all want people to find our caches.

 

El Diablo

Same here. I totally agree.

[+Team Perks]

Yes.

[Neos2]

Sure, yes. Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt, but did get the cache (finally).

[+briansnat]

Yes, I call the cache owner...

 

Yeah, and I'm thinking of getting an unlisted number .

[+Jhwk]

Boo - CHEATER!

 

Hey, if there were more cachers in my area, and I knew that they had done the cache I was on I would call in a heartbeat on a tough one.

 

would you call for a 1/1 or 2/2?

[+GreyingJay]

I got a call from a friend once after telling him to try a particularly devious offset cache where the redirect was printed on the back of a magnetic strip attached to a green power transformer. Those transformers are typically already labeld with some hydro location code number (this particular one was, anonymized, let's call it THX1138), so the hider simply made another label with that code and hid the coordinates behind that.

 

So I'm in the middle of a meeting and I get a cell phone call which goes something like this:

 

Me: Hello?

Him: HELP!

Me: Uh...

Him: (He explains.. he's walked around this box over and over and he doesn't even know where to start.)

Me: OK... go around to the back of the box..

Him: Yeah..

Me: See that label?

Him: Yes, I see it..

Me: Poke it.

Him: *Poke* it?

Me: Yep. Poke it.

Him: Uh... ok, I don't see what -- wait, WHAT the - ARRGHHHHH!!!!!!

Me: You're welcome. Bye!

[+Super_Nate]

 

would you call for a 1/1 or 2/2?

 

Yes I would. If the 1/1 has taken me a whole lot longer than it should then I will call the cache owner and inquiry if the cache is still active, and maybe even inform him/her that the cache is not there due to the info and hints that the cache owner gives to you.

 

It is fine to call other people that found the cache previously for help as well. I called a friend who had previously found a difficulty 3.5 cache, and when I was having troubles they pointed me in the right direction. Even with their help it still took me 25 more minutes to find it.

 

I own caches in which a log will pop up from someone saying that they phoned and friend to try to find one of mine. I have no problem with that because I am a firm believer in making caches creative and maybe a little hard, but also minimizing DNF's because I hate them and don't want others to log DNF's on mine...so phone-a-friend is a helpful tool.

[+budd-rdc]

Yes, it is OK. Many cachers in my area do this, but to be fair, they do it as a last resort and disclose the action in their logs. ("I called a lifeline and found this.")

 

It's a good idea not to abuse this, since the person on the other end might be busy. (Sorry to state the obvious, but this is a public forum.)

 

I've yet to use a lifeline. I opt for the DNF.

[+the hermit crabs]

I see it mentioned in cache logs all the time; it appears to be completely acceptable.

 

I've never done it, since I don't have a cell phone, and I don't know any other cachers' numbers, and I hate talking on the phone.

 

But if I did have a phone, and if was email-capable, I could see myself emailing the owner or other cachers from the cache site, and just hanging around for a while hoping they email back...

[+StarBrand]

Yes - I usually ask them to descibe exactly where they are and I try and give an extra clue or 2.

[+Dooley Noted]

In advanced years and unable to climb trees, at a GZ after laying waste to the surrounding area (it was due for ploughing anyway) and killed far too many of God's most industrious creatures, I pondered calling the setter, as I have his cell #, but thought it might not be acceptable, just wanted to ask "is it up the tree..yes or no only"

What is the etiquete please.

 

SOMETIMES.

[+trail hound]

~Yes~

Been there- Done that

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

We've done it.

 

We've also called some owners and scared them by telling the cache is gone.

[+3blackcats]

LIFELINES RULE!!

[+Maingray]

Yup.

[+Acid Rain]

No - I will not give out my phone number. I will happily answer email, but why would I want to be bothered during supper, mowing the lawn, or sleeping by somebody I don't even know. Email is not real time communication, but phone is. What I like about caching is that I can start or stop playing whenever I want. If I give out my phone number I am on the clock. This might sound harsh and everyone else in the chorus is singing "Yes", but think about it, is this a job or a hobby?

 

Edit: I guess I didn't answer you question. I had a good argument for a different question.

 

Call or no call?

 

Depends - If they provide their phone number, go ahead. They are offering to help on the phone. If they don't provide a phone number, I say leave them alone and don't ask for the number. It might be me!

Edited September 1, 2006 by Acid Rain

[+macatac1961]

would you call for a 1/1 or 2/2?

If you need to call for a 1/1 then the cache was misrated. A 1 difficulty means it will be the easiest cache you look for all day and should have it figured out before you even get out of the car. Otherwise it's a 1.5 or better. To answer the original question, yes lifelines are a must.

[+AuntieWeasel]

I see it mentioned in cache logs all the time; it appears to be completely acceptable.

 

I've never done it, since I don't have a cell phone, and I don't know any other cachers' numbers, and I hate talking on the phone.

 

But if I did have a phone, and if was email-capable, I could see myself emailing the owner or other cachers from the cache site, and just hanging around for a while hoping they email back...

Ditto. I do carry a cellphone, I do have other cachers' numbers, but I've never done it, because I'm just this side of a phone-o-phobe.

 

But I gather it happens to many cachers from time to time and it's really nothing to be ashamed about

[+cache_test_dummies]

... since I don't have a cell phone ...

 

Good one!

[+cache_test_dummies]

Is it OK to call from GZ for a tip, Just a Yes or No

Yes.

 

I have both used this technique and answered such calls. I actually think this is kind of a quaint characteristic of our high-tech activity. A highly social moment in a solitary endeavor that frequently leads to some good-natured ribbing? Nothing wrong with that.

[+laughingcat]

In advanced years and unable to climb trees, at a GZ after laying waste to the surrounding area (it was due for ploughing anyway) and killed far too many of God's most industrious creatures, I pondered calling the setter, as I have his cell #, but thought it might not be acceptable, just wanted to ask "is it up the tree..yes or no only"

What is the etiquete please.

 

dunno etiquitte but it's a lot of fun to share in a cache by phone. I call my kids and they call me. Mind you, we can't give hints beyond what is on the cache page as distance precludes our having done the cache that is being called about but.. sometimes we just need a bit of encouragement or help if we've gone pda-less/paperless or the gps just died. And it's fun. Sometimes I think we call just because. Usually we keep each other company on the phone until the cache is found.

 

once I emailed a cache owner, stating where/who I was and asking if he'd give confirmation on a multi (I think it was if memory serves) and gave him the choice of emailing me or phoning the girl. he phoned her and she said he was more than a tad wondering how he came to be emailed about a cache in Nebr. by someone in Texas, Bet he called her partly out of that curiousity, you reckon?

[+James Lobb]

im yet to do it, i dont think its cheating or anything. but i think i ruins it a little. spoils the fun a bit

[+CENT5]

Done it, you bet. What amazes me is calling a friend with over 2800 finds and they can recall every detail of every hunt. Give them the cache name and maybe a little nudge and it all just pops out. It truely is amazing.

[+Dooley Noted]

Having done so today (on a 3.5 difficulty cache) I must say it is okay, but just log it as such, which I did.

 

I spent two days (lunch hours from work) and couldn't afford any more time, so I called in a lifeline, and still had trouble! But finally found it!

[+Tallahassee Lassie]

I only have 2 people on my phone-a-friend. One is my hubby, who usually doean't cache, so if I'm stuck, I ask him to go online to see if any more clues about the cache can be gleaned from the cache page. The other is a fellow cacher who has done many that I haven't, and vice-versa, so we help each other out on occasion, maybe 2 times in the last 10 months.

[+VeryLost]

I will happily answer email, but why would I want to be bothered during supper, mowing the lawn, or sleeping by somebody I don't even know.

 

Do you often sleep by people you don't even know?

 

[+jasond]

I've never done it, and only one cacher has my # and he's never called for help.

 

My philosophy:

The hider has left you all the hints he thinks you need. If you don't think you have enough hints, it may be permissible to call the hider and beg. It is better to email him. It is NOT up to other finders (unless they haven't found said cache either) to provide hints on a cache that isn't theirs.

[+Jhwk]

yes

[+TotemLake]

Of course it's ok! errr... I mean....

 

Yes!

 

I've even had a cacher call another cacher whom called me. I went over to help the first cacher find my cache. Of course by the time I got there, he found it but I still had a chance to meet a fellow cacher.

[+boda]

Yes. I haven't done it myself yet, but probably will in the future. The folks that call for a lifeline around here call friends. Friends are always willing to help.

 

In addition, we often cache with friends. Since we are paperless, we at times unexpectedly run into incomplete cache descriptions (missing pictures, etc). Our friends call their kids in Tennesee or Connecticut to get help. They have also googled definitions for us to help narrow down the cache location.

 

Is there any other reason to own a cell phone?

 

I also once used Google Earth to describe a tricky spot for someone in the field. They moved 200 feet to the West, and there it was.

[+Bad_CRC]

I don't know any geocachers.

 

 

anyway, I do figure it's cheating, so I wouldn't probably do it anyway. I have no problems logging a DNF and trying later. In my game, that's how it's supposed to be done.

[+bill50here]

Sure, yes. Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt, but did get the cache (finally).

Unlisted numbers don't work....Remember they have your COORD'S theier GPS knows where you live just not what ya did........