cache missing and still not disabled?

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

OK, so, long storey short... Cache was hidden by an out of towner in an inappropriate location. It is inappropriate because the location was under a temporary object. The local presidential library had a fundraiser for a worthy cause via trains that were decorated and then placed infront of businesses and parks for a few months. The plan was to then take these back up and sell them to raise the money for the cause. All of us local folks knew the trains would be leaving, but the out of towner apparently didn't. Nor did he apparently get permission to place it there because the train was temporary and was in front of a large hotel in the middle of town on a very busy road and it would be impossible to find the cache without being seen by muggles.

 

So, my friend found the cache, no big deal. It was found a few times by the few local cachers who like the FTF and/or have run out of all other local caches to find. So, my friend just happened to be driving by on this very busy road when the train was being picked up by the library folks! Of course, the cache fell out, and it just happened to be a ODS seed cache, so all of the little black film canister seeds scattered all over the place. My friend stopped and helped to pick these up and explained to the library folks that it was a treasure hunt hidden by a friend for his kids birthday party or something like that. The library people were apparently OK with that, thankfully.

 

She then emailed the owner and told him what happened and that she had the cache in her car trunk. He replied to her and said thanks, he was moving to the area in a week, and he would get it from her then. That was two days ago... and the cache is still listed as active.

 

She is hesistant to post a SBA or needs maintance but I think that as the cache is in her car, that she should. Without being the cache police, is there a way to contact the local reviewer outside of a SBA? I've communicated with them before, buy only via placing a new cache of my own. Any thoughts?

Edited September 14, 2006 by Wile E. Dragonfly

[+Gamaliel]

I posted an SBA note on a nearby cache that got muggled and it was archived by a reviewer the next day.

[+TheManInStripes]

Go post a NEEDS MAINTENANCE log and a reviewer will see it quicker.

[+Stunod]

Go post a NEEDS MAINTENANCE log and a reviewer will see it quicker.

 

Reviewers do not get Needs Maintenance logs...only SBA's

[+Isonzo Karst]

Needs maintenance logs are not forwarded to reviewers

[+The Leprechauns]

Go post a NEEDS MAINTENANCE log and a reviewer will see it quicker.

Reviewers are not automatically notified of "Needs Maintenance" logs. That was one of the reasons why that log type was added -- to have something short of "Needs Archived," which does attract a reviewer's attention.

 

The OP's friend did the right thing by e-mailing the cache owner. That should always be the first course of action, except in cases like no trespassing signs, law enforcement encounters, etc. There should also be a note on the cache page explaining what happened. The owner ought to then either archive or disable the cache. If the owner doesn't do that after a reasonable period of time, then a "Needs Archived" log would be appropriate.

Edited September 13, 2006 by The Leprechauns

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

She just posted a SBA note... And, a reasonable amount of time is a couple of days? I hope that I didn't lead her astray. I have learned something though, I thought that needs maintance notes went to the reviewer, too. Good to know.

 

Thanks for the help all!

[+The Leprechauns]

She just posted a SBA note... And, a reasonable amount of time is a couple of days? I hope that I didn't lead her astray. I have learned something though, I thought that needs maintance notes went to the reviewer, too. Good to know.

 

Thanks for the help all!

I wanted to answer your question about a "reasonable time," and went back to your original post to refresh my memory... did the cache owner reply to the e-mail? If yes, then the cache owner ought to have taken the two extra minutes to login, go to their cache page, and write a one-sentence "disable" log.

 

But you've removed the thread's original post. That's not very helpful to others who may want to read this thread later on.

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

Sorry... didn't mean to change the whole thing, got interupted at work and hit the wrong button. It should be back to nearly the way it was originally...

[+Bad_CRC]

she had the cache in her car trunk.

 

now that would be hard to waypoint.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I know it seems obvious that the cache needs to be temporarily disabled, because it isn't there at the moment, but some people need to hear the actual suggestion, "Would you kindly disable this cache in the meantime so as not to inconvenience others?" I don't know if this message ever made it into the email or a "needs maintenance" post, but assuming it didn't it might be worth a try. I've known several cases where the owner knew of lost travels bugs listed in their cache but didn't mark them as missing, and they had to be specifically asked to do so. The same goes for owners who perform maintenance but forget to remove the "needs maintenance" attribute. Say exactly what you mean, because some people won't necessarily make the connection.

[+humanloofa]

I have a good one that falls into this catagory. Look at this one, and try to figure out why it has not bee archived or how it got approved.

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

I have a good one that falls into this catagory. Look at this one, and try to figure out why it has not bee archived or how it got approved.

 

That is still active? Wow... talk about getting the GC community (not to mention a few cachers) in trouble!

 

The cache in my area has been disabled for the time being. Just glad that it was taken care of finally.

 

Which leads me to a question... how local are the reviewers? Is it a few per state or 1/500 miles or based on cache density? Just curious... I think they're doing a great job for what they're getting paid (peanuts?) but I've no idea on the structural setup and some potential new folks have asked and I hadn't a clue... (again, not much suprise there...)

 

Thanks!

[+GreyingJay]

I would think that the obvious answer is to post a note on the cache page advising people what's happened.

 

I did this recently when I had to take a cache home. I explained that in my note and wrote at the bottom: "To sum up: the cache is not at the posted coordinates! Do not look for this cache anymore!" I then contacted the owner to arrange a time to drop the container back at his house.

[+cimawr]

I would think that the obvious answer is to post a note on the cache page advising people what's happened.

 

I did this recently when I had to take a cache home. I explained that in my note and wrote at the bottom: "To sum up: the cache is not at the posted coordinates! Do not look for this cache anymore!" I then contacted the owner to arrange a time to drop the container back at his house.

 

Out of sheer curiosity, why did you have to take the cache home?

 

I ended up taking one home overnight recently...

 

It's hidden behind a local store, about 20 feet from an offloading area for deliveries. I took the cache from its hiding place, and walked over to the car intending to open the container, sign log, etc. As I got into my car, a semi pulled up to the loading zone, and by the time I had the log signed, the driver and a store worker had begun to unload it, with the driver standing in the truck putting boxes onto a lift, and the store worker unloading and handcarting them in when the lift was lowered.

Problem was, the guy in the truck was facing directly at the hide spot, making it impossible to put the cache back - the placement is at hip level, and there was NO reason for anyone to get out of a car, walk to it, and stick a hand there.

I hadn't been planning to do my grocery shopping just then, but went ahead into the store and spent 35 mintues doing so; but when I came out, the workers were only about a third of the way done unloading - it was a full-size semi - and the unloader was still in place, looking directly at the hide spot.

At this point, it was nearly 11 p.m., I had to get up at 6 the next morning, and I had the dogs in the car wanting to go home and be fed... so I gave up and took the cache home with me. I put it back at lunchtime the next day...

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

OK. So, different area, same weekend... Found a few caches in a subdivision, all owned by the same guy, all micros. Two of the three were in areas that had a sign stating that these were private property for residents and their guests only. There was no mention of permission given on the cache pages... I was against finding them, but my other half did anyways...

 

I emailed the owner asking about permission, along the lines of alleviating any undue concern by stick in the mud, law abiding folks... and as I know that he probably had permission, could he please say so on the cache pages?

 

Now, admittedly, these were tiny parks with no one else in them, and I gathered that he lived in this community...

 

As I've not heard back from him, and didn't mention anything in my original posts, what should I do?

 

Nothing?

 

Edit log and voice concern of obvious lack of permission?

 

Something more drastic? (Not my first choice by a long shot.)

 

Go twiddle my thumbs in a corner cause this isn't that big of deal? (Or, even stranger, work? )

[+9Key]

I ended up taking one home overnight recently...

 

It's hidden behind a local store, about 20 feet from an offloading area for deliveries.

Sounds like a picturesque place for a cache.

[+Cache'n'Carey]

Okay, so how about this - working off just the waypoint and no notes (last time I make that mistake! Right after this I learned to go paperless.) I made a 5 mile trek to DNF a cache. When I got back home to log the DNF, I saw that the owner had posted a note that the cache was stolen and he would replace it soon. The cache hadn't been found since March, and the owner's last find was in January. I posted a Needs Maintenance and politely requested that the owner temporarily disable the cache until he could replace it. I could see that he logged on to the site after receiving my e-mail, but after two weeks the cache was still listed as active. Figured the only way to get a reviewer's attention was to log a Needs Archived, which I did about a month ago. I noted that it is a fantastic location deserving of a cache, and if the owner couldn't replace it I'm sure someone else would love to place one there. Four weeks later, the cache is still listed as active.

 

I'm hesistant to send an e-mail directly to the reviewer because the reviewer who published the cache is not one of the two names I've seen on the other caches in our area. Should I just let it go at this point? Will the Needs Maintenance flag be enough to warn other cachers who might working off just waypoint downloads?

 

It was a great hike anyway, and I got some terrific photos, including a few shots of a coyote, so all was not lost.

[+GreyingJay]

To those asking why I had to take the cache home:

 

The cache was highly camouflaged and at first glance looks just like a regular log. It was hidden in... tada! ... a pile of logs, just off a paved trail in a neighborhood city park. I live in an upper-middle class suburban neighborhood, lots of young families, tech workers, lots of kids.

 

Anyway, I wanted to return to this cache to make a trade, but when I got to the park where the cache wsa hidden, I saw the log had been moved from its original woodpile location... in fact, that whole wood pile was gone. Some kids had made a fort out of a tree elsewhere in the park, stacking up logs and sticks. The camo was so good that they thought it was just another log!

 

I couldn't leave the log where it was, in the kids' fort, and I couldn't put it back in the original hiding spot (no longer viable, kids would just find it again) and since I only lived 2 blocks away from the park, I just took it home. Turns out the cache hider lives on my street, so it was a no-brainer to give it back to him. I suggested he find a location in a bigger forest with a small hike (1/4 mile even), as this was a really neat container that deserves to be seen.

 

Now, as for the rest of you: You need to be less hesitant about posting notes on your cache pages. You have some very eloquent and diplomatic descriptions in this thread that express your concerns... so go on, post the same things in a note on the cache page, explaining what you said in the thread! At the very least you are doing your fellow cachers a favour, even if the cache hider doesn't want to do anything about it.

Edited September 16, 2006 by GreyingJay

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Figured the only way to get a reviewer's attention was to log a Needs Archived, which I did about a month ago. I noted that it is a fantastic location deserving of a cache, and if the owner couldn't replace it I'm sure someone else would love to place one there. Four weeks later, the cache is still listed as active.

 

I'm hesistant to send an e-mail directly to the reviewer because the reviewer who published the cache is not one of the two names I've seen on the other caches in our area. Should I just let it go at this point? Will the Needs Maintenance flag be enough to warn other cachers who might working off just waypoint downloads?

I've noticed that some reviewers tend to make note of a Needs Archived and wait until someone actually asks to place a cache nearby before archiving the old one. I don't know why a reviewer would do this; it just happens sometimes. Which cache is this, by the way?

[+Cache'n'Carey]

Hi nonaeroterraqueous. Saw your name on the logsheets out at the Salt Creek Corridor yesterday.The cache I referred to is GCRZ9V, in Aliso and Woods Canyons. Nice little hike, and the coordinates lead to a really cool location. Worth the walk even without the cache. I'm in south county, so it's a little out of my way or I would ask to permission to place one. Maybe you'd want to?

[nonaeroterraqueous]

GCRZ9V definitely looks forgotten. I've seen owners like this before, who have very few finds and almost as many hides, then disappear altogether. We may be able to get out there this weekend or sometime soon to check it out. I think it's close enough to home for us to get one there.

 

It's always nice to see a familiar name in the forums

[+cimawr]

I ended up taking one home overnight recently...

 

It's hidden behind a local store, about 20 feet from an offloading area for deliveries.

Sounds like a picturesque place for a cache.

 

Yah, the view over the mountains of trash is really scenic.

 

Actually, as behind-the-store-near-the-dumpster caches go, it's not bad - it's at least in a clean spot, and there's no garbage or broken glass - but I do wonder if the hider realized it was that close to, and in direct sight of, the unloading area.

It's not obvious that it IS an unloading are, unless there's a truck actually there; it's a secondary dock, trucks are is accessed by a lift which is flat on the ground, and the door that the deliveries are taken through is ordinary-sized rather than the more usual roll-up large door.

I don't know quite WHAT I'd've done if the cache wasn't a mile from home; there's no way, if I'd been on a road trip, that I could have waited the length of time it took them to unload (judging by how far they got in the time I was there, it must have taken them at least 2 hours).

 

I'm still mulling over whether I should add a mention of the problem with the unloading to my "found it" log; thing is, it would be something of a spoiler for the hide.

[+ar_kayaker]

If I find a cache that an owner has ignored "needs maintenance" logs on for a long period of time or has other problem issues, I e-mail the local reviewer about it rather than post a SBA.

 

Yes there are some that deserve and SBA, and get them, but often the issue is one that can still be corrected if you can get the right attention paid to it.

 

I just sent an e-mail to our reviewer yesterday about a puzzle cache that was mis-published as a multi cache. Certainly no need to archive it, but it certainly needs to be corrected to keep people from showing up at the posted coordinates looking for a cache.

 

AR_kayaker