Capt. Aardy Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 The following article appeared at an on-line site tonight (Fark.com) relating to our favorite hobby...just shows you that you gotta be careful out there! Not a bomb A geocaching scavenger hunt [in Monroe, Ohio] caused the evacuation of residents and businesses Wednesday night as a bomb squad investigated a “suspicious package.” The intersection of Main and Elm streets in Monroe was a bustle of activity while Monroe police and fire crews and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Unit responded to the Monroe Historical Society, 10 Elm St., where a resident reported at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday that suspicious-looking subjects left a package outside the building. “Police did find a package. It was in some bushes and covered with duct tape,” said Monroe dispatcher Mike McKinney. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Unit took a digital X-ray of the cylinder, which revealed a notebook and small trinkets typically left by people on geocaching scavenger hunts. Monroe police Chief Greg Homer said what the resident saw was the “tail end” of activity of someone in the dark leaving something in the bushes. “They didn’t see the person write their name in the notebook and leave a souvenir,” Homer said. After determining the package was a geocaching prize, the police also signed the notebook, left a toy badge as a souvenir and put it back in place, he said. …………………………………. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System device to hide and seek containers called geocaches—waterproof containers with a logbook and a treasure of small toys or trinkets. Participants who find the containers sign the log book, remove a souvenir and replace it with a trinket they have brought. Quote Link to comment
brendenb Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I saw that too; can't be too careful these days I guess. Geocaching "bombs" Quote Link to comment
+cimawr Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 “Police did find a package. It was in some bushes and covered with duct tape,” said Monroe dispatcher Mike McKinney. Hmm. Was it Just Plain Duct Tape, or Camo? Inquiring minds want to know. After determining the package was a geocaching prize, the police also signed the notebook, left a toy badge as a souvenir and put it back in place, he said. Good on the PO-leece! (That's not a typo, that's Baltimoronese for "cops". ) Quote Link to comment
+biosearch Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I've been wondering about this. If this issue is becoming more widespread why don't police officials get a lat/long coordinate for anything suspicious that they find and have someone back at the dispatch do a quick check on geocaching.com. It would save them a lot of heartache, etc. Or is this something that should be discussed with local authorities in order to let them understand the issues. They could, if they wished, keep a record of local caches in the event that someone call something in they would be able to assure the individual as to what the situation is. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment
+cachew nut Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Sounds like some substandard bomb squad. Go back to some desk to fill out paperwork after hauling my butt and gear out there? I'm gonna blow something up first. Geocache? Ooops. Quote Link to comment
+mgbmusic Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Is anyone else getting sick of geocaching being described as a "Scavenger hunt" or is it just me... Quote Link to comment
+SUp3rFM & Cruella Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 It has been discussed around here and here. The cache in question was BCTC-Monroe Historical Society - GCQZ48. See the log and the profile of bombguy. Quote Link to comment
+tands Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 (edited) "Sounds like some substandard bomb squad." I respectfully disagree on that. First, this is the first time I've heard of a bomb squad not blowing up the geocache. Second, By signing the log and replacing the cache and having the press report it they helped present geocaching to the public as being endorsed by Law Enforcement. They could have made a huge fuss about the whole episode being an example of the 'problems' that geocaching causes. - T of TandS Edited October 4, 2006 by tands Quote Link to comment
+kklems Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Curious the finder that night that triggered this never logged his find Quote Link to comment
+Bad_CRC Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 reading that article on fark a couple months ago is what got me started in geocaching. I'm curious as to what the cachers who took the police swag did with it... would be quite the ebay item. Quote Link to comment
+carolinadreamer Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Here is the vidio link http://www.channelcincinnati.com/video/973...ex.html?taf=cin Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Wow, I woke up this morning and thought I was in a time warp. Prior thread from August when this incident occurred. Cache placed with permission, law enforcement cooperative, nothing to see here. Even the Fark version came out awhile back. Quote Link to comment
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