Probably a Geocacher

[gulfscuba]

Yesterday the funeral for an ex Dunedin, FL mayor was interupted when a maintenence worker saw a man and woman place a small container behind a sign. The police were called in to investigate and later the bomb squad came to destroy the 1 inch by 1 inch metal cyclinder.

 

I couldn't help but think that it was a couple people out hunting caches.

 

I am going to start marking the outside of my caches better. I forget to do it and many I find are not marked.

[+Woodlit]

Yesterday the funeral for an ex Dunedin, FL mayor was interupted when a maintenence worker saw a man and woman place a small container behind a sign.

 

Thats for the better anyway, caches behind signs are never that good.

I usually don't put that letter inside explaining what this is to muggles (i probably should), because I figure if a muggle wants to take it, they are going to take it. I also never mark the outside of the container as a geocache. I usually work to hard on the camo, and don't want to take away from that.

[+9Key]

Seems like they could have waited for the funeral to finish before placing the cache.

[+Renegade Knight]

Behind signs in secluded areas are not locations that I would consider as high risk for terrorist risks. This in part is one difference between the USA and Europe. Europe has a lot more experience living with terrorism and they don't blow up caches at the same clip we seem to be doing. Our goal is to hide a container and have others find it. Terrorist goals are a tad different.

[+Snoogans]

Seems like they could have waited for the funeral to finish before placing the cache.

 

Common sense is seldom common.

[+edscott]

Yes I have heard there is a terrorist plot afoot to destroy all the stop signs in the US causing rush hour confusion and pandamonium. It is good that our law enforcement officers are on top of this and not harassing any known criminals during this time of national crisis.

[+Bad_CRC]

The police were called in to investigate and later the bomb squad came to destroy the 1 inch by 1 inch metal cyclinder.

 

 

sounds like cachers to me too.

 

but dadgum, paranoid much? what harm could a 1 inch by 1 inch cylinder do? scare people with a loud noise?

 

when did the idea that blowing up everything we see if we don't know what it is?

[+olbluesguy]

the Bomb Squad.? For what? aren't the people there already dead?

[+Woodlit]

I never fully understood that. If a terrorist put that device there, and filled it with some sort of chemical to be spread over the area when it exploded, how is the bomb squad blowing it going to help?

[+hikemeister]

Yes, definately an extreme response !

 

However, recently I have found a number of full size caches in ammo cans still marked to indicate the original contents (e.g., 50 mm...). When I see those it surprises me that the owner did not take the time to paint the can, because something like that, if discovered by a muggle, might certainly raise an eyebrow and result in police taking / destroying the cache.

[+Big Max]

Another case of the American paranoia. I won't fly if there is any way around it. I feel like a criminal every time I go to get on a plane. I've carried a pocket knife every since first grade but I can't even take a pair of fingernail clippers. When I was in high school in a small town, every kid that drove a pickup to school had at least one gun in a rack in the back window. If somebody tried to take over the school that would have gotten dropped in their tracks.

[+resqroz]

I agree that we have become way too paranoid about terrorism here after 9/11. Check out the current thread of Doonesberry especially today's cartoon. http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/

That said, I think that you have to use discretion when looking for caches at cemeteries.Funerals should be respected.

Chuck

[+disenchanted]

Nobody ever said whether this was at a cemetary.

[+emurock]

The police were called in to investigate and later the bomb squad came to destroy the 1 inch by 1 inch metal cyclinder.

 

 

sounds like cachers to me too.

 

but dadgum, paranoid much? what harm could a 1 inch by 1 inch cylinder do? scare people with a loud noise?

 

when did the idea that blowing up everything we see if we don't know what it is?

I agree with Bad_CRC. What harm could a 1 inch by 1 inch cylinder do? scare people with a loud noise? People are getting to paranoid now in days.

[+briansnat]

I agree that we have become way too paranoid about terrorism here after 9/11. Check out the current thread of Doonesberry especially today's cartoon. http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/

That said, I think that you have to use discretion when looking for caches at cemeteries.Funerals should be respected.

Chuck

 

Its called vigilance and there is nothing wrong with common citizens keeping their eye out for suspicious activity. In fact despite all the high tech tools, skilled intelligence analysts, spies, etc... that the government has it its disposal, its likely that any future terrorist attacks will be thwarted by some private citizen who sees something that isn't kosher.

 

Richard Reid was foiled because fellow passengers thought he was acting suspiciously. The London airline bombing plot investigation got its start in part thanks to information obtained from a suspicious citizen.

 

The very nature of this sport encourages participants to act suspiciously in high traffic areas. I would hope that citizens who witness suspicious activity have the sense to report it. That way it can at least be checked out.

 

Yeah, blowing up a 1" x 1" container is a bit of overkill, but I'd rather people err on the side of caution than ignore what might be something serious.

[+Blue Power Ranger]

I'm assuming the guys on the bomb squad are just regular guys. What guy would pass up the chance to totally legally blow something up?

 

I doubt they ever really suspected it was a bomb but I'll bet it was a hoot to blast it anyhow.

[gulfscuba]

I knew it!!!!!!!!!

 

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/06/Tampabay..._made_for.shtml

[+Windrose]

Wow -- and the last finders were all cachers with thousands of finds. You'd think with that much experience, they would be a little better at "Stealth".

 

Windrose

[magellan315]

That article was very positive. Usually in these situations they have quotes from the police about how we should not be playing games like this. The entire article was more about the postives of geocaching. No mention of CITO's.

[GermanSailor]

I'm assuming the guys on the bomb squad are just regular guys. What guy would pass up the chance to totally legally blow something up?

 

I doubt they ever really suspected it was a bomb but I'll bet it was a hoot to blast it anyhow.

Hi,

 

the same came to my mind. Who wouldn't?

 

But I like the outcome:

 

- Nice article about geocaching in the news

- Bomb Squad got some practice

- Another lame urban micro out of the way

 

Just kidding!

 

GermanSailor

[ParentsofSAM]

Computer Geeks.....they said we are part computer geek!

 

I assure you I am NO computer geek!

 

Well all except for that part the article was good even though it was about the police blowing up a cache.

Edited November 6, 2006 by ParentsofSAM

[+Gamaliel]

Isn't there a list somewhere of all the caches that have been blown up by bomb squads?

[+gof1]

All my years growing up I never dreamed that I would be part of "a quirky subculture".

[+Confucius' Cat]

All my years growing up I never dreamed that I would be part of "a quirky subculture".

All my years growing up I always WAS (am?)

[+Team Panda]

All my years growing up I never dreamed that I would be part of "a quirky subculture".

 

At least we're not an "Alternative Lifestyle" yet!

 

As far as being "part computer geek" is concerned, if I were even a little bit "computer geek" I wouldn't be having so much %*#(*&*& trouble with this paperless caching thing!

 

It's unfortunate the local LEA pulled such a Barney, but at least we got a nice article out of the deal.

[+mgbmusic]

That article was very positive. Usually in these situations they have quotes from the police about how we should not be playing games like this. The entire article was more about the postives of geocaching. No mention of CITO's.

 

I agree, a strikingly positive article about a potentially negative event. This reporter deserves big time props for doing thurough background on a normally page 20, "under the fold" article. And we get some publicity. Rock on FL!

[+mgbmusic]

Richard Reid was foiled because fellow passengers thought he was acting suspiciously.

 

Richard Reid was an idiot who thought he could ignite C-4 with a box of matches and a corndog MacGyver style. They don't make holes deep enough for people like him. And thanks to him I have to take my shoes off at the airport now... But I see your point.

 

Viginance is a good thing. And I agree with your point about the private citizen. It is important to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, and when in doubt, err on the side of caution. The London threat showed us that a small container of liquid can do a lot of damamge and with shrinking electronics, detonators can be miniscule. 1" x 3" may be a bit extreme, and authorities should keep in mind that, like real estate, terrorist activities are about one thing - Location, location, location.

 

You think if 4 planes crashed into a Walmart in Pittsburgh, we'd have as many troops overseas as we do now? Now i love the lashed prices as much as the next guy, but Jeez...

--MGB

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

Respectfully, if 4 planes had crashed into a Walmart, Walmart would have hunted down and neutralized potential threats and would have done so in a more aggressive, expedient and frugil manner.

[+MountainMudbug]

Wow, the article was surprisingly positive and well-researched. Interesting to see who the cache belonged to, as well. I dare say that as a searcher I'd most likely have waited until the funeral was over if I was so visible.......

 

And I'm getting really sick of taking my shoes off in the airport, too. Even flipflops....

[+Woodbutcher68]

Just a thought.

If local geocachers informed the law enforcement in their area about Geocaching, caches might not be blown up. Print out a brochure and take it to local departments, including county and state. In some areas permission must be obtained from park boards etc. to place a cache. That doesn't mean that the local law enforcement knows about it.

It would also make it a lot easier to explain Geocaching to the Barney Fife's out there investigating "suspicious activity" calls, who know nothing about Geocaching.

Geocachers are probably a little more observant than the average patrolman and might even be able to help when we see something "out of the ordinary".

That's just my 2/100 of a dollar.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

I agree that we have become way too paranoid about terrorism here after 9/11. Check out the current thread of Doonesberry especially today's cartoon. http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/

That said, I think that you have to use discretion when looking for caches at cemeteries.Funerals should be respected.

Chuck

 

Its called vigilance and there is nothing wrong with common citizens keeping their eye out for suspicious activity. In fact despite all the high tech tools, skilled intelligence analysts, spies, etc... that the government has it its disposal, its likely that any future terrorist attacks will be thwarted by some private citizen who sees something that isn't kosher.

 

Richard Reid was foiled because fellow passengers thought he was acting suspiciously. The London airline bombing plot investigation got its start in part thanks to information obtained from a suspicious citizen.

 

The very nature of this sport encourages participants to act suspiciously in high traffic areas. I would hope that citizens who witness suspicious activity have the sense to report it. That way it can at least be checked out.

 

Yeah, blowing up a 1" x 1" container is a bit of overkill, but I'd rather people err on the side of caution than ignore what might be something serious.

 

And I question if Europe is really that much more used to terrorism than us (except maybe in the UK/Ireland during the days of heavy IRA activity back in the 70s and 80s and they're more like us when it comes to terrorist vigilance/paranoia than the rest of Europe is anyway). Israel is far more "used to terrorism" than either us or Europe and while I agree that blowing up a 1" x 1" container is overkill I imagine they would actually think that we're not paranoid enough in this vein, just to do another comparison.

[winston24]

Here's my question: Why didn't the two people that were seen acting "suspicous" speak up and just open the container up? Maybe they left before all the festivities. Who knows?

[+Renegade Knight]

Here's my question: Why didn't the two people that were seen acting "suspicous" speak up and just open the container up? Maybe they left before all the festivities. Who knows?

 

It takes all of 5 min to find the cache, log it, and move on. Then the law is called and they investigate. The cachers are normally long gone There was one incident where the cacher drove by saw the commotion, stoppoed and said that it was a cache and they would go open it and take care of the problem. They were threatened wtih arrest and they were not allowed to do the service of proving the cache wasn't a bomb.

 

Once called, protocal takes over.