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Geocach Etiquette


Slower Pace

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This has probably been discussed before, but I couldn't find it with the Search mode. Anyway, what are YOUR feelings on someone visiting a cache they have already found to snatch a Travel Bug? Not far from here is a person who I feel is intent on logging travel Bugs as much as logging caches. He must have all the caches in a certain radius on his watch list. When a bug pops up he dashes off and retrieves it. He does log them and send them on their way, but in my opinion he discourages others, especially newcomers, because they seldom get a chance to find their very own Travel Bug.

 

So, is there any "etiquette" we should follow on this matter? Or is it every man for himself and nuts to the rest of you? Please respond if you have an opinion. I may be looking at it from a different angle than you, or you may agree with me.

 

Once I log a cache I never return and get a Travel Bug from it, even if it is a Jeep. I feel the next person who visits should have that privilege. I don't even go back to my own hides to get a bug, whether it be a Jeep or rare Geocoin. Am I shortchanging myself? Comments, please... :laughing:

Edited by Slower Pace
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We have revisited a cache to pick up a TB . The TB was left specifically for us to pick up though and help move it on its way . The cacher that had this TB sent us an e-mail and asked if we could help get it to its final destination.

 

As far as revisiting a cache for the sole purpose of logging every TB we can get our hands on , No we do not tend to do that . That is just not the way we choose to play this game for ourselves.

 

There are others however in the area that do play this way . One of them is pretty well known cacher . Its the way they choose to play the game.

 

Best advice We can give you is to do what is best for you ( what you feel is the way YOU want to play) .

 

Star

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This has probably been discussed before, but I couldn't find it with the Search mode. Anyway, what are YOUR feelings on someone visiting a cache they have already found to snatch a Travel Bug? Not far from here is a person who I feel is intent on logging travel Bugs as much as logging caches. He must have all the caches in a certain radius on his watch list. When a bug pops up he dashes off and retrieves it. He does log them and send them on their way, but in my opinion he discourages others, especially newcomers, because they seldom get a chance to find their very own Travel Bug.

 

So, is there any "etiquette" we should follow on this matter? Or is it every man for himself and nuts to the rest of you? Please respond if you have an opinion. I may be looking at it from a different angle than you, or you may agree with me.

 

Once I log a cache I never return and get a Travel Bug from it, even if it is a Jeep. I feel the next person who visits should have that privilege. I don't even go back to my own hides to get a bug, whether it be a Jeep or rare Geocoin. Am I shortchanging myself? Comments, please... :laughing:

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Generally, my family doesn't revisit catches. Since our numbers are still low, there are plenty of new caches to find. However, if there is a travel bug that is cute enough, stuck in one place long enough, or needing to go where we are fixing to go on vacation, we may decide to grab the TB to help see it and help it along the way. However, we try extremely hard in these case to trade TBs, not just snatch them.

 

Bottom line in my opinion, is treat TBs and caches the same way you would want your stuff treated.

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There are really two basic gamepieces, the geocache and the travel bug. I see every travel bug as a request for assistance from another geocacher, they have selected a mision and I have elected to help. I revisit all of my own caches regularily, or I try to, and I check on other local caches when I am out walking. I often have travel bugs to drop off and I pick up and move travel bugs I find. I move TB's around in local caches and log that I am doing so. I don't pursue travel bugs any more than I pursue geocaches but the travel bug has a distinct place in my ongoing enjoyment of this activity. Every time I pick up and move a travel bug I am helping the owner of that TB, I am directly connected to another geocacher just as every time I find a geocache I share that same connection to the placer. In my mind this is actually how the whole geocaching thing works. Even though I may not be able to help TB's to finish a mission in one step, I can move them along here and there and in doing so I can help another geocacher. Other people out geocaching will encounter exactly the same opportunities as I. When I trade from a geocache I am thinking of the next cacher but when it comes to helping other geocachers by moving their TB's along I don't imagine that leaving them serves any purpose at all, they are not intended to reward finders or to be traded for, they are owned by other geocachers who have selected missions. Since I revisit all the local caches on the same walks that I take to perform maintenance on my own caches and I can usually move a TB 100 or 200 miles closer to it's goal I always take every TB I see and I try to help them along as the owner requests to the best of my ability. I look at a TB as the moving gamepiece and I really do think it is exactly like a geocache, a geocache is there to be found - a travel bug is there to be moved. Each travel bug, like each geocache is a unique experience and they are a great way to keep your self interested and in the game of geocaching.

 

:laughing:

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I think that experienced cachers coming back to a previously visited cache to pick up a TB is discouraging to new cachers. Why I remember how long I waited before I finally found a travel bug because we were never quick enough to get one.

I do this sometimes, but unless the TB happens to be something I REALLY REALLY am interested in, I usually wait before I revisit the cache to pick it up. I've missed out on a few TBs, but no hard feelings here.

 

In the meantime, if the newbie really wants to help the TB along, he can demonstrate his motivation by being quicker. :laughing:

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I think that experienced cachers coming back to a previously visited cache to pick up a TB is discouraging to new cachers. Why I remember how long I waited before I finally found a travel bug because we were never quick enough to get one.

I do this sometimes, but unless the TB happens to be something I REALLY REALLY am interested in, I usually wait before I revisit the cache to pick it up. I've missed out on a few TBs, but no hard feelings here.

 

In the meantime, if the newbie really wants to help the TB along, he can demonstrate his motivation by being quicker. :laughing:

 

Thats the exact "good and experiecned" adittude I would expect from people, You know that we all can't be super cachers and collect all 3 million of them, heck I cant even find time usually between school, marching band, cross country, music lessons, home work etc. but I make the effort to find the cache anyway and that what geocaching is about

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This has probably been discussed before, but I couldn't find it with the Search mode. Anyway, what are YOUR feelings on someone visiting a cache they have already found to snatch a Travel Bug? Not far from here is a person who I feel is intent on logging travel Bugs as much as logging caches. He must have all the caches in a certain radius on his watch list. When a bug pops up he dashes off and retrieves it. He does log them and send them on their way, but in my opinion he discourages others, especially newcomers, because they seldom get a chance to find their very own Travel Bug.

 

So, is there any "etiquette" we should follow on this matter? Or is it every man for himself and nuts to the rest of you? Please respond if you have an opinion. I may be looking at it from a different angle than you, or you may agree with me.

 

Once I log a cache I never return and get a Travel Bug from it, even if it is a Jeep. I feel the next person who visits should have that privilege. I don't even go back to my own hides to get a bug, whether it be a Jeep or rare Geocoin. Am I shortchanging myself? Comments, please... :laughing:

 

Yes, it has been discussed before. It is perfectly acceptable for someone to revisit a cache, even an owner to visit their own cache, to assist a travel bug towards it's goal.

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I think that experienced cachers coming back to a previously visited cache to pick up a TB is discouraging to new cachers. Why I remember how long I waited before I finally found a travel bug because we were never quick enough to get one.

Assuming that people aren't actually keeping the travel bugs, we can only conclude that these travel bug hounds are releasing them as quickly as they are retrieving them. I don't see how being eager to move a travel bug does anything to limit the supply for others, because there's no net loss of travel bugs in the process. Seems fortunate to have people so eager to help a bug along. I hate to see some of them sit around for months with no takers. I know what it's like to own a bug like that.

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I generally think of 'sharing' when caching.

 

Sharing means picking up litter others would encounter on the way to the cache.

Sharing means leaving something neat behind in the cache for the next person to find.

Sharing means not hoarding anything that others would like and that includes travel bugs.

 

For some travel bugs are an exception. The expressed opinion is often "TBs are meant to travel so anything that gets them traveling is good."

 

My own view is that the responsible thing to do is establish a time limit on TBs in caches one has already found.

 

My own, personal time limit is 30 days. If a TB has been in a cache for 30 or more days I feel free to grab it if I wish from wherever it is regardless of whether I have found the cache previously or not. If I find a previously unfound cache I feel free to grab the TB immediately.

 

My opinion is this strikes a 'sharing' balance between letting cache seekers find a TB and ensuring the TB moves along.

 

If you have a TB hoarder in your area there isn't much you can do other than feel sorry for them. They clearly spend too much time chasing after trinkets with dog tags for numbers on a website. To each their own I guess.

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This has probably been discussed before, ....... Anyway, what are YOUR feelings on someone visiting a cache they have already found to snatch a Travel Bug? Not far from here is a person who I feel is intent on logging travel Bugs as much as logging caches. He must have all the caches in a certain radius on his watch list. When a bug pops up he dashes off and retrieves it. He does log them and send them on their way, but in my opinion he discourages others, especially newcomers, because they seldom get a chance to find their very own Travel Bug.

....

Once I log a cache I never return and get a Travel Bug from it, even if it is a Jeep. I feel the next person who visits should have that privilege. I don't even go back to my own hides to get a bug, whether it be a Jeep or rare Geocoin. Am I shortchanging myself? ....

quote edited for length.

 

Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher. I am sure your local hound has done this and is not hoarding EVERY TB they have found. :laughing: With this in mind, then no "shortchanging" should occur. I have revisited a cache to grab a TB that I wanted, and traded evenly. Trading removes any guilt that I may have. But I am not a TB hound. So what if you have been there before!! The fun it moving TB's is just that: FUN. :laughing: I believe you are shortchanging yourself, no guilt is required.

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If you want the "credit" for the TB and don't want to move it along or help it with it's goal, you can always just "discover" it....but of course, you need to revisit the cache to get the information needed to log it.

 

TeamTettamanti

 

Yeah, the "discover" option is less than a year old, but I don't have an exact date. I'd assume it was created during the height of the geocoin craze.

 

The OP probably isn't hearing what they wanted to, seeing as they haven't returned to the thread :laughing:

But I'll say, if what he's describing is a bonafide "TB numbers ho'", who runs around to every cache in town every time a TB is dropped, I would in fact consider that to be rude and obnoxious, from the limited information given. But the TB's are being moved. I dunno, is he moving them a good distance, and usually in accordance with their goals? Or uselessly moving a couple of miles between local caches? If the later is the case, shouldn't be a problem, as people would get to handle them after he's done, and I doubt he's going to physically move them twice.

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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher.

 

Um... and where is that "rule" mandated??

 

If I go to a cache, and there's a TB there which I feel I can help - even if that's simply a matter of dropping it in another cache where it's more likely to get moved in the right direction - I don't see how that makes me "obligated" to leave another TB.

 

Did that just yesterday, as a matter of fact; there's a cache relatively near me that's not visited often, and also isn't maintained by the owner. I pulled out the only TB in it because it had been sitting there for over a month, and was starting to get rusty because the cache repeatedly gets wet; I'll drop it in a better-maintained cache within the next week or so.

I'm currently only holding one other TB (aside from one which the owner has specifically asked me to hold on to for two more weeks) and I was NOT about to leave it in there to get messed up,

 

WRT revisting caches; so far the only cache I've revisited has been a TB hotel that I often pass, for the purpose of dropping off a TB. But I don't think I'd revisit an ordinary cache to pick up a TB unless it was a matter of noticing that a TB had been sitting there for a really long time.

 

Edit to clarify WRT the cache mentioned in par.#3: It was my first visit to the cache, and may be my last. I knew about the TB before going simply from reading the the cache page.

Edited by cimawr
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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher.

 

Travel bugs are not trade items, there is NO requirement that you must leave one to take one.

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If you want the "credit" for the TB and don't want to move it along or help it with it's goal, you can always just "discover" it....but of course, you need to revisit the cache to get the information needed to log it.

 

TeamTettamanti

This is an excellent solution for the OP. If you feel it is not polite to revisit a cache to remove a TB then just discover it and leave it for the next cacher. I wish more people would do this with geocoins - recently, we have been to new (to us) caches with a coin listed, only to find it has gone 'missing' (i.e. taken unlogged). Ditto Jeep TBs. :laughing:

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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher. I am sure your local hound has done this and is not hoarding EVERY TB they have found. :laughing: With this in mind, then no "shortchanging" should occur. I have revisited a cache to grab a TB that I wanted, and traded evenly. Trading removes any guilt that I may have. But I am not a TB hound. So what if you have been there before!! The fun it moving TB's is just that: FUN. :laughing: I believe you are shortchanging yourself, no guilt is required.

 

I'm kinda bored right now. Would you mind duplicating the above post in the Travel Bug forum?

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My own, personal time limit is 30 days. If a TB has been in a cache for 30 or more days I feel free to grab it if I wish from wherever it is regardless of whether I have found the cache previously or not. If I find a previously unfound cache I feel free to grab the TB immediately.

That is a good idea. :laughing: Me if their happens to be a cache with a TB that I found and it is only a little ways off the path that I am taking I will pick it up.

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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher.

 

Travel Bugs are not, and should not, be treated as trade items. That is neither their intent nor purpose.

 

If you happen to have a bug you want to move, great. However there is no need to "trade" when removing a bug nor is there a need to make sure that there is one left there.

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Finding geocaches and moving Travel Bugs are major components of this activity.

You cannot trade for a TB, it isn't a trade item, no matter what you put into a cache you have no right to someone else's travel bug. People who trade for TB's or think they are tradeable items simply fail to grasp an elementary aspect of this activity, every travel bug you encounter belongs to another geocacher, the geocacher who owns the TB selects the mission, every time you see a Travel Bug, anywhere, you have the option of deciding to help another geocacher and you help them by helping move the TB along in the mission the owner selected.

It is OK to leave a TB behind if you cannot help move it. Some geocachers simply never move travel bugs. I have heard a lot of geocachers talk about the responsibility of helping a TB and mentioning they don't enjoy feeling that additional pressure.

You can't share TB's except by buying and placing your own for other geocachers to move.

If you really don't want to get involved in moving TB's for other geocachers then you have the option to discover them as someone mentioned. I have discovered a few TB's but most of the TB's I find I help move.

You can't snatch a TB, picking up every TB you see isn't hoarding, it is helping.

If you can help move a TB then help, don't let it languish in a geocache.

If you continue geocaching there will come a time when you will have found every cache that is close to your home coordinates. Once you have reached that plateau you will be relegated to finding geocaches while you travel, maintaining and placing geocaches near your home coordinates and helping move TB's along in the owner selected mission.

The correct way to exhibit your sharing nature while geocaching is by placing geocaches, moving travel bugs along as the owner requests and by trading even or up. Leaving another geocacher's TB to languish in a cache while you gallivant off to your next find is just that, leaving another geocachers TB to languish in a cache. If you are really concerned about the other geocachers in your community then trade up, place a cache with nice trade items, give away some geocoins but don't expect that by leaving the travel bugs of other geocachers to languish that you are sharing, you aren't, in fact by leaving them you aren't doing anything that is helpful or useful to anyone.

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The only time we have ever revisited a cache to take a bug was for our first Geocoin. It's a cache that rarely gets many visitors and the coin had been sitting for about a week in the cache so we figured it was fair game. Plus, most TBs we have in our possession have been languishing around in WA for months now and we're leaving for Hawaii on Thursday and taking them all with us to drop in some fresh caches.

 

We've been swimming in bugs and coins lately because there's been a glut of them in the caches around here and alot of the caches here don't get visited very often so most times a bug or coin will sit for some time before it gets found. And yes, any time we've found one we've taken it. We don't trade bug for bug or coin for coin, but we always try to leave nice goodies in caches where we've taken bugs or coins from. Isn't that the point of a travel bug/geocoin?

 

- Team Vostok

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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher.

 

Travel bugs are not trade items, there is NO requirement that you must leave one to take one.

 

In my original post, I meant to say "but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should could be left in it's place for the next cacher." I agree that there is NO requirement that you must leave one. The OP was woried that they were taking something away from the game. If they are woried, then they could put one in when they take one out.

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... You cannot trade for a TB, it isn't a trade item, no matter what you put into a cache you have no right to someone else's travel bug. People who trade for TB's or think they are tradeable items simply fail to grasp an elementary aspect of this activity, every travel bug you encounter belongs to another geocacher, the geocacher who owns the TB selects the mission, .... You can't share TB's except by buying and placing your own for other geocachers to move. .....

 

huh?? :laughing: when did someone assuming ownership of a TB become an issue?

 

trade = take something, leave something...

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Slower Pace, you are right there are people out there that want to get as many TB's as possible, but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should be left in it's place for the next cacher.

 

Travel bugs are not trade items, there is NO requirement that you must leave one to take one.

 

In my original post, I meant to say "but I think you may be forgetting that if a TB is taken, then one should could be left in it's place for the next cacher." I agree that there is NO requirement that you must leave one. The OP was woried that they were taking something away from the game. If they are woried, then they could put one in when they take one out.

 

Well you're no fun, who am I going to debate with now?

 

hmmm Maybe I'll go find a 'Lame Cache' thread. See ya.

 

:laughing:

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With this in mind, then no "shortchanging" should occur. I have revisited a cache to grab a TB that I wanted, and traded evenly. Trading removes any guilt that I may have.

 

When I add a trade item to a cache and remove an item of corresponding value then the item I have removed is mine, this is fairly clear, you may be using the word traded differently. A problem arises when the same logic is applied to a travel bug which has no trade value at all. Since the travel bug is an item with no trade value simply take it and move it and you are doing the right thing.

Your post is clear and I can understand wanting to help another geocacher and that prompts many to revisit caches to pick up travel bugs that are languishing but you said you "wanted a travel bug"? If you "wanted" to help the owner by moving the bug why would you feel the need to trade anything? Travel bugs are not trade items and returning to a cache to help move a travel bug is correct, proper and good, yet you feel guilt?

Taking a TB from a cache doesn't short change anyone because there is no need to put anything into a cache to remove a travel bug. Short changing occurs when there is an unequal exchange and one party doesn't get full value, who do you feel is being shortchanged when you help move a travel bug?

You use the term"traded evenly" yet there is no even trade for a TB as there is never any trading involved at all, travel bugs are never trade items, they belong to other geocachers so how do you "trade evenly" for an item that isn't a trade item?

 

Most geocachers understand that travel bugs are never trade items, that they are there to be moved. Travel bugs have no trade value and they are not placed to reward seekers or to enrich geocaches, they are placed with a specific mission selected by the owner. The travel bug is one of the basic gamepieces in geocaching, long after you have found every geocache near your home location you will still be able to geocache by going out and helping move travel bugs. In time the hiding and maintaining of caches and the moving of travel bugs will become the primary way in which you can continue to be an active geocacher (without doing a lot of extra driving).

One of misconceptions often encountered in geocaching is that TB's should be exchanged, in fact geocachers set up geocaches that actually impose restrictions on travel bugs (even though the TB's are owned by others). The problem stems from the fact that many people continue to treat travel bugs as trade items. It is wrong to trade travel bugs, never trade for a travel bug and never imply that there is a trading principle involved with TB's, there isn't, nonaeroterraqueous is 100% right, just move them along.

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Wavector, It sounds like you have had or have seen too many TB/coins stolen. :tired:

 

I think you are taking my words too literally. When I "trade" a TB or Geo-coin, I dont claim ownership. I simply mean that I take one out of the box and put another one in. It is a very simple idea. When I say that "I want" a TB or Geo-coin, I dont claim ownership or steal it from the owner. I just would like to hold it/ itake it home with me. I fully intend on returning both to the wild.

 

Also, there are quite a few TB's with the sole mission of "just traveling around" and not "I want to visit all the weird red rocks." Then it becomes a selfish reason to remove a TB or coin from a cache just because I like something about it, wife likes it, kids like it, etc...

 

It is good to know that the caching community does not expect me to put a TB in the cahe when I decide to remove one. At times I have left some behind because I didnt have one when I walked in. I guess I just assumed that I should put one in one if I took one.

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I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions here. Last Sunday. I got my hands on a TB for the first time. I actually felt guilty that I didn't have another TB to leave. That TB originated in MA, 70 miles from me. It made it out to the west coast and it on it's way back. I was hoping to drop it about 35 miles from it's destination today. The horrible rain kept me inside instead.

 

I think I understand the whole TB thing a bit better now. I don't feel as guilty about the grab last week, but I do have a few questions.

 

1. Yesterday, I discovered another TB. Because I didn't quite understand that many people believe they are not req'd to be traded, I left it in place. This cache is about 1 mile from me and I could go out and pick it up in about 15 minutes. I am about to do some travel. Is it acceptable to email the owner and ask if he/she would like it to go there? The TB page does not really specify a mission other than to "travel"

 

2. How long is it acceptable to hold on to a TB? Obviously, the answer to "minimize" the time you are holding it. I have had one in my possession for 7 days now and I'm kicking myself for not checking the weather report for today. I could have gone out yesterday instead of sticking close to home. Now, I am contemplating doing a first light drop before work one day this week just to keep it moving.

 

Thanks in advance

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I don't have a problem with it. I don't understand why people have the mindset that caches should only be visited once. There's nothing wrong with revisiting a cache, TB or no TB.

 

I revisit caches all the time if it is a unique and special place. I just log a note instead of a find. There are even TB hotels on interstate rest stops nearby here where it is ENCOURAGED to drop and pickup TBs to keep them moving.

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Two weeks is a standard maximum. Four weeks and you might get an email from the TB owner.

My original goal was (and still is) to split the distance to it's desired location. If I dont have the time to go that far, I will drop it in a nearby cache in the right direction.

 

Thanks for the quick answer to both of my questions. I felt a little bit weird to ask the owner "hey, I am going to PA. Do you want me to take it there?" It might have taken away from some of the excitement of the owner seeing it dropped 300miles away.

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