Police

January 2, 2007

As a Police Officer for 16 years and a Geocacher for 1 year I too find myself looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is watching me we all must remember the human race is a very suspicious bunch, is there anyone out there who can say you never looked at someone who looked out of place and wonder what they were up to!

We are playing a game of hide and seek which involver lurking around in the shadows plus we do not want anyone who is not a member of the game to see us so we look over our shoulders and by NOT tring to look like we are up to no good we end up drawing that attention to ourselves.

No one ever questions the meter readers or the cable guy because they look like they belong.

We must remember when we are out hunting try and look like you belong. Most police are trained to read body movement, and ask lots of questions it is not done to annoy those who belong in the area it is done to stop those who DO NOT belong in an area.

So if you find yourself talking to the Police tell the turth let them know what you are up to, if you see an officer in the area of the cache go to them first and tell them, I have never met someone who was up to no good come introduce them selves to me before they did something they are not supposed to.

Plus soon I will be sending out a Police TB with a gole to be photographed at or with Police Departments around the world.

So if your in Louisiana and find yourself hearing the following words "PUT THE GPS DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CACHE"

it just might be me.

SouthernLaCop

January 2, 2007

I was actually turned onto 'caching by a friend who is also a cop. I don't fear being encountered by other cops as much as I do by muggles. I have yet to encounter either but then due to having a great deal of my time off occurring during the mid week and during the day, I don't encounter a lot of either.

As others have said, just tell the truth, keep your hands in plain view and don't be offended if you get asked to be pat searched or pat searched. I pat search everyone just to be fair. It isn't common knowledge among non-police but most officers are killed by answering "suspicious' persons or circumstances calls.

Cooperate and all will go well. And man is this ever a fun game.

January 3, 2007

The police already have a hard enough job, and I would respond much as I do when I meet them on the side of the highway...

- I greet them politely

- I keem my hands in view

- I look them in the eye

- Make a joke ("that's a wonderful spot you have there officer, I never even saw you")

- Finally, let them do what they feel they need to... if they want my ID, want to see the GPS, want me to sit in the car, want to pat me down, hey, whatever makes them feel safe makes me feel safe too.

Thanks to those of you on the boards (and not on the boards) who wear or have worn the badge. It's a hard job you do.

January 3, 2007

Geocaching is fine, just don't try to ride a skateboard around one.

oh noes!

January 3, 2007

I know this sounds silly, but we figure it is bound to happen as we continue to Track Cache's. Tonight a police officer came by as we were just opening a cache. Has anyone been asked by the police what are you doing?

Has anyone had the police called on them, and if so then what do you do?

Thanks for the information!

I am a Police Sergeant and also a geocacher. Police know that often completely innocent activity can look suspicious. Don't sweat it. The best advice I can give is to answer their questions and then explain what geocaching is. They will most likely tell you to have fun and then they will leave. Remember to smile, Police Officers are people too!

6.5k · January 4, 2007

I have to wonder what those of us with very few encounters are doing differently than those cachers with very many encounters.

i have no earthly idea; i'm a quiet little middle-aged lady.

other hand, i take a lot of pictures (that's what got me into terrorist trouble) and i habitually wear black.

And as we all know, Vermont is chock full of prime international terrorist targets. :unsure:

I've had several encounters, including one in Jacksonville FL where the Duval County Sheriffs deputy joined in the search and retreival of the cache.

And just a few days ago, we chased a local deputy off from a cache site! We pulled in and started looking before we even noticed his cruiser across the parking lot. Instead of asking what we were doing, he took off!

January 5, 2007

Stuff happens and I was just unlucky. He was just responding to the situation.

Aside from not going to the police station, I wanted to give as positive of an impression that geocaching is a relatively harmless hobby. There are some lines that you should not cross while caching but that should be common sense. Perhaps he will be more open to caching in the future if he runs into another geocacher. I hope so. Who knows. Perhaps not, like you said. That's up to the officer.

Oh yeah, I did get his name though.

After reading your log if it had been me, I would have insisted on getting the officer's name and badge number and filing a complaint with his superiors. You told him why you were there and what you were doing. Had you known about the fire happening before you'd gone out in the area?

Regardless of whether or not you knew about the fire he had no right/call to treat you the way that he did. Not to mention how do we know that even though he now knows what geocaching is that he isn't going to treat the next cacher harsher?

January 10, 2007

My first experience with The Man went something like this.

I was going after a cache in the middle of a bean field up on a tree that had partially fallen down. It was about fifteen feet up in the air and I was dressed in my work clothes. There wasn't really any good parking but it was a seldom used country road so I thought I could just pull off to the side of the road and grab the cache.

Just about the time I got up the tree a marked police car pulled up behind my work van and started the lights up. I very quickly signed the log and ran across the field trying to decide how I would explain what I was doing in the farmers field in a marked Xerox van with Missouri plates 260 miles into Kansas.

I started explaining about geocaching, and that I had only been parked for a couple of minutes. The police officer kept asking questions about caching and I thought he was going to cuff me and call for the pyscho wagon. I had just gotten to the point that I offered to take him out to the cache so he would know I wasn't pulling his leg when he started to laugh and say that it wouldn't be necessary to show him the cache as he had placed it.

How funny is that. Did he light you up just to give you a little bit of a hard time??

January 10, 2007

One aspect that isn't covered often is your appearance. Geocaching can be an awfully rugged sport depending on the cache, so it's understandable that we cachers don't venture into the fray in our Sunday best. However, taking a shower, putting on clean clothes and looking generally presentable (I know, for some it's a stretch :laughing: ) can go an awfully long way. The other day I hit a cache that was in an expensive, corporate business zone dressed in a pair of sweats and a hat. I was a bit sweaty, tired and I was walking around looking at seemingly innocuous objects.. that drew attention. I came back later the next day following work dressed in my slacks and a dress shirt, and I didn't attract anyone.

In my area there's a number of caches that are so muggle-heavy that you are bound to be passed by a LEO at least once. For those caches, acting confident, being confident and keeping your eyes on the game is important. If your standing on the corner with darting eyes, people will know you feel uncomfortable and you will look suspicious no matter how hard you try.

Being prepared with brochures is important.

6.7k · January 10, 2007

One aspect that isn't covered often is your appearance. Geocaching can be an awfully rugged sport depending on the cache, so it's understandable that we cachers don't venture into the fray in our Sunday best. However, taking a shower, putting on clean clothes and looking generally presentable (I know, for some it's a stretch ) can go an awfully long way. The other day I hit a cache that was in an expensive, corporate business zone dressed in a pair of sweats and a hat. I was a bit sweaty, tired and I was walking around looking at seemingly innocuous objects.. that drew attention. I came back later the next day following work dressed in my slacks and a dress shirt, and I didn't attract anyone.

In my area there's a number of caches that are so muggle-heavy that you are bound to be passed by a LEO at least once. For those caches, acting confident, being confident and keeping your eyes on the game is important. If your standing on the corner with darting eyes, people will know you feel uncomfortable and you will look suspicious no matter how hard you try.

Being prepared with brochures is important.

That's actually good advice for life, not just for geocaching!

My dad was an ex-Naval Officer cum civilian doctor and had that command presence both roles require. Nothing that he did intentionally, just an air of comfort and control that let him be accepted anywhere without question.

I learned it from him and it served me well throughout my decade in the Navy and later as an independant consultant in corporate and government IT environments.

Dress and act and as if you belong there; act like you are in charge and you will be accepted as such!

Snapping and ordering people around, being a bully, is not what I mean... folks who do that stand out in all the wrong ways, and the goal here is NOT to stand out. You always catch more flies with honey than vinegar!

You would be amazed at what you can do and where you can go without challenge if you develop that self-assured in-command attitude!

On the other hand timidity stands out like a sore thumb! Look hinky (furtive or out-of-place) and everyone, especially cops, will spot you immediately and wonder what you are up to!

Ed

February 17, 2007

I tend to shy away from the 295 rest stop cache's along with any busy New Jersey area cache. Southern NJ is no problem. Haven't had one encounter as of yet. Major parks are nice most muggles won't attain suspicion... Gotta be safe as well. I do not go into the New Jersey pines alone, nor do I cache at night alone in NJ. Too many stories from my father/retired manchester twp. police officer. New Jersey residents i know you understand my point.

February 17, 2007

So if your in Louisiana and find yourself hearing the following words "PUT THE GPS DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CACHE"

it just might be me.

SouthernLaCop

AH!!!!! That would suck if it were a FTF!! HAHAHA Easy snag!

February 23, 2007

3 times all after midnight cache on do it in the dark

February 23, 2007

I have been wondering about getting stopped and questioned by a LEO (law enforcement officer).... I figured I'd just show them my GPS and notebook and do some 'splane-in' :wub:

... I really start thinking about it when I'm in a residential neighbourhood... I have long hair and very easily get mistaken for a suspicious person! :rolleyes:

February 23, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

'Course I also tell someone the many different places I'll be caching on a given day. But, I figure my note could help if I got hurt in the woods. If I ever get stopped by a LEO, I'll show him the note on my car as evidence of "good intentions".

February 23, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

Hmm. Intriguing idea. I often cache alone, and without filing a 'flight plan', because I don't really know where I'm going to end up. And I am just a wee bit accident prone. This would probably be a good thing for me to consider as well.

6.7k · February 23, 2007

I and some friends recently attended GeocoinFest in California, an 1800-mile trip I haven't made in 30 years and probably won't make again.

While there we went after a few caches in a park at the US Border; a 60-mile trip to get one specific cache, the others were incidental.

When we got there the park was closed, open only on weekends, but several TV crews were going in and out as were Border Patrol vehicles.

Figuring what's good for the goose is good for the gander we went on in and found the caches.

The Border Patrol has cameras set up all over the area, I figured if they didn't want us there they'd tell us!

On about the fourth cache I managed to get stuck in the beach sand - stuck pretty darn good too! We commenced digging out and shortly here comes a Border Patrolman, a really nice guy, who had a tow strap but wasn't allowed to attach it to his truck, so he called a Park Ranger, two of whom towed us out of the sand!

They all knew about the geocaches, we talked for a bit, gave each of them some personal geocoins for their kindness, and went on our way, collecting two more caches on the way out.

Tell them the truth, introduce them to the game if they don't know about it, have fun.

2.3k · February 23, 2007

When we got there the park was closed, open only on weekends,

Well that makes it ok then. Lets promote disregard of posted times because we didn't get in trouble this time. It is always a good idea to respect the posted open/closed signs of any location. Just because others are there does not mean it is ok to violate posted signs. Just because you drove a long way does not make it ok either. Respecting the regulations of locations will go a lot farther in helping keep areas open to geocaching than a few trinkets.

February 23, 2007

I had my second run in with the police (while geocaching lol) last night. I just told him i was doing a scavanger hunt with a gps called geocaching and he gave me the usual blank look from someone who has no idea what geocaching is about. He then left and i proceded on to my 15th through 19th finds of the day.

1.5k · February 23, 2007

We were stopped in a small dark park in downtown San Jose at about midnight.

The Officer asked why we were in this area.

We explained that some of our friends hid a geocache in this park for us to find.

The Officer said "You need different friends."

February 23, 2007

Has anyone had the police called on them, and if so then what do you do?

Always, always, always tell the truth, and break it down into something simple to grasp quickly.

"We're geocaching, officer, sort of like electronic hide-and-go-seek. Come over and see what we found."

Had an officer come up to where we were last summer behind an abandoned Wal-Mart building. He wanted to know what we were up to, so I explained it to him, and asked him if he'd like to help us look. He got out of his car, and we found the cache.

Oh, and another thing............. No matter what you're up to, if you've got a happy ten year old participating in it, and a thirteen year old giggling the whole time, it pretty much makes you appear innocuous. Most officers seem glad to have a mundane question/answer session that doesn't involve domestic violence or the drug trade.

February 23, 2007

So if your in Louisiana and find yourself hearing the following words "PUT THE GPS DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CACHE"

it just might be me.

Since you mentioned it, the only time I have been questioned by the police about my geocaching activity was just off River Road down in southern Louisiana. We parked our car in what appeared to be a legal place and went for a short hike down the levee to get at a cache location. We returned to the car about 15 minutes later and drove off. A couple miles down the road we got pulled over by an officer who said that we had been reported for suspicious activities. My husband (who has never even really been into geocaching, but will sometimes accompany me) gave some convoluted explanation of what we were doing. It went something like "We are doing this thing where you use a GPS to find things that people hid". When the officer asked for ID, we couldn't even provide any-- hubby had left his wallet at the house accidentally, and I hadn't brought mine since he was driving. We are both very innocent looking people (and wouldn't do anything wrong anyway, so the appearance fits), and I guess that was enough for the officer? He let us go without any further discussion or any warnings.

February 23, 2007

Has anyone had the police called on them, and if so then what do you do?

Always, always, always tell the truth, and break it down into something simple to grasp quickly.

"We're geocaching, officer, sort of like electronic hide-and-go-seek. Come over and see what we found."

Had an officer come up to where we were last summer behind an abandoned Wal-Mart building. He wanted to know what we were up to, so I explained it to him, and asked him if he'd like to help us look. He got out of his car, and we found the cache.

Oh, and another thing............. No matter what you're up to, if you've got a happy ten year old participating in it, and a thirteen year old giggling the whole time, it pretty much makes you appear innocuous. Most officers seem glad to have a mundane question/answer session that doesn't involve domestic violence or the drug trade.

6.7k · February 24, 2007

When we got there the park was closed, open only on weekends,

Well that makes it ok then. Lets promote disregard of posted times because we didn't get in trouble this time. It is always a good idea to respect the posted open/closed signs of any location. Just because others are there does not mean it is ok to violate posted signs. Just because you drove a long way does not make it ok either. Respecting the regulations of locations will go a lot farther in helping keep areas open to geocaching than a few trinkets.

Yeah, well, the Border Patrol and the Park Ranger didn't care, so I can't see why it's any of your concern.

The point of the post wasn't to "promote" entering closed parks but to state yet another example of why folks shouldn't be afraid to interact with authorities.

But then, you knew that.

2.7k · February 24, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

'Course I also tell someone the many different places I'll be caching on a given day. But, I figure my note could help if I got hurt in the woods. If I ever get stopped by a LEO, I'll show him the note on my car as evidence of "good intentions".

I like this idea.

I will probably start doing something like that, but I have one reservation- I don't like the idea of "advertising" that i am going to be away from the vehicle... I like to at least let persons who might be "casing" the parking lot think I might have only stepped into the woods to pee or something. I don't want people to generally know I'm going to be gone a while.

February 24, 2007

Here's a new post I just posted related to this topic.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=156886

Mark D

February 24, 2007

The female part of the team had a business trip acros the US/Canada border and I joined her one day to do some caching in the great white north. On the way back across the border, the US Customs inspector notices the Garmin on the dash mount of our Jeep and the "GEOCACHING" windshield banner and looks at me and asks "anything to declare?"...I say no, being honest, and he smiles and says "not even any swag?"...Seems he is was a cacher himself. I also carry the brochure and we have actually talked our way into some state parks that normally charge an access fee or "day pass" with them and an explanation of what we are doing. like most things, honesty is really the best policy when it comes to LEO's...Just think, they spend their days dealing with folks who are NOT having a good day..for what ever reason..nobody calls the cops to say, "Please come over...Nothing bad happened to me", besides,dealing with a bunch of strange people with GPSr's in the middle of the night behind a closed business with a tupperware container in their hand and stupid grins on their faces is not covered in the academy.

February 24, 2007

I made a small sign, which I keep on the sunvisor, when it isn't being used. I throw it on my dashboard.

It has our logo, GC's Logo, some graphics of GPSr, etc. and it says:

"This Car is not abandoned. The owners are nearby geocaching. If they are needed, please blow your horn twice."

"The Texas Vikings"

Then it has GC's web address.

Everytime I get out of the car, geocaching, I throw it on the dashboard.

Other than that, as a former policeofficer, I can tell you...

"Just do everything the nice policeman tells you to do."

Be truthful, you have nothing to hide (except the cache back in place)

Rick

February 24, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

I like this idea.

I will probably start doing something like that, but I have one reservation- I don't like the idea of "advertising" that i am going to be away from the vehicle... I like to at least let persons who might be "casing" the parking lot think I might have only stepped into the woods to pee or something. I don't want people to generally know I'm going to be gone a while.

I had thought about that, too. But....

1) Cars get broken into at trailheads whether there's a note or not. I'm not positive that having a note will increase your odds over the car parked next to you. IMHO, the advantage outweights the idea that the car "might" get broken into/vandalized.

2) I don't leave anything valuable inside. My note is placed descreetly, though I imagine the police would look at the windshield wiper - especially if he/she were about to place a ticket there.

3) The bad guys don't know when left or when you're coming back. If they were smart badguys, they might feel the car's hood to see if the engine was still warm.

4) You could put your note on yellow, pink, whatever paper so it looks like a parking ticket.... LOL

Maybe some LEOs in this forum could comment?

2.3k · February 24, 2007

When we got there the park was closed, open only on weekends,

Well that makes it ok then. Lets promote disregard of posted times because we didn't get in trouble this time. It is always a good idea to respect the posted open/closed signs of any location. Just because others are there does not mean it is ok to violate posted signs. Just because you drove a long way does not make it ok either. Respecting the regulations of locations will go a lot farther in helping keep areas open to geocaching than a few trinkets.

Yeah, well, the Border Patrol and the Park Ranger didn't care, so I can't see why it's any of your concern.

The point of the post wasn't to "promote" entering closed parks but to state yet another example of why folks shouldn't be afraid to interact with authorities.

But then, you knew that.

Wrong is wrong no matter how you sugar coat it. if a location is closed don't go in. RESPECT the posted hours of a location. Geocaching is not an excuse to break the laws or rules of a location. "everyone else was doining it" has never been a good excuse.

1.8k · February 25, 2007

I have to wonder what those of us with very few encounters are doing differently than those cachers with very many encounters.

Guess we don't look like criminals!!!! :blink: :huh: :blink: <_<

March 3, 2007

A couple of days ago I was stopped by a Police Officer after looking for the cache for only 5 minutes. Incredibly, this was my first time ever geocaching! I was more than a little nervous when I lifted my head to see a cruiser about ten feet from me :huh: . I didn't even hear him pull up to me, must've been concentrated on the find I suppose. The tread to that experience is here. I wish I had some pamphlets to enhance my credibility but I just wanted to try this out as soon as I got my GPSr.

He ran my ID and gave me some strange looks, asked a couple of questions, then left but I was wondering if this new sport I was trying was gonna get me a fine. I'm in college and majoring in aeronautics. ANY blemish on my record would seriously limit my chances of being hired by a major airline. Luckily, no problems though and 2 days later I'm up to 5 finds!

14.3k · March 3, 2007

Has anyone had the police called on them, and if so then what do you do?

Thanks for the information!

Yes, but it had nothing to do with geocaching.

2.7k · March 3, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

I like this idea.

I will probably start doing something like that, but I have one reservation- I don't like the idea of "advertising" that i am going to be away from the vehicle... I like to at least let persons who might be "casing" the parking lot think I might have only stepped into the woods to pee or something. I don't want people to generally know I'm going to be gone a while.

I had thought about that, too. But....

1) Cars get broken into at trailheads whether there's a note or not. I'm not positive that having a note will increase your odds over the car parked next to you. IMHO, the advantage outweights the idea that the car "might" get broken into/vandalized.

2) I don't leave anything valuable inside. My note is placed descreetly, though I imagine the police would look at the windshield wiper - especially if he/she were about to place a ticket there.

3) The bad guys don't know when left or when you're coming back. If they were smart badguys, they might feel the car's hood to see if the engine was still warm.

4) You could put your note on yellow, pink, whatever paper so it looks like a parking ticket.... LOL

Maybe some LEOs in this forum could comment?

Has the added benefit that, if you already HAVE a parking ticket, you won't generally get another one.

I have seen this work quite well. A co-worker in Cincinnati used to do it all the time. The cops finally figured out what was going on and towed the car.

March 3, 2007

Today I walked about 0.1 mi. from my truck in about 3 inches of snow to find a cache. When I came back there was a Sheriff SUV stopped beside my truck. I may have been in his favorite parking place. Even though he did not indicate he wanted to talk with him, I did go over to his window and ask if he had ever heard of geocaching. He had not, but now he knows about it and he may even inform the rest of his buddies about our sport.

I considered the possibility that he might follow my tracks and muggle the cache if I didn't let him know what I had been doing back in the woods.

Tom Fuller

Crescent, OR

March 3, 2007

I just placed my first cache. I'm a former police officer, and I felt very weird about the activity. There was a very nice looking young lady that was jogging down the old road, it seems just about everytime I was trying to scope out a good cache spot. I'm now with emergency management and my vehicle is plainly marked, but I still felt like she was assuming the worst...and I'm no pervert! Also, I noticed signs of kids at play in the area, so I was in stealth mode in finally placing the cache, in order to keep it's location a secret. The whole thing just put me in a criminal demeanor, and I felt very guilty. I know I wasn't doing anything wrong, but it sure appeared like I was! I suppose I'll get used to it. I am wondering how long it will be before I have to explain myself to the local police or the sheriffs department. **snicker** :anibad: I am thinking of purchasing a gorilla suit, for placing caches and maintaining them. There's so many bigfoots down here, nobody would even give a second look.

2.7k · March 3, 2007

I am thinking of purchasing a gorilla suit, for placing caches and maintaining them. There's so many bigfoots down here, nobody would even give a second look.

The ultimate stealth! :anibad:

2.7k · March 3, 2007

Today I walked about 0.1 mi. from my truck in about 3 inches of snow to find a cache. When I came back there was a Sheriff SUV stopped beside my truck. I may have been in his favorite parking place. Even though he did not indicate he wanted to talk with him, I did go over to his window and ask if he had ever heard of geocaching. He had not, but now he knows about it and he may even inform the rest of his buddies about our sport.

I considered the possibility that he might follow my tracks and muggle the cache if I didn't let him know what I had been doing back in the woods.

Tom Fuller

Crescent, OR

I had a similar encounter a while back. I was going for FTF on a southeast indiana cache which was a creekside p&g.

The sheriff's car pulled up and parked in front of mine and I assumed he thought I might be broken down (or perhaps s.t.p. or lost hubcap or such).

Although he did not indicate he wanted to talk to me, I assumed that is why he stopped.

Turned out he was after the FTF himself. He had his kids in the car and all he asked was did I find it and is it safe for the kids. :anibad:

March 3, 2007

After following this thread for a while, I have to wonder if "looks" have anything to do with the amount of encounters with LEO? I know it's probably not politically correct, but whether LEO admit it or not (and it's not meant to sound like an accusation - rather an observation..), I have to wonder if how an individual LOOKS makes a difference?

I haven't been stopped (yet...) but I'm a 40-ish woman usually out with 2 teenagers. Something tells me we look much more harmless than say, a twentysomething man? Statistically, certain demographics are more likely to be doing something they shouldn't be doing, and some of us are seemingly less likely, right?

Most of the caches I've hunted are in parks, during the day, where there are few people around at all, and people I've encountered usually nod a friendly good-day and I do the same.

I had also followed a thread about how to be stealthy - hiding in plain sight, and some folks say they wear reflective vests or hard hats - as if to impersonate some sort of "worker" - IMO that could land somebody in more trouble if they appear to be impersonating somebody and they get stopped. Wonder if this has happened to anybody?

I think I'd rather just look like ordinary folk, then if stopped/asked I don't have to explain why I'm dressed up like a cable guy.

Since I read this thread originally I did print out a handful of brochures. I did not have occasion to give any out yet, but my son took one to school as part of his, "What I did during Winter Break" essay :anibad:

Jenn

March 3, 2007

One aspect that isn't covered often is your appearance. Geocaching can be an awfully rugged sport depending on the cache, so it's understandable that we cachers don't venture into the fray in our Sunday best. However, taking a shower, putting on clean clothes and looking generally presentable (I know, for some it's a stretch ) can go an awfully long way. The other day I hit a cache that was in an expensive, corporate business zone dressed in a pair of sweats and a hat. I was a bit sweaty, tired and I was walking around looking at seemingly innocuous objects.. that drew attention. I came back later the next day following work dressed in my slacks and a dress shirt, and I didn't attract anyone.

In my area there's a number of caches that are so muggle-heavy that you are bound to be passed by a LEO at least once. For those caches, acting confident, being confident and keeping your eyes on the game is important. If your standing on the corner with darting eyes, people will know you feel uncomfortable and you will look suspicious no matter how hard you try.

Being prepared with brochures is important.

That's actually good advice for life, not just for geocaching!

My dad was an ex-Naval Officer cum civilian doctor and had that command presence both roles require. Nothing that he did intentionally, just an air of comfort and control that let him be accepted anywhere without question.

I learned it from him and it served me well throughout my decade in the Navy and later as an independant consultant in corporate and government IT environments.

Dress and act and as if you belong there; act like you are in charge and you will be accepted as such!

Snapping and ordering people around, being a bully, is not what I mean... folks who do that stand out in all the wrong ways, and the goal here is NOT to stand out. You always catch more flies with honey than vinegar!

You would be amazed at what you can do and where you can go without challenge if you develop that self-assured in-command attitude!

On the other hand timidity stands out like a sore thumb! Look hinky (furtive or out-of-place) and everyone, especially cops, will spot you immediately and wonder what you are up to!

Ed

If I get to an area that has a real muggle problem, out comes the ID for work, hang that from around the neck. The bright red surveyors jacket (which works great for caching with all the pockets and such) hang the work radio off of the belt, grab the clipboard and start looking. I've even had a couple of RCMP officers wave at me while out caching like this. It is as Ed says "You would be amazed at what you can do and where you can go without challenge....." I put it down to "Stand out like a big RED sore thumb, Look like your doing some mundain inspection for your job, and people will look at you once, then forget about you"

I still keep some info about geocaching handy, but after 5 years and almost 800 caches, I haven't had to use it yet....

RB

2.7k · March 3, 2007

After following this thread for a while, I have to wonder if "looks" have anything to do with the amount of encounters with LEO? I know it's probably not politically correct, but whether LEO admit it or not (and it's not meant to sound like an accusation - rather an observation..), 1. I have to wonder if how an individual LOOKS makes a difference?

I had also followed a thread about how to be stealthy - hiding in plain sight, and some folks say they wear reflective vests or hard hats - as if to impersonate some sort of "worker" - 2. IMO that could land somebody in more trouble if they appear to be impersonating somebody and they get stopped. Wonder if this has happened to anybody?

I think I'd rather just look like ordinary folk, then if stopped/asked I don't have to explain why I'm dressed up like a cable guy.

Since I read this thread originally I did print out a handful of brochures. I did not have occasion to give any out yet, but my son took one to school as part of his, "What I did during Winter Break" essay

Jenn

3. If I get to an area that has a real muggle problem, out comes the ID for work, hang that from around the neck. The bright red surveyors jacket (which works great for caching with all the pockets and such) hang the work radio off of the belt, grab the clipboard and start looking. I've even had a couple of RCMP officers wave at me while out caching like this. It is as Ed says "You would be amazed at what you can do and where you can go without challenge....." I put it down to "Stand out like a big RED sore thumb, Look like your doing some mundain inspection for your job, and people will look at you once, then forget about you"

I still keep some info about geocaching handy, but after 5 years and almost 800 caches, I haven't had to use it yet....

RB

1. There is absolutely no question or doubt that how you look determines how you are treated. This is simply a fact of life. Whether it is "fair" or "politically correct" is irrelevant. It is actually very logical to make one's first judgment on appearance. In general, appearances are correct. People who are "out of place" deserve more attention simply because they are "out of place". For example, if you saw your neighbour bust down his own front door, you might think "he's angry," or "he lost his key," but you would probably not call the cops. OTOH, if you saw someone else, perhaps say a "thug " looking person just walk up on the porch, you might call the cops.

It is the same way with the cops on the scene. An instant preliminary risk evaluation is made, taking into account all available observations and circumstances... What neighbourhood? What time of day? What does the person look like? More than anything else, does it look like the person has a legitimate reason to be here?

Many things about the initial contact will be determined mostly by "what does the person look like." This is NOT bigotry or racism. It is simply a cop making a judgment call for hisher safety and for the best handling of the situation.

The more "proper" you look, the less likely you are to have a negative encounter- even if the cops are called.

2. i agree. impersonating is a bad scene. To put on airs that you are some kind of official is asking for trouble. But there are ways of stealth that kind of run a fine line just slightly on the side of "not really IMPERSONATING..."

Examples (where appropriate)

These would NOT be IMPERSONATING:

Wearing your DULY ISSUED special work clothes and ID even though not "on assignment" (see 3)

Pretending to be doing something an ordinary person might do like photography (I am into REALLY detailed macros for instance, that is why i am looking in every little crack in the wall) or bird-watching.

Pretending to take a survey or inspect trees or count passersby or some such thing.

I personally like the idea I have seen of making up a "uniform" (just a jacket with a patch or perhaps a traffic vest) of a "GPS location verification team" or whatever catchy name you might apply. Just add GPS and clipboard and you're all set.

These would likely cause trouble:

Wearing a police uniform (duh)

Impeding traffic while pretending to be an "inspector" or highway worker.

i am sure others can come up with a lot of examples.

I think the big issue is to whom you tell "the story" and to whom you "come clean". If I were dressed as a "GPS location verifier" or such, I would be sure to explain the whole deal, and that the "uniform" is meant just to AVOID encounters, to any LEO that asked.

3. I have done that myself. I happen to have a vehicle that looks very "official" and I just grab my notebook and GPS and go "inspect". the hard part is getting the cache and putting it back- even though the "uniform" makes one look like they belong there, you still gotta get the box in and out without being noticed.

OTOH I am getting more paranoid about my urban caching activities and in spite of my easy "urban camo" I seldom do them anymore- especially if there are muggles about.

March 3, 2007

Most of the caches I hunt are in parks. I've done a few urban micros, and the last 3 I tried (on the same day) all freaked me out because the first one was under the deck of a restaurant - somewhat easily accessible from the street, but would be painful to attempt during business hours, so I went before the establishment opened - there were idle workers at the business across the street, so after a very short attempt at a find I was too uncomfortable to keep going under watchful eyes, so I moved on.

The next one was a short distance away, someplace around a Salvation Army thrift store that was so busy on a Monday morning, that I couldn't even get a parking spot - way too many muggles, left that unfound too.

The third one was at a Home Depot - I tried a few skirts without success - in hindsight there was a guardrail on the edge of the parking lot where it may be, but there were too many people coming and going, I got nervous and left without a find there either.

0/3 - got discouraged and went home. I'm just not that good at urban micros alone. With my kids (teens) I may have been braver, but I didn't want to get "busted" so I just figured I'd try another day.

IMO the first one I tried - the one under the restaurant deck, is a bad hide. The cache page does not specify if the management of the establishment had given permission or not. It was published almost a month ago, and only one has found it so far - early morning, 37 degrees outside - no muggles. If permission has been given, I think it would be good to list that in the cache page, and if permission hasn't been given, then it should not be there in the first place.

Jenn

March 3, 2007

I have an encounter with the police very time I go Geocaching

Wait, I am the POLICE

2.7k · March 4, 2007

I have an encounter with the police very time I go Geocaching

Wait, I am the POLICE

"You guys better stop or I'll call the Shore Patrol." We ARE the f****n Shore Patrol!"

("The Last Detail" circa sometime around the early seventies)

I always loved that line.

March 5, 2007

I cache alone a lot. Lately, I've been leaving a small folded note discreetly under my windshiled wiper. The note says "Police" on the outside. Inside is written "(my name) is geocaching/hiking. Cell number is ---------, FRS channel 2.0" and there's a copy of the small geocaching brochure.

'Course I also tell someone the many different places I'll be caching on a given day. But, I figure my note could help if I got hurt in the woods. If I ever get stopped by a LEO, I'll show him the note on my car as evidence of "good intentions".

That's something I'm starting to do as well - you lose track of time when searching in the bush for caches...(or the perfect photograph!) I may pick up a radio for that purpose, a few places I have gone caching have zero mobile reception.

This past weekend I didn't make it off a local mountain before dark - thought I was on what should have been a clearly marked trail, and ended up on a deer trail (I saw deer!) that practically disappeared in both directions. When I did get off the mountain, I had to cut through someones yard (I hope they forgive me), and then walk on a complaining ankle (from a stumble in the dark) 2.5 kilometres back to where my car was parked. Thankfully this park doesn't lock the gates until 11pm, I had time to spare.

It took me about 15 minutes after arriving at my car to calm down enough that I felt OK to drive home. I was half dreading, half praying the RCMP would come by. I'm pretty sure after I got over my initial embarassment over how monumentally bad things could have gone - I'd have been pretty damned thankful to see them!

March 6, 2007

I have never been asked by the Police what I was doing, but there was a group of us on a 24hr run in Jax that was stopped by a rent-a-cop, he was more being nosy than actually caring why we were there.

But...I have questioned the Chief...

Be looking for a new cache in N. FL entitled Here Piggy, Piggy

March 6, 2007

i was approached by a police officer at 12:30AM while finding a micro hidden with in a gas station, just under the posted sign of the prices.. i just explained what i was doing and even showed him the printed cache page, for a minute i thought he was going to help me look, but then he just said have a good night as he walked away.

March 6, 2007

i was approached by a police officer at 12:30AM while finding a micro hidden with in a gas station, just under the posted sign of the prices.. i just explained what i was doing and even showed him the printed cache page, for a minute i thought he was going to help me look, but then he just said have a good night as he walked away.

6.7k · March 6, 2007

It's like fishing - the number of fish you catch is related to the number of hours you spend fishing!

I get checked out a lot, almost always at night, happened two times this last week, but then I cache a lot late at night.

The last was while signing a guardrail cache just outside the gates of a county prison at about 11 pm Saturday... a place where we knew for certain they had cameras and the only question was how long it would take them to come check us out!

Told the two officers what we were up to, they were cool with it.

I never kept count but that's gotta have been the 50th time or so I've been asked what I was up to in 3.5 years.

March 6, 2007

4th time a week ago out in the middle of nowhere he said he was just making sure we were ok but thats ok glad to see him out there gave him a gu pamphlet showed him the cache sheet and gps he said hi and by cache on

Police

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