Fear of Muggles

[+OROS95]

Hey everyone,

 

I am new to this and have attempted about 5 caches so far...they were only attempts

because I have a fear of the muggles and am having a real hard time searching

properly. Is this normal???

 

I am going to stick to caches that are more remote so I don't have to deal with the muggles,

but there are a bunch of cool ones near my home that I would like to try once my courage

builds up a bit!

 

Any advice is appreciated!

[+rayzir]

Hey everyone,

 

I am new to this and have attempted about 5 caches so far...they were only attempts

because I have a fear of the muggles and am having a real hard time searching

properly. Is this normal???

 

I am going to stick to caches that are more remote so I don't have to deal with the muggles,

but there are a bunch of cool ones near my home that I would like to try once my courage

builds up a bit!

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

I still have muggle fear. I usually put my cel phone up to my ear while I look. That way I just look like someone trying to amuse himself while on the phone. I'll search for awhile and if I don't find it, I go back another day. If there's a group of people I feel is eyeballing me, I usually leave after a quick look. But that could be paranoia. I'm guessing most people assume you have a reason to be looking and really don't give it much more thought.

[+StarBrand]

Get a few more "rural" hides under your belt before you attempt ones with a muggle factor. You need to learn the types of containers and the style in which such things are commonly hidden before you can be stealthy about it. I recomend search for larger sized regulars before attempting any micro sized ones as well.

 

I don't enjoy hiding from every passerby and will often forfeit going after anything with people around until after dark or weekends when fewer folks are around.

[+mini cacher]

every place is different... but I find that a lot of the time, people don't really pay attention to what others are doing around them. I wouldn't call it a "fear" but I was certainly uneasy about muggles at first... until I came to the above realization.

 

It kind of sounds strange but I think the longer you hang around a particular area thinking about searching... the more suspicious you look. Just get in, do what you need to do and look/act like you are supposed to be doing it.

[+pcunningham]

I've been thinking about investing in an orange vest, hard hat, and clipboard for such occasions.

[+DudleyGrunt]

every place is different... but I find that a lot of the time, people don't really pay attention to what others are doing around them.

 

It kind of sounds strange but I think the longer you hang around a particular area thinking about searching... the more suspicious you look.

 

I've also noticed how little most people see to pay attention to their surroundings. I don't throw caution out the window, but I agree that the more you hang around, the more likely people are to notice you.

 

In and out and nobody gets hurt, as they say.

[+media601]

If the caches near you are in popular areas or parks, try rainy days or early Saturday and Sunday mornings.

[+PlantAKiss]

I wouldn't say I have a "fear" of muggles but they do make me nervous. I don't really like being "interrupted" while I'm enjoying a find. However, they are a fact of life so I deal with it.

 

One thing that has worked very well for me is my camera. When I see a muggle coming, I just pick up the camera and fiddle with it like I'm adjusting it for some great photo shoot. This weekend it backfired a little as a woman hiking on the trail stopped to ask me what I was shooting. Luckily, I actually HAD been photographing some wisteria growing on pine trees so I showed her that and she thought it was pretty. Of course I had to wonder if she was really a cacher trying to freak me out. lol

[+Renegade Knight]

...I am going to stick to caches that are more remote so I don't have to deal with the muggles,

but there are a bunch of cool ones near my home that I would like to try once my courage

builds up a bit!

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

Take your own advice and call me in the morning.

 

When you are ready to tackle muggle laden areas for the cool caches they protect, you will find that muggles have patterns. Cache when they are somewhere else.

[+Kabuthunk]

Generally, I have no muggle-related fear... however a recent cache find gave me the opposite feeling, what with nearly being mugged and all

 

Edit: fixed link

Edited April 16, 2007 by Kabuthunk

[+JockoPablo]

Just carry a 9-iron around and if anyone looks at you funny just say "Have you seen a Titleist 3?"

[+Sportsfrau]

I've been thinking about investing in an orange vest, hard hat, and clipboard for such occasions.

 

A clipboard and a folding metre stick are sufficient. Camera en plus? Perfect. Or you could pretend looking for a lost contact lens. Well, not if you are wearing glasses.

[+pcunningham]

I've been thinking about investing in an orange vest, hard hat, and clipboard for such occasions.

 

A clipboard and a folding metre stick are sufficient. Camera en plus? Perfect. Or you could pretend looking for a lost contact lens. Well, not if you are wearing glasses.

 

I've used "here, kitty, kitty" before with success, too.

[+Joey_M]

I just did my first find on my own this past friday. I found three in one day. All were very close to my home. One of the places was in a bank parking lot. Since it was a friday the lot was crowded so I was thinking of what I should do. Suddenly I looked and saw the cache so I went over and grabbed it. Guess what? The cache container that looked like a pipe bomb. Oh how wonderful. I was standing in the parking lot of a busy bank holding something that looked like a pipe bomb. Once it dawned on me I quickly replaced it into its hiding spot and came the next day when the bank was closed.

 

So far every place by my home has been quite crowded. Stealth has been a requirement. Not my favorite way of doing it but hopefully the furture holds more secluded caches for me.

[crawil]

I just did my first find on my own this past friday. I found three in one day. All were very close to my home. One of the places was in a bank parking lot. Since it was a friday the lot was crowded so I was thinking of what I should do. Suddenly I looked and saw the cache so I went over and grabbed it. Guess what? The cache container that looked like a pipe bomb. Oh how wonderful. I was standing in the parking lot of a busy bank holding something that looked like a pipe bomb. Once it dawned on me I quickly replaced it into its hiding spot and came the next day when the bank was closed.

 

So far every place by my home has been quite crowded. Stealth has been a requirement. Not my favorite way of doing it but hopefully the furture holds more secluded caches for me.

If you were that concerned over the cache container, you have 4 options:

1. Don't grab it and just walk away. There are other caches to find.
   
2. Grab it, sign the log, put it back and go on to the next cache.
   
3. Grab it, sign the log and report it to a reviewer for potential public-safety reasons.
   
4. Don't get caught holding a "pipe bomb" in the bank parking lot and report it to a reviewer for the same potential public-safety reasons.
   

You actually used option #5 - Grab it, sign the log and log it online twice! Change one of your logs to a note - you can only find it once.

[+OROS95]

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice, a little inspiration, and some great laughs!

[+yawetag]

Like others have said, most people don't pay attention to their surroundings.

 

I recently watched one of the "investigation" news shows (Dateline, 48 Hours, etc.), which highlighted a "Security Expert" that showed how much people don't get involved in incidents.

 

In one, he was obviously breaking into a car on a used car lot. People would just walk by without looking, or would look but not do anything about it.

 

It's amazing how people don't "want to get involved." Therefore, don't worry too much, find the cache, log it, and hide it as well as it was hidden. As long as you don't look obvious, 99% of the people in the area won't notice you and most of the remaining won't think twice about you.

[vagabond]

Early Sunday mornings work best for me no one around at daylight, if you can drag yourself out of bed at that time of morning

[GastonFam]

don't worry too much, find the cache, log it, and hide it as well as it was hidden. As long as you don't look obvious, 99% of the people in the area won't notice you and most of the remaining won't think twice about you.

 

How true! Just remember, "perception is reality." If you look confident, no one will think a thing about it.

[+TrailGators]

Look at things in reverse. Do you ever notice anything that anybody else is doing? If you walk around pretending you are on your cell phone while looking for the cache you will definitely make people want to look elsewhere for somebody entertaining to watch...

[+Gadget_Cacher]

Maybe I am too bold for my own good, but i don't worry about muggles unless the area is sensitive (ie grave yard, church, etc). If some one wants to question me i have brochures about geocaching in my back pack and i can easily explain what i am doing. I have actually had people drive by me really slowl before while looking for a cache that was near the road...eventually i just stared back and they kept moving.

 

My feeling on it is...i am on public property and i am not doing anything wrong. If you have a problem with that its your problem not mine. If you want to call the cops on me please do and maybe i'll get another person hooked on geocaching.

[+yyzdnl]

I'll add a vote for the old cell phone trick. Then you get to talk to yourself and geocache at the same and no ones the wiser.

[+Arrow One]

Ive had muggles ask me what Im doing and depending on where Im at, its usually somehing like...

Im a reptilianoligist (looking for tree frogs) A fungal anpoligist (mushroom surveyor)

Youd be suprised the wack things you can come up with and sound official.

[+smcpeaknkids]

I have great cammo in heavily muggle laden area's. I call my cammo children. I have two of them. It is amazing what you can get away with because you have two kids acting goofy with you. Instead of looking strange in an area they say hey look at that guy out with his kids how sweet.

[+15Tango]

Carry a trash bag and pick up litter while you're looking for the cache - keeps the muggles from becoming suspicious, and also accomplishes a little CITO.

[+QuesterMark]

Hey everyone,

 

I am new to this and have attempted about 5 caches so far...they were only attempts

because I have a fear of the muggles and am having a real hard time searching

properly. Is this normal???

 

I am going to stick to caches that are more remote so I don't have to deal with the muggles,

but there are a bunch of cool ones near my home that I would like to try once my courage

builds up a bit!

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

The issue with muggles is if they see where the cache is, and take it. Except for those critical moments, there's nothing to worry about.

 

Act confident. Act like you're supposed to be there. Explain yourself if you need to.

 

But feel free to get remote caches first and work your way in. There's a lot of fun to be had in caching right under muggles' noses.

[+trixxster]

I have great cammo in heavily muggle laden area's. I call my cammo children. I have two of them. It is amazing what you can get away with because you have two kids acting goofy with you. Instead of looking strange in an area they say hey look at that guy out with his kids how sweet.

 

I have to agree with smcpeaknkids! This was my favorite decoy! Kids can get away with crawling in bushes, around utility boxes, gosh, just about anywhere. No one looks twice at kids "exploring" The only problem with kids, is they become teens. I've found teens are the opposite of kids. Everyone is watching them, wondering what they're up to...

 

Another bit of advice for urban cachers, especially the women. Dress down. I have been out on the town, in a dress and heels, and while waiting on friends, thought to nab a cache and dash, only to have the men of the area watch my every move.

 

I personally like the rush of caching in crowds, but my husband hates it! He refuses to do urban caches.

 

Hope that helps! Have fun!

 

Trixxster

[+yyzdnl]

Carry a trash bag and pick up litter while you're looking for the cache - keeps the muggles from becoming suspicious, and also accomplishes a little CITO.

 

Thats good, I will put that away in my stealth toolbox.

[+Patriot_Action]

Do your thing. If you are asked what it is you are doing, tell them. Explain the game. They might want to play also..... Thats what i do anywho. Im new to this as well, to day is my first day searching. I found 2 mico's and 1 medium sized caches.

[CoyoteRed]

I am new to this and have attempted about 5 caches so far...they were only attempts because I have a fear of the muggles and am having a real hard time searching properly. Is this normal???

 

I am going to stick to caches that are more remote so I don't have to deal with the muggles, but there are a bunch of cool ones near my home that I would like to try once my courage builds up a bit!

 

Any advice is appreciated!

One of the things I do when searching with muggles around and I'm fairly certain I'm acting only a little weird is when I find the cache I keep "searching." Then after a few minutes I quit and find some place nearby to "rest." What I'm actually doing to checking to see if anyone is paying too much attention to me and waiting for the muggle population to clear. Many places you can wait long enough for everyone who was around while you were looking to have left and new muggles show up.

 

The idea is to be able to retrieve the cache in the shortest amount of time possible. Once you've "per-found" the cache it shouldn't take you long to scoop up the cache and palm it. Ladies have it easer as Sissy sometimes with take a large bag, like a beach bag or something, to scoop the cache into. I guess guys could use a messengers bag, if you don't mind toning down your macho image. Hey, Indiana Jones carries one.

 

Also, having a friend makes it easier as well. Many times Sissy and I will find a place near the cache where we can naturally stand as if talking. What we actually doing to nonchalantly observing muggle activity to see when it is clear to go for it. This is more natural than one person swiveling their head around all of the time.

 

If a muggle confronts me I act like a 5 year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar, hesitate a second and then run screaming as if in terror. Just kidding. I actually tell the truth, or at least a semblance of it. "A friend of mine hide something for me to find and told me the GPS coordinates." I show the GPS. "But, I can't find it. I guess he wins this round." I then politely excuse myself and leave.

 

Sometimes I further explain our hobby, but very rarely will I divulge the location of the cache unless it is some sort of authority.

• Palming a mirror helps looking under stuff without bending and draws less attention.
  
• Look for "people watchers." These are the hardest to deal with. They're not into their own little world, reading a book, or whatever. They'll be activity watching what folks do. Some are creepy. Others are simply watching folks go by. Either way, they're the ones harder to hide from.
  
• Become a people watcher yourself. Act like you belong. Act like everyone else. You will become "invisible."
  

You shouldn't fear muggles. You just need to know how to deal with them.

[Bristolbloke]

Being new to this myself, and searching alone, I too am extremely wary of muggles both from the point of view of looking suspicious and the risk of giving the cache location away. The few I've done so far have been at ridiculously early hours on a weekend, purely to get some privacy. At least we have beautiful weather at the moment (for a change), so it's great to be out early and make the most of the weekend.

 

15Tango's idea of clearing rubbish at the same time is excellent - a good chance & reason to examine the area, a bag to scoop the cache into for later examination and looking after the countryside to boot - top tip!!

[+HarleyPiper]

I don't think most muggles are as observant as we are afraid they are. Personally, I'd rather deal with 50 muggles than 3 or 4 barking dog "alarms" when I'm behind a fence in a subdivision...

 

In a worst case scenario, you could explain to a muggle, but some dogs just can't be convinced...

[+RichardGo]

I agree with the dog factor. If I am being laid into by a neighborhood dog, it normally ends my hunt.

[vtmtnman]

every place is different... but I find that a lot of the time, people don't really pay attention to what others are doing around them. I wouldn't call it a "fear" but I was certainly uneasy about muggles at first... until I came to the above realization.

 

It kind of sounds strange but I think the longer you hang around a particular area thinking about searching... the more suspicious you look. Just get in, do what you need to do and look/act like you are supposed to be doing it.

 

This is sooooo true.Think about how many times you were oblivious to something that happened or just to your everyday surroundings.You'd be amazed how easy it is to sneak up on people.Caching is the same way.Act like you belong there,and everyone will ignore you.I always keep this fact in mind,and rarely people scare or sneak up on me,and you'd also be amazed what some people do when you just pay closer attention.

 

Although it's kind of hard to do sometimes when you're on a military base in a combat zone dressed in civilian clothes and everyone else is in cammies... Does wonders to hone the stealth.

 

Also,he's right on.Lingering is bad.Go up to GZ with a purpose.Like you know right where you're going,and you've been there before,just everyday business.

[Jr. Hunter]

I haven't actually been out looking as of yet, but how about a baseball or frisbee? Espacially if the cache is in a bunch of bushes or over a ridge or in a ravine. If you had a good guess at the location I bet you could throw something "off-target" to a friend and then go and "retrieve" it. Even if your toy rolls away or can't be found you have all the more reason to "search" more intently. Or if you can find your toy before anyone sees and put it in your pack or just cover it up so no one else sees it and "pretend" to look for your "lost" object. Just a thought. Can't wait to get out and try that one. Jr. Hunter.

[Jovikaz]

HA Ha, lots of funny stories!! I will never forget the 1st cache we ever found, my hubby and I were so intent on finding it, we were both rummaging behind a tree and forgot to look out for muggles, then just as we found the cache a muggle came along - I just grabbed my hubby and said Kiss me!!! hehehe should have seen his face - the muggle didnt hang around for long and funnily enough my hubby always looks out for muggles now!!!

[+LastGrape]

Carry a trash bag and pick up litter while you're looking for the cache - keeps the muggles from becoming suspicious, and also accomplishes a little CITO.

Ahhh, so those people I see randomly picking up trash in their local area could actually be geocachers?! Next time I see such a person I'm going to do a search on the area to see if I might be right (normally I'm busily on my way somewhere), but I do think they might be saddos just doing it to keep their area tidy.

 

One of the nearest caches to my home(quite sparse on em in the area) took me about 3 attempts because it was a small park and being a lone young male I was worried about looking like a pervert with all the parents bout 20 metres by the swings.

In the end I found it, after logs started to suggest it had gone missing (I tried a 2nd part of the fence/hedge too)! Few kids playing football carried on way after I had left and they would of seen me but obviously proves nobody takes notice.

 

But I have done 2 micros in tourist areas that were amazing adrenaline rushes!!! Think these were good because there was a point when I was sure where I needed to put my hand for it. (clues helped)

I recommend the Brighton Pier, UK one (named 'Hove 2'?). You can take some pretending to take a photo or reading the telescope sign while you wait for some sort of gap in the tourists passing on mass - like waiting for the a wave for your first surf (not scary big but enough to surf/grab).

 

Nobody has mentioned one of the cache keys is 'stealth required'.

Have fun caching!

P.S. great laugh reading stories.

[+Cash-n-Dash]

Geo-Dogs are always good cover in urban areas and parks. Sometimes if I am looking around a bush and a muggle walks by, I act like I want my dog to flush out a rabbit or ball out of bush. I always yell, "C'mon, get it, get it!"

[widgit]

Being a newby I completely understand where you are coming from. When I found my first cache by myself I was so excited I completely forgot to look for muggles. Imagine my embarassment when I looked up and saw a guy on his bike leaning on my car checking out what I was doing. Also, another guy was riding his bike in circles going back and forth on the street. Oh, and don't forget the neighbor watering his flowers. ALL of them were checking me out. Color me red.

I found out that they all knew about the cache and were watchers. Geesh! We had a nice little chat.