Geocache "bomb"

[+salutations]

Rhonda and I saw an interesting news report tonight about a Tybee Island geocache that was blown up Saturday when it was suspected to be a bomb.

 

This news report was out of Savannah. Here's the link:

 

http://wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp?s=6649001

 

It seems to fit that the geocache was (GCNEE9) Under the Sea II by Team Teuton and it has just been archived.

 

Just wanted to share...

 

Salutations- Amy

[+ncfinn]

In the article the police said: "They just ask that players use some common sense when placing caches so they don't look like anything threatening." I guarantee you you can find several people who would consider a stuffed pink bunny threatening. And don't they realize a real bomber could put a bomb inside a stuffed pink bunny? So what container or a spot is nor scary?

[bogleman]

"They chose a rather unfortunate form to put it in. It looked exactly like a pipe bomb with two end caps on it," said Maj. Christopher Case with the Tybee Island Police Department. "We've subsequently gone online and found the official website for the geocaching activity and discovered that this is a registered geocache. We had no idea it was down here. It's been here for probably two years. A number of people have visited it."

[+Renegade Knight]

Looks like they handled it as they should have and have the right attitude about it.

 

Since geocachers and Joe Public are not criminal masterminds they should probably realize that if a cache looks like something else, it's entirly because geocachers and Joe Public flat out don't know what something else looks like. That's as it should be.

[+JHB141]

In the article the police said: "They just ask that players use some common sense when placing caches so they don't look like anything threatening." I guarantee you you can find several people who would consider a stuffed pink bunny threatening. And don't they realize a real bomber could put a bomb inside a stuffed pink bunny? So what container or a spot is nor scary?

One point that was not brought out in the news article was the fact that this event also ruined someones wedding reception, which was being held on the pavillion at the time. Now if you were a guest at a wedding, and you saw someone put what looke like a pipe bomb nearby, don't you think concern would be warranted? The pink bunny analogy is cute, but pink bunnys don't look like pipe bombs. Besides, if there had been a stuffed animal where this cache had been located, it could have generated concern too.

 

The simple point is this: If you are going to hide a cache, don't use PVC or metal pipe with end caps, and whatever you do use, label it clearly and obviously. Also, if you visit a cache and it isn't labeled like it should be, then label it before you leave. You may just save someone a lot of grief later on. Considering how much emergency services resources got used on this, a little labeling effort would have gone a long way.

Edited June 14, 2007 by JHB141

[+imajeep]

In the article the police said: "They just ask that players use some common sense when placing caches so they don't look like anything threatening." I guarantee you you can find several people who would consider a stuffed pink bunny threatening. And don't they realize a real bomber could put a bomb inside a stuffed pink bunny? So what container or a spot is nor scary?

 

I'm too new to the game to have placed caches, but I would think a transparent, or at least translucent, container would go a long way toward reassuring law enforcement officials. That, plus a prominent "Official Geocache" sticker with the geocache ID and geocaching.com address. I'm surprised at how many ammo boxes I find in the woods with no markings at all. If I was a LEO, I'd probably assume the worst, too.

[+ncfinn]

In the article the police said: "They just ask that players use some common sense when placing caches so they don't look like anything threatening." I guarantee you you can find several people who would consider a stuffed pink bunny threatening. And don't they realize a real bomber could put a bomb inside a stuffed pink bunny? So what container or a spot is nor scary?

One point that was not brought out in the news article was the fact that this event also ruined someones wedding reception, which was being held on the pavillion at the time. Now if you were a guest at a wedding, and you saw someone put what looke like a pipe bomb nearby, don't you think concern would be warranted? The pink bunny analogy is cute, but pink bunnys don't look like pipe bombs. Besides, if there had been a stuffed animal where this cache had been located, it could have generated concern too.

 

The simple point is this: If you are going to hide a cache, don't use PVC or metal pipe with end caps, and whatever you do use, label it clearly and obviously. Also, if you visit a cache and it isn't labeled like it should be, then label it before you leave. You may just save someone a lot of grief later on. Considering how much emergency services resources got used on this, a little labeling effort would have gone a long way.

 

My point was that if I was going to make a bomb, I would try to conceal it. I would not write TNT or BOMB on it like in cartoons, I would try to hide it in something innocent looking. In this case anything and everything is suspicuous. One of these days a real bomber is going to get his/her hands on a Geocaching sticker to conceal his/her real intentions.

[+biosearch]

I like the translucent/clear cache idea. I'd never thought about it, but have placed one simply because that is what I had. This idea might be the way to start heading with the issue of "National Security".

 

Something that I have not understood is, knowing that there are geocaches out there, why the police don't quickly get on geocaching.com and look to see if there is a geocache in the spot. Granted if someone wanted to they could get a cache approved and then put something there, but that isn't something I would guess that they would do. Likewise, anyone could place a geocache sticker on anything, something like the idea with the pink bunny, they could do it anyway they wanted to.

 

I'm going to start placing as many in plastic containers as I can. I've got two planned right now that would be great for that.

 

Thanks for jogging the sort of thinking par of my brain...

[+Deliveryguy428]

Sad thing was this cache was marked as a geocache.problem is when something the size and shape of a pipebomb is under a local pier I do not think they got close enough to read the label.

 

As for ammo cans, I was VERY new and came upon a TB hotel in one of the larger ammo cans and it was all marked up with army writing still...took me a moment to gather my wits to even open it.

 

It cost next to nothing to mark a container correctly.

 

--edit--spelling

Edited June 15, 2007 by geoholic28

[bchuck22]

The rules of placement are clear. “Local authorities are to be notified of the placement if it is a public location.” And “is not to be placed where it could be mistaken for something dangerous.”

 

Most people would agree that the person placing the cache acted in a careless and reckless manner.

 

I was a guest at the wedding, and I know the newlyweds. They would like to hear from the person who placed the package. An apology and some reimbursement would be appreciated and well deserved. Anyone knowing the suspect, please contact me and I will forward the info to the Newlyweds.

 

I joined this forum today.

Sincerely

Tybee Wedding Guest

[wwflover13]

The rules of placement are clear. “Local authorities are to be notified of the placement if it is a public location.” And “is not to be placed where it could be mistaken for something dangerous.”

 

Most people would agree that the person placing the cache acted in a careless and reckless manner.

 

I was a guest at the wedding, and I know the newlyweds. They would like to hear from the person who placed the package. An apology and some reimbursement would be appreciated and well deserved. Anyone knowing the suspect, please contact me and I will forward the info to the Newlyweds.

 

I joined this forum today.

Sincerely

Tybee Wedding Guest

 

I'm quite amused at this post ^ Not that the wedding was disrupted, that isn't amusing at all. But that someone would take the time to write all this cr@p, and then style it all up like a high-school essay. Maybe they thought it would make people take them seriously. Well, if that's what they wanted to do, they failed. Local authorities dont need to be told about ANYTHING that happens on public property, as long as it's legal. As far as I know, there is no law prohibiting geocaches. Sorry to burst your bubble. As for one being placed where it could be mistaken for something it's not, it seems that this cache was actually placed up underneath the pavillion where nobody (exept geocachers) would see or find it. When you say that most people would agree with your point of veiw, did you actually go out and do a nationwide survey to see what people thought? Probably not. Untill then, please speak for yourself. I'm reading down at the bottom of your post now, and I just want to clarify, what you refer to as "the package" was infact an official geocache. As for asking for an apology and reimbursement, If it was me that had placed that cache, I might spit out some sort of apology, but NO WAY would I give anyone any type of reimbursement. I'd like to see the geocacher that placed it ask YOU for an apology and reimbursement for destroying their cache! "Anyone knowing the suspect..." SUSPECT of what! Nothing illegal occured! Well, I take that back, a good enough prosecuter could probably squeeze a few dollars out of you for wasting police resources and indirectly destroying someone's property, among other things. That's all for now (with this though, I could go on for hours) but I'm just going to sit back and hopefully watch this person make an even bigger fool of themselves.

[+Deliveryguy428]

Cache page stated what the container was...cache page stated it was offically marked....permission was obtained...even a local tv crew had gone out with the owner a little over 4 months ago to this very cache to do a positive story on geocaching. Was the location the best?...maybe 2 years ago when it was placed.

 

Point is, the owner did what they were suppose to in placing this cache, somewhere along the lines communcation sadly broke down

 

I do ask lets not flame the indivudal directly because he/she/they have as just as much of a right to post their opinons as we do.

Edited June 15, 2007 by geoholic28