How long should one wait to log a TB pick-up?

[+mblitch]

Here are some questions that I would like to see be polled to ascertain what the group consensus may be regarding the matter. Please reply to the following.

 

1) Is it reasonable to expect one to wait a certain amount of time (let us say at least a week) to make the pick-up log entry for a found travel bug if there was no entry for the drop.

 

2) How long is it reasonable to wait to make a TB pick-up if no drop entry has been made?

a) 1 day

2-3 days

c) 4-7 days

d) 1-2 weeks

c) longer of there are reasonable notes (such as TB log) that the carrier is traveling

 

I am having a debate with another cacher regarding the appropriate length of time one should wait to log a TB pick-up. While one the first days of a vacation, I dropped a couple of TBs in a TB hotel and made the paper log entry (e.g. left xxx named yyy named TB and took zzz TB). About 3 days later I got back from a hike and near enough civilization to access the Internet. When I went to log the cache find and TB drop, I found the bugs were not in my inventory. Apparently someone had grabbed them the day I dropped them off and logged the pick-up. I contacted the person and asked why they logged it so quickly since when looking at the paper log and even the TB log pages (when I made a pickup I noted that I would drop them off in a couple of weeks when traveling) it was obvious that the person was on the road and thus unable to make immediate entries. The response essentially was that "I can't believe that [you] would expect another cacher to wait a week to log a TB and it's travels... If [you] cached a little more [you] would know that you shouldn't drop off a TB if you are not going to log it right away".

 

There was also a supporting claim in the email exchange that the logs must be made immediately so that the TB owner knows what is happening with the TB. On another drop I made that week the finder merely made a 'note' entry in the TB log that he found it and was waiting for the drop log.

 

My stance it that is it is certainly not unreasonable to wait a while, even a week (or two if necessary) so that the previous carrier has ample opportunity to make a drop. A lot of people cache on vacation and do not typically own or carry laptops so entries can be made every night. If the carrier makes obvious notes as to traveling, then even a further wait would be warranted. An early pickup really messes up the tracking and mileage of a TB. I suggested that making a 'note' or 'discovered' log entry would certainly suffice in informing the TB owner of the whereabouts of their item. If one was expected to make immediate logs, then TBs would never really be able to move outside their local areas.

 

As stated, I would like to determine what the group decision would be. Was I acting improperly by not making an immediate log entry (though it only took me 3 days) or was the other cacher unreasonable in demanding that I make the entries immediately and not consider carrying TBs if I am unable to do this? I felt that if the cacher was truly interested in the spirit of the game and the notification of the owner that he would wait long enough to provide amble opportunity for a proper drop to be made. If the bug is grabbed from the inventory of another person, then the mileage tracking is made ineffective.

 

For example, I'll soon be heading one a 4 week trip out west and can even take a couple of bugs close to their targets, but it may be 5-10 days before I can find a wireless signal to use. Should I not take any TBs since I cannot make such quick entries. I had planned to leave notes attached asking that the TB not be logged until xx date if it was picked up. What would you do or deem as being reasonable?

 

Mike

Tampa Fl

[+jamrasc]

I understand completely what you are saying and fully agree with you. People travel all the time and move tb's, especially in resort type areas. Heck we don't even have a laptop, so we have to wait to log everything until we are back at our home. If we find a tb and it is not logged into a cache we wait to see if it will get dropped in. Usually wait a week or so, then if it isn't dropped we grab it.

 

Not everyone has a laptop, not everyone has access to the internet at all times, so people have to wait.

[+Griff-N-Go]

I give the person 24 hours. After that, I grab, drop it in the cache I got it from and then pick it back up. That way the milage and history is correct. You don't have to make the drop. Why should I and the owner of the TB wait for you to get back from vaction? In 4 weeks a TB can see a lot of caches.

[+Renegade Knight]

I log them when I get back from whatever trip I was on when I dropped them. It's annoying to have to Grab the dadgum bug from some impatient dippy doodle who could not wait and so they grabbed the bug from me and "fixed the milage" by messing up the bugs real history.

 

I've even had dippys grab a bug I've dropped on a day drip before I could get back home that evening.

[+SgtSue]

I give the person 24 hours. After that, I grab, drop it in the cache I got it from and then pick it back up. That way the milage and history is correct. You don't have to make the drop. Why should I and the owner of the TB wait for you to get back from vaction? In 4 weeks a TB can see a lot of caches.

 

While the milage may correct the history is not. The story of the person picking the TB at one point and moving it to the next (where you picked it up) is missing.

 

Personally I wait a bit, couple days at lest. Then I will look at who last had it. Do they live where I found it? Do they live quite a distance away? Where and when did they pick it up. All that plays in to how much longer I think I should wait. Then I would send them a "did you forget email" and wait a little longer. But that is just me.

[+mblitch]

I would tend to concur. Making the early log also cuts out a bit of the history. The story is a chronological one. A find, transport, and a drop. That pattern is repeated. The issue comes into the time of reporting that event. If a pickup is recorded before a drop, then the story becomes really confusing. Now if someone waits a few weeks before making a log (you can check their account to even see when they signed up), then it might be ok to continue the story, but at least give them a chance to take part in it.

 

My stance is that it would be most reasonable to wait a few days or even a week if necessary before making a pickup log if a drop log had not yet been made. You may just as well discover or note the TB so that people are aware of its whereabouts (so another cacher will not see the missing bug inventoried in a cache and report it as missing). Waiting does not harm anything as long as you still have the TB. You now allow accurate tracking to take place and furthermore, you provide the other cacher/carrier to share their tale. Sure they can write a note later, but it isn't quite as fun as being able to drop it into a cache when you are making your find log.

 

I give the person 24 hours. After that, I grab, drop it in the cache I got it from and then pick it back up. That way the milage and history is correct. You don't have to make the drop. Why should I and the owner of the TB wait for you to get back from vaction? In 4 weeks a TB can see a lot of caches.

 

While the milage may correct the history is not. The story of the person picking the TB at one point and moving it to the next (where you picked it up) is missing.

 

Personally I wait a bit, couple days at lest. Then I will look at who last had it. Do they live where I found it? Do they live quite a distance away? Where and when did they pick it up. All that plays in to how much longer I think I should wait. Then I would send them a "did you forget email" and wait a little longer. But that is just me.