Bug Napper

[+Thrak]

I have a travel bug called Night Cacher that's been missing for quite a while. I tracked down the log where a cacher <name removed by moderator> picked it up from a cache back on March 3rd. On March 25th I sent him the following email:

 

Scott,

 

On March 3 you picked up my travel bug Night Cacher from the D-Squach's Voluminous Cache GCZQRA but you never logged it on the travel bug page. It has been listed as still in that cache ever since. The cache owners got tired of it being listed as in their cache and are going to mark it missing. I **REALLY** don't want to lose this bug. Can you please log it as "found" and then put it into another cache? If you aren't going to be caching anymore I would be happy to send you a postage paid package so you can return it to me and I can set it loose once more.

 

To log the bug as found go here: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=160001

 

Once you log the bug please either put it into another cache and once again log that you have dropped it (at the same link above) or let me know if you want me to send yo a pre-paid package for return of the bug. This one has some special meaning to me and I would hate to lose it. If you don't want to bother with logging the bug at all then please let me know where to send the package for you to return it to me.

 

Thanks.

 

He responded with this message on April 21st:

I have been trying but my account hasen't been working right and i will try as soon as i can

 

Since then I have sent him 3 more emails requesting that he either drop and log the bug or supply me with an address to which I can send a pre-paid package for him to return the bug to me. He hasn't responded to any of those messages and has now deleted all of the "found" travel bugs from his profile page. (I'm not sure how he did that - he previously showed several travel bugs that he had collected from caches but the page now shows none. Perhaps it happened when all the bugs he stole were marked as missing.....)

 

His <profile removed by moderator> shows that he last logged onto the site on May 12th. I realize it says he is only 13 years old but that is PLENTY old enough to be responsible for his behavior. I don't understand why he won't at least send me an address so I can send him a pre-paid package for the return of my bug. All he would have to do is to put it into the box and stick it into the mail.

 

I realize there's nothing I can do about this guy ripping off my bug but I'd really like to........... Well, I won't say what I'd like to do. It really isn't nice at all. People like this really piss me off.

Edited July 17, 2007 by Eartha

[+Eartha]

I have edited your post, simply because the cacher in question is a child. Youngsters don't have drivers licenses and the ability to get out and cache whenever they want to. You may have scared this child off with your emails. Now he probably thinks if he doesn't cache enough, and now he can't be a cacher because cachers have to go out every week, so now, he's hiding any history of ever having cached. Because Dad won't take him out again, he's working, Mom's busy with the other two kids too, and here he is with TBs in his possession that he can't drop off, because the nearest cache is 8.3 miles away, and he can't walk to it. (hypothetically)

So, let it be, tell him you understand, and will be patient and wait for that golden opportunity when the whole family can get out to the nearest state park again. March wasn't really that long ago in caching years, relatively speaking.

[+BlueDeuce]

...

Edited July 17, 2007 by BlueDeuce

[+Belfrypotters]

...it says he is only 13 years old but that is PLENTY old enough to be responsible for his behavior. I don't understand why he won't at least send me an address so I can send him a pre-paid package for the return of my bug. All he would have to do is to put it into the box and stick it into the mail.

Probably because his mother told him never, ever give out personal information to someone you meet on-line, and he actually listened to her. Hopefully your bug comes back from the great Unknown, but one thing most of us bug owners have learned the hard way is not to get too emotionally attached to your TBs.

[+DonB]

That's why a lot of the children are irresponsible now days, too many adults defending their irresponsible behavior. At 13 he should know his situation and if he only gets to go caching once every four months, he shouldn't have taken the TB in the first place.

[+~Hylife~]

That's why a lot of the children are irresponsible now days, too many adults defending their irresponsible behavior. At 13 he should know his situation and if he only gets to go caching once every four months, he shouldn't have taken the TB in the first place.

 

I agree; if he was really in that kind of situation he could have at least said that and have implied that he was uncomfortable disclosing his own personal information..at least that's what I probably would have done..

[+Thrak]

He could also have offered to mail it to ME. I would be happy to give him my mailing address. I offered to do so in the event he was uncomfortable giving out his information. No dice. I'm always amazed that, while my children were able to be responsible at that age, other folks jump to defend people like this because "he's only a child........" Bah!

[+BlueDeuce]

- I learned that as a kid.

 

There's always an excuse, what difference does it make what it is?

 

If I ever, ever reach a point in my life where I say 'Kids today...(fill in the blank with some derogatory comment).

 

Shoot me.

[+scavok]

Probably because his mother told him never, ever give out personal information to someone you meet on-line, and he actually listened to her...

 

Maybe she should also tell him to have respect for general property of others... If he is old enough to cache on his own then he should be allowed to mail correspond. If he doesn't cache on his own then the adult with him should know better...

 

IMHO (:

[+Renegade Knight]

The kid can dump the problem in his parents lap and they can fix it. Simple enough and works around all the excuses.

 

Bottom line, the kid can do the right thing.