Geotrash Auction?

[+swizzle]

I was surfing an online auction site and came across an auction for 3 geocaches. One was a bottle cap, one was a hershey wrapper and the other was a cache made to look like a used toilet paper wad?!? How do you politely tell the person that these shouldn't be used as cache containers? Can you imagine picking through dozens of TP tulips to find the right one? Swizzle

[+tabulator32]

If it was actually a bottle cap or TP wad, that would be one thing, but if it is a hemetically sealed cache container which reveals a log and keeps out moisture and greatly RESEMBLES a bottle cap or TP wad, then I have no business telling them not to do so.

 

In fact, I found a bottle cap cache a couple weeks ago and I thought it was an awesome hide.

[+Firespinner]

While i don't like those type, there's no rule against them. I guess it falls to "to each his own".

 

I personally don't like them because they ADD to litter (ok...it IS a cache....but it looks like litter and would likely be treated as litter). It could give geocaching a bad rep if caches like this catch on and become more popular. I wouldn't want geocaching associated with creating litter.

 

I would be afraid that someone would be CITO'ing and accidently throw it away without knowing it.

[mrbeachroach]

I can see the delima here. I have a mantality that pretty much anything goes, but if the state park has TP balled up around a tree, it would definatly cause problems. Its best to take that creativity and just make a better cache. If you work in the pubic waste system and this cache is at the dump then now were talking buisness. Or mabey the beaches of Bullixi Missippi.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Not everything which is allowed should be done.

[+tozainamboku]

Do people really pay other people money to buy caches like this

It's your dollar,but don't be surprised if you see a log like this:

 

December 25 by responsible_cacher (125 found)

I look everywhere for this cache, but frankly this place is a dump. Fortunately, as always, I brought along a CITO bag and cleaned up quite a lot of the trash here. Maybe the next cacher will be luckier and find the cache.

[+9Key]

I've seen bottle cap caches used effectively, but those other two are bad.

[+coggins]

Do people really pay other people money to buy caches like this

It's your dollar,but don't be surprised if you see a log like this:

 

December 25 by responsible_cacher (125 found)

I look everywhere for this cache, but frankly this place is a dump. Fortunately, as always, I brought along a CITO bag and cleaned up quite a lot of the trash here. Maybe the next cacher will be luckier and find the cache.

And I just threw out a hershey wrapper. Hope it wasn't someone's cache.

[+tabulator32]

I have a mantality...

 

I do believe, Mr. Roach, you have coined quite an interesting new word for Webster's...or perhaps the name of a new half-hour sit-com.

 

[+vw_k]

I actually found a cache that looked like litter once, I dont think the appearance was deliberate, but the owner had wrapped the cache in a small black plastic bag (some people wrongly believe this will protect caches from moisture!) and it was placed under a bush in a park. Now in public parks in England there are thousands of small packages under bushes in black plastic bags, 99.9% of them are dog waste left by irresponsible dog owners!

 

I looked at that black bag 3 times whilst searching, and it was only by luck that I noticed it had square edges under the plastic wrapping. I'm surprised it hadn't been cleared by council litter pickers. I'd hate for caches like these to encourage any children to look in genuine litter for caches, just because they've found one before.

[+Isonzo Karst]

December 25 by responsible_cacher (125 found)

I look everywhere for this cache, but frankly this place is a dump. Fortunately, as always, I brought along a CITO bag and cleaned up quite a lot of the trash here. Maybe the next cacher will be luckier and find the cache.

 

Oh yes. I actually have logged very nearly that log several times. In two cases I knew I had picked up and trashed the cache. One was hidden in a used oil filter (really ) and the other in a disposable diaper!

I trashed them both and logged DNFs.

 

The cache owner contacted me, like I was some kind of idiot. I played dumb and told him I "appreciated the opportunity to CITO".

 

Trash caches are just a bad idea.

Edited December 26, 2007 by Isonzo Karst

[+StarBrand]

Not everything which is allowed should be done.

Captured my thoughts with the fewest words.

[+swizzle]

The bottle cap I can somewhat understand. I found a cache that was a soda can in a junk pile once. Kind of a cool idea. I personally feel that geocaching should take you to cool places that you've never been before. It seems like the more people we get in the game the more they just choose spots at random because they are available. One of the last caches I went to look for was a mixed bag. It was along a nice section of river next to a lock. there was some ice covered branches stuck at the top of the lock and it was pretty peaceful. When i went to look for the cache I had found what I thought was a poorly camoed container. It was squarish and completely black. what I actually picked up was a roll of crushed toilet paper that looked like it was covered in a combo of mud and tar. Then I took a better look around and saw more TP and tampon aplicators and the swelled up diapers that I love so much. This area was only 50 feet from the peaceful location. I'm sure if a little more time was spent in places like that, then the trash can be avoided. The TP cache I would never find because I would never touch it in the first place. I know that these are the exception to the rule. I think that I will keep the CITO in mind if I ever come across a cache like that. I'll have to remember to bring my walking stick. Swizzle

[+Firespinner]

The bottle cap I can somewhat understand. I found a cache that was a soda can in a junk pile once. Kind of a cool idea. I personally feel that geocaching should take you to cool places that you've never been before. It seems like the more people we get in the game the more they just choose spots at random because they are available. One of the last caches I went to look for was a mixed bag. It was along a nice section of river next to a lock. there was some ice covered branches stuck at the top of the lock and it was pretty peaceful. When i went to look for the cache I had found what I thought was a poorly camoed container. It was squarish and completely black. what I actually picked up was a roll of crushed toilet paper that looked like it was covered in a combo of mud and tar. Then I took a better look around and saw more TP and tampon aplicators and the swelled up diapers that I love so much. This area was only 50 feet from the peaceful location. I'm sure if a little more time was spent in places like that, then the trash can be avoided. The TP cache I would never find because I would never touch it in the first place. I know that these are the exception to the rule. I think that I will keep the CITO in mind if I ever come across a cache like that. I'll have to remember to bring my walking stick. Swizzle

 

Unfortunately what you found was the result of a combined sewer system. This is a hazard that all geocachers should be aware of. I used to be a combined sewer investigator (co-op job...environmental engineering major). This occurs when a city sewer system combines both sanitary and storm sewers. In the past, many storm sewers (ie, the sewers that take rain water from streets, parkinglots or sloping driveways) were constructed to flow the collected water into the sanitary sewer system along with the household and business sewage. It was easy to use these systems since they were already in place. As populations increase, the amount of sanitary sewage increases also. The existing systems are reaching capacity just handling the sanitary sewage. Then the increase of parking lots, roads and paved surfaces cause an increased amount of rain water to be diverted by the storm sewer systems. During heavy rains, the storm water draining into these systems basically overloads the system and you get places like this where the combined water has no where else to go, so it overflows from the sanitary sewers. You get this happening more in what looks like natural settings because typically, the natural areas of creeks are lower in elevation than other places on the sewer system, so rain water continues to wash in to the system at higher elevations, combining with the sanitary sewage and this combined water outflows of the 'manholes' at lower elevations. I have seen this in what looks like pristine wilderness, and I've seen a 'sewer guyser' in the middle of a parking lot, complete with TP hanging from trees where it shot 25 feet in the air!

 

Geocachers (and anyone who enjoys the outdoors in areas near cities towns or suburbs) should be aware of this. If you come across an area littered heavily with items that would normally be flushed down a toilet, make a note of the area (and you have that handy dandy GPS to get specific about it) and report it to the nearest city sewer department or health department. Many cities are currently mapping where their storm and sanitary sewers combine and where the overflows occur so they can begin to take steps to seperate them. And of course, if you come upon a scene like this....STOP caching in that location and let the cache owner know of the situation as well. Caching in areas like these are dangerous because of the bacteria and pathogens nearby.

 

There are ways homeowners can help too. Check your downspouts to see where they drain to. If you have the kind that go into the ground, then consider changing to a 'splash downspout'. This is the type that have a little runner that lays on top of the ground and splashes the water into your yard. If yours goes into the ground, consider breaking that connection, capping the break with concrete or PVC and installing a splash. If you have an outside stairwell leading to your basement and there's a drain there, consider putting a 'roof' on the stairwell to limit the amount of rainwater going to that drain.

 

Yet another reason that TP cache's are NOT a good idea.....because sometimes it's REAL TP with REAL pathogens/ diseases and bacteria....even way out in the woods!

Edited December 27, 2007 by Firespinner

[+fairyhoney]

I've thought about using a squished pop can, my luck, though, it would more than likely be picked up as recycling. I don't understand How you use a bottle cap though. Could someone fill in?

[+fairyhoney]

I've thought about using a squished pop can, my luck, though, it would more than likely be picked up as recycling. I don't understand How you use a bottle cap though. Could someone fill in?

[+Firespinner]

I've thought about using a squished pop can, my luck, though, it would more than likely be picked up as recycling. I don't understand How you use a bottle cap though. Could someone fill in?

the one's i've seen online are pop caps with a miniature centrifuge vial glued underneath. These are 'micro's" sometimes even called 'nano's". Basically you set the cap on the ground. If the vial is glued vertically, it pushes down into the earth. If it's glued horizontally under the cap, the person placing it puts a couple twigs, leaves or dirt over the vial so only the bottle cap is visible.