Being Caught Out

[+teamdundat]

I am very curious wehter or not that being caught out at a cahe whilst you are signing the log and you have your back turned and a person comes walking up on you and taps you on the shoulder and you just have a startled jump and your scared and when your scared they are scared and the situation esculates...what do you do???

[+tabulator32]

"Official Lamp Post inspector, ma'am! I'm all through here. This lamp is good. You be safe and have a nice day. Bye, now!"

[+joranda]

I thinbk one time or the other, we have all had someone come up on us.

[+Firespinner]

I've never been caught with 'cache in hand'.

 

I've only been 'spotted' twice along the trail, both times by muggles. The first time I was with some friends and some lady shouted out "Are you looking for something?" (she could see us from her house but we WERE on public park property.) My friend shouted back "yea, a box" and left it at that. I'm sure the woman wondered about that for the rest of the day.

 

The other time I was off a paved bike trail about 5 feet into the woods when a woman walking her dog on the trail stopped and asked what i was doing. I told her not to come closer with the dog because I had seen a skinny stray cat and I was trying to see if it was ok. I stared off into the woods at nothing and kept calling "its ok kitty......come here". Now wanting to scare the cat off further, she quickly moved on and i continued the cache hunt.

[+geowizerd]

I got caught red-handed by a muggle once at Bizzi's Box. The cache was right along a trail, and I was sitting there, with the cache open, log book in hand, swag laying on the log I was sitting on, and up walks a muggle, and yeah, it startled me, as I had bushwacked in from the other side, and didn't realize the trail was there. It was just a hiker out for an evening walk. Anyway, I explained geocaching to him, showed him my GPSr, and how it worked. He thought the whole thing was pretty cool, and I walked out the trail with him.

[+egami]

No, I cache with my kids and they scare muggles away.

[+StarBrand]

Hasn't ever happened to me - but I have surprised a few cachers as they were signing or re-hiding. As we were all cachers - it was just a good laugh.

[+c&s 143]

I have only been caching for a few weeks (christmas) and have 30 so far. The only time I have been walked up on was before I actually got the cache. We were looking for Field of Butter's & Wings. We had just pulled up near the spot. We were barely out of the car and a guy drove up to us. This cache is near a runway. The guy got out and asked us if we were part of the airport commission. We said no and that we had just pulled over to make a phone call. I actually had misplaced my phone in the car and was looking for it. He appeared to buy it with a little hesitation. But he told us that if we were into country music, we should listen to his station at 4pm (it was around 3:30 at the time) as he was hosting it. After a few more minutes, he left. We waited a few more minutes then found the cache and left.

 

Haven't been caught WITH a cache yet but I am still a neocacher.

 

Craig

C&S 143

[+NorthWes]

After turning around at a cache and finding a black bear peering at me from thirty feet away I now practice a fairly constant head-turning area scan, trying not to get 'cache-log-lock' again. I was only 150 yards from the parking lot... Walking backwards while 'looking big' and yelling a lot isn't fun - fortunately the bear was more interested in the cache than in me. I'd just pulled some scented candles and play-dough from the plastic container and stuffed 'em into my cache bag in exchange for some 'more appropriate' swag before finishing the log, putting back the container and standing up. Yup - a redefining experience - don't ever want to get surprised again like that, whether by man or beastie. This happened two years ago, .5 miles from a high school, well within city limits here in Anchorage AK.

[+steve p]

After turning around at a cache and finding a black bear peering at me from thirty feet away I now practice a fairly constant head-turning area scan, trying not to get 'cache-log-lock' again. I was only 150 yards from the parking lot... WThis happened two years ago, .5 miles from a high school, well within city limits here in Anchorage AK.

At least it wasn't a brown bear.

"Mmmm, lunchtime!"

[+Earl B. Fisk]

I found an easy park and grab at a gas station a few months back. I took the cache and the log back to the car to sign. Then a guy came out of the store and got into the truck that was right in front and facing the lampost where I needed to replace the cache. So I sat in my car waiting for him to drive off, but he just opend a drink and something to eat and sat there. I waited about five minutes, and then decided that I'd go find another cache close by. So I did, and came back about 20 minutes later. The guy was still there eating and looking right at the lampost. I sat there another five minutes trying to figure out what to do, and then he finally left.

 

It pays to be quick I guess.

[southpawaz]

I was "caught out" just this weekend for the first time. I had arrived at GZ, set down my pack, and started searching when I heard my GPSr give the beep it gives when I approach GZ. I thought it was odd that it was beeping again, since I had already arrived at GZ. I turned around and there was another cacher with the same brand GPSr on his belt, and his beep was what I had heard. "Geocacher, eh?" he said, and we proceeded to find (he) and open (me, needed a leatherman) the cache.

[Uberquandary]

The best way to greet geocachers is to run out waving a shotgun in the air hollering, "Git off my land!"

[+charliewhiskey]

I told her not to come closer with the dog because I had seen a skinny stray cat and I was trying to see if it was ok.

 

I will often look out for muggles while my daughter pokes under bushes for caches. We decided we needed a code phrase to announce approaching muggles - something more subtle than "Hey! Someone's coming!" We tried using "Did you see where that squirrel went?", but decided that might encourage some people to look with us. So we settled on "Did you see where that neat snake went?" No one's offered to help us look yet.

[+sunburykids]

The best way to greet geocachers is to run out waving a shotgun in the air hollering, "Git off my land!"

Yea, that works well!

[+jpwrangler]

A pack of rabbit hunting beagles found me today, I knew the hunter had to be near. Guns make me nervous. Left this cache for another day.

[+Trav'lin Two]

Caught, oh heck yes. We have been caught by the US Border Patrol up near the Canadian border, we have been caught by the local judge, been caught by the local sheriff, been caught by the local police. All in different states and we haven't been fingerprinted yet.

[+6coondawgs]

I was with two of my kids up on a big rock slide area where there is no trail and we really never even thought about anyone coming by. We were just replacing the ammo can in the boulders when The Wizard pops out of the sagebrush. Neither one of us were expecting to come across another soul out there. We dropped the ammo can and he held his GPS up in the air and yelped "Geocaching!" We talked for a few minutes about caches higher up the mountain that he had just come down from. We still laugh about it cuz we (me and my kids) acted like kids that had just been caught with our hand in the cookie jar. Now we just try to find each others caches mostly:)

[+Pirates of Tuskegee]

A pack of rabbit hunting beagles found me today, I knew the hunter had to be near. Guns make me nervous. Left this cache for another day.

Wow. You were nervous that a hunter that is looking for a small floppy eared animal was going to shoot into the middle of his pack of hard trained and well paid for dogs and to shoot you???? So you left???

 

Wow. You do know that there are people carrying guns all around you every day and you will never know because they are responsible citizens who want nothing more than to go about their daily lives unnoticed, right?

[+Sand-Man]

Wow. You were nervous that a hunter that is looking for a small floppy eared animal was going to shoot into the middle of his pack of hard trained and well paid for dogs and to shoot you???? So you left???

 

Wow. You do know that there are people carrying guns all around you every day and you will never know because they are responsible citizens who want nothing more than to go about their daily lives unnoticed, right?

 

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Sounds like somthing a Ga boy would say!

[Swamp-Thing]

Never been caught while signing a log.

 

But I have caught numerous people either looking for the cache or signing the logbook. I have stood just 15 feet from them without being seen until I wanted them to see me.

[+neat_guy]

A pack of rabbit hunting beagles found me today, I knew the hunter had to be near. Guns make me nervous. Left this cache for another day.

Wow. You were nervous that a hunter that is looking for a small floppy eared animal was going to shoot into the middle of his pack of hard trained and well paid for dogs and to shoot you???? So you left???

 

Wow. You do know that there are people carrying guns all around you every day and you will never know because they are responsible citizens who want nothing more than to go about their daily lives unnoticed, right?

 

You never know... Rabbit, Coyote, Sheriff Deputy...

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/article...news/news01.txt

[+PhxChem]

Wow. You do know that there are people carrying guns all around you every day and you will never know because they are responsible citizens who want nothing more than to go about their daily lives unnoticed, right?

 

You do know why they sell those fluorescent orange vests for, right?

 

Apparently for parties........since no one has heard of someone being accidentally shot while hunting....hhmmmm.......

 

Here Arizona, we see all types shooting at bottles, tires, propane tanks, bowling ball pins, etc. on State Trust Land. usually they leave it there, along with thier spent shells and boxes. Must not have been the guys you're talking about.

 

Not everyone is a responsible gun owner.

Edited January 17, 2008 by PhxChem

[+genegene]

well I think I scared them more then they me, I was hunting lenox Mt. cache link when 2 hunters walked up near where I was. They didn't see me so I whistled and waved to them so as not to spook them. Well they came over and were curious as to what I was doing so I explained what Geocaching is and they said that found it quite interesting, well by the time logged the cache the next day they had logged a find, there 1st one Lenox Mt. Cache.

[+wimseyguy]

Nope, If I have to go I either do it at least 150' before I get to GZ or I wait until after I have found the cache so I don't get it wet. I always try to get far enough off of the trail so I don't embarrass anyone.

 

Ohh that wasn't the kind of 'getting caught out' you meant?

[+paleolith]

I have this recurring fantasy that I've just finished rehiding and I'm sitting down to rest when along comes someone holding a GPSr.

 

Me: Oh, hi.

 

Geo: Um, hi. (Holds GPSr to ear.) OK, gotta go now dear.

 

Sorry to interrupt.

 

Oh, that's OK. Just out for a walk. You?

 

Yeah, great day. I love this spot. Could sit here for hours.

 

Ah, yeah, lovely place. So you're just hanging out for a while?

 

Yeah, I guess. Not in a hurry.

 

Doing anything in particular?

 

No. Just muggling.

 

Um... muggling? ... What's that?

 

Oh ... muggling? That's when you pretend to not know about the cache or caching and see how nervous it makes the cacher.

 

hasn't happened yet ...

 

Edward

[+kraushad]

Start feverishly saying....

 

"red wire....green wire......red wire....green wire......" -- then just throw the cache to the ground, dive on top of it, and yell "RUN!!! IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME! SAVE YOURSELF MAN - GET OUTTA HERE!"

 

Actually, I haven't had it happen yet (relatively new to this) but I always thought I might be able to get away with the "Oh, good afternoon, I was just conducting a market research test for the (for example) lock-n-lock container company to see how their products stands up to the elements. It is really a great job.... we spend hours testing plastic products to see about their durability. Did you know that plastic was first invented back in the early 1900's? Yes a man named Richard .... " by this time they are DYING to get away from you!

[+dragonfly111]

After giving up on a parking lot nano, we got into the car only to have two of the towns "finest" surround and blue light us! We were newbies at the time. The officer came to the window and asked what we were doing. I told him we were playing an internet scavenger hunt game. He then asked who we played this game with. I kinda got nervous because fellow cachers that I knew at the time were Spyderman and ScubaDewd. For fear of sounding crazy I blurted out-the World!!! He checked out some of our printed sheets of caches and let us go. We later did go back and found the nano, without being caught!

[+SidAndBob]

The last of the day and I was just signing the log on a pretty rural cache when a voice behind me asked "Do you mind telling me what you're doing?". I took a chance on it being just a nosy by passer and answered in a friendly manner "Yes, I do mind". Unfortunately it was the land owner, so I had to come clean. Once they found it was nothing illegal they seemed less than interested.

[+Shriekback]

I was out urban caching one day in a park right across the street from residences. No one stopped me or even asked what I was doing, but when I arrived at a nearby cache to search no less than THREE cop cars came up and asked what I was doing. Apparantly someone had reported suspicious behaviour in the park across the street from their house. Thankfully I was very relaxed about it, explained geocaching very susinctly (especially for me) and the cops were cool.

 

In retrospect, I probably should not have been caching in a long, black leather trenchcoat.

 

At home I go geocaching with a buddy. I just find it much easier to let him do the talking while I stand glaring at the people he is talking to, all the while keeping my hands in my pockets and flinching when they look at me. Yeah, people love that.