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Watch Out.. Muggles!


Kojones

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We all have our signature move and a bag of tricks to look busy or like you're supposed to be there when a muggle suddenly appears or when there are lots of muggles around. Here are a few of mine. What are yours?

  • Tie my shoe laces - even if they're flip flops
  • Pretend to be talking on my GPS like a cell phone
  • Wear an orange reflective vest and hard hat to look like a worker
  • Pretend to stretch before a run
  • When in or headed towards bushes, yell out "Shadow, where are you?"

Kojones

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I have two tricks.

 

First to avoid muggles like the plague.

 

Second to look like I own the place and they don't. It's tough to look exactly like they don't want to come closer but not so menacing that they actually notice they have just changed their path.

 

The last trick when busted it to just tell them what I'm doing.

 

OTOH I love messing with cachers and like pretending to be a muggle so very interested in things 30' away so that it's clear I'm not going to leave. I get to watch them talk on their GPS or tie their flip flops and try to look like they belong. Just when they are ready to leave in frustration I'll ask "are you a cacher?"

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When a muggle approaches, I just keep searching. Then they ask me what I'm doing and if I'm looking in a bush I just say "Oh, I was just looking at this bush." If I'm looking in gravel, I say "Just checking out this gravel". Then they think I'm some weird-o and they scoot off ASAP. It's a very effective technique.

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We just started and only found four so far. Our second find was an unknown and you had to work out a puzzle to find the cache. We had the puzzle worked out earlier and came back in the evening to retrieve the cache. Some second shift city workers were walking by and looking at us walking in circles. My husband busted out his camera and I started pretending my GPS was a light meter. It was crazy I was pointing the GPS at whatever my husband was taking pictures of. They just gave us some strange looks and left us alone. I think they are used to seeing people like us in that spot. :huh:

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I just walk up to the cache and grab it. If the owner insists on putting it in a high traffic area, that's his choice.

I'm not in this sport to play a cloak and dagger game.

 

I bet I attract a lot less attention than someone who is loitering about the area constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who is looking and faking tying his flip-flops.

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So far I have only had two muggle cases where I had to make something up. One was at a small airstrip. A local came by and asked if we were with the airport commission. I said no that we had just stopped to take a break from a long drive. He spent 20 minutes telling us about the airport and the local radio station show he hosted.

 

The other time was trying to find a cache in a soccer park. It was a cool, rainy day so we thought no muggles would be around. However, that day we spent 20 minutes talking to a soccer coach about the different age brackets and a local soccer player who could go on to be a big star.

 

I have used my dog to look less suspicious as I leave a trail to wander in the woods.

 

Craig

C&S 143

 

EDITED because I cain't speel.

Edited by c&s 143
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I just walk up to the cache and grab it. If the owner insists on putting it in a high traffic area, that's his choice.

I'm not in this sport to play a cloak and dagger game.

 

I bet I attract a lot less attention than someone who is loitering about the area constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who is looking and faking tying his flip-flops.

Generally that is how I have learned to handle it. Just be bold - look like you know 100% for sure that you know exactly what you are doing. Take care of business and leave.

 

I used to do a lot of the cell phone thing, clipboard thing, photography as an excuse etc but not anymore.

 

The other highly effective technique is to bring along my 2 boys - they provide all the distraction necessary to get away with anything.

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1. Arriving on location, check the area - too many folks around? Next

2. On location - too many folks around? Next

3. On location - folks arrive? Do I feel comfortable? No - Next, Yes - have some fun.

 

I will not waste my time on highly public caches, I do not like being the center of attention for you or others amusement.

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1. I carry some "sample" subpoenas and when necessary, I explain "I'm looking for so-and-so, I have a subpoena for him and I understand he comes by here." Then I ask the muggle's name as I start rummaging through my stack of subpoenas. They generally leave quickly.

 

2. I carry some spent bullet casings. When rummaging on the ground, I hold one on the end of a pencil. If questioned, I ask the questioner to hold on and to step back. Then I stand up display the casing on the pencil and ask if he heard any gunshots the day before. (Note, I never said there was a shooting, so I didn't lie.)

 

3. When I was looking for a cache at the end of a pier where a bunch of muggles were fishing, I asked if the guy from the Fish & Game Department had come by yet. They all left quickly. (Note, I never said he was coming by, so I didn't lie.)

 

4. Once when I noticed a security guard watching me, I stopped what I was doing, walked up to him in my most official manner and asked if he had taken an accident report on a kid who was hurt the prior week. After saying he didn't, he radioed his base, asked if anyone else had taken a report and when they said they hadn't, he left quickly. (Note, I never said a kid was hurt, so I didn't lie.)

 

5. I've also noticed that when I'm wearing a yellow hard hat and orange vest an holding a clipboard, I become invisible.

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Granted I'm still sort of new to the whole geocaching game I have had a couple encounters.

 

my more recent excuses of what I was doing were:

 

1) College grad student doing an ecological study on the decay of trees, or a wildlife study (usually involves some BS)

 

2) Volunteer for the USGS surveying the area.

 

3) I'm lost

 

4) I've been backpacking for three days and I'm foraging for food.

 

Generally I don't freak out or anything when I'm writing stuff down or circling aorund a tree. If someone approaches I'll leave the cache alone until they leave.

Edited by mtbiker278
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Often times I'm dressed up rather grubby, since many caches in our parts involved trekking through woods, parks and blackberries(not the cool phone type either). So most people assume I'm homeless, or looking for cans.

Of course the other day while seeking an FTF. I was just hanging around near a corner and someone gave me a dollar. Not too bad, got the FTF and a buck.

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My top ten ways to deal with muggles

 

10) Pretend I am cleaning dog poo off my shoe (this way I do not have to bend over)

9) Drop change and pick it up when muggles are in the area (If the muggles are homeless they might beet me to my change)

8) Pretend to talk on my real cell phone (why talk into a gps?) what if it talks back some day :)

7) Keep looking at my watch like I am waiting for some one (this may not work if you are not wearing a watch)

6) If looking for a cache along a trail, keep my back to the trail, muggles will not look if they think I am peeing in the bushes. (if you are peeing, make sure you are not peeing on the cache, I did that once :rolleyes: )

5) If it is a lamp post cache, park close to the post so that I do not have to get out of my truck

4) Along the trail, carry a camera with a large lens, if the muggle ask it you are a birder just tell them the only birds you know about are from KFC or on the table at Thanks giving. :)

3) when along a river dress like a park ranger and carry a scaner tuned to local LEO's. (as a bonus you can Then watch all the non english speaking fisherman that do not have a fishing lic. run off when they see you.) :)

2) Have a fake snot hanging out of your nose while holding handkerchief full of yellow jell-o, they will not come near you. :)

1) Just tell them what your are doing, think will think you are crazy and go away :)

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Usually I pretend to talk on my cell phone (anyone with a cell phone as big as my Garmin these days needs to be dressed like Maxwell Smart talking into his shoe). Once was around a load of people pretending to talk into my cell phone when it rang... dang, didn't know it would still ring when opened! BUSTED! hehehehe The watch thing goes along with that, followed by looking up and down the roadway telling my pretend phone caller that I'll wait for them but not too long :) and then keep watching for them (while really looking for the cache).

 

Checking under benchs is either tying shoes or dropping something and reaching for it. Pier caches require some knowledge of fishing as people fishing like yakking but don't really watch anything but their line if they're talking. And I am usually always with my camera when doing anything but urbans so that's just too easy to stop and take some nature shots.

 

We have some caches we flat out call "muggle challenges", where people know they need their stealth skills honed to a tee, and they love 'em (I guess people who don't like that avoid them because we get funny and entertaining logs all the time). It's a hoot reading how people managed to make the finds. One is the run-of-the-mill magnetic holder on a metal sign outside an outdoor local icon eating joint. Someone commented about how the cache matched the color of the sign perfectly. I checked on the cache and the place recently painted the sign a different color and managed to paint the whole cache container, too. :rolleyes:

Edited by infiniteMPG
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When a muggle approaches, I just keep searching. Then they ask me what I'm doing and if I'm looking in a bush I just say "Oh, I was just looking at this bush." If I'm looking in gravel, I say "Just checking out this gravel". Then they think I'm some weird-o and they scoot off ASAP. It's a very effective technique.

 

LOL, I either do that or just stare at them like THEY are the ones being wierd until they feel uncomfortable and leave.

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I've thought about carrying a camera around my neck to keep people away. I just say hello. People usually assume that if you're doing something bad then you won't initiate a conversation. If someone passes by I will just say "Hi! Awesome day isn't it?" And they keep going.

 

This weekend we will probably take a clipboard with us and try to look like we're doing some study. I've thought about getting some t-shirts that make me look geeky and indrectly explain my presence. A "Geology Rocks!" t-shirt would explain why I'm off in the woods staring at the ground. I've also thought about putting on some kind of arm band so that it looks like me and my wife are part of a team of some kind.

 

I've considered buying a yellow vest and using my toolbelt to make it look like I'm doing some surveying, but I've decided against it because I'm pretty sure I could be arrested for impersonating someone. Besides, my car isn't exactly what one would immediately deduce as a "city vehicle."

 

The only time when I really feel uncomfortable is when I'm forced to look around "high target areas." I never feel comfortable lurking around a large power facility or other sensitive areas. I also don't like it when people hide things on school property. Nothing makes you feel more like you belong on "to catch a pretator" than being 32 and hanging out behind a school trying not to get noticed.

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I haven't come across the situation yet, since I've only found 4 so far (noob :rolleyes: ), but if I do have someone that asks me what I'm doing or is looking at me suspiciously, I will just tell them I am studying different kinds of spiders for a class, I'm guessing that will keep them away...who would want to look at my spiders? haha :)

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I ask my son, "are THEY watching". Chances are, nobody is around to watch. If "THEY" are, we'll find something to do for a while so they have an opportunity to leave. I was only asked once (in a neighborhood park) what I was looking for. Since I was scoping out a spot to place a new cache, the answer, "NOTHING" was quite appropriate.

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I just walk up to the cache and grab it. If the owner insists on putting it in a high traffic area, that's his choice.

I'm not in this sport to play a cloak and dagger game.

 

I bet I attract a lot less attention than someone who is loitering about the area constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who is looking and faking tying his flip-flops.

 

Even though I agree with you, doesn't that raise the chance of a cache getting muggled?

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I just walk up to the cache and grab it. If the owner insists on putting it in a high traffic area, that's his choice.

I'm not in this sport to play a cloak and dagger game.

 

I bet I attract a lot less attention than someone who is loitering about the area constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who is looking and faking tying his flip-flops.

 

Even though I agree with you, doesn't that raise the chance of a cache getting muggled?

 

It probably reduces it.

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When I first started caching, I was nervous about muggles. I asked a veteran cacher how he deals with it and he just said he just goes for it and acts like he's *supposed* to be doing whatever he's doing. I adopted this technique and it works quite well.

 

If you look like you're doing what you ought to, nobody really pays attention. It's if you are skulking around trying not to look conspicuous that you'll draw attention to yourself.

 

Kind of ironic - yes. But it works.

 

If I think that I am being observed and that somebody will come and check out the cache and muggle it, I'll wait a bit before I move in for it - but more often than not nobody pays attention to what I'm doing.

 

Once or twice I've been asked, and I tell them about geocaching and give them a brochure. Brought a few folks into the game that way.

 

There's a cache outside my place of business, placed by the player who got me into the game (a friend/client of mine) and I have a blast busting people who are out there looking for it :D I had more fun watching people trying to be stealthy than anything!

 

Jenn

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