Cache Police!

[+Pat in Louisiana]

I appointed myself the Cache Cop this weekend.

I have always been told knives or other sharp objects did not belong in a cache.

Out of nine caches we hit in Mississippi I removed on less than thirteen knives.

 

Was I wrong?

 

Also there was nothing in these caches but junk. One that was a travel bug hotel and only had a wench strap in it and the log book.

 

Ok I’m through with my rant.

[+XopherN71]

Nothing wrong with removing them as long as you replaced them with something else

[+Bunganator]

There is nothing wrong with a little pocket knife collection. As for trading, would you really need to trade for something that explicitly violates the guidelines?

[Dinoprophet]

There is nothing wrong with a little pocket knife collection. As for trading, would you really need to trade for something that explicitly violates the guidelines?

If you don't, then arguably -- and I expect it will be argued -- you're depleting the cache. If a cache starts with five items, then eventually has four items plus a knife, removing the knife leaves four items -- degraded cache.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Dinoprophet

[+mtn-man]

It is a good practice to trade for them, yes. I've done that myself lots of times. I give knives away to friends and such. Usually they are little knives. That's not really being a cache cop if you trade them out for something that is more acceptable.

 

Maybe I should list them for auction!

[+WHO-DEY]

you did the righ thing. If you did not have anything to trade, getting them out was still right. I do agree that you should leave something whenever you can. But I would rather my kids found only a log book with no pen...than a knife. Well done.

[+El Diablo]

I appointed myself the Cache Cop this weekend.

I have always been told knives or other sharp objects did not belong in a cache.

Out of nine caches we hit in Mississippi I removed on less than thirteen knives.

 

Was I wrong?

 

Also there was nothing in these caches but junk. One that was a travel bug hotel and only had a wench strap in it and the log book.

 

Ok I’m through with my rant.

 

As long as you traded for them you did fine. Also 95% of caches that have been in place for more than 30 days are full of junk.

 

El Diablo

[Neos2]

I looked at a few of your last logs and see that you have added an emphatic "Cache full of junk!" to each log. I'm not sure what effect you intend that to have, but if it were my cache, well, I'd probably feel hurt and a bit miffed.

 

The people who have already been to the cache (and left the "junk") probably won't ever notice your log.

The people looking at the cache page to see if they want to go find that cache will probably find it a less attractive destination now.

There is a limit to how often a cache owner can afford stock them full of treasures for others to degrade.

 

So who was your intended audience for that message?

 

As far as removing items that are useful (like knives) but prohibited, I trade for them. I don't want to leave anyone else's cache bare. If I come across caches that are full of truely tattered and sad items, I remove the worst of the lot and add some fresh swag from my stores. Heck, even if I don't trade items, I usually drop off some little trinket in the caches I visit.

[knowschad]

I've got a couple of them here on my desk that I've recovered from caches. I've been wondering if it would be inappropriate to turn them into travel bugs (with the blades epoxied shut)

[+joranda]

I've got a couple of them here on my desk that I've recovered from caches. I've been wondering if it would be inappropriate to turn them into travel bugs (with the blades epoxied shut)

 

Sounds like a good idea.

[+butrflybec]

Pat, so sorry you found "junk" in the MS caches. One of those was actually mine, and from the previous logs there was no indication the cache was full of junk, but upon seeing your log I made myself a note to go do maintenance. I have restocked the cache several times over the years, and like most caches it falls victim to cachers not trading even or up. And also the same thing with the knives...if folks would just read the guidelines and know what is and is not appropriate to trade, there wouldn't be this problem.

 

Again my apologies for your bad experiences this weekend. But thanks for your "constructive criticisms".

[+Pat in Louisiana]

I can see where the owner might not like my "junk" comment but it was true.

We have been on a round trip through several states and it was not until we hit I-20 west toward Jackson that the quality of the cached dropped dramatically. One cache that was a mile back in the forest only had a wench cable strap and an ink pen in it. None and I emphasize NONE of the caches that listed Travel Bugs in the inventory actually had them.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Pat in Louisiana

[+DavidMac]

Were the knives all in the same cache? All but two of your logs state that you "TN LN".

 

Thanks for removing the knives, it was the right thing to do. I've noticed lately around our area that a few newbie cachers have been leaving knives as trade items, probably not knowing any better. The best solution when you notice somebody doing this is to send them a polite note explaining that the community frowns on knives as trade items.

[+Team GeoBlast]

I can see where the owner might not like my "junk" comment but it was true.

We have been on a round trip through several states and it was not until we hit I-20 west toward Jackson that the quality of the cached dropped dramatically. One cache that was a mile back in the forest only had a wench cable strap and an ink pen in it. None and I emphasize NONE of the caches that listed Travel Bugs in the inventory actually had them.

 

Well Pat.. I didn't read the cache owners response that way at all. I think the cache owner gave appropriate thanks for reporting the condition of their cache. This is not something you should feel bad or guilty for saying in a private email or a needs maintenance log either. I do not know a cache owner that would not appreciate the report. Of course, you do the the option to do something exception when you find a cache in this condition. You could CITO the cache and replace the swag. That kind of thing goes on constantly where I cache and as a cache owner I not only appreciate the heck out of it but I often return the favor.

[+Pat in Louisiana]

DavidMac

I guess I could go back through the logs of the caches and see if i can figure out who left them and send them an email.

They were all the same type just different colors and in almost all caches had more than one in them.

[Mr.Yuck]

I looked at a few of your last logs and see that you have added an emphatic "Cache full of junk!" to each log. I'm not sure what effect you intend that to have, but if it were my cache, well, I'd probably feel hurt and a bit miffed.

 

I wouldn't be hurt and miffed. Just a fact of life.

 

The people who have already been to the cache (and left the "junk") probably won't ever notice your log.

The people looking at the cache page to see if they want to go find that cache will probably find it a less attractive destination now.

There is a limit to how often a cache owner can afford stock them full of treasures for others to degrade.

 

I can't argue with anything there.

 

So who was your intended audience for that message?

 

Probably just the geocaching community in general. I know I've left 2 or 3 "sadly, cache full of junk" comments on 2002 or so placements that were indeed full of junk. But just in passing, it wasn't like the main emphasis of my log or anything.

 

As far as removing items that are useful (like knives) but prohibited, I trade for them. I don't want to leave anyone else's cache bare. If I come across caches that are full of truely tattered and sad items, I remove the worst of the lot and add some fresh swag from my stores. Heck, even if I don't trade items, I usually drop off some little trinket in the caches I visit.

 

Yeah, I'd trade for the knives (and I'm sure I have in the past). I've also added swag to caches full of garbage, which I'm sure was replaced with garbage within a few months.

[+Pat in Louisiana]

Team GeoBlast,

I try to leave something related to Louisiana everywhere we go.

Mostly small calculators, Sealed decks of playing cards and of course

Louisnana Keychains. I know the owner has no control over what is left in a cache and the people going to visit a cache will never see this thread. I just got tired of seeing "jacks" "dimes" and wet "GeoCards" that the ink has run on everywhere we went.

[+TeamSeekAndWeShallFind]

We leave brand new in the box pocket knives all the time as trade items and we have parents around our area that post pictures of their kids being all excited cuz they found a new pocket knife in a cache. Pocket knives go with the sport don't they.Pocket knives are sometimes a required tool in caching right ? We leave camping related trade items all the time because we think caching and camping go together and most folks that do one do the other, and to us pocket knives are a given and a very cool trade item.

 

We also agree about emptying a cache of 5 items or whatever and not replacing those items. That's how a lot of caches end up with nothin' but a dirty golf ball. We ALWAYS trade fair and if we can't or we're empty of swag at the end of the day we don't take anything. That's just part of the unspoken,unwritten honor system of geocaching.

 

thanks

[+Renegade Knight]

...I have always been told knives or other sharp objects did not belong in a cache....

 

Knives make great swag. The reason the rule against them came about was concern from land managers. Not because it was a real and actual problem.

[+mtn-man]

The guidelines are your friend...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#contents

Cache Contents

 

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, lighters, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

In many states, prison labor is used for cleanup of parks and such. If they find a knife in a found cache, you give them a weapon. Many people don't like their kids playing with knives as well.

[+Pat in Louisiana]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

Edited April 23, 2008 by Pat in Louisiana

[+TeamGumbo]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

 

I reckon that is a pretty good rule-of-thumb.

[+PyrateWench]

Also there was nothing in these caches but junk. One that was a travel bug hotel and only had a wench strap in it and the log book.

 

 

*blinks* A what? Sounds kinky.

[+Renegade Knight]

The guidelines are your friend...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#contents

Cache Contents

 

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, lighters, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

In many states, prison labor is used for cleanup of parks and such. If they find a knife in a found cache, you give them a weapon. Many people don't like their kids playing with knives as well.

We give our prison labor chain saws. I tried to take a photo for Keystone at the time but it didn't come out.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Renegade Knight

[+Renegade Knight]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

 

The courthouse here does allow pocket knifes. Under 3" I the rule off the top of my head. I don't take my knife out of my pocket for a school.

Airplanes and schools both used to allow pocket knives.

 

My rule of thumb is if it's legal for a minor to posses it's something worth considering.

Then I hit the next round. Flamible, attractive to animals, or may melt plus hits the banned list even though it's ok.

[+Anonymous']

I used to find knives all the time when I first started caching, but in more recent years I rarely see any. It must be regional.

[+PhxChem]

Mostly small calculators, Sealed decks of playing cards and of course Louisnana Keychains

 

Not to be argumentative (well, not more than usual)....but might others also consider those items "junk?"

 

Just askin'......

[+Kiwi Nomad]

Mostly small calculators, Sealed decks of playing cards and of course Louisnana Keychains

 

Not to be argumentative (well, not more than usual)....but might others also consider those items "junk?"

 

Just askin'......

 

One mans rubbish is another mans treasure

 

It is really hard if not impossible to find things to trade that will keep everyone happy.

The things that my sons love make me cringe as I just see them as something else to fill up the back seat of the car, basicly crap. But they love them, hey they love abandoned bottles and compar logos with each other. I try and get away with out trading anything if I can then I don't have to remember to take swag with me and make sure I didn't leave it in the car, oh and am I trading up or even or am I just adding junk.

Too much stress I just want to find the cache to prove I can, sign the log, maybe take some photos and get on to the next cache or what ever else we are up to.

[+gof1]

Mostly small calculators, Sealed decks of playing cards and of course Louisnana Keychains

 

Not to be argumentative (well, not more than usual)....but might others also consider those items "junk?"

 

Just askin'......

 

You are trying to be argumentative. I don't think it is with malicious intent though. I guess some people may see those as junk, but not one of them is on the list of evil cache items. Lets face it, when it comes to cache contents junk happens.

Edited April 23, 2008 by gof1

[+Rockin Roddy]

The guidelines are your friend...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#contents

Cache Contents

 

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, lighters, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

In many states, prison labor is used for cleanup of parks and such. If they find a knife in a found cache, you give them a weapon. Many people don't like their kids playing with knives as well.

We give our prison labor chain saws. I tried to take a photo for Keystone at the time but it didn't come out.

 

This may be true RK, but at the end of the day, I think the gaurds would notice the chainsaw stuffed in the inmate's pants...a knife found in a cache might not be as noticeable and MIGHT even make it back to prison to be used as a weapon!

 

Phx...what do YOU leave? Do you suppose others might find that to also be trash??

[+Blue Canary]

Well you found nine caches and had the exact copy and paste log in each one except for one.

 

April 22 by Pat in Louisiana (166 found)

Squirt and I found this one on the way home to Baton Rouge

TN LN SL

 

Cache full of JUNK!

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinions, but it is my experience that most caches start out well stocked and degrade because other cachers either take and don't leave or leave the "junk" you describe.

A polite note to the cache owner would probably be better than yelling at them in public. And posting in capital letters is considered yelling.

 

Just be glad that most of these geocachers you have fussed at don't go around deleting logs that they don't agree with like some in another nearby state.

 

OK, I'm off my soapbox.

[+Totem Clan]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

Up here the courts and schools allow anything with a blade less than six inches and without a fixed blade.

[Mr.Yuck]

Mostly small calculators, Sealed decks of playing cards and of course Louisnana Keychains

 

Not to be argumentative (well, not more than usual)....but might others also consider those items "junk?"

 

Just askin'......

 

One mans rubbish is another mans treasure

 

It is really hard if not impossible to find things to trade that will keep everyone happy.

The things that my sons love make me cringe as I just see them as something else to fill up the back seat of the car, basicly crap. But they love them, hey they love abandoned bottles and compar logos with each other. I try and get away with out trading anything if I can then I don't have to remember to take swag with me and make sure I didn't leave it in the car, oh and am I trading up or even or am I just adding junk.

Too much stress I just want to find the cache to prove I can, sign the log, maybe take some photos and get on to the next cache or what ever else we are up to.

 

I think people are reading too much into this! We've all seen "junk". You know, stuff like broken toys; tiny little used plastic toys (also usually broken) that cost 1 cent to manufacture; wet moldy paper items; business cards advertising a geocaching event that happened in 2004. That sort of thing.

Edited April 23, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+sbell111]

Well you found nine caches and had the exact copy and paste log in each one except for one.

April 22 by Pat in Louisiana (166 found)

Squirt and I found this one on the way home to Baton Rouge

TN LN SL

 

Cache full of JUNK!

You are certainly entitled to your opinions, but it is my experience that most caches start out well stocked and degrade because other cachers either take and don't leave or leave the "junk" you describe.

A polite note to the cache owner would probably be better than yelling at them in public. And posting in capital letters is considered yelling. ...

Honestly, I didn't take that log to be yelling at the the cache owner. I really see it as a rebuke to unfair traders, a reminder to future cachers to trade fairly, a warning to people who are about 'stuff' that tehy won't find what they like in that cache, and a clue to the cache owner that he/she might (or might not) wish to 'reload' the cache.

[+prntr1]

A lot of the caches you hit, are probably like that from LA cachers making a swing through MS for some good hides and taking everything and leaving nothing

 

Just kidding!!!

I have cached a lot of places, and everywhere suffers from the "cache full of junk syndrome", carry a bag of swag from garage sales, and be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 

Happy Caching!!!

[+steenroller]

Just throwing my $.02 in the mix. I quit trying to trade for anything in the caches within about 6 months of starting to cache. Too much trouble to try and carry trade items all the time. I do try and keep something in the truck in case I see something in a cache that I want to trade for. I confess that I have gotten a little lax in stocking a cache when I start one but I try and keep some small items in there. I try to put out caches where the destination is the main reason for hunting, which reflects my primary reason for going after caches now. I know everybody caches for different reasons and objectives, and I try to have a good description in the cache page so people will know what to expect. I will still put an ammo box out in an area that will support it so there will be room for trade items and travel bugs, and it will have some trade items in it, but it probably will not be as well stocked as other cachers.

[+Knight2000]

If we don't police ourselves then who will?

 

I am sick of finding caches that violate guidelines. Yet when i complain or post a SBA people get mad and say "Live and let live."

 

The guidelines are there for a reason. If people don't follow them in then end it could hurt geocachers as a whole.

 

Good for you. I would remove them and not trade for them. Of course we usually leave lots of swag in caches as i imagine the joy a kid might find in seeing something they like. I know i love watching my kids when they find something cool.

[+Totem Clan]

If we don't police ourselves then who will?

 

I am sick of finding caches that violate guidelines. Yet when i complain or post a SBA people get mad and say "Live and let live."

 

The guidelines are there for a reason. If people don't follow them in then end it could hurt geocachers as a whole.

 

Good for you. I would remove them and not trade for them. Of course we usually leave lots of swag in caches as i imagine the joy a kid might find in seeing something they like. I know i love watching my kids when they find something cool.

I fully understand what you are saying here and those types of things bothers (for lack of a better word) me too. However out of respect for the owner I would not just take the bad swag and leave the cache bare. I would leave some good swag for others to find. I'm not rewarding the cacher that left the bad swag, but I don't need to punish the cachers that come by later either. There's nothing wrong with leaving things better than they were before we came along. Not just in caching but in life in general.

[+Walts Hunting]

I appointed myself the Cache Cop this weekend.

I have always been told knives or other sharp objects did not belong in a cache.

Out of nine caches we hit in Mississippi I removed on less than thirteen knives.

 

Was I wrong?

 

Also there was nothing in these caches but junk. One that was a travel bug hotel and only had a wench strap in it and the log book.

 

Ok I’m through with my rant.

 

So is a wench strap what you use on your wench to get her to go geocaching.

[+WebChimp]

I appointed myself the Cache Cop this weekend.

 

The real cache cops frown upon others impersonating them.

 

Now that you've thrown your hissy fit, can we move on, and get back to our regularly scheduled program?

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

One... only had a wench strap in it and the log book.

Wow! Really? A wench strap? I thought the whole misogynistic thing of using straps on wenches went out of vogue back in England by the year 1920. And, I had never heard of the custom, much less the wench straps themselves, having migrated to America. Thus, I am surprised at your find in the heartland of America. I do hope that you will not be tempted to use the strap on any wenches whom you encounter.

[+StevenWill]

While I feel that knives should be removed at the very least they should be swapped out! As to the content of the caches, if all you found was junk in the caches how many did you replace / restock. The kind of statement you make really gets to me, cachers go and put out caches for the enjoyment of us, they / we do not get paid to place these caches, it is for the enjoyment of all. Perhaps if you went and spent $50 dollars on small toys at the dollar shop, you could then fill any caches that were not stocked full! Maybe then you would not have to bitch about the caches you are finding! If I go cacheing and it is noted that the log is wet damaged or whatever I try to take along something so that this can continue, I also will only log a maintenance if the container is full or log needs replacing. If the cache is empty I will replace it with something. It does not have to be a porche, a few soldier or toys etc will do. Remember we are the older of the cachers if you are posting here, what about the younger (5-8 years) to them it's really nice to find something.

 

I hope this does not offend you, but perhaps you should try becomming part of the solution not part of the problem.

Steve

[+sbell111]

I also believe that knives should be removed. I also believe that it would be nice if they were traded out, rather than simply removed. However, if the cacher has nothing to trade, they should still be removed.

[+XopherN71]

I think everyone should remove the knives.

 

Then send me a message so you can have my address to send them to for evaluation.

 

I do think they should be removed as I said in my first post, but I have to admit... I'd love to find something useful like that every now and then.

Edited April 23, 2008 by XopherN71

[+gof1]

I think everyone should remove the knives.

 

Then send me a message so you can have my address to send them to for evaluation.

 

I do think they should be removed as I said in my first post, but I have to admit... I'd love to find something useful like that every now and then.

 

Useful? It is seldom that any knife I've found in a cache was worth the scrap value of the metal it was made from.

[+StevenWill]

Useful? It is seldom that any knife I've found in a cache was worth the scrap value of the metal it was made from.

What do you exspect a 12 inch Rambo knife?

[+NotThePainter]

When I place a cache I stock it full of good stuff from the Dollar Store, kids stuff, grownup stuff and so on.

 

And that's it.

 

I don't consider necessary to restock the caches.

 

For me, it is about the hike or the hide or the puzzle, not about the contents. I'm became disenchanted about trading about my 20th cache or so.

 

We say "trade up, trade even, or don't trade at all" but we all know that that isn't followed, if it was, all our caches would be stuffed with jewels and gold.

[+J-Way]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

Up here the courts and schools allow anything with a blade less than six inches and without a fixed blade.

Seriously? A 14-year-old can carry a knife with a 5.5-inch folding blade to high school and use it to settle a pubescent hormone induced grudge? So what's with all these news stories about zero-tollerance schools expelling kids because their parents packed a dull butter knife in with their lunches?

 

Any form of knife was against the rules back when I was in school, and that was in rural Mississippi 15 years ago. Lots of kids carried them (including me), but they were used as tools not weapons.

 

Back to the topic at hand, I personally feel that there is nothing wrong with a knife in a cache under normal conditions. HOWEVER, the rules specifically state that knives are prohibitted, so I don't place knives in caches. And I remove any I find (trading when possible, but always removing).

[+gof1]

Useful? It is seldom that any knife I've found in a cache was worth the scrap value of the metal it was made from.

What do you exspect a 12 inch Rambo knife?

 

I think you may have missed my point. The post I was quoting ended with

I'd love to find something useful like that every now and then.

I just said that the cheap knives I had seen aren't of a quality to be of much use. What can ya do with a blade that'll snap if you try to cut the cheese with it.

[+sbell111]

If you can't bring it into a courthouse, school room or on an airplane it probably shouldn't be in a cache.

JMHO

Up here the courts and schools allow anything with a blade less than six inches and without a fixed blade.

Seriously? A 14-year-old can carry a knife with a 5.5-inch folding blade to high school and use it to settle a pubescent hormone induced grudge? So what's with all these news stories about zero-tollerance schools expelling kids because their parents packed a dull butter knife in with their lunches?

 

Any form of knife was against the rules back when I was in school, and that was in rural Mississippi 15 years ago. Lots of kids carried them (including me), but they were used as tools not weapons.

 

Back to the topic at hand, I personally feel that there is nothing wrong with a knife in a cache under normal conditions. HOWEVER, the rules specifically state that knives are prohibitted, so I don't place knives in caches. And I remove any I find (trading when possible, but always removing).

Decades ago, when I was in grade school and high school, we were allowed to carry knives. I though the limit was a four-inch blade, but I'm likely wrong.