Strange happenings from a missing TB

[+powercatjeffy]

I've had a TB of mine missing for about 2 years now. The person that retrieved it from the last cache has a total of 30 finds. His email address is displayed in his profile. I have sent him a couple of friendly emails over the course of the past year asking him to move it on, but he hasn't. I think that cache was the last find (July 06), although he has been on since then (Feb 08).

 

I finally decided to search the internet for his email, starting with the usual social networking sites. He had a profile on myspace, to which I again sent him a friendly email. That was a couple of days ago. Tonight I went to check and see if he had replied. His profile is no longer there. Keep in mind that this was my first attempt to contact him in six months.

 

I guess he's trying to avoid returning the bug (must be a Jayhawk fan). If he wants it, he can keep it. I'd just love to have the tag back.

[+WRASTRO]

I've had a TB of mine missing for about 2 years now. The person that retrieved it from the last cache has a total of 30 finds. His email address is displayed in his profile. I have sent him a couple of friendly emails over the course of the past year asking him to move it on, but he hasn't. I think that cache was the last find (July 06), although he has been on since then (Feb 08).

 

I finally decided to search the internet for his email, starting with the usual social networking sites. He had a profile on myspace, to which I again sent him a friendly email. That was a couple of days ago. Tonight I went to check and see if he had replied. His profile is no longer there. Keep in mind that this was my first attempt to contact him in six months.

 

I guess he's trying to avoid returning the bug (must be a Jayhawk fan). If he wants it, he can keep it. I'd just love to have the tag back.

You may just need to send out the copy tag.

[+BlueDeuce]

Wow, if they are going to that much trouble to avoid you I'd say they lost the thing. I guess give it until July 2nd and then re-release it.

[+powercatjeffy]

I hope I can find my copy tag.

[+BlueDeuce]

If not, make your own.

 

One of the benefits of travel bugs.

[+powercatjeffy]

Amazing. Perhaps the deletion of the myspace account was merely a coincidence. I'm not sure.

 

Through the use of the stalkernet (facebook), I found the guy again. I messaged him again and he actually replied! His reply seemed sincere. I know he just graduated from college, so things like TBs would be easy to lose in a move. He offered to pay me for the lost tag, which I declined. I know how they can get lost. While I'm disappointed that it is lost, I would be even more POed if it was stolen.

 

Oh... and I found my copy tag!!!! Now I just need to find another one of the bug items.

Edited May 27, 2008 by powercatjeffy

[+Stu The Hiker UK]

It seems that some people just don't like to play fair or just go out to "trash a cache"

 

A was out with a friend of mine, and he grabbed a TB from a cache with no info on it so we took it home to find out it's goal / mission and soon realised that the tatty old bottle opener that was attached to the tags was not the good looking Dino that should be in our hands. The TB was not even listed as being in the cache that we found it in, but was listed in another cache where a cacher had posted a message to say that the cache should of had a TB in it, but when he looked all he could see was an undated log entry in the book that said "another cache raided by the cache raiders", so it looks like these GPS monkeys are out causing havoc . I was going to call them stupid but they've been smart enough to leave the caches so I suppose then they can muggle from them until the cache gets a bad name and the owner has to retire the cache. The TB owner did post to say that it was missing so we contacted him with regards to sending him the tags back.

 

I'm sat here now with my first two TB's and wondering what will become of them

Edited May 28, 2008 by stuthehiker

[+powercatjeffy]

Another Update:

 

I created and released an identical TB with my copy tag on the 12th of this month while on vacation in Colorado. It was one of those in the mountains off the trail caches, but obviously not in a completely untraveled area, since the original container was gone and a replacement container was there.

 

I didn't have a chance to log my find or the re-release for a few days, but when I finally got to a computer, I noticed that 3 people, all together, had found the cache. One of their logs said that none of the TBs listed were there (there were 3 others listed, which likely disappeared with the old cache). I emailed them to see if they actually logged it on the day they found it. It was correct. They found it 2 days after I placed the bug in there.

 

So now I'm left wondering if it was someone else on a vacation that just hasn't logged it yet, or if it has now set a world record for the fastest disappearing bug.

 

Ugh!

[+ByzantineFalcon]

A was out with a friend of mine, and he grabbed a TB from a cache with no info on it so we took it home to find out it's goal / mission and soon realised that the tatty old bottle opener that was attached to the tags was not the good looking Dino that should be in our hands. The TB was not even listed as being in the cache that we found it in, but was listed in another cache where a cacher had posted a message to say that the cache should of had a TB in it, but when he looked all he could see was an undated log entry in the book that said "another cache raided by the cache raiders", so it looks like these GPS monkeys are out causing havoc . I was going to call them stupid but they've been smart enough to leave the caches so I suppose then they can muggle from them until the cache gets a bad name and the owner has to retire the cache. The TB owner did post to say that it was missing so we contacted him with regards to sending him the tags back.

 

I heard of a similar problem locally with someone messing with caches, known as the "GeoCrasher". I guess some folks have nothing better to do.

[+wapahani]

I have to wonder about not just bugs but caches also.

When I see these things go bounce for a long period I wonder if the cacher perhaps passed on, or is in bad health. I know a lot of people come and go in hobbies, not just thing one.

 

Also, I know of 2 different cases that a TB was taken from a cache and the cacher just hasn't been able to dump them off due to other obligations that have moved them out of the hobby for the time being.

 

I thought about putting a TB in our latest drop, but decided against it.

[+Stu The Hiker UK]

I have to wonder about not just bugs but caches also.

When I see these things go bounce for a long period I wonder if the cacher perhaps passed on, or is in bad health. I know a lot of people come and go in hobbies, not just thing one.

 

Also, I know of 2 different cases that a TB was taken from a cache and the cacher just hasn't been able to dump them off due to other obligations that have moved them out of the hobby for the time being.

 

I thought about putting a TB in our latest drop, but decided against it.

 

Yeah a few months ago I went in search of a cache and stumbled on it out on the trail and not hidden. I fugure it had been kicked about as an empty sandwich box, but I recognised it as a cache and after signing the log book I went to GZ and failed to see where it should be stashed, so I hid it in a hole and covered it over and then went home and logged it on the cache page and sent the owner an email but heard nothing from the owner. I put the cache on my watchlist and posted a note telling other cachers that it's not available at the moment......that never stopped some fool going to look for it then complaining that he thought maybe I hid it in a hole !!!! DUH I said in the notes that it was hidden until the owner contacts me. This went on for ages and I was wondering why they never bothered to contact me, but after a few months I got an email saying that they're a retired couple and ill health had put a lot of less important things on the back burner for awhile.

 

So apart from people wondering away from there caches, there's also the ones like you say that have more pressing issues than a 35mm film can

[+wapahani]

I have to wonder about not just bugs but caches also.

When I see these things go bounce for a long period I wonder if the cacher perhaps passed on, or is in bad health. I know a lot of people come and go in hobbies, not just thing one.

 

Also, I know of 2 different cases that a TB was taken from a cache and the cacher just hasn't been able to dump them off due to other obligations that have moved them out of the hobby for the time being.

 

I thought about putting a TB in our latest drop, but decided against it.

 

Yeah a few months ago I went in search of a cache and stumbled on it out on the trail and not hidden. I fugure it had been kicked about as an empty sandwich box, but I recognised it as a cache and after signing the log book I went to GZ and failed to see where it should be stashed, so I hid it in a hole and covered it over and then went home and logged it on the cache page and sent the owner an email but heard nothing from the owner. I put the cache on my watchlist and posted a note telling other cachers that it's not available at the moment......that never stopped some fool going to look for it then complaining that he thought maybe I hid it in a hole !!!! DUH I said in the notes that it was hidden until the owner contacts me. This went on for ages and I was wondering why they never bothered to contact me, but after a few months I got an email saying that they're a retired couple and ill health had put a lot of less important things on the back burner for awhile.

 

So apart from people wondering away from there caches, there's also the ones like you say that have more pressing issues than a 35mm film can

 

You hate to hear it, but I have the feeling that we have a cacher like that. There are several caches that are MIA and several emails from various local cachers have gone unanswered.

In that case, say in passing, I wonder if they would allow a one sided adoption of the said cache? I've honestly never thought or heard anything being said about this.