Ignoring TB mission

[+Mad Fiddler]

So my travel bug had gotten to within 250 miles of its destination, and was in a cache on an interstate that goes almost all the way there.

 

Now it's 800 miles -- two states -- away, with no direct path to where I was hoping it would end up.

 

There's a tag attached that states where it should be traveling to.

 

Every other cacher noted in the log that they were helping it on its way to that specific location.

 

Grrrrr.

 

Why, oh why do people ignore these things?

 

I realize that once it's released that I don't have control over it anymore, but still.

 

Thanks for reading. Any suggestions or commiseration would be greatly appreciated.

 

I was thinking of emailing the person who moved it to ask if the mission tag was still attached, hoping that would be taken as a hint.

[+WRASTRO]

You just have to let it go and enjoy the journey, otherwise it will make you crazy. Bugs have a life of their own and that life may or may not resemble the mission that we envision when we set them free. The next cacher to pick up your bug may plop it right where you have been hoping it would land. You just never know.

[+ThePetersTrio]

I recently released a TB called "Red Rock Seeker" with the travel goals to visit red rock formations in the US southwestern states. The first cacher who retrieved it took it south. Then the next cacher took it back north and now I think it's in Washington state.

 

I figure it's just taking the scenic route. Maybe it'll get there eventually. At this point, I'm just happy it's moving.

[+ventura_kids]

Choices:

A) You should go pick it up and move it to the destination yourself.

I wouldn't put up with any shinanigans like that if I were you.

 

Or

 

B ) Perhaps you should be excited that the travelbug is moving, and have some fun anticipating and guessing which direction it might go next.

 

hint: pick B.

Edited July 11, 2008 by ventura_kids

[+Snoogans]

No sympathy here either, but here's a gift horse for ya:

 

 

Great wisdom from a master TB finder:

 

"It's a web of life, in my opinion, and absolutely any movement is the next step in reaching it's goal. That weird side trip to Florida, may be the next step to Canada. And a side trip may have saved it from going MIA by pilferage in Pennsylvania."

 

bthomas on the subject of TB movement 10/27/2003

[+bassmig]

I'm currently in possession of a TB that left from Nevada in a race to get to Idaho, pretty simple right......I'm in New Brunswick Canada, the travel bug took a 5500 mile detour. I may hold onto it for a bit since I'll be traveling to Toronto and Quebec shortly. Hopefully it will eventually make it home and you never know it could actually beat the other one to win the race! Most people try and help it on it's way, sometimes circumstances make it lose it's path and shortly it will be back on it's way!!

[+BlueDeuce]

I realize that once it's released that I don't have control over it anymore, but still.

 

Yes, I have tags attached to bugs that clearly state the goal and they are still ignored.

 

I know just as well as many others here that do-do happens but sometimes you just have to wonder.

 

I've decided to stay away from releasing direction oriented bugs, that way I'm less frustrated from the results of the movement. (Plus I don't have to listen to that hack excuse that side trips are good for bugs)

[+Wadcutter]

Life is about the journey and the things we see along the way.

[+dark_onyx1982]

Its all about the journey. All my trackables are released with missions attached. Most head the right way, but there are a few that go astray. I have a "Florida Hitchhiker: that is supposed to bounce around florida, well it is currently in Sweden. go figure. Its still fun to see pix and read the logs.

[southpawaz]

I realize that once it's released that I don't have control over it anymore, but still.

I've decided to stay away from releasing direction oriented bugs, that way I'm less frustrated from the results of the movement. (Plus I don't have to listen to that hack excuse that side trips are good for bugs)

 

I'm with BlueDeuce on this one. I started out with some location goal missions, but have moved away from them for the most part. I've found that I'd just rather see them move in whatever direction, so I have gone more toward missions like "take a picture with X" or "visit a cache like Y."

[+Mad Fiddler]

Thanks, everyone!

 

It's frustrating, but that's life. It's now in a small town in Kansas, in a bug hotel. The cache isn't visted often, so I'm hoping it's not a prison. Maybe it'll move soon.

 

The next bug will definitely be a wanderer. It might be good practice for my control freak soul

 

Follow up:

The cache he moved my bug to -- and one other that was very close to its final destination -- is a bug hotel that he placed.

 

Grrrr again.

 

But I'll work on letting it go....

Edited July 12, 2008 by Mad Fiddler

[+KoosKoos]

Our family released a TB with the goal to visit theme parks (preferably the Disney ones)...it left Texas and made a quick trip to Florida...no awesome Disney World pics (or any other of the area theme parks) before it bounced up to Maine.

 

I laughed at it just missing a key goal, but I always keep the quote that Snoogans posted in mind...the side trips may lead it to a more interesting spot or prevent it from landing in a soon-to-be-muggled cache. Fedex would get my bug to its goal directly. Hitchhiking is more about the journey along the way.

 

The only time it would bother me would be if I'd entered a race and I really needed the bug to move in specific directions...and even then, such is the detour of life!

[+Save The Murlocs]

As I'm readying to get my own TB's out there sometime soon, I'm wondering if I should even HAVE any goal other than simply "to travel." It does seem like goals are often not paid attention to...oh well. It's still lots of fun to see where they go.

[+BlueDeuce]

Life is about the journey and the things we see along the way.

 

- Greyhound

 

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[+BlueDeuce]

As I'm readying to get my own TB's out there sometime soon, I'm wondering if I should even HAVE any goal other than simply "to travel." It does seem like goals are often not paid attention to...oh well. It's still lots of fun to see where they go.

 

Like this one? The Red Travel Bug of Happiness

[+Tschakko]

Well I always try to obey the missions a coin or TB has, but sometimes life thinks different...

 

I hav to confess I brought a really great detour to two TBs and a Coin just this week, by taking them from Canada to Germany, I meant to drop them off before, but circumstances made me do otherwise...

Sometimes you can´t control it...

 

I think they will still find their way back...

[+OHail]

You just have to let it go and enjoy the journey, otherwise it will make you crazy. Bugs have a life of their own and that life may or may not resemble the mission that we envision when we set them free. The next cacher to pick up your bug may plop it right where you have been hoping it would land. You just never know.

 

It is easy to take a trackable off its most direct course when there is not any info with it (which is not the case with the one mentioned in the first post).

 

I picked up one south of me that wanted to go to the South Pole (which I did not know when I picked it up.) But as I wrote in its log, I have learned in geocaching, the fastest route to the destination is not always the most direct.

 

Another example is the travel bug belonging to a local cacher. It was leaving Alabama with a goal in West Virginia. I dropped it along I-95 north of Jacksonville, Florida figuring it would at least be on a major highway toward that area of the country. It went to Pennsylvania and then to Virginia. A cacher picked it up from Virginia and was going to its destination city a few weeks later. You just never know.

 

If I find a trackable (bugs or coins) that has a goal but no information with it, I try to put it in a baggie with at least a note about the goal before I release it. I don't know how much it helps but I feel better knowing I've tried.