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Altering another's cache?


Bouts777

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Following the other thread about the plastic bag, and knowing that myself had taken away some of those plastic but in return fit plastic to my own caches. Is that aceptable or not?

 

When you found a cache wrapped in a plastic bag that is in pieces and do not cover the cache even 50%. Do you remove it permanently because that is not the way you see nature or do you replace the wrapping with more or less the same kind of plastic.

Removing it totally will alter the way the owner placed it originally. And maybe if you replace it with the same stuff, it could be against what you prefer.

 

The question is that if you can change the wrapping, can you change other things like the contents, container, location or any other stuff?

 

And what if someone does that to your cache? :D

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Bouts777, this game is played a lot on honour, and personal morals. If the offending tattered bag is a eye sore I would remove it. That is why one of the key principles in Geocaching is "CITO" - we are supposed to improve the environment. Either I remove and dispose of the tattered bag in a dustbin or it will be blown all over the place and then all will complain over the state of the site at least. That is not what I want to teach my children.

 

If the owner does regular maintenance it would not have been necessary, I are doing what is morally correct for me. Hopefully I am going to either replace it with a better bag, or if no bag is available then that is also good - the owner could do so on his next run. Remember CITO.

 

Removing offending articles is also a moral decision, I have no problem to remove anything that is against the guidelines like Matches, Bic lighters, Knives, Ammunition, and non-kid friendly items.

 

Changing the container is sometimes necessary for the benefit of the cache like when the old container is broken. Same for log-sheet. Inform the cache owner like I did with the "Laphaside" cache - read the log about that from 29 September 2007.

 

I will not change the location but if I doubt that I found the cache in the correct location I will send an e-mail to the owner to inform him/her. How well you re-hide the cache is also a problem, let your conscience guide you. A friend had to re-hide one of mine with more camouflage and I thank him for it, he did a very good job at it.

 

Hopefully I am big enough to accept any reasonable change to my caches. I have found my fellow cachers to be very honourable people and I wish to associate myself with them, that has been my experience since the very first Event by CrystalFairy we attended. :D

 

You already walked some distance, do the honourable thing and walk the extra mile, I will respect you for that.

Edited by LeonW
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If I feel if the cache needs a little maintenance, I will do what it needs. I have replaced torn bags, washed and cleaned caches, add Ziploc bags, put a rubber band around it (if I think it may stop a leak) and remove litter from caches ( only if I really think that NOBODY would want the broken/dirty/useless items).

I basically try to leave the cache "better" than I found it and would love (but not expect) others to do the same for my caches.

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surely it's a no-brainer that if the cache is trashed, you do what you can to fix it. and if it's full of crap, take the crap out.... preferably add something cool, but ditch the junk even if you don't have something cool. especially stuff that has not reacted well to getting wet (eg leather, paper, cardboard, rusty metal).

 

a bit more of a moral dilemma is relocating a cache, but if it is clear that it is currently in a location that is no good, then move it, take a note of the co-ord change, log it and let the owner know. I've done this with two caches placed too close to a river. In both cases, the caches had been underwater when the river rose, and it was lucky they were still there. I moved them as little as possible, while ensuring they were definitely above the high water mark.

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Why would a cache be wrapped in a plastic bag? Never heard of that before.

 

Yes, it is strange but true. But just as strange is the use of an ammo-box for a cache. You can't even buy an old rusty/busted/broken ex-USA Army one here for $25.00 Having one of those (even broken) in possession will land you in ... these days I fear.

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