+myrtlemoose Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 On the one hand, I love the new driving directions. I use a basic (eTrex Legend) GPSr. So the driving directions are very very very useful to me. Fabulous. Thank you! On the other hand, I have a problem with them. It seems that the driving directions are based on the cache coordinates rather than parking coordinates. Frequently the parking coordinates or trail-head are quite different to the closest road to the cache. As a cache owner I have a serious concern about this. For most of my caches I take the time to give additional waypoints to my cache pages so that cachers may find the (less than obvious) parking coordinates or trail-head. For one cache in particular (GC1C0AW -Kionontio-I'm the King of the Castle) I've given clear warnings on my cache page about using the correct trail-head/parking to access the cache. There is a road fairly close to the cache. (The new "driving directions" lead to this location.) However this is all private property. I don't have permission from the property owners. They would NOT like a bunch of geocachers traipsing across their land. If I feel that people are ignoring my warning, I will have to archive this cache. That would be a shame, since (in my humble opinion) this is a fabulous unique cache!!!! Although not everyone will use these new "driving directions" (many of my friends still aren't aware of them).... it seems a shame to (possibly) negate the efforts of those of us who give additional waypoints on our cache pages to indicate trail-heads/parking coordinates. I'm not a techie but....I have an idea of a fix(that might not work due to my lack of technical knowledge.) Could you automatically redirect the "driving directions" when ever an additional waypoint indicates parking coordinates or trail-head? Or (even better)from the managing waypoint page, could you add a button /check-off thing where we could select one of these way points as the focus of the "driving directions"? geocaching.com please help. I don't want to be forced to archive "GC1C0AW -Kionontio" because of this glitch. In the short time that it's been available, people have loved this special caching adventure. It's on many cachers, to-do lists. Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 (edited) I find the driving directions, and for that matter parking coordinates, laughable. It's geocaching for gosh sake! Finding how to get there is part of it. Next we'll be able to call sitting in our chair using USAPhotomaps or Streetview a find. Either leave the driving directions as is or remove them bu, Please, do not spend any precious time "fixing" it. Edited August 6, 2008 by baloo&bd Link to comment
7rxc Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I don't want to be forced to archive "GC1C0AW -Kionontio" because of this glitch. In the short time that it's been available, people have loved this special caching adventure. It's on many cachers, to-do lists. Try either give the coordinates for the parking area instead of the cache... give the cache coordinates as an additional waypoint, or just as part of the description/ info text. Or possibly put a 2nd cache by the parking area with the prime cache coordinates as a 'prize'. Either way has been done many times... and the result is that the directions take you to the trail head. I like the real coordinates in the text part, since parking lot caches seem to disappear... Link to comment
+Gushoneybun Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I see the directions as a guide only. I then use tomtom to get me to the correct place having consulted a map if need be. I think they are great as a guide. Link to comment
Skippermark Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Unless the cache is right near a road, the driving directions aren't going to be too helpful, but they're great as a guide, especially if you're thinking of heading to an area you've never been. The directions give you a quick estimate of how long it'll take to get there. I love them for that. Link to comment
7rxc Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Unless the cache is right near a road, the driving directions aren't going to be too helpful, but they're great as a guide, especially if you're thinking of heading to an area you've never been. The directions give you a quick estimate of how long it'll take to get there. I love them for that. In the original, the problem was one of landowner relations... in the case of that or safety considerations, ecological or other concerns, a slightly more specific guide to parking and trailhead would seem appropriate. It's not required in most cases I agree. I've not been at this long, but I also ran into problems due to the difference between closest approach point and most desireable approach point Doug Link to comment
+hukilaulau Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 As a cache owner I have a serious concern about this. For most of my caches I take the time to give additional waypoints to my cache pages so that cachers may find the (less than obvious) parking coordinates or trail-head. A large percentage of cachers never read the cache page in the first place. They just download the nearest bazillion caches and take off (and then complain when there's something about the cache they don't like). I'm guessing that MOST of the folks who use the new driving directions also read the cache page. You sound like a conscientious cache hider but you're giving too much credit to the majority of cachers and too little to the minority. Link to comment
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