Geocaching Vs The Law

[Team Mondo Kickass]

So we're out hunting for a cache in a cemetery late one night around, maybe 1am? So a police officer rolls up to two long haired dudes with beards and large stretched ears creeping around a graveyard with a flash light and a iPhone late at night!

 

Offficer: "Soo... what are you up to?"

TMK: "Umm, just geocaching and we can't find the dadgum thing!"

Officer: "Geo-wha?"

TMK: "Uh, basically it's like a global treasure hunt thing, where you use a GPS and coordinates to find hidden things people have put places, usually they are like a film canister with logbook inside you sign to say you were there."

Officer: "Oh sounds cool..."

*we show the officer the iPhone*

TMK: "See we are the little blue dot and the geocache is the red dot, it says we are right on it, but we can't find it!"

Officer: "Hmm... well did you look in that thing?"

*Points to a hole/pipe thing in the ground and we search it, but found nothing*

 

So medium story short, the cop helps us look around for the thing, we find it, show him, he thinks its cool and it turned out a lot better than the situation could have!

 

Just wanted to share this story, because I thought it was cool!

 

Post about some of your run-ins with law while geocaching and what came of it!

 

-TMK

[+Team PacketStorm]

Mate and i have been questioned twice,

One guy was like "yeah whatever" and let us go,

Another made us wait 40 min for the police to show up, turns out they were geocachers too!

[+Viajero Perdido]

I parked on a country road and took a looong walk into the adjacent wilderness area. I was looking for caches, of course.

 

A cop came along, noticed I'd left the car unlocked (which I always do with the convertible), and wondered, I suspect, if perhaps I was busy dumping a body. They'd been having a problem with that lately. So he walked down the trail to find me. He went about a kilometer (2/3 mile) before giving up and turning around.

 

How do I know this? He left a phone message at home to please call him back. (They can look up phone numbers from license plates, apparently.) We had a nice chat. I didn't complicate the conversation by mentioning the hidden-box thing...

Edited October 9, 2008 by Viajero Perdido

[+WRASTRO]

I parked on a country road and took a looong walk into the adjacent wilderness area. I was looking for caches, of course.

 

A cop came along, noticed I'd left the car unlocked (which I always do with the convertible), and wondered, I suspect, if perhaps I was busy dumping a body. They'd been having a problem with that lately. So he walked down the trail to find me. He went about a kilometer (2/3 mile) before giving up and turning around.

 

How do I know this? He left a phone message at home to please call him back. (They can look up phone numbers from license plates, apparently.) We had a nice chat. I didn't complicate the conversation by mentioning the hidden-box thing...

Clearly driving a convertible in Edmonton would seem suspicious. Brrr! Those darned body dumping natural areas are a scourge and should be banned.

[+AndrewRJ]

I parked on a country road and took a looong walk into the adjacent wilderness area. I was looking for caches, of course.

 

A cop came along, noticed I'd left the car unlocked (which I always do with the convertible), and wondered, I suspect, if perhaps I was busy dumping a body. They'd been having a problem with that lately. So he walked down the trail to find me. He went about a kilometer (2/3 mile) before giving up and turning around.

 

How do I know this? He left a phone message at home to please call him back. (They can look up phone numbers from license plates, apparently.) We had a nice chat. I didn't complicate the conversation by mentioning the hidden-box thing...

Clearly driving a convertible in Edmonton would seem suspicious. Brrr! Those darned body dumping natural areas are a scourge and should be banned.

Actually this was the odd part to me.

[+XGrunt]

Most of my encounters near home go like this:

 

"Hey man, what's going on?"

"Hey (insert officer's name here), nothing much doing some caching."

"Some what?!"

Explain geocaching using colorful cop verbage

"Oh ok cool...hey did you hear about..(insert last night's exciting call)

"No way! Serious?!!"

"OK dude have fun see ya.."

"OK man Be safe..."

 

Away from home:

"Excuse me sir what are you doing?"

"Oh hi, Nothing...I then give the secret LEO sign (which is alot like the Jedi mind trick only cooler)

"These aren't the droids your looking for...I'm free to go about my business..."

 

Edited October 13, 2008 by XGrunt

[+Rev Mike]

So we're out hunting for a cache in a cemetery late one night around, maybe 1am?

 

Cemetary + night = bad idea.

 

Would have been nice if the CO used attributes or stated "cache in a cemetary - don't search at night," but common sense should prevail here too.

[+ben94gt]

So we're out hunting for a cache in a cemetery late one night around, maybe 1am?

 

Cemetary + night = bad idea.

 

Would have been nice if the CO used attributes or stated "cache in a cemetary - don't search at night," but common sense should prevail here too.

 

why would you not want to go to a cemetary at night? Its scary which=fun

[+Okiebryan]

Yeah, I would not agree with you that getting a cemetery cache at night is a problem. I love those caches, and I like em at night, too.

[+otis89]

However, lots of cemeteries are closed at night, and if you're creeping around a cemetery at night, you're going to look suspicious. There's just no avoiding it.

[+Taoiseach]

Just make sure that you have a shovel...

[+zachslusser]

In a good majority of cemeteries it is against the rules to be in after dusk. might wanna keep that in mind

[+sportside]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

[Mr.Yuck]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

 

Um, how soon we forget. Or I'll say in most of your cases, don't know about. A State Senator in South Carolina went bonkers over geocaching in cemeteries in 2005, and even introduced a bill to have it banned. Ultimately, it never became law. Check out the first post in the thread I'm linking below, which is basically a report on the Senators anti-geocaching presentation before the Senate. Doesn't exactly cast our hobby in a positive light. Edit to mention, all the damning evidence was over night caching in cemeteries, even though the legislation sought to ban cemetery caching outright.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=South+Carolina

 

It wasn't just S.C. though, shock waves were felt all over the United States. You'd have had a snowballs chance in hell of getting a cemetery cache approved without proof of explicit permission in my State (New York) for about 2 years after that. The reviewers have since loosened up a little. Until it happens again, of course.

Edited October 22, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+sportside]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

 

Um, how soon we forget. Or I'll say in most of your cases, don't know about. A State Senator in South Carolina went bonkers over geocaching in cemeteries in 2005, and even introduced a bill to have it banned. Ultimately, it never became law. Check out the first post in the thread I'm linking below, which is basically a report on the Senators anti-geocaching presentation before the Senate. Doesn't exactly cast our hobby in a positive light. Edit to mention, all the damning evidence was over night caching in cemeteries, even though the legislation sought to ban cemetery caching outright.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=South+Carolina

 

It wasn't just S.C. though, shock waves were felt all over the United States. You'd have had a snowballs chance in hell of getting a cemetery cache approved without proof of explicit permission in my State (New York) for about 2 years after that. The reviewers have since loosened up a little. Until it happens again, of course.

My post wasn't about geocaching in a cemetery at night, it was about being in a cemetery at night. Doesn't matter what you are doing there...

 

Maybe we just don't have enough real crime, maybe they don't like stones and plots getting vandalized. Whatever the reason, they arrest...

[Mr.Yuck]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

 

Um, how soon we forget. Or I'll say in most of your cases, don't know about. A State Senator in South Carolina went bonkers over geocaching in cemeteries in 2005, and even introduced a bill to have it banned. Ultimately, it never became law. Check out the first post in the thread I'm linking below, which is basically a report on the Senators anti-geocaching presentation before the Senate. Doesn't exactly cast our hobby in a positive light. Edit to mention, all the damning evidence was over night caching in cemeteries, even though the legislation sought to ban cemetery caching outright.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=South+Carolina

 

It wasn't just S.C. though, shock waves were felt all over the United States. You'd have had a snowballs chance in hell of getting a cemetery cache approved without proof of explicit permission in my State (New York) for about 2 years after that. The reviewers have since loosened up a little. Until it happens again, of course.

My post wasn't about geocaching in a cemetery at night, it was about being in a cemetery at night. Doesn't matter what you are doing there...

 

Maybe we just don't have enough real crime, maybe they don't like stones and plots getting vandalized. Whatever the reason, they arrest...

 

Oh, I just quoted you because you were the post above me. I could have quoted any of the "bad idea" posts. Or none at all. This was a really, really big deal at the time, believe me. I don't want to sound like some grumpy old fart lecturing people, but we geocachers are expected to be much more responsible than screwing around in cemeteries at 1:00 AM because it's "cool". Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts anyways.

[+Keruso]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

 

Um, how soon we forget. Or I'll say in most of your cases, don't know about. A State Senator in South Carolina went bonkers over geocaching in cemeteries in 2005, and even introduced a bill to have it banned. Ultimately, it never became law. Check out the first post in the thread I'm linking below, which is basically a report on the Senators anti-geocaching presentation before the Senate. Doesn't exactly cast our hobby in a positive light. Edit to mention, all the damning evidence was over night caching in cemeteries, even though the legislation sought to ban cemetery caching outright.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=South+Carolina

 

It wasn't just S.C. though, shock waves were felt all over the United States. You'd have had a snowballs chance in hell of getting a cemetery cache approved without proof of explicit permission in my State (New York) for about 2 years after that. The reviewers have since loosened up a little. Until it happens again, of course.

My post wasn't about geocaching in a cemetery at night, it was about being in a cemetery at night. Doesn't matter what you are doing there...

 

Maybe we just don't have enough real crime, maybe they don't like stones and plots getting vandalized. Whatever the reason, they arrest...

 

Oh, I just quoted you because you were the post above me. I could have quoted any of the "bad idea" posts. Or none at all. This was a really, really big deal at the time, believe me. I don't want to sound like some grumpy old fart lecturing people, but we geocachers are expected to be much more responsible than screwing around in cemeteries at 1:00 AM because it's "cool". Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts anyways.

 

Someone's never seen Ghost Hunters

[Mr.Yuck]

Around here being in a cemetery at night is a quick way to get a ride in a police car. They tend to fingerprint first, check for tipped grave stones later... Most of them also have gates which definitely makes it trespassing.

 

Um, how soon we forget. Or I'll say in most of your cases, don't know about. A State Senator in South Carolina went bonkers over geocaching in cemeteries in 2005, and even introduced a bill to have it banned. Ultimately, it never became law. Check out the first post in the thread I'm linking below, which is basically a report on the Senators anti-geocaching presentation before the Senate. Doesn't exactly cast our hobby in a positive light. Edit to mention, all the damning evidence was over night caching in cemeteries, even though the legislation sought to ban cemetery caching outright.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=South+Carolina

 

It wasn't just S.C. though, shock waves were felt all over the United States. You'd have had a snowballs chance in hell of getting a cemetery cache approved without proof of explicit permission in my State (New York) for about 2 years after that. The reviewers have since loosened up a little. Until it happens again, of course.

My post wasn't about geocaching in a cemetery at night, it was about being in a cemetery at night. Doesn't matter what you are doing there...

 

Maybe we just don't have enough real crime, maybe they don't like stones and plots getting vandalized. Whatever the reason, they arrest...

 

Oh, I just quoted you because you were the post above me. I could have quoted any of the "bad idea" posts. Or none at all. This was a really, really big deal at the time, believe me. I don't want to sound like some grumpy old fart lecturing people, but we geocachers are expected to be much more responsible than screwing around in cemeteries at 1:00 AM because it's "cool". Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts anyways.

 

Someone's never seen Ghost Hunters

 

True, I have not (even though I have Sci-Fi channel; forgive me, I have 300 channels on Dish network). But I just Googled it. Interesting. But I stand by my statement. And I'm sure I have just as much credibility as a couple of Roto-Rooter men.

Edited October 26, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+Harry Dolphin]

As mentioned elsewhere, I've only met police officers three times in four and a half years. Twice while benchmarking. (It seems the Absecon Beach Police Officer did not like me looking for a benchmark on the Atlantic City/Absecon Bridge, across from Harrah's Marina. "You're not allowed to hang on the bridge." Oh, well.)

We were working on the NJ DeLorme Challenge. Strange little park in South Jersey. Used to be part of a Nike Base. We parked near a closed building. Went off to find the cache. Back to the car. There is a police car parked near the exit. We stop at the stop sign. The officer toots his horn and comes walking up to the car. "If you want to use the senior citizen's building, you can ask at town hall."

Harrumph!

[Clan Riffster]

What's sad is that, as a LEO, and a cacher, I know where all the caches are in my patrol area. I am constantly on the lookout for fellow cachers hunting them, so I can say "Howdy", but I've only found them once, and this was after reading about a group hunt in a local forum.

 

Maybe I suck as much at finding cachers as I do at finding caches?

[+Dnalsi]

What's sad is that, as a LEO, and a cacher, I know where all the caches are in my patrol area. I am constantly on the lookout for fellow cachers hunting them, so I can say "Howdy", but I've only found them once, and this was after reading about a group hunt in a local forum.

 

Maybe I suck as much at finding cachers as I do at finding caches?

 

Cachers are the "good guys".....you're trained to find the "bad guys". There's your "problem"

 

I've explained geocaching to several of the local LEO's I know. They think it sounds like fun.

I figured it is better they know ahead of time. Beats trying to explain what your doing after the fact. Should help any of the cachers searching in this area.

[+nicjordanvet]

What's sad is that, as a LEO, and a cacher, I know where all the caches are in my patrol area. I am constantly on the lookout for fellow cachers hunting them, so I can say "Howdy", but I've only found them once, and this was after reading about a group hunt in a local forum.

 

Maybe I suck as much at finding cachers as I do at finding caches?

 

Cachers are the "good guys".....you're trained to find the "bad guys". There's your "problem"

 

I've explained geocaching to several of the local LEO's I know. They think it sounds like fun.

I figured it is better they know ahead of time. Beats trying to explain what your doing after the fact. Should help any of the cachers searching in this area.

 

i must say, i've heard cacher/soldiers have been caching on bases in iraq/afghanistan.... now THAT would be an intense effort to determine bombs from caches. being a vet, i wish i'd known of caching years ago (i've only been doing it since 2006) as a way to get out of the barracks!

[+BevanQ]

Here's part of the log from one of my finds in Worcester, Mass. a couple of years ago:

 

I had to kill some time in the area tonight and happened to grab the info for the first few caches that came up in this zip code. A tower in a park sounded cool. I hoped this would work for a night-time cache find and it did, for the most part.

 

I parked my car across the road and I elected to figure out the clue, to make the find easier in a muggle-prone area. As I was wandering around in the dark getting my bearings, as it were, a police cruiser showed up and started shining lights on my out-of-state vehicle and into the tower area. Two officers got out, one to check my car and one to check the tower, so I went over and said hi. We chatted for a few minutes, so they could figure out if I was a bad guy or not; one of them noted the fire dept. plate on my vehicle since he'd been on a dept. somewhere once. Anyway, then I found the cache and took it to my car to sign and swap. Another car drove up and parked but I was able to stealthily get out and put away the cache.

[+The Pastor & Pastor's Wife]

Here's a recent story posted on the Pineywoods Cache Connection forum by Normasgirl.

 

I was caching in the Dallas area with lostlookingforyou and we were excited to have some of The Barrow Gang caches on our to-do list. In addition, surrenderthebooty has a cache very nearby called "Stuck on You - In the Middle" and that was on our list first. So, we pulled up to the outside gate of Grove Hill Memorial Park and started chasing the needle. It led us toward the corner at first where we found a homeless guy "sleeping." He was surrounded by beer cans so we just thought he was passed out and sleeping it off. We then went into Super Silent Stealth Mode because we didn't want to wake him up and tiptoed over to where the cache actually was. I found the cache and took it over to The Don so that he could do the paperwork and The Dancing Half and I decided to check on the homeless guy. Hmmm...he doesn't appear to be breathing...and on closer inspection (which I will save you from because it was really GROSS!) it became apparent that this poor guy was dead. Dang! Time to call 911.

 

NG: We're at the corner of Samuel and Grove Hill and we've found a homeless man in the cemetery and he's dead.

911: Is he injured? What makes you think he's dead?

NG: He's not breathing (and I also told her about the GROSS stuff)

911: Is he Hispanic, Black, or White?

NG: He's Hispanic or White - it's kind of hard to tell. (What difference does that make?Dang!)

911: What's he wearing?

NG: A green t-shirt and khaki pants (Dang woman! He's not fleeing - he's dead! He's the only dead guy on top of the ground in the cemetery - why do you need to know what he's wearing?)

911: We'll dispatch someone right away.

 

It's the fourth of July and there's no telling how long it's going to take for them to get here and the dead body was really starting to creep us out, so we decide to move to the inside of the cemetery where the other caches are and wait for the sirens. We went right by one of the caches so we made the find and were doing the paperwork when we heard the sirens, so we went back to the gate to wait. We flagged down the firetruck (why did they send a firetruck?) and ambulance (it's a little late for that!) just as my phone was ringing. It was a police officer on the way to the scene.

 

PO: Why is someone from East Texas calling in a dead body in Dallas?

NG: Uh...we're up here "visiting" (boy, am I glad I didn't have to explain that one! Who just "visits" in a cemetery?) and just happened to find it.

PO: Is he injured or traumatized?

NG: No sir, he's dead.

PO: Well, I guess he decided to cut out the middle man.

NG: Yes sir, I guess he did. (It was all I could do to not burst out laughing - I couldn't believe he said that!!!) The firetruck and ambulance are already here.

PO: I'm about 20 minutes out so I'll be there soon.

 

At this point, we asked the fire department guys if they needed us to stay and they said "No, he's dead!" so we went on to the other caches inside the cemetery. We were a little shaken up but there was nothing we could do for the poor guy, so we decided to not let this ruin our caching day. After we finished the rest of the caches inside, we drove back out the way we came in. The firetruck was gone, the ambulance was gone, there were now 2 police cars there, and the dead body was STILL THERE!!! Oh my gosh! We couldn't get out of there fast enough.

 

Today was a day that we will never forget. lostlookingforyou hit 3000, I hit 4400, and we were FTF on a dead body. Do you think geocaching.com will give us a special icon for it?

[trollcacher]

You gotta read this story of this TB: TBHZ0E

 

It's too funny.

[+HomerJFong]

I did a cache this morning (GC1HVEQ). It was your typical magnetic key holder on a guardrail, but this one was located at a dead end street in a residential area. Not the best place for a cache, but an easy find.

 

I open it, and don't find a logbook. Instead, I find the business card of a local constable, with his name, badge number, and phone contact. Plus the message "Call Me".

 

I was out of that area as quickly as I could.

[+zazth]

Try caching in a cemetery in Virginia, you'll get more than a visit from the local boys in blue. It is illegal to be in the cemetery after dark in Virginia. Parks are the same way.

 

I enjoy night caching too, for caches that are designed to be night caches and are not in off limits area.

[+zazth]

Double post.

Edited November 30, 2008 by zazth

[+WatchDog2020]

I did a cache this morning (GC1HVEQ). It was your typical magnetic key holder on a guardrail, but this one was located at a dead end street in a residential area. Not the best place for a cache, but an easy find.

 

I open it, and don't find a logbook. Instead, I find the business card of a local constable, with his name, badge number, and phone contact. Plus the message "Call Me".

 

I was out of that area as quickly as I could.

 

I would have signed the buisess card - why take the DNF

[+HomerJFong]

I did a cache this morning (GC1HVEQ). It was your typical magnetic key holder on a guardrail, but this one was located at a dead end street in a residential area. Not the best place for a cache, but an easy find.

 

I open it, and don't find a logbook. Instead, I find the business card of a local constable, with his name, badge number, and phone contact. Plus the message "Call Me".

 

I was out of that area as quickly as I could.

 

I would have signed the buisess card - why take the DNF

 

Quickly as I could = After initialling the business card. No chance that I find and open the container and take a DNF.

[+DCNatsFan]

Got pulled over at a sobriety check in Allentown, PA. The LEO was suprised to see an old van with Virginia tags that time of night. I told him I was heading to Harrisburg, as I really didn't feel like explaining much at the time.

[+prairieview_IL]

My friend and I were trying to find a cache across the street from a police station in a small town. It was supposed to be in or around a pine tree. Here came a cop from across the street and we thought we were busted! Well it turned out the cop was the cache owner and we all three tried to find the cache and apparently it had been muggled because it was gone. When I logged the DNF that night I wrote it was probably the first DNF that I didn't feel like an idiot logging that I couldn't find it.

[+joranda]

I was doing a 24 hour cache run with another cacher and the first stop in the early morning was a small rural town with a micro in the town square. We figured we was muggle free that early but someone seen us with flashlights in hand looking for the cache. We did find it and had it up back right before johnny law showed up. After a short talk and showing him the cache, we was finally on our way down the road. I only run into the law when I cache with her. She's a cop magnitic!

[+TeamTurtles]

While trying to find a bench mark bolt, on the old red courthouse in downtown Dallas TX, we were stopped by some of Dallas best. Lucky for me My other half is a Deputy for Dallas Co. I didnt even have to say a word...It is sometime good to have your own protection.

[+Gipsie]

...I then give the secret LEO sign (which is alot like the Jedi mind trick only cooler)

 

The LEO sign actually originated from the Jedi mind trick. It is infinitely more complicated however. Not to divulge any details here, but if you see two LEO's talking to each other (especially if one is in uniform and one isn't and they look like they never met before), STEER CLEAR. Some of those mind seepings might seep your way and it could be ugly!

[+P4nD0r4]

My most embarassing muggling yet....

 

What I failed to mention in that log was the ranger was sexy as hell. Me, I was....bloody, sweaty, grimey, no makeup, flushed red from head to toe with exertion, panting heavily to the point where he told me he'd stop talking to let me catch my breath from climbing back to my car. And...he stood there and watched me cache for an HOUR! Oh, and not to mention he was with 2 other young guys who just happened to stop and look at the ocean on their way up the highway and who just happened to be there to witness my humiliation. Ugh....

Edited December 29, 2008 by P4nD0r4

[rydesatnyte]

Unfortunately caching got some bad press in the Dayton, Oh area last night. This story made the local TV news and looks like today's paper, hope UPI doesn't pick up on it and blow it way out of proportion. A little more research by the reporter and the local PD will go a long way. (link to the story) http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/o...s123008geo.html

[geekseek]

Unfortunately caching got some bad press in the Dayton, Oh area last night. This story made the local TV news and looks like today's paper, hope UPI doesn't pick up on it and blow it way out of proportion. A little more research by the reporter and the local PD will go a long way. (link to the story) http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/o...s123008geo.html

 

for the curious I found the cache and the log.

 

GC1HRCT

[+qlenfg]

Yeah, this is why I dislike caches behind businesses and around lamp posts or other electrical items. Not to mention there is a lot of copper theft in this area, including one particular cache location -- we got a DNF the first time, and when we went back all the wiring that connected the multiple light poles together had been stripped, leaving live wires exposed where one might be inclined to look for the cache.

 

IMHO, caches should be hidden in such a way as to not arouse suspicion and the container and markings should be chosen accordingly to not cause undo alarm.

[+qlenfg]

Yeah, this is why I dislike caches behind businesses and around lamp posts or other electrical items. Not to mention there is a lot of copper theft in this area, including one particular cache location -- we got a DNF the first time, and when we went back all the wiring that connected the multiple light poles together had been stripped, leaving live wires exposed where one might be inclined to look for the cache.

 

IMHO, caches should be hidden in such a way as to not arouse suspicion and the container and markings should be chosen accordingly to not cause undo alarm.

[+theosus]

Yeah, this is why I dislike caches behind businesses and around lamp posts or other electrical items. Not to mention there is a lot of copper theft in this area, including one particular cache location -- we got a DNF the first time, and when we went back all the wiring that connected the multiple light poles together had been stripped, leaving live wires exposed where one might be inclined to look for the cache.

 

IMHO, caches should be hidden in such a way as to not arouse suspicion and the container and markings should be chosen accordingly to not cause undo alarm.

 

Thankfully the economy sucks - and the value of copper dropped like a stone. It has pretty much killed copper theft in our area. I hate cahces around businesses too, unless the hints are REALLY good. Its way to easy to look suspicious, especially if you're in a row of businesses, or the owner is the only one who knows, and the clueless employees call the cops.

Before I go seeking a business cache, the hint better say something like "if you're lost - look in the meter box with the "12" written on it in white paint", or something equally subtle.

[+TimeTraveler09]

At a park cache sort of near my house out here in Mesa about 2 weeks ago, I was out caching a park at night because I'd failed to find the cache earlier in the day, gotten a hint, and decided I really needed to go back for the find. I parked in a spot where it was legal to be parked.... well, I think so anyway.

 

While I'm out in the park making the find, a black-and-white cruiser pulls up behind my truck and starts shining their spotlight on my plates. They see no one is inside, the car's not stolen or anything, no tickets, and start shining the spotlight over the entire park looking for me. At this point, I'm walking back to the truck trying to figure out how best to explain geocaching to the cops. When I get about 10 feet away from my car, the cop car shuts off the spotlight, flicks on its red and blue lights, and TAKES OFF - FAST - down the road and around the corner.

 

Weirdest cop behavior I ever saw, but I suppose they got called to a crime in progress somewhere else, and the kid walking in the park searching the bushes wasn't quite as exciting - or as illegal!

[+do not resuscitate]

While this doesn't actually involve a confrontation with an LEO, this was a eventful hunt. It was on a recreation trail that runs behind residences on both sides. This is my log entry for Tally Ho (gcmfq6)

 

Here's a bit of a warning for those seeking this cache. We had just barely got there and was waiting for my Etrex to settle down and a resident near gz came out and started accusing me of being a peeping-tom as he was taking my picture and threatening to call the cops. I mean, I realize that sometimes geocachers may annoy homeowners, but this was crazy. It was me and my wife and our dog on a hiking trail in broad daylight, so I felt he was out-of-line for making the accusation, but we apologized and moved on. I found out that I don't like hunting near residences. Just thought you would like to know...

[+2Trailblazers]

Saw this article in the Green bay Press Gazette in Green bay, WI

 

March 16, 2009

 

Suspicious package used for geocaching in Allouez

 

By Nathan Phelps

nphelps@greenbaypressgazette.com

 

ALLOUEZ — Members of the Brown/Outagamie County Bomb Squad were called to Optimist Park on Sunday morning to investigate a suspicious device that turned out to be part of a high-tech treasure hunt.

 

Officers were called to the park at the southwest corner of Libal Street and Kalb Avenue around 8:30 a.m. after a resident reported suspicious activity.

 

The object was rendered safe by deputies and determined to harmless, though the PVC tube — wrapped in camouflaged tape — initially appeared to be a possible bomb.

 

Sheriff's deputies determined the tube was used for geocaching, a hobby where people locate hidden containers outdoors and share their experiences online.

 

"Geocaching is a legitimate activity, unfortunately the way this particular cache was constructed it appeared to be an improvised explosive device," said Lt. Keith Deneys of the Brown County Sheriff's Department. "In today's world climate we don't have any other choice but to handle it as an improvised explosive device."

 

The incident was still under investigation on Sunday afternoon.

[+geospyder]

Here is a log from a cache I found last October. The cache is a long piece of PVC capped on both ends. One end has a black string attached. The cache was place in a hole in a rock. The string was so you could pull it out. BUT - it really looks like a huge firecracker.

 

"As I pull into the parking lot I see a number of Reno PD vehicles. I do a quick look around to make sure I'm not interfering with some sort of police action. Seems OK so I park and start looking for the cache. I hear "What are you looking for sir?" All the officers are coming toward me - but with smiles on their faces. I tell them about Geocaching and they said "It is right there." pointing to it.

 

Apparently the last cacher was spotted replacing it this morning by one of the casino employees and they called Reno PD. At first the RPD thought it may have been a bomb and called the bomb squad. It was determined it wasn't a bomb but they also suspected drugs. If anyone has smelled heroin, take a whiff of the log. Very similar."

 

Showing them my Sheriff's ID probably helped a little

[+fullhseluvr1982]

This article is about a cache that was mistaken for a bomb in Bridgeport, OH

 

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=36157

[+andyfee]

Around 22:45 going for an FTF, noticed a few police cars in the car park then thought better of it and decided to drive home.

 

After 10 min driving, blue light, I pull over, officer gets out of the car.

 

"Evening, How are you this Evening ?"

Me:"Great thank you, what seems to be the problem?"

"Just wanted to know why did you pulled into the car park and then drove away" ...... Walks around the car, I get out.... He looks on the pasenger seat

"Whats the reason for the torch ?"

"I do a hobby called Geocaching"

"mmm, what about the other torch"

"Just In case the batteries run out I can swap over quicky"

"Do you mind If I have a look in the car ?"

"No it's fine I have nothing untoward in there"

Looks around and asks agian" So why did you pulled into the car park and then drive away"

"There is a 1st to find near the car park, and I was going to look for it, but thought there was an problem in there car park as I seen you guys in there, and did not want to get involved"

"Sorry but you are now"

"Going back to this, geoca....geo lark, what is it about?"

I explained about GPRs and boxes in the country side.

"So there is one near the car park then"

"There a geocaches all over the place"

"mmmm" Walks back to the car talks to other officer

Comes back

"You can go now, not to sure about the geo lark though"

"Ok, sorry for the trouble it's great fun though officer"

 

I drive off home to do the cache a few weeks later.

[+HOGFEVER]

This article is about a cache that was mistaken for a bomb in Bridgeport, OH

 

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=36157

Actually that's pretty scary when they talk about bringing charges against someone.

[+The Fall Guy]

So who would they charge?

[+fullhseluvr1982]

I actually know the people that placed the cache and they were questioned for hours on end. But in the end they didn't charge anyone. But I think Law Enforcement Officers should have a better understanding of our sport.