+vwaldoguy Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) Was showing my brother and family how to cache this morning. The only nearby cache in their town that we could do on short notice (we were headed back home) was a 5star hide on a caboose in a local park. I said I thought it would be impossible for us to find it, but we tried anyhow. Six of us looked but came home cacheless. We were soon muggled by three young kids from across the street offering to show us the cache location for $10. They obvsiously knew what we were doing. I politely said no. They did offer a few hints to the possible location, but kept asking for the money. Their mom came out a short bit later and the hustling quickly stopped. Anyone else ever been hustled for cash for the hidden cache location? I'm just getting into this myself (only 15 finds), but had to laugh at the entrepreneurship of these young kids (aged 3 to 12). While it would have been funny to log a 5-star find, it didn't feel right, and certainly not worth $10! Then I had to wonder, maybe instead of selling lemonade, kids nowadays would offer hints and cache locations for cash instead. Parents could hide the caches, and let their children hustle money out of strangers for the hiding place. Edited October 13, 2008 by vwaldoguy Quote Link to comment
+DanOCan Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 A local cacher was hunting for a micro when a homeless fella wandered up to him and held out a film canister and asked "This what you looking for?" He responded "Yeah" and the homeless guy asked him how much it was worth to him. He offered $5 (I think) and took the film canister with him to return to the cache owner. There's a Needs Maintenence log if I ever saw one. Quote Link to comment
+gmcpower98 Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 There's a Needs Maintenence log if I ever saw one. [] No Kidding!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment
+J-Way Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 A local cacher was hunting for a micro when a homeless fella wandered up to him and held out a film canister and asked "This what you looking for?" He responded "Yeah" and the homeless guy asked him how much it was worth to him. He offered $5 (I think) and took the film canister with him to return to the cache owner. There's a Needs Maintenence log if I ever saw one. Something similar to that happened near my office. A couple was looking for a devious little micro and a panhandler offered to help. He found the cache, and asked for payment for his services. Later, the cache went missing, so I believe the panhandler took it. Incidentally, I personally believe that Chattanooga, TN, is the panhandling capital of Tennessee. There are even local laws stating where and when people can beg for money. There's this one poor guy who has a flat tire on his car who's been trying to get to a hospital to visit his mom for 3 years now. All he needs is a few bucks for a can of fix-a-flat. His mom must be REALLY sick. Quote Link to comment
+Sioneva Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 <snip> Incidentally, I personally believe that Chattanooga, TN, is the panhandling capital of Tennessee. There are even local laws stating where and when people can beg for money. There's this one poor guy who has a flat tire on his car who's been trying to get to a hospital to visit his mom for 3 years now. All he needs is a few bucks for a can of fix-a-flat. His mom must be REALLY sick. Be kind to him! Buy him a tire! Quote Link to comment
+Kit Fox Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 A local cacher was hunting for a micro when a homeless fella wandered up to him and held out a film canister and asked "This what you looking for?" He responded "Yeah" and the homeless guy asked him how much it was worth to him. He offered $5 (I think) and took the film canister with him to return to the cache owner. There's a Needs Maintenence log if I ever saw one. You payed $5.00 bucks for a carpy film canister! What a rip off. I have to admire the kids trying to make money as geocaching guides. Quote Link to comment
+webscouter. Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 Wouldn't the kids be considered "special equipment"? Quote Link to comment
+TeamThom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 In the late winter, but no snow on the ground, I was looking for a cache in a bush in a very small park. I wasn't making very good progress because of all the foot traffic in the area. Then a homeless guy came up to me and offered to pick up all the litter in the park. He was sure that we could agree upon a price. He wouldn't take no for an answer, finally I had to leave. If he had known about the cache I'm sure he would have bargained for it. Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I had a fisherman try to hustle me (cash for cache hints) one day as I was looking for a tough, often DNFed hide on a fishing pier. I left, but have been sorry I didn't just give him $ to show me the cache ;-)...seems like just another way to make a find, and it was archived before I got a chance to go back and hunt it again Glad to know kids are growing up entrepreneurial ... Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Since you DNFed, I can't help but wonder if the kids would have taken you to their garage where they moved the cache had you paid them the $10. Quote Link to comment
+vwaldoguy Posted October 13, 2008 Author Share Posted October 13, 2008 Dino, that's what I suspect, that the kids have actually removed this cache. Who knows. My brother said he'd go back again to try to find this. Quote Link to comment
+Dnalsi Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 This whole problem starts with people hiding caches in very busy, very public places to begin with. Quote Link to comment
+Viajero Perdido Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 The problem with paying money for caches, or (more commonly) leaving money in caches, is that eventually people figure out that's where the money is. When wandering scavengers start looking for cache hiding spots (piles of sticks, etc), the local caches are doomed. Leaving money in a cache is like leaving an open package of bacon in your tent, in bear country. Quote Link to comment
+bflentje Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I've paid a heck of a lot more than $10 for a cache. Just finished up the Minnesota State Park Geocaching History Challenge last month. A cache in each of the 72 state parks, 4 regional caches, and then the state bonus cache. Total milage was in excess of 5500 miles with a calculated cost per cache of about $23, after fuel, lodging, food, boat launch, speeding ticket, etc. Quote Link to comment
GPS-Hermit Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 This whole problem starts with people hiding caches in very busy, very public places to begin with. Busy locations are predictable problems and should be avoided unless the cache page says when it might be muggle free. Quote Link to comment
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