Secret sign/word

[MorningLightMountain]

So, I'm brand new to the world of geocaching-found my first one today actually! I was wondering if there are any "secret" signs or passwords to distinguish other cachers from mugglers? For example, if I was in a park looking for a cache but saw someone else standing around awkwardly, it would be nice to be able to tell if they were a muggler or not. If we were both cachers we might assume each other are mugglers and then not get anything done.

 

If there are no such things I think it would be fun to come up with some! Then again, GeoCaching allows my nerd side to come to life.

[+trainlove]

I know of none.

Having found 2200+ caches I've run into dozens of cachers, and hundreds of muggles. I sometimes still think a muggle might be a cacher, and get burned all the time.

Perhaps if you say, "is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me" then might run away.

 

Just recently WeatherednBoston and I were at the mega event in Quebec, Canada, and afterwards, while finding one of our 100+ finds for our trip, we were at a magnetic cache at a cull-de-sac mailbox when a car pulled up before we could replace the cache. It was several minutes before we noticed they had a Pennsylvania license plate and they noticed that we had a Massachusetts license plate and figured out we were all cachers. We then went with them to find a few more caches and his 1000'th find.

[+kraushad]

Yes, you are supposed to put your left index finger on your forehead, stare into the sky (directly at the sun if possible) and then say as loud as possible "I believe that the satellite people are monitoring my brain" three times get louder and faster each time as you spin around in a circle (counterclockwise).

 

If the other person is a cacher, they will hop on their right foot while making wing flapping movements with their arms, shouting "are you the gatekeeper, because I am the keymaster."

 

If the other person corrals their young children and runs away quickly, while feverishly dialing the police on their cell phones, then they are muggles.

 

Seriously I don't know of any special greetings or handshakes.

Edited December 1, 2008 by kraushad

[crawil]

Markwell, post #5.

[+Prime Suspect]

I've found that shouting "Hey! Are you a geocacher?" works remarkably well.

[+Buggheart]

I just usually walk up and ask "did you find it?" and that seems to work well for me.

[+webscouter.]

BrianSnat has the definitive answer so I will just quote him here.

 

When you see a possible geocacher you are to yell "Ho! Are ye a geocacher" The proper response is "Yay, a geocacher am I".

 

Once you get the proper response you stand facing each other and put your right hand on the other geocacher's left shoulder.

 

You then skip together in a circle while loudly repeating in unison, "Geocachers are we, runny munny mee. Ha ha ha, Tee hee hee" This should continue for no less than 5 minutes.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Warning: "Are you looking for what I'm looking for" is not the proper question. The 'someone else standing around awkwardly' was probably lookiing for something very different.

[+Prime Suspect]

BrianSnat has the definitive answer so I will just quote him here.

 

When you see a possible geocacher you are to yell "Ho! Are ye a geocacher" The proper response is "Yay, a geocacher am I".

 

Once you get the proper response you stand facing each other and put your right hand on the other geocacher's left shoulder.

 

You then skip together in a circle while loudly repeating in unison, "Geocachers are we, runny munny mee. Ha ha ha, Tee hee hee" This should continue for no less than 5 minutes.

And while skipping in a circle, you can take the opportunity to calibrate your electronic compass.

[+Strider]

Try the GPS wave, wave to them with your GPS in your hand. If they are a cacher this should be enough. Though a secret hand sign would be cool

[MorningLightMountain]

Yes, you are supposed to put your left index finger on your forehead, stare into the sky (directly at the sun if possible) and then say as loud as possible "I believe that the satellite people are monitoring my brain" three times get louder and faster each time as you spin around in a circle (counterclockwise).

 

If the other person is a cacher, they will hop on their right foot while making wing flapping movements with their arms, shouting "are you the gatekeeper, because I am the keymaster."

 

If the other person corrals their young children and runs away quickly, while feverishly dialing the police on their cell phones, then they are muggles.

 

Seriously I don't know of any special greetings or handshakes.

 

I will try that one for sure! But seriously, I think that the somewhat odd facets of the hobby lend itseld to a secret sign of some kind. I mean, it's sort of a treasure hunt for adults so it would be fun to make it into a secret club! But not so secret that we don't try to increase its popularity

[+gelfling6]

I usually look to see if they'er holding a GPS too.. It's usually a dead giveaway..

[+vw_k]

If another cacher sees you searching and you have a GPSr then it's pretty obvious what you're doing, usually the cachers I've met haven't had to say anything to me.

 

Saying "geocaching?" usually works as to muggles that word in itself makes no sense! Yet a geocacher would answer you.

[woolsox]

I just look for the person pretending that their GPS is a cell phone. Or the one’s with all the scratches on their face and hands. Really after you have done it awhile you can mostly tell if someone is caching or just happens to be in the area. Enjoy your adventures.

 

Woolsox

[+Mar-elendili]

The very few times we've encountered other cachers (and it was pretty clear they were), I held out the GPS and said : Looks like we're here for the same thing.

But I wouldn't do that if I wasn't sure...

It's not like there are that many cachers around in my place.

[+WebChimp]

I was wondering if there are any "secret" signs or passwords to distinguish other cachers from mugglers?

 

Yes, there are. However, since they are secret, we can't tell you about them. Sorry.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I usually look to see if they'er holding a GPS too.. It's usually a dead giveaway..

 

Usually? Perhaps. But not always. Met a Map Corps member that way once. And a few people with GPSs who had no idea what geocaching was. On the other fin, I met some geocachers wandering about looking for the event that hadn't started yet. We started the event without the event organizer!

[+bobndwoods]

If another cacher sees you searching and you have a GPSr then it's pretty obvious what you're doing, usually the cachers I've met haven't had to say anything to me.

 

Saying "geocaching?" usually works as to muggles that word in itself makes no sense! Yet a geocacher would answer you.

 

A la Smothers Brothers' "Cowboy's Lament":

 

"I can see by your GPSr that you are a geocacher."

"I see by your GPSr you are a geocacher too."

"We see by our GPSrs that we are both geocachers.

If you get a GPSr, you can be a geocacher too."

[+Oneyedjack]

 

I always thought this was the official international Geocaching sign!

 

Arrgh!

[+WRASTRO]

 

I always thought this was the official international Geocaching sign!

 

Arrgh!

Look at my avatar. I am a short hair. No way I could ever get that wave thing going! And don't even get me started on the bit about the opposing thumb...

[+Harry Dolphin]

Look at my avatar. I am a short hair. No way I could ever get that wave thing going! And don't even get me started on the bit about the opposing thumb...

 

At least you have paws. Try that with fins!

[+uxorious]

I wear a ball cap with the Geocaching logo on it. When I meet other cachers, they usually come up to me and say something like, " I see by your outfit you are a Geocacher".

 

I also have the same logo on my hardhat. However, it seems if I have a hardhat and safety vest on even other Geocachers don't pay me enough attention to notice the logo.

[MorningLightMountain]

 

I always thought this was the official international Geocaching sign!

 

Arrgh!

 

lmao. I could pull this off, well not the hair part but at least the eyebrows!

[groundhog123]

I wear a ball cap with the Geocaching logo on it. When I meet other cachers, they usually come up to me and say something like, " I see by your outfit you are a Geocacher".

 

I also have the same logo on my hardhat. However, it seems if I have a hardhat and safety vest on even other Geocachers don't pay me enough attention to notice the logo.

 

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

Edited December 4, 2008 by groundhog123

[+uxorious]

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

 

If I'm caching in an urban setting with lots of people around a hard hat and safety vest just makes a good camouflage. Wearing that and carrying a clipboard seems to make you disappear into the background.

Why do you wear them?

[groundhog123]

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

 

If I'm caching in an urban setting with lots of people around a hard hat and safety vest just makes a good camouflage. Wearing that and carrying a clipboard seems to make you disappear into the background.

Why do you wear them?

 

I wear them cause I have to for work. I am project manager on highway construction jobs.

[cahemeifucan]

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

 

If I'm caching in an urban setting with lots of people around a hard hat and safety vest just makes a good camouflage. Wearing that and carrying a clipboard seems to make you disappear into the background.

Why do you wear them?

 

Are you serious??

[+9Key]

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

 

If I'm caching in an urban setting with lots of people around a hard hat and safety vest just makes a good camouflage. Wearing that and carrying a clipboard seems to make you disappear into the background.

Why do you wear them?

 

Are you serious??

There's a fella in my area that wears the orange safety vest and carries a clipboard when doing caches in high muggle areas. Apparently it works for him. Ground Speak used to sell orange safety vests with the Geocaching logo on it, in fact.

[+J-Way]

Why do you wear a hard hat and safety vest? I wear them also.

If I'm caching in an urban setting with lots of people around a hard hat and safety vest just makes a good camouflage. Wearing that and carrying a clipboard seems to make you disappear into the background.

Why do you wear them?

Are you serious??

Yep, it works. Do YOU pay attention to people who are really cleaning parks, picking up trash on the side of the road, inspecting a guardrail, or working on the electrical system in a lamp post? Most of these people wear reflective safety vests while carrying a clipboard, and everybody ignores them. It helps of you drive a plain white vehicle.

 

And you really don't need the hard hat; a cheap reflective vest and clipboard will work.

[Team-woof]

I was wondering if there are any "secret" signs or passwords to distinguish other cachers from mugglers?

 

Yes, there are. However, since they are secret, we can't tell you about them. Sorry.

 

I was going to say, "we could tell but then we've have to kill you"

[+uxorious]

Are you serious??

 

Absolutely serious. I bought a safety vest to keep in the car, in case I looked for a cache in an area where hunting was in season. The safety vest is also a good thing to have if you have car trouble.

 

Bought the hard hat for $1 at a surplus store. (used hat.)

 

I don't use them very often, but it really does make you invisible in a high muggle area. I got the idea from someone else on these forums a while back.

[+Gipsie]

I remember when our group from SJG took a trip to Central Park. We were near a virtual and as we stood across the road looking at it, we saw a guy with a GPSr inhis hand walking around looking at the same virtual. My buddy Melcrim runs over, taps himon the shoulder and says, "Whatcha doing?". "Nothing", was the reply. He was acting uncomfortable and nervous. She says. "Well, I am doing nothing too", holding her GPS in her hand. He didn't seem to get it, so she adds, "And my friends are doing nothing too!" He looks over at the group of us and we all are holding up our GPSrs. Funny stuff. It was a cacher from Delaware not too far from us, and he hung out with us for part of the day.

[+reappear]

You should make a "gunslinger pose" and if the person you're looking at responds same way, you draw and see who's faster. Hopefully that muggle doesn't have a gun

[+geoing nuts]

Its nice to know that i am not the only one that keeps a hard hat handy. I have found that in high muggle area the only thing you need is the right attutude. If you don the "I have reason to be here and I am just doing my job" attitude no one pays you any attention.