TB Hotels: Good, Bad, ....?

[+BigOpe]

I posted in the general Groundspeak forum suggesting it might be neat to be able to search for caches specifically identified as TB hotels, or motels, or depots, or whatever. First response said "that's an unofficial category, every cache is a TB cache, you dummy!" Second response said "designated TB caches just lead to more Muggling."

 

After sulking for awhile I decided that's an interesting question, but needed to move to this forum. Should there be caches that specialize in TBs? If so, should there be a way to search for them so that while traveling, one can drop off a handful of TBs and pick up a handful of new ones in the interest of supporting the whole TB "thing"?

 

I enjoy playing the TB part of the game, though I've been frustrated from time to time at finding a TB with no attached clue about its mission. I've also found TBs from time to time in caches that are way out in the boonies, and when I read or research their mission statement I say "yeah, like that's gonna happen with this thing parked way out here at the end of the known universe!"

 

What say you, other cachers interested enough to log onto this particular forum?

[+wavector]

I posted in the general Groundspeak forum suggesting it might be neat to be able to search for caches specifically identified as TB hotels, or motels, or depots, or whatever. First response said "that's an unofficial category, every cache is a TB cache, you dummy!" Second response said "designated TB caches just lead to more Muggling."

 

After sulking for awhile I decided that's an interesting question, but needed to move to this forum. Should there be caches that specialize in TBs? If so, should there be a way to search for them so that while traveling, one can drop off a handful of TBs and pick up a handful of new ones in the interest of supporting the whole TB "thing"?

 

I enjoy playing the TB part of the game, though I've been frustrated from time to time at finding a TB with no attached clue about its mission. I've also found TBs from time to time in caches that are way out in the boonies, and when I read or research their mission statement I say "yeah, like that's gonna happen with this thing parked way out here at the end of the known universe!"

 

What say you, other cachers interested enough to log onto this particular forum?

 

The Travel Bug is one of the two basic pieces in geocaching and every Travel Bug is owned by another geocacher. The owner of the travel Bug selects the mission they would like to see accomplished and then other geocachers help the owner by assisting the TB to achieve it's goals. If you find a TB without a mission tag then your log will tell the owner the TB is OK even if you can't help with the owner selected mission. There are a lot of geocachers who fail to grasp that the TB isn't there to increase their enjoyment of this activity, it is like a geocache in that it represents an opportunity to connect to another geocacher. If you geocache you will find TB's in caches, help them out by moving them along.

There are good TB hotels - they are secure, they are larger and above all the owner of the cache is interested in helping the TB's achieve the missions selected by the TB owner. Unfortunately there are many hotels that have restrictions on the TB's. A simple phrase like "Please make sure there is one TB in this cache all the time." is a clear indicator that the cache owner has no respect for other geocachers, no one should restrict the movement of TB's.

 

If you find a TB and you can help with it's mission, take it and help it. If you find ten TB's sitting in a cache and you can help move them along, help them all. If you think that TB's are used to increase the interest others might show in a cache you own you wouldn't be helping the TB's you would be helping yourself. If you want to make a TB hotel then go ahead, just remember that the purpose of the TB hotel styled geocache is to assist the TB's, don't go out and collect TB's to place in your hotel, that is just helping yourself at the expense of the TB owner.

 

The concept of a TB hotel has been thoroughly abused and it has created a situation where few people will respond positively to the idea. TB hotels tend to concentrate TB's and when the cache goes missing all the TB's are lost. TB Hotel owners go out and gather the TB's they see to place in their cache, they are helping themselves at the expense of other geocachers and the worst of the TB hotels have restrictions on the movement of TB's, those people ( I won't call them geocachers) don't understand this activity at all.

 

Don't be surprised to see negative reactions to the idea of supporting any TB hotel feature, it probably won't happen. If you want to own a TB hotel then get a large container, make sure it is hidden in a secure location and write it up so that people know it is there to help geocachers help TB's. People will appreciate that you have hidden a larger cache and they will drop off TB's, and there you go, you have a TB hotel.

[+Eartha]

There have been many discussions in here on the pros and cons of calling a cache a TB hotel. Check my post in the most recent thread. It has links to previous threads on the subject.

 

Any cache is a good cache for a TB, if the TB fits. We lose more trackables in poorly placed TB hotels that get muggled, or even washed downstream. Personally, I am not a fan of TB Hotels. And those with restrictions such as "you must leave one for each one you take" are labeled as TB Prisons, and should not have restrictions on them. The goal of the TB supercedes the wishes of the cache owner.

[+Renegade Knight]

...What say you, other cachers interested enough to log onto this particular forum?

 

At worst a TB hotel is a horrid place to store your TB with a bonus of rules that restrict it's travel.

 

At best a TB hotel is a well placed secure cache with room for lots of bugs that has easy access and encourages TB exchange and travel more so than a regular cache placed for the other purposes that caching has.

 

TB Hotels can be better or worse depending on where it fits in the scale.

My TB Hotel was not located because it was a great cache spot. Hopefully it's at the higher end of the scale.

[+DamhuisClan]

I am contemplating in creating a TB hotel. I like seeing where all the TB's come from, and have learnt a great deal of other countries, states, and areas, as well as interesting locations, because of TB's and coins.

 

We seem to have quite a few problems here in South Africa, with caches going missing, and a TB hotel would be one way of making sure that most of them stay secure. But I would agree, a TB hotel does concentrate the TB's into spots, but it could help the TB's to quicker on their missions. Maybe it is up to the owners of these hotels to spread them out into neighbouring caches for others to find.

 

I always have a TB with me that belongs to someone else, and try and put it into every cache we visit, and then upload some photos, for the owner to see. I have had some great feedback from owners.

[+Chi-Town Cacher]

I agree with the majority of people on the Forums that say a TB Hotel can be either good or bad depending on its location and whether the Hotel's owner placed restrictions on TBs movements or not. I'm a new geocacher so I only have limited experience myself. My limited experience tells me that my TB sitting in a Hotel in Alabama is in a great place since the owner does not try to dictate whether my bug can move or not. On the other hand my TB sitting in a TB "Hotel" (really a prison with a pretty name) in Arizona is in not such a great situation. Luckily the one in Arizona was only recently placed in the "hotel" so I'm hoping somebody will come along soon who knows that the proper thing to do is move it regardless of what the warden of the "prison" demands. Anyways that's my 2 cents on the hot topic. Happy caching!

[+delphic]

It shouldn't be necessary to make TB hotels "searchable." For the most part, the most useful TB hotels are located near major highway interchanges, airports, or other heavily traveled locations. If I really want to find a TB hotel I can find one at these locations.

[+PlantAKiss]

Since a TB can be dropped in any cache they will fit in, I don't see the need to have a search for TB Hotels.

 

TB Hotels are ok but personally I don't care for restrictions. TBs are meant to travel so, let 'em. Why have a one-for-one rule which might limit what bugs can be moved?