Etiquette/procedure when grabbing unlogged TB's

[+theBIGbadman]

I attempted to search for this answer and maybe I just missed it, but I recently grabbed some TB's from a cache that were not logged into the cache. I realize that some people don't log their actions immediately, so I gave them a week. After a week, I sent the cacher an email asking them to please log the TB's into the cache so I could move them on - and have not received a response.

What is the proper etiquette for this and if I don't receive an answer and/or the TB's don't get logged by this cacher, what is the procedure for getting these TB's logged ? Thanks in advance.

 

theBIGbadman.

[+StarBrand]

You have done what I would have. I will wait upwards of 2 weeks but usually just 10 days or so before logging it and making sure it is moving again. Life happens - they may be on a vacation or just away from thier PC. That is when I very rarely grab travel bugs.

[+Rockin Roddy]

Maybe even a bit longer this time of year, people go on vacations, spend extended time away from their computers etc. I'd email again maybe another week from now and then wait another before grabbing them. It doesn't hurt them to be idle as long as you have them safe anyways! I know of friends who went on a cruise and couldn't get a lot of access to the internet (expensive), they were gone nearly 3 weeks. Also, people sometimes have life get in the way as well!

 

People tend to get a bit cranky if you grab them before they can complete their drop! Now, if they do continue to not answer or whatever, then maybe grabbing from them is the option...after giving plenty of time to get things done.

[Skippermark]

I post a note to the TB page saying that I have picked it up from a cache and am waiting to grab it until it's dropped off in the cache. If the person holding it never drops it, I'll grab it from them and then "dip" it into the cache where I found it so it gets proper credit for being there.

 

If I'm on vacation and moving TBs, I'll take a few minutes at the end of the day to go to the WAP site on my phone and pick up and drop any TB movements that I made during the day, so they're as up to date as possible.

[+The Jester]

I post a note to the TB page saying that I have picked it up from a cache and am waiting to grab it until it's dropped off in the cache. If the person holding it never drops it, I'll grab it from them and then "dip" it into the cache where I found it so it gets proper credit for being there.

 

If I'm on vacation and moving TBs, I'll take a few minutes at the end of the day to go to the WAP site on my phone and pick up and drop any TB movements that I made during the day, so they're as up to date as possible.

I do about the same thing, if you get no response 'dip' (log into that cache) the TB's.

 

If someone has grabbed a TB I dropped before I can log it, if they haven't dipped it, I'll grab it back and log it in normally. I then send a email to let them know what I did. I've even 'pulled' them out of another cache, log them in my drop, and then back into the existing cache (deleting the extra logs so the TB page looks clean).

 

I started carrying baggies and labels with "Dropped by The Jester on vacation. Please don't grab from me. Will log ASAP." with the date of the drop. It's helped.

[+ventura_kids]

Just take the travelbug and drop it in another geocache.

That way it's no longer your problem.

 

 

[Dogboy_56]

"Just take the travelbug and drop it in another geocache.

That way it's no longer your problem. "

 

I am sure this is not in the spirit of the game. I agree with other posts saying that all geocachers should have the oppurtunity to log. A simple email, and a waiting period wont hurt anyone. If you dont have patience to have travelbugs and geocoins logged properly and fairly for everyone, including previous holders, current holders, and the owner, the answer is very simple....dont collect the trackable item.

[+oldnavy59]

If they have logged the cache and not the Tb's I'd grab them, if they haven't logged the cache try to be patient

[+SkellyCA]

I had this very problem just a few weeks ago. I emailed the person who didn't log it as placed and asked him to(nicely) log it; no response. I waited a week and then logged it that I grabbed it from him. Then placed it. It's still where I placed it.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Travel Bug forum.

[Maine Family]

I would check there profile. The profile will tell you if they have been logging caches and TB's. They might be new and not understand how to do it. A lot of people create an email account for caching and don't check it very often. Sometimes it goes to the spam folder and people don't check. If they haven't been logging anything then I would edit my log at the cache and say you took the TB so people going to the cache won't be expecting a TB then wait a little longer. If they have been logging caches and other TB's then I would grab it from them and move it on.

[+NanCycle]

"I started carrying baggies and labels with "Dropped by The Jester on vacation.

Please don't grab from me. Will log ASAP." with the date of the drop. It's helped."

 

Jester, that is an excellent idea!

Edited December 28, 2008 by DoubleBent

[+tokencollector]

What I do depends on the situation. If I find an unlogged TB in a cache that hasn't been visited in a while, I'll typically grab the TB, drop it in the cache, then retrieve it from the cache.

 

If it's been found recently. I'll check to see if it has been held by a recent cache visitor. If so, I'll give them a little while to drop it in the cache. If not, I'll do the grab/grop/retrieve described above.

 

Although I'll occasionally hold onto a TB for a while, I try to get it dropped within a week or two. After all, a TB's mission is to travel - not wait around to be logged. In that spirit, I'll give a previous finder a little while to drop it then I'll grab/drop/retrieve it so that it can get proper mileage credit.

 

If I'm out caching, it can be a bit frustrating to log a cache and wonder where the TB is (in my profile) that I dropped. On the other hand, It's not really a big deal if someone "grabs" it from me AND marks it through the cache where I dropped it. As long as the TB is properly logged and keeps moving, it's mission is being accomplished.

[+rtreit]

I posted on this topic over in the Getting Started forum recently, but just found this thread. Trying to figure out what if anything I should do differently next time.

 

In my case, I found a cache a couple days ago (February 8th) that had a TB in it that was not listed in the cache. When I looked up the TB online, it was released in August and last grabbed in Louisiana on November 1st. Nothing since then, except that I found it in a cache here in Washington state. So the TB has been incognito for three months, which seems like a long time to me. I checked the current holder's activity and they created their account and grabbed the bug on the same day, but did not log the cache that they grabbed the TB from. In fact their account has no activity besides the 1 TB grab at all: no caches logged, last online November 1 (day the account was created and the TB grabbed), etc.

 

Interestingly enough, the only log for the cache on November 1 was from someone who mentioned they got to see a TB they had once had before.

 

So what I did was grab the bug from the current holder who grabbed it back in November, dip it in and out of the cache I had found it in (as suggested over in the Getting Started forum when I asked).

 

Since then I've learned that the more proper thing to do appears to be to e-mail the owner and give them more time to log the cache/TB drop.

 

So I guess what might do next time is e-mail the current holder and wait a week before grabbing the bug.

 

But...what I don't like about that is that it does not reflect reality: I have the bug in my possession, so I'd like to reflect that. Some reasons why I think e-mailing the holder doesn't make sense:

 

1. They did not log the cache they retrieved the TB from three months ago.

 

2. They did not sign the log at the cache where I found the TB. The last signature on the paper log at the cache where I found the TB was from back in November, and not by the current holder of the TB. So if they dropped off the bug while on vacation and were planning to log it soon, they should have signed the paper log. If I had seen that the current holder had signed the paper log in the cache but not yet logged it online, that would be one thing. But that's not the case here.

 

3. No activity on the account since it was created and grabbed the TB on November 1.

 

4. The TB has been MIA for three months. No notes posted to the effect of "taking on vacation and will drop shortly" within a few weeks of finding it, etc. And I'm sure the TB owner would like to see this bug resurrected and know what's going on with it. Delaying that for a week or more seems a bit unfair in this case.

 

So based on that I think I maybe did the right thing. But then, I'm a newbie still and willing to take my lumps if this was egregious behavior. What do you all think?

 

rtreit

Edited February 10, 2009 by rtreit

[+WRASTRO]

I posted on this topic over in the Getting Started forum recently, but just found this thread. Trying to figure out what if anything I should do differently next time.

 

In my case, I found a cache a couple days ago (February 8th) that had a TB in it that was not listed in the cache. When I looked up the TB online, it was released in August and last grabbed in Louisiana on November 1st. Nothing since then, except that I found it in a cache here in Washington state. So the TB has been incognito for three months, which seems like a long time to me. I checked the current holder's activity and they created their account and grabbed the bug on the same day, but did not log the cache that they grabbed the TB from. In fact their account has no activity besides the 1 TB grab at all: no caches logged, last online November 1 (day the account was created and the TB grabbed), etc.

 

Interestingly enough, the only log for the cache on November 1 was from someone who mentioned they got to see a TB they had once had before.

 

So what I did was grab the bug from the current holder who grabbed it back in November, dip it in and out of the cache I had found it in (as suggested over in the Getting Started forum when I asked).

 

Since then I've learned that the more proper thing to do appears to be to e-mail the owner and give them more time to log the cache/TB drop.

 

So I guess what might do next time is e-mail the current holder and wait a week before grabbing the bug.

 

But...what I don't like about that is that it does not reflect reality: I have the bug in my possession, so I'd like to reflect that. Some reasons why I think e-mailing the holder doesn't make sense:

 

1. They did not log the cache they retrieved the TB from three months ago.

 

2. They did not sign the log at the cache where I found the TB. The last signature on the paper log at the cache where I found the TB was from back in November, and not by the current holder of the TB. So if they dropped off the bug while on vacation and were planning to log it soon, they should have signed the paper log. If I had seen that the current holder had signed the paper log in the cache but not yet logged it online, that would be one thing. But that's not the case here.

 

3. No activity on the account since it was created and grabbed the TB on November 1.

 

4. The TB has been MIA for three months. No notes posted to the effect of "taking on vacation and will drop shortly" within a few weeks of finding it, etc. And I'm sure the TB owner would like to see this bug resurrected and know what's going on with it. Delaying that for a week or more seems a bit unfair in this case.

 

So based on that I think I maybe did the right thing. But then, I'm a newbie still and willing to take my lumps if this was egregious behavior. What do you all think?

 

rtreit

You did the right thing based on the circumstances of the travel bug you found. I think the key really is to check the recent history of the bug, the cache and the cacher who may show as having the bug. If I find a bug that appears to have been dropped recently I will note it in my cache log and I will post a note on the bug page to let people know I have it. Then I wait so the cacher who dropped the bug has a chance to log it.

 

On a recent vacation trip I left a bug in a cache that I found a bit before noon. By the time I was able to log on in the early evening someone else had already grabbed it from me. This was only a few hours and they did not try to contact me in any way. So I grabbed it back from them and placed it in the cache where I left it. They figured it out when they got home from vacation and grabbed it back out of the cache.

 

Patience is a good thing as is checking the recent history. You did the right thing.

[+BlueDeuce]

Past on line activity, or lack thereof, does not provide any information about when the bug had been dropped off. It could have been five minutes before you got there.

 

Courtesy would indicate that in most normal situations you would wait a reasonable time for the placer to do the logging.

 

Your situation doesn't look to be that normal so I wouldn't worry about grabbing it right away.

Edited February 10, 2009 by BlueDeuce

[+wavector]

But...what I don't like about that is that it does not reflect reality: I have the bug in my possession, so I'd like to reflect that.

 

That is the truth right there.

If I found a travel bug on Saturday I wouldn't wait longer than Monday or Tuesday before grabbing it and dipping it to correct the mileage, I would definitely "grab" it before I went geocaching again. That travel bug belongs to a geocacher who wants to know where it is and you have it in your hands, that should be reflected in the logs.

You are not depriving anyone of anything when you "grab" the bug and dip it to ensure correct mileage.

Anyone can write a note to the bug page if they want to recount some adventure. If they haven't logged a cache they can go ahead and log it just the same and even mention they dropped the travel bug there, there is nothing to prevent them from doing this. Their trackable find count is gathered when the bug is picked up so no objection exists on those grounds. As long as you mention you found the bug in the cache and dip it in there everything is fine, the bug owner is happy, the logs reflect reality and the person who had the bug can go ahead and log the cache whenever they want, your waiting serves no purpose. There are many reasons why logs might be delayed but travel bugs should not be delayed by logs.

You are doing the right thing in accounting to the owner of the travel bug, the geocacher who has the bug is not deprived of anything, I can imagine that this log type would never cause etiquette issues if it had been called "I Have It" instead of "Grabbed it".

Edited February 11, 2009 by wavector

[+Eartha]

If you are going to grab it, and it's in a cache it's not logged into, wait about a week, then grab it, and log it through that cache to give it the miles it should have. This is why the logging options were changed long ago. It used to be "retrieve and drop" only. Now you can grab it from somewhere else too. The trackable should be logged through. The person who did not log the drop already has credit for the pick up. No harm, no foul.

Sometimes you'll see it still being in the previous cache. That's usually someone who doesn't know how to log at all. Just log it.

[+lotochrome]

I have this problem from time to time, both with bugs I find and bugs I leave.

 

When I find a TB that has not been logged I wait a week or so and then email the owner. I have always got a fast reply, and the TB dropped.

 

When I travel I often pick up and drop off TBs along the way. When I return home I log all my geocaching, and TBs at the same time. I often work late, I don’t have any of my Geocaching software on my work laptop, so it is just a lot easier for me to do it all when I return home, most of the time it is less than 5 days and never more than 12 days. I do not this it is unreasonable to email someone and ask before you grab something out of their hands.

 

It really makes me mad when some does this. Can they not even take the time to check the holders log to check their activity? Have they logged the cache? In the last 2 weeks I have had people grab a TB from me that was not even in the cache 3 days.

 

I really think this topic should be pinned to the top, so people can easily find out what to do when they find an unlogged TB.

[+Peter & Di]

On Saturday we returned from holiday 250 miles away and brought back a coin which we took to an event near our home. We dropped it into one of the caches placed for the event, rather than at the actual event. As we'd fetched it a fair distance we wanted to move it on quickly. Came home later that afternoon and started logging our finds and tb's. When it came to the cache we'd dropped the coin in we couldn't drop it into the cache as it had already been grabbed. The coin is now in this person's hands. We just posted a note on the coin's page, but it was a bit annoying as we'd taken the trouble to bring it back with us. Oh well...maybe we shoudn't have taken it anywhere near an event.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Peteranddi

[+BlueDeuce]

You can send a note to the person and work out doing a back drop so the bug gets credit for being there

 

Or if you still have the tracking number you could wait until it's dropped into another cache and I could give you the easy steps to fix the logging.

 

lemme know.

[+Searchalot and Le Truc]

Unlogged TBs Etiquette what etiquette

 

We placed a TB in a cache and within the couple of hours of the placement it was grabbed before we were able to log it in. They didn't even have the courtesy to wait a few hours for us to make the log entry.

 

As this was the first time it's happened to us it was quite a problem to know what we had to do. Just hope this person doesn't come anywhere near us again - perhaps they're too eager.