Geocaching is Dangerous: Discuss

[+The_Street_Searchers]

Hi All

 

This sort of fits in with the wierd caching stories but I want to know how you guys avoid sticky situations.

 

I was out in Havant yesterday lunch time during, surprisingly, my lunch break.

 

I had found a really tricky micro which gave me the final cache location, I was on fire, In the zone, nothing could stop me. And then as I was in a small clump of trees a group of local youth arrived. The general area looked like a youth hangout with cans and bottles littered around. I scotted around the back before they had seen me and tried to find an alternative exit but there were none. So I made to leave only to have a barrage of abuse etc as the 4 youth members started to kick off. I got out ok but it left me a bit shaken and question the value of Urban caching. I could quite easily turned back up at work with a black eye and less my GPS. Have to be honest it has put me off a bit

 

What do you guys think?

 

Stories / Advice welcome.

 

The Street Searchers

[+Stokesy]

For me this is the dilemma with urban caching. It's far safer during the day, but generally too many people about. Nice and quiet at night, but those that are about could "prove troublesome".

 

As I tend to do most of my caching alone, if I think that an area is "dodgy" for any reason, I just walk away, it really isn't about the numbers. I am lucky to have 4 limbs, 2 eyes and all my fingers and toes, and I'd like to keep it that way!

 

I have found myself in a couple of situations where "youths" appeared to be gathering, and in once instance I had to leave with the cache and go back some time later to return it! Fortunately I've experienced nothing worse than a few strange looks....they probably thought I was the dodgy one....

[Puds+Tubs]

Hi,

 

Thank you for sharing your stories as I think it will make us all more aware of our surroundings!!

Schools are all on hols. this week so the kids are hanging around looking for amusement. I think we need to bear this in mind when the school hols. are on.

Edited February 17, 2009 by Puds+Tubs

[+MartyBartfast]

Life is dangerous, and Geocaching is no more so IMHO.

 

Only problem I've ever had was doing a cache on the riverside walk near the Millenium Dome, again during lunchour. It was a cache I'd been to before and I wanted to drop off a TB. When I got to the GZ there was a bloke standing by his bike with a PDA in hand and TBH he had the look of a geocacher, so I just said to him "Hi are you looking for the Geocache?" he obviously had no idea what I was talking about and I reckon he though I was trying to pick him up, and he really went off on one "**** off you filthy *******" etc, so I left him to it and walked on by. I don't think it was a particularly dangerous situation, and he probably felt just as threatened as I did (probably more so). Apart from that I've met groups of kids, teenagers, adults before and just ignored them and not had any problems.

[+JeremyR]

If the area is full of glass bottles and litter and a hangout for abusive teenagers, you might consider advising the cache owner (in an email) that their location has become somewhat less 'friendly'. It's up to them whether they then do nothing, move the final, archive or just warn people in the listing. In any case, you've told them and they can't do anything about the situation unless you do that much.

 

It's a shame that a loud and abusive minority of young people spoil the general perception of teenagers in Britain today...

[+Pharisee]

It's a shame that a loud and abusive minority of young people spoil the general perception of teenagers in Britain today...

 

Unfortunately, I believe that the loud and abusive bunch have done a lot to create the general perception that the majority of teenagers are that way however unfounded that may be

[+mickyz]

The exact same thought i had about Havant or leigh park really,

left the area alone for ages especially school holidays.

 

I wasn't too sure the day i went but it had just rained, so

not many kids about. Got quite a few done that day , because of

that reason.

 

Never went caching once when the schools packed up

last summer.

 

Sorry to hear about your experience Street searchers

[+drsolly]

 

Stories / Advice welcome.

 

The Street Searchers

 

I carry a big stick with a pointy end.

 

My main hazard is falling over and falling off my bike. Fortunately, there's always plenty of mud to land on.

[+Haggis Hunter]

As already said I would advise the cache owner of what happened, if they do nothing make a post on their cache page so others know.

 

You also have to consider that these teenagers have broken the law, they have caused alarm and distress to yourself. Once you felt relatively safe you should have called the police and if possible waited for their attendance, if nothing more they would have got a warning and it may have been enough to let them know that their little prank* had caused you to have felt threatened.

 

*I use the word prank loosely. I work in security at a university and I know from first hand experience that to the younger generation that what they see as just a bit of fun can actually be breaking the law, and that is people that wish to become part of our educated class.

Edited February 18, 2009 by Haggis Hunter

[+mcwomble]

As a solo gent cacher, I generally am very wary of where I go caching during the school holiday periods, in particular parkland / urban woodland settings or generally any area where kids could be playing unsupervised.

[+currykev]

Walk on or use extreme violence!

The choice is yours.

 

Edited to add - The above comment does not condone violence.

It's just a "serving suggestion"

Edited February 19, 2009 by currykev

[+Haggis Hunter]

I can't believe that there is more than one person on here that has hinted or outright condoned the use of violence. Always walk away but be prepared to defend yourself if required. Believe it or not, defence starts by talking to them, only go hands on if you are 100% sure you are about to be physically assaulted.

 

I also can't believe that all teenagers are being labelled the same, there are good kids out there you know!!

[+Pharisee]

In a 'sticky situation'... always make sure that you're tooled up for the job in hand.

 

 

 

[+Dark_Faerie]

Some teenagers found one of my caches in a park. They signed the log book and hoped we all had lots of fun. So they're not all bad.

 

I often go out alone and have never felt threatened. I do worry about injuring myself and noone knowing were I've gone on the way home from work. Went climbing around on a steep slope in the Peak District yesterday (near a layby) got really strange looks from 2 lads who stopped to adjust their bike rack - probably because I was still wearing smart trousers and shoes.

[+jerryo]

Of course, there's also any hazard involving the cache itself, and the fact that some are more dangerous than others. In such a case, following the advice on the page is a sensible idea.