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Dealing With a Cache Thief


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As for complete strangers WANTING and KEEPING photos of me and my family just seems too weird for me. :unsure: So I know that for me and my family this game will be OVER if we find out that this is starting to happen (even occasionally).

 

Well furtunatly for you, it is illigal in Canada to take the picture of someone without their permission (as per the Access to Information and Privacy Act). So the only way to legaly do this in Canada would be to have a notice in the area, and/or on the cache listing page...

Much the same is true in the state of Maryland in the US, and in several other US states, with the exception of photos taken in certain defined public spaces such as city streets and sidewalks.

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So does that mean that every time I've taken a photo and there has been someone in the background, like at a beach or a lookout spot, that's been against the law? There must be some usage clause or something, wouldn't there? Because then I have illegal material in frames all over the house?

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on TV.

 

But my understanding is that unless you plan on publicly exhibiting your photo, or use it for commercial purpose, and the person in the photo is either the main subject or clearly identifiable, the FBI (or the Canadian equivalent) is not going to come breaking down your door any time soon. Of course, Canadian laws may be different. But what's the point in having a law you can't enforce? Of course, that has never stopped politicians before..

 

If you do plan to sell photos of random strangers you happen to photograph, get them to sign a model release.

 

Anyway, sorry for the OT.

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Hey folks,

 

Am I the only one who gets tired of reading "LOL" at the end of nearly every sentence someone writes? I know my children and grandchildren call me old fashioned, but it one is going to communicate with others whether it is on a forum or in newsprint, it seems to me that one should try to do so in such a way that facilitates the effective communication of ideas rather than muddles the message. I see folks who only use lowercase letters, and those who only use uppecase letters, others who use no punctuation and seemingly have no clue that a sentence should make a complete thought.

 

In this thread, we had one fellow who seems to think the letters "lol" are a substitute for a period at the end of a sentence. Then again, he may just be the kind of guy that has to tell everyone how happy he is. I don't get it.

 

For Clan Riffster, I would like to say that I am not posting this under any sock puppy thing. David Wile is my real name, and I live in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. I don't have that many cache finds or forum posts, but that is because I just started GeoCaching in February while spending the winter in Florida with my wife. She is not one bit interested in the game, and I have only been able to get my grandchildren out with me one time.

 

There was a time when I would go for a walk for many miles to see beautiful sights across this nation. In the past two years, however, my feet and legs protest too much when I try to get them to climb up to Delicate Arch again or make another walk down the Grand Canyon. I guess that would keep me from being considered a serious GeoCacher in some folks eyes, but I do enjoy it even if most of my finds are urban and easy on the joints.

 

Best wishes,

Dave Wile

Edited by davidwile
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In this thread, we had one fellow who seems to think the letters "lol" are a substitute for a period at the end of a sentence. Then again, he may just be the kind of guy that has to tell everyone how happy he is.

 

W0ot wo0T...lol

 

Thanks for giving me a laugh tonight. Just when I was despairing at how the riches of the English language are being driven to extinction, you came along with just that touch of dry wit that I enjoy so much. And I'm being serious here, too, not sarcastic. gratia et pax

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For Clan Riffster, I would like to say that I am not posting this under any sock puppy thing.

Whoo Hoo!!

For the record, I'm not knocking sock puppets. In realistic terms, dang near everybody in here is a sock.

We adopt nicknames that fit our muse, our passions and/or our quirky sense of humor. These are the good socks.

Then there are folks with established geocaching identities who create a seperate account solely for the purpose of mischief.

These are the bad socks. (Bad Sock! No Dryer Sheet For You!) :ph34r:

The person I was refering to already has a well known, established geocaching persona. They created a new, unknown identity just to stir the pot.

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Wow, synchronized double posting. The forum server has reached a new height.

 

Oh wait, I forgot the lol

 

To davidwile : just teasing you. Such things will pass. Either ignore it or look for a filter that will strip out the letters lol from every page you read - I haven't looked, but I'm sure there is one around. Besides, maybe a liberal sprinkling of "lol" in every post is the trademark of a Real Geocacher

Edited by Chrysalides
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Wow, synchronized double posting. The forum server has reached a new height.

 

Oh wait, I forgot the lol

 

To davidwile : just teasing you. Such things will pass. Either ignore it or look for a filter that will strip out the letters lol from every page you read - I haven't looked, but I'm sure there is one around. Besides, maybe a liberal sprinkling of "lol" in every post is the trademark of a Real Geocacher

 

It could be done with a greasemonkey script, but I'm not able to find one on google that anyone has previously created for this task. I don't realy know enough about them to implement my own either. Oh well, and "LOL!".

 

As for the thief... bummer. Maybe a CIA-style homing beacon could do the trick? We could get Jack Bauer to track them down for us.

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I know my children and grandchildren call me old fashioned, but it one is going to communicate with others whether it is on a forum or in newsprint, it seems to me that one should try to do so in such a way that facilitates the effective communication of ideas rather than muddles the message.

 

When making a post like this critisizing others communication skills, you should probably make sure you get your grammer correct.

 

I kind of aggree with you though. All the texting lingo is rather anoying, but unfortunatly it is a modern reality. Just wait untill stuff like that starts showing up in spoken language as well. Then THE END WILL BY NIGH! I guess as teens, we all probably did things that our elders thought was rediculous or anoying, but that is how the aging process works. I guess we all just have to accept it.

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Just wait untill stuff like that starts showing up in spoken language as well. Then THE END WILL BY NIGH!

 

It's already happening... I have some friends who say "Lawl" (for lol) and "Roaffel" (for ROFLMAO).

 

I die a little on the inside every time I hear them say it.

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When making a post like this critisizing others communication skills, you should probably make sure you get your grammer [probably wanted "is" here] correct.

 

I kind of aggree with you though. All the texting lingo is rather anoying, but unfortunatly it is a modern reality. Just wait untill stuff like that starts showing up in spoken language as well. Then THE END WILL BY NIGH! I guess as teens, we all probably did things that our elders thought was rediculous or anoying, but that is how the aging process works. I guess we all just have to accept it.

 

I would say that before criticizing the grammar of a post criticizing grammar (incidentally, it was a simple typo of f to t; they're right next to one another on the keyboard) you might want to check your own spelling and grammar there, champ. (bold are spelling, italics are grammar) :D:D Just kidding you but you set the ball right up there on the tee. It was just begging for someone to come along and give it a whack. :)

 

Again, I'm totally just poking fun at you there. And now I'm scurrying to check all of my posts for grammatical errors lest I continue the joke cascade... this time at my expense.

 

As to the issue though I'm worried about this perhaps happening here: two dissimilar yet reasonably close caches were pilfered in such a way that suggests someone went to the website and intentionally did this. This sets off little alarm bells in my mind but the only solution that I can think of that's remotely reasonable is to make the area caches for members only or risk further pilfering. We'll see what happens!

 

Happy caching all :) And again to Andronicus, please take my gentle ribbing in the spirit in which it was intended: fun rather than venom :)

 

OOPS Edit: grammar :)

Edited by mrbort
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I think people use the "lol" and smiley faces : ), just to show that their comments are in good spirit. Posting on the internet is very non human, because you cannot hear voice tones or see facial expressions. Sometimes well intentioned posts can appear mean spirited. LOL : )

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... By the way, what's the happening over at Ocala? I am not trying to be a jerk here but I truly doubt there is much in a flat-as-hell pine forest that is gonna challenge me. But, perhaps I could learn something here. Explain further please? Oh, and to the poster wondering what makes a real G.C. Well, in my (and many people's opinion) someone who goes out looking for the caches that are actually in the wilderness somewhere. Like I said, it may be fun to do but....

 

Dubkid420, I lived in Central Florida and hiked the Florida trail through the Ocala National Forest along with several bushwhacking trips. Each year I also went up to North Georgia and Western North Carolina and hiked the AT (wilderness? come-on, guide books,bright white blazed trails and maintained shelters) along with several not so well marked trails. Both Florida and the Appalachians offer their own difficulty, and allure.

It is commendable that you will make such an effort, but do it to satisfy your own expectations and sense of accomplishment. To judge a person's legitimacy by your perceived effort is a form of exclusivity that takes the fun out of most anything. There is a lot more to do and see than log miles on rough terrain. The same goes for caching.

 

When did I know that I was a serious cacher? After my second day of geocaching with my family, my daughters asked "Can we go find some more tomorrow daddy?" That is when I knew I had not only found something we enjoyed, but I also had made a difference. Where the caches were hidden didn't matter so much.

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Back on subject.

There are devices you can purchase that are essentially trackers. The batteries last for about a week. You can find them with a signal they emit.

If a lot of caches arebeing stolen in a particular area, it would be worth the cost to get one. The good thing is you get the device back each time because you can locate it by the signal.

 

I'd love to see the look on the pimply face of a cache thief when you knock on his door. It would be priceless.

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Back on subject.

There are devices you can purchase that are essentially trackers. The batteries last for about a week. You can find them with a signal they emit.

If a lot of caches arebeing stolen in a particular area, it would be worth the cost to get one. The good thing is you get the device back each time because you can locate it by the signal.

 

I'd love to see the look on the pimply face of a cache thief when you knock on his door. It would be priceless.

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If the caches are being ripped off to be replaced somewhere as their own, I think tagging the cache container could be helpful. I bought a cheap engraver for $10 at radioshack. I put two or three custom marks on the cache in out of the way areas. If my cache ever disappears, I'll just start looking for new placements and checking for my insignia on the new placements.

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If the caches are being ripped off to be replaced somewhere as their own, I think tagging the cache container could be helpful. I bought a cheap engraver for $10 at radioshack. I put two or three custom marks on the cache in out of the way areas. If my cache ever disappears, I'll just start looking for new placements and checking for my insignia on the new placements.

 

Ammo boxes sell on Ebay all the time. I would suspect that is what happens to those. For some reason, after the elections, the army surplus stores can't keep the things in stock. At least thats what the Army surplus store me said.

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First the joke

 

I'm not a "real geocacher", real geocachers are wimps. I'm an eXtreme cacher!!!!! No paper, no gps, no clothes! Just a bandanna made out of a ripped shirt and a big hunting knife! Imagine if Rambo was a nudist and that's what I look like when I'm on the hunt!!! Once I'm done with community service I'll be out on the prowl again!!!!!

 

OK now for the serious comment

 

Since the person who is doing this is taking the time to put the contents in a new box he/she feels some slight connection to the geocaching community. What I'm going to recommend might not work but it's worth a shot.

 

Add a note all your new caches explaining that you don't understand why someone would work so hard for such a small gain while annoying other people who are just trying to do something because it's fun. Maybe add a suggestion that if the thief really really needs ammo boxes so badly that you would be willing to give him/her some in return for promising to stop stealing the boxes you set-up. Include an email address and the user names of other local geocachers. If you're lucky the person will know some of the people on the list.

 

I realize what I'm suggesting sounds silly but my dad once worked with someone who stole small hand tools, nothing big, just screwdrivers and wrenches. He could never catch the person who was doing it so he bought a cheap set of tools put them in the top of of his toolbox with a condescending note that (more or less) said "You must be really hard up to need these tools, so here a set you can keep. I'm giving these to you because I don't want to work with people who steal from me." The person must have come across the note and was embarrassed into not stealing.

 

If that doesn't work you can try skunk scent

http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/3529..._on_pine_trees/

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Giving recognition to the thief is just about the worst thing you can do... the thief is not doing it for the free Tupperware. He's doing it to spite the community and get a reaction.

 

If someone takes the hours and hours it would require to track down 30 micro caches around town and steals them... they are doing it for a pay-off. The pay-off for them is this thread (and I think our thief has posted in this thread...). Deny Recognition and the problems fade away.

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Hey WingNut,

 

It was a real pleasure to read what you wrote:

 

"When did I know that I was a serious cacher? After my second day of geocaching with my family, my daughters asked "Can we go find some more tomorrow daddy?" That is when I knew I had not only found something we enjoyed, but I also had made a difference. Where the caches were hidden didn't matter so much."

 

You sound like a great father.

 

Best wishes,

Dave Wile

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We have a cache thief with a rather bizarre MO

 

What he does, is steal Ammo Cans, carefully move all of the contents into a poor quality plastic container (sometimes even cammoed!) and re-hides it as found.

 

Anyway, my solution to a cache thief would be to put out a bunch of really long, complicated and ambiguous Letterbox Hybrids, Multis & Puzzles... Oh, wait, I already do that! :o

 

What do the logs say? tftc took ammo box left lock n lock. :huh:

 

Now THATS funny!

 

That is NOT funny! That is..............FREEEEEEKIN' HILARIOUS!! :lol::D

 

LOL! LOL! LOL! My sides are hurting!!! LOL! :P:mad::huh:

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Hey folks,

 

I just finished watching the YouTube thing that Edscott cited, and I can't believe what I saw. Was that video for real? If it was actually for real, what, if anything, might have been done to expose the fellow for the low life he would seem to be? That is just so hard to believe and frustrating to think it is real.

 

Best wishes,

Dave Wile

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Just checked.. must have been locked down since I first viewed it. It's great. Apparently a banned member has become a cache thief. The photographer set a new cache and hid out waiting for him to appear. He came in, searched around, found the cache and took it back to his car an stuffed it into the trunk in about 3.5 minutes. Could have been faked, but it certainly looked authentic. Since it's now "private" I'll bet it is.

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