Weird, uneasy feelings......

[+Metalman1007]

Still new to the sport and I find myself(especially when caching alone) feeling really uneasy when snooping around an area looking for a geocache. I have'nt been approached by anyone yet, however I"ve often give up on a hunt if I did'nt find it pretty quick. Is this normal or just me? Should I tell them what I'm doing if someone does approach or make a mad dash for my car and peel off and get away quick? I love the sport just hate the way I feel when I'm looking for one in a high muggle traffic area.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Two good things that help overcome that........

 

Carry a clipboard at the ready... that and other device (GPSr) make you seem "official";

 

Put your GPSr to your ear when muggles are nearby, and they think you are simply talking on your cellphone.

 

Outside of that, simply go away and return when there is no muggle activity.

[+WatchDog2020]

You'll get more comfortable as time goes on but NEVER run away. That's a sure fire way to have the police called. You'll be amazed how many people don't even notice you, even if you think they do.

[+Castle Mischief]

Remember this: if at any time you don't feel comfortable in a location, or just don't think it's a good place to hunt you can always leave. If you don't think you'll ever return, just add the cache to your ignore list.

 

There is no reason you should ever be someplace that you don't want to be when it comes to caching.

[+rob3k]

Should I tell them what I'm doing if someone does approach or make a mad dash for my car and peel off and get away quick?

 

Just tell them what you're doing. If you feel like you'd be trespassing, pass on the hunt. I've done that a handful of times, but thankfully the vast majority of caches are hidden in spots that have no issue with public access.

[+Curioddity]

Should I tell them what I'm doing if someone does approach or make a mad dash for my car and peel off and get away quick?

There is no "one size fits all" response to being confronted by a muggle, but that "make a mad dash for my car and peel off" idea will almost always be the worst thing you can do.

 

I had a pretty bad case of newbie nerves too when I started geocaching. The most effective ploy for me was to wear a big yellow Stanley tape measure on my belt which seemed to satisfy idle curiosity. At least that's what I thought, anyway, but as I became more comfortable with what I was doing I began leaving the props in the car and I saw no increase in confrontation or even suspicion without 'em.

 

In retrospect, I think the props gave me a sense of confidence and the confidence let me be deliberate in my actions and it was actually being deliberate which satisfied the idle curiosity of others. It's a widely-understood fact that the best way to look suspicious is to make a conscious effort to not look suspicious. Nothing screams "look at me" like furtive behavior but it's amazing what you can get away with if you appear to be doing what you're supposed to be doing.

 

Pete

[+buttaskotch]

If caching in urban areas are uncomfortable, find caches in expansive parks. You may find that these caches can be more rewarding.

[+geodarts]

I always try to follow some basic principles. If I am not comfortable searching an area or not having fun, it's time to do something else. If I am asked what I am doing I will tell the person about a high tech treasure hunt. If there are a lot of people around I will try not to call undue attention, keeping in mind that trying to be too stealthy might call undue attention. But if the owner placed a cache where it is always busy, then I assume it'd meant to be found under those conditions. So I save a sense of embarrassment for my daughter to have as she watches me and try to be confident with whatever choice I have made.

 

Part of the problem of course is that permission may or may not have been obtained. If I was confident about permission I would be more inclined to be open about it. I have gotten free lattes or had nice conversations in places where it wad clear permission was obtained. If we had express permission, I suppose we could put out a sign saying "geocache search in progress, please do not disturb" and that would take care of it.

 

I have gotten funny stares in places where permission was likely not to have been obtained - newspaper racks, lamp posts, and the nano on somebody's property come to mind. But most people pay little attention - particularly in cities where people have gotten used to ignoring people on the streets. And if there are people in the cache location who are unlikely to be moving, they have always been nice when I have explained what I am doing and would they mind if I look where they are sitting.

 

In the end do what you think is right. I have had as many people question me about caching in parks and open spaces as I have had on a street corner. The worse that has happened is that a property owner asked that the cache be removed. But as one person said, after I got a cache in a very squeaky lamp post on the middle of a square where it is never empty, "people look funny when you don't know what they are doing."

Edited December 7, 2009 by Erickson

[+Castle Mischief]

Just adding that if the police ever ask you, you're probably better off to tell them the truth. I think most other cachers will recommend you do the same.

[+briansnat]

I'm not doing anything illegal so I have no qualms about searching for caches. If a cache requires that I trespass or brings me to some place I don't belong I don't bother looking for it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

In theory every cache should have adequate permission, so the very existence of the cache means that it is okay to hunt for it.

 

Therefore I believe that I am welcome at every cache site, and conduct my hunt with confidence.

 

On the rare occasion that I am approached I explain the game, give them geocaching.com address and invite them to help find the cache.

 

If a land manager or police tell me that I and/or the cache should not be there I apologize, leave and file a Needs Archived note for lack of adequate permission.

 

I have to disagree with the stealth recommendations posted above - that just makes you look hinky. Be confident and open and no one will pay attention, skulking around and trying to hide what you are doing will surely draw attention.

[+KBI]

Whenever anyone starts pestering me with suspicious questions I simply tell them I lost my colostomy bag, and I ask them to help me look for it.

 

I’m lucky if they give me time to finish the question. Sometimes they even leave a skid mark.

 

Seriously – if you feel self conscious while hunting a cache in a public place, you probably shouldn’t be there. What fun is that, anyway?

 

In the future, try doing it the way I do: size up the situation before you start.

 

If you’re not sure whether the cache search you’re about to attempt requires you to do anything illegal, then don’t start the search. Go find a different cache. In fact, if your concern is substantial and is based on anything other than a vague internal hesitancy – the cache site features several No Trespassing signs, for example – then you should probably do the rest of us a favor and report the cache via a 'Needs Archived' log.

 

If you are perfectly comfortable, on the other hand, that you not going to be breaking any rules or laws, then use that confidence to your advantage. When you know you are not doing anything wrong your confidence will show, and you will rarely attract attention. And when the occasional muggle does approach you, you won’t feel any need to flee. If someone questions you (and eventually someone will), I recommend you do what I do: give them a super-brief description of Geocaching, show them your GPS and any other equipment or printouts you have, and invite them to join you.

 

Besides, how do you know that person walking toward you is a muggle? She might just be a fellow cacher who spotted your GPS. Might even be the cache owner. That seems to happen more often than one would expect.

 

I have found the truth to be very effective. In fact, three of the muggles who have approached me over the years (three separate occasions) have been cops. Two of them took me up on my invitation and helped me find the cache. The other guy listened to about half of my explanation, rolled his eyes, and left.

 

I forget to notice whether he left a skid mark.

[+Snoogans]

Still new to the sport and I find myself(especially when caching alone) feeling really uneasy when snooping around an area looking for a geocache. I have'nt been approached by anyone yet, however I"ve often give up on a hunt if I did'nt find it pretty quick. Is this normal or just me? Should I tell them what I'm doing if someone does approach or make a mad dash for my car and peel off and get away quick? I love the sport just hate the way I feel when I'm looking for one in a high muggle traffic area.

 

You've just confessed to being a normal person. Good for you! I bet you're like me and you don't spend ALLLL your time at events talking about geocaching.

 

I passed up 6 easy caches this weekend for the very reasons you stated. If it's not fun then why bother. Come back later or skip it all together. It's just a cache.

[Skippermark]

I search with the attitude that the cache was placed with permission and that I'm doing nothing wrong by being there, meaning I don't lurk around and try to be "sneaky." I find that "lurking" around and trying to be sneaky draws more attention than just walking around like you belong.

 

If we're approached and asked what we're doing, I play it by ear. If the person is someone official, I'm honest and tell them the truth. We've actually had cops ask us what we're doing and then help us look.

 

If it's someone else, we'll usually just say, "Geocaching." You'd be surprised at how many people have heard of it or at least say they have. I find it rare that people will actually stop and talk about it after you tell them what you're doing.

 

Overall, my feeling is that cachers are doing nothing wrong. If you're nervous caching in urban areas where someone might see you, then you might want to cache in other areas. There are some who've been caching for years that still don't like caching where they can be seen. Everyone is different, and you should do what you're comfortable with.

[+briansnat]

In theory every cache should have adequate permission, so the very existence of the cache means that it is okay to hunt for it.

 

"in theory" are the key words. I think that anybody who has been geocaching for any length of time knows that isn't always the case.

[+StarBrand]

Forget stealth - that just attracts attention.

 

Be bold. Identifiy the cache location and march right up to it. Act as though it is your job to find that cache and a job you are proud to do. Be confident in your every action and just take care of business. If somebody approaches you - quickly asses if they will be a threat to the cache - in most cases, just be honest with them about what you are doing and why - otherwise just honestly tell them you are looking for something without being specific. Do not act as though you are sneaking around or doing anything wrong (mostly because you aren't). Find that cache, sign it and return it to its spot as though you do that very action 100 times per day.

[+Hildy Boys]

This is something that I struggled with at first too. But now if I decide to go after the hunt and muggles show up, I just continue the search. If they ask, I explain to them what I am doing and about geocaching. Most people find it interesting, I never thought to ask them to join me, it is something I may try and do in the future.

 

I think a lot of time people see you walking around with a GPS they think that you are on some sort of offical business.

[+Snoogans]

I think a lot of time people see you walking around with a GPS they think that you are on some sort of offical business.

 

Or they call you in as a terrorist!

[+Hildy Boys]

I think a lot of time people see you walking around with a GPS they think that you are on some sort of offical business.

 

Or they call you in as a terrorist!

 

Well that would be official business wouldn't it????

[+maggi101]

I've found that having camera slung around my neck, and pausing to take the occasional picture also tends to make people less likely to bother you, particularly if you have children with you. I tend to bring Thing One and Thing Two out with me a lot when I'm caching, which, coupled with the camera, makes it look like I'm just taking pictures of the boys. If you don't have these things handy, you can always borrow a friends! (Kids, that is. I would never loan my camera out)

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

In theory every cache should have adequate permission, so the very existence of the cache means that it is okay to hunt for it.

"in theory" are the key words. I think that anybody who has been geocaching for any length of time knows that isn't always the case.

True. I've said many times that geocaching's 'dirty little secret' is that the vast majority of caches have no permission at all... despite every cache hider assuring their Reviewer in the listing application that they do in fact have adequate permission.

 

My response to knowing that 'dirty little secret' is to ignore it and act like every cache I hunt does in fact have adequate permission, and when I discover that a cache in fact (or I have good reason to believe it doesn't) have the required level of permission I file a Needs Archived log to get bad caches archived.

 

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

[Skippermark]

particularly if you have children with you.

Yes, having kids along is a huge help. Oftentimes my son finds them before I even get there, so there's not even a chance for someone to see me looking. Or, sometimes he'll run around crazy and people will look at him and pay no attention to me.

[+Team Cotati]

Still new to the sport and I find myself(especially when caching alone) feeling really uneasy when snooping around an area looking for a geocache. I have'nt been approached by anyone yet, however I"ve often give up on a hunt if I did'nt find it pretty quick. Is this normal or just me? Should I tell them what I'm doing if someone does approach or make a mad dash for my car and peel off and get away quick? I love the sport just hate the way I feel when I'm looking for one in a high muggle traffic area.

 

Makes you wonder if the hiders felt the same way, doesn't it?

[+Team Cotati]

In theory every cache should have adequate permission, so the very existence of the cache means that it is okay to hunt for it.

"in theory" are the key words. I think that anybody who has been geocaching for any length of time knows that isn't always the case.

True. I've said many times that geocaching's 'dirty little secret' is that the vast majority of caches have no permission at all... despite every cache hider assuring their Reviewer in the listing application that they do in fact have adequate permission.

 

My response to knowing that 'dirty little secret' is to ignore it and act like every cache I hunt does in fact have adequate permission, and when I discover that a cache in fact (or I have good reason to believe it doesn't) have the required level of permission I file a Needs Archived log to get bad caches archived.

 

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

On a percentage basis, how often would you say that: "I file a Needs Archived log to get bad caches archived" results in the cache actually being archived?

Edited December 7, 2009 by Team Cotati

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

On a percentage basis, how would you say that: "I file a Needs Archived log to get bad caches archived" results in the cache actually being archived?

Since I started in 2003 until today with over 2500 (logged) finds in 28 states I doubt that I have posted 10 SBA or NA logs due to my belief or knowledge that they did not have adequate permission.

 

Of those 10 I truly believe that the Reviewer contacted the CO and determined the true state of the cache's permission.

 

Of those 10 I have no idea how many if any were archived as I did not set a watch on them... it's not that important to me.

 

What I said is that if I am accosted by authority or otherwise come to believe that the cache does not have adequate permission then I file a NA... I did not say that it happens often.

[+Team Cotati]

On a percentage basis, how would you say that: "I file a Needs Archived log to get bad caches archived" results in the cache actually being archived?

Since I started in 2003 until today with over 2500 (logged) finds in 28 states I doubt that I have posted 10 SBA or NA logs due to my belief or knowledge that they did not have adequate permission.

 

Of those 10 I truly believe that the Reviewer contacted the CO and determined the true state of the cache's permission.

 

Of those 10 I have no idea how many if any were archived as I did not set a watch on them... it's not that important to me.

 

What I said is that if I am accosted by authority or otherwise come to believe that the cache does not have adequate permission then I file a NA... I did not say that it happens often.

 

No feedback from the reviewer? That seems odd to me.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

No feedback from the reviewer? That seems odd to me.

None that I recall, nor would I expect any.

 

The purpose of an NA is to prompt the Reviewer to look at a perceived issue and if necessary resolve it with the CO.

 

Reporting his investigation discovery and/or decision back to whoever posted the NA would be inappropriate.

 

The results of the NA Review will be posted in the cache listing's logs.

[+Team Cotati]

No feedback from the reviewer? That seems odd to me.

None that I recall, nor would I expect any.

 

The purpose of an NA is to prompt the Reviewer to look at a perceived issue and if necessary resolve it with the CO.

 

Reporting his investigation discovery and/or decision back to whoever posted the NA would be inappropriate.

 

The results of the NA Review will be posted in the cache listing's logs.

 

Thanks. I was thinking more along the lines of a simple acknowledgement and thank you.

[+Metalman1007]

Wow..thanks peoples.. I do try to take my boys and my camera on the weekends. That definitely does make the situation seem less weird. I guess I'll get over it eventually. I do like the clipboard idea though..I will be trying that one. Thanks again

[+bittsen]

My caching buddy used to get that uneasy feeling like he was doing something he shouldn't be. After passing 400 finds recently he seems to have lost that feeling. It was either the caching experience or the fact that we have had a half dozen (or more) interactions with the police while caching with ZERO negative outcomes.

 

I have always went with this thought. If I'm not doing anything illegal, why worry. It's one of my life philosophies. We had the discussion early this morning while returning from caching after finding something suspicious and turning it in to the police. I told him it wouldn't bother me to get hauled into the station and questioned for hours. As long as I haven't one anything wrong, why would I worry? It would just be another anectdote in my, often, interesting life.

 

Once when we were in a park looking for a cache under a bridge, he commented that we looked like we were doing something illegal. I looked around and saw some parents did seem to be looking at us funny. Following my philosophy we kept looking. Soon a small group of kids came from the general area of the parents and asked us what we were doing. I lied and said we were inspecting the bridge supports. The kids went back and told their parents who stopped looking at us funny.

 

When caching, small white lies aren't going to hurt anyone. If the police show up, just tell them what you are doing. You might find, as I have, that police breathe a huge sigh of relief and become a little more civilian as soon as you tell them you are geocaching (and explain what geocaching is to some).

[+KBI]

This thread reminds me of one of my all-time favorite muggle encounters. It took place in a park in El Segundo, California. Being 'on the road,' I logged the cache (GCZX60) under my other account:

 

January 25, 2007 by CaptRussell (1028 found)

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

 

Those puzzles which are just barely within my ability to solve are my favorites. I'm counting this as one of those, even though I had to beg a weak hint from Giz partway through – I probably could have gotten the whole thing on my own eventually, but hopefully my limited time window for caching in California will excuse my panic.

 

Arriving at the coords today I found the place swarming with muggles, most of them about four feet tall. After cracking that puzzle I was determined to log this cache, however, so I carefully and discretely went about the business of looking exactly like a clumsy perv in the bushes. Eventually, after I’d been searching for about 15 minutes, one of the adults came over and asked me, in a friendly way, what the hell I was doing. (A group of the teachers and moms had apparently been watching me, and curiosity got the best.) She asked if I was a birdwatcher. I told her the truth and gave her the 20-second version of what-is-Geocaching. She was fascinated! Had lots of questions, and said her kids would love it. I gave her the website URL.

 

Satisfied that the weirdo bird-watching perv was nothing but a harmless nerd she said bye and went back to join the others. I continued my methodical search.

 

Another ten minutes in the haystack produced the needle. Found, signed, replaced. As I was walking out of the park on my way to my next cache of the day she yelled across the field: “Did you find it?” I gave a happy thumbs-up and met her in the middle of the field. She had more questions. “What did you find? What does it look like? What was in it?” On a whim I said "Wanna see it?" Her face lit up. When I showed her the cache she was amazed, especially when she saw how many other signatures were in the log.

 

I think we have a convert today.

 

Before leaving I went over to chat with her group. I repeated the what-is-geocaching briefing, and they were ALL very interested. We may have a TEAM of converts!

 

This was fun.

 

Great puzzle, challenging to get to ... I give it a TEN!

[+maggi101]

Yes, having kids along is a huge help. Oftentimes my son finds them before I even get there, so there's not even a chance for someone to see me looking. Or, sometimes he'll run around crazy and people will look at him and pay no attention to me.

 

I find they come in handy for grabbing lamp skirt caches as well. I can lift the skirt up and they can look and grab MUCH quicker than it takes me to try to juggle lifting the skirt and trying to fumble about in there without looking entirely sketchy.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

This thread reminds me of one of my all-time favorite muggle encounters.

Great story!

 

Email it to TheAlabamaRambler@gmail.com if you would like to share it with readers of The Online Geocacher.

[+TinmanJones]

I started caching yesterday... yep, you guessed it, im only a two day old cacher...

Yesterday, I had two of my areas best cachers (my opinion) with me, and this topic was brought up, by me...

 

Today, I went out on my own... I visited two caches and both were in pretty Muggle friendly areas... I felt a little awkward and only searched for a couple of mins on each... Nope, never located the caches, but will return again and look some more...

 

As I drove away, I started noticing ALL the people out and about that Ive NEVER payed any attention to, and had the thought, "if Im not paying any attention to people, then maybe their not paying attention to me..."

 

Ill admit, it seems a little weird to get out in a parking lot with my gps and wander around feeling of light posts, fire hydrants, signs, but after coming around to geocaching.com, it gives me an easy feeling to know Im not alone in these searches...

 

Im alot like the OP, and hope over time, with experiance, Ill overcome these feelings...

 

Thanks a TON for this website...

[+Ambrosia]

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

I hope that's not the case for the most part, and I've never thought of it as such. Whenever I ask cachers to be stealthy, it's because my cache is in an area exposed enough that I might think that passerby will notice and maybe look for the cache later and take it/destroy it.

[+Team Cotati]

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

I hope that's not the case for the most part, and I've never thought of it as such. Whenever I ask cachers to be stealthy, it's because my cache is in an area exposed enough that I might think that passerby will notice and maybe look for the cache later and take it/destroy it.

 

I agree 100% and this has always been our experience. Thanks.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

I hope that's not the case for the most part, and I've never thought of it as such. Whenever I ask cachers to be stealthy, it's because my cache is in an area exposed enough that I might think that passerby will notice and maybe look for the cache later and take it/destroy it.

 

I agree 100% and this has always been our experience. Thanks.

I hope that I am wrong! Unfortunately proving my belief would require becoming a cache cop and killing off a lot of good caches!

 

To test this one would have to choose a number, say 100, of caches that 'appear likely' to require some level of permission, then research each one to see if they had adequate permission. My bet is that 80 won't!

 

No one is actually going to do such a test, they'd become pariahs of the community if they did, so my supposition will go unsupported.

 

Anyhoo... as to the topic... act like they all do!

[+brslk]

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

I hope that's not the case for the most part, and I've never thought of it as such. Whenever I ask cachers to be stealthy, it's because my cache is in an area exposed enough that I might think that passerby will notice and maybe look for the cache later and take it/destroy it.

 

I agree 100% and this has always been our experience. Thanks.

 

That has been my experience also. Whenever I have looked for and found a cache that said "Stealth Required" it is always been because there are a lot of muggles about and I should be stealthy about my retrieving and re-hiding the cache so it does not get stolen or vandalized.

 

Bruce.

[+Ambrosia]

Cache listings which state "Stealth Required" are almost always a red flag saying "Don't get caught, I have no permission whatsoever to hide this here".

 

I hope that's not the case for the most part, and I've never thought of it as such. Whenever I ask cachers to be stealthy, it's because my cache is in an area exposed enough that I might think that passerby will notice and maybe look for the cache later and take it/destroy it.

 

I agree 100% and this has always been our experience. Thanks.

I hope that I am wrong! Unfortunately proving my belief would require becoming a cache cop and killing off a lot of good caches!

 

To test this one would have to choose a number, say 100, of caches that 'appear likely' to require some level of permission, then research each one to see if they had adequate permission. My bet is that 80 won't!

 

No one is actually going to do such a test, they'd become pariahs of the community if they did, so my supposition will go unsupported.

 

Anyhoo... as to the topic... act like they all do!

 

Well, I do agree with you that it's a good possibility that a large portion of caches don't have "adequate permission". I think that what I'm not sure about is that "Stealth Required" translates to, "I don't have permission for this cache so don't be conspicuous". I think that it means, "there are non-cachers everywhere, be careful that they don't discover the cache and harm it".

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Well, I do agree with you that it's a good possibility that a large portion of caches don't have "adequate permission". I think that what I'm not sure about is that "Stealth Required" translates to, "I don't have permission for this cache so don't be conspicuous". I think that it means, "there are non-cachers everywhere, be careful that they don't discover the cache and harm it".

I hope you are right! This is a topic I would love to be wrong about!

[+Ambrosia]

 

Hey, I get a weird, unseasy feeling whenever I see the title of this thread at the top of the forum. It's easy to weird me out.

[+geodarts]

Yes, having kids along is a huge help. Oftentimes my son finds them before I even get there, so there's not even a chance for someone to see me looking. Or, sometimes he'll run around crazy and people will look at him and pay no attention to me.

 

I find they come in handy for grabbing lamp skirt caches as well. I can lift the skirt up and they can look and grab MUCH quicker than it takes me to try to juggle lifting the skirt and trying to fumble about in there without looking entirely sketchy.

 

My daughter is usually slinking off in the other direction trying not to look embarrassed. She used to help more with the tot lot caches, but now she is a little old for that. She still comes in handy when the opening is just a little too narrow for me to reach.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Erickson

[+KeeperOfTheMist]

ive found that the suspicious people pay more attention to me when looking for urban caches then just regular passer-bys.. usually no one pays any mind and i just go about looking for the N.I.A.H.S. An example, while looking for a perticularly hard cache in a high muggle area (GCH2JX Cooper Cache notice the notes about creepy bpeople lol) had a guy pass by carring a dvd player on his shoulder well after i looked his way (standard muggle scan) he felt very inclined to explain what he was doing with the dvd player. After about a 5 minute explaination of how he "barrowed it" from a friend and me just goin ok, thats interesting, sure, and have a nice day. he finally walked away and i continued my hunt.. after that i had very little anxiety about hunting for Urbans cause i realized that if i took extra steps to look less suspicious i looked more suspicious, like the guy with the dvd player (probably stolen in truth).. another example after that happened, a guy walked up asked if i lost something and i told him what i was doing and well, eyes lighting up and the words "that sounds cool as H***" come to mind as well as him helping me look for about 30 more minutes (another convert?). honesty and a look of belonging are the key. if you carry yourself like you SHOULD be there, usually if the cache was placed with permission or on public lands you will have no real problems..

Edited December 8, 2009 by KeeperOfTheMist

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

My Dad was a Doctor and over the years taught me to look, act and believe that I belonged wherever I wanted to go. To this day I can go places I have absolutely no business being and not only won't get questioned, they often think I am in charge!

 

This was further ingrained in the Navy where I observed and learned the value of 'command presence', a combination of dress, body language and composure that give off a feeling that you are in command (Google "command presence' for some great tips!).

 

If you have ever known a young man or woman who joined a police force then you likely saw a change in that person's behavior - they were taught the value of adopting a command presence as the key to maintaining their authority... they don't need uniform badge or gun, you know a cop wherever you see one. That's command presence!

 

Not at all a bad thing for geocachers to learn!

 

Please keep in mind that overt demands and barking at people are rarely part of an effective command presence!

[+KBI]

If you have ever known a young man or woman who joined a police force then you likely saw a change in that person's behavior - they were taught the value of adopting a command presence as the key to maintaining their authority... they don't need uniform badge or gun, you know a cop wherever you see one. That's command presence!

Your post just brought back a flood of interesting and wonderful memories.

 

I didn’t know there was a name for it until I read your post, but the thing you describe happened to me when I first began working as a flight instructor at the very beginning of my pilot career.

 

It was an abrupt and major character change for me.

 

I was in my early twenties, fresh out of college, and let’s just say I was not known as a dominant personality. Flying lessons are very expensive, so as you can imagine most of my students were high-powered business people and other successful professionals – all older than me, and most of them at least somewhat intimidating to a skinny little rookie instructor. Most of these people were used to giving orders, not taking them, and all my life I had been a more passive type.

 

It didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed to learn to really take charge in the airplane. And I already knew that taking charge has nothing to do with yelling, belittling, or being mean. All it really means is this: If you know what you’re doing – and if you KNOW you know what you’re doing – act the part! Say it like you mean it, and by default you become the leader of the situation. Guess what I learned: As it turns out, the anxiety level of a student pilot is directly proportional to the insecurity level of his flight instructor. Hooda thunkit?

 

Of course I knew that already because I’d just spent the previous several years as a student pilot myself, but now I had to learn how to take on the new role. It was surprisingly easy: I learned quickly that acting confident and taking charge is nothing to be afraid of, because when you do it in a fair and friendly manner people always respond favorably. (And when you don’t do it, certain situations can get ugly in a hurry. A green student pilot plus a timid instructor equals some exciting moments in an airplane.) My students were very accepting of my efforts to emanate a command presence.

 

And the lesson has served me well in my many years as an airline captain.

 

Similarly, geocachers who lurk nervously and shifty-eyed will make muggles uncomfortable and wary, while confident geocachers who act like they are right where they belong will draw very little suspicion.

 

Not at all a bad thing for geocachers to learn!

 

Please keep in mind that overt demands and barking at people are rarely part of an effective command presence!

Absolutely.

 

Respect must be given before it can be received. Refusing to back down when your behavior is questioned does not require noisy belligerence, only quiet confidence.

 

Firm, Fair and Friendly is the magic combination.

 

Thanks for the an excellent post, TAR – and for reviving some cool memories!

Edited December 8, 2009 by KBI

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

I think a lot of time people see you walking around with a GPS they think that you are on some sort of offical business.

 

Or they call you in as a terrorist!

 

That happened to Tsegi Mike, only not while geocaching. It was while he was participating in another hobby of his. He is just a bit seedy looking at times lol. Fortunately it was readily apparent to the cops that he was not a terrorist at all and that his actions were perfectly legal.