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Skirt lifter bomb scare in Midland, Texas


Mr.Yuck

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As I have said before. Maybe the bomb squads of the US should get free premium memberships to Geocaching.com so they can do a quick search whenever they are responding. When they get to the scene, they always do a threat assessment anyhow. As part of the threat assessment they could check to see if it might be a geocache.

 

I know, it's too logical.

 

There are two problems with your idea. The first is that, if I recall correctly, GS will already do that for any law enforcement agency that asks. The second is that no bomb squad is going to assume that a package is harmless because a geocache is supposed to be at or near the location. They are, rightly, going to assume the worse until proven otherwise. If they start using GC listings as evidence that the item is not a bomb someone will figure it out and list their bomb as a cache or place a bomb in an existing cache.

 

Bomb squads have one job and one job only. Make safe.

 

Correct but they also have tools to determine, beforehand, if an item is safe. A simple check to the geocaching.com website would be one of those tools.

 

Otherwise, they could just blow up everything.

 

Bottom line is that someone will find a way to "punish" those people who are doing nothing wrong, simply because the police overreact.

 

Spin it however you want. Geocaches aren't dangerous (by themselves).

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As I have said before. Maybe the bomb squads of the US should get free premium memberships to Geocaching.com so they can do a quick search whenever they are responding. When they get to the scene, they always do a threat assessment anyhow. As part of the threat assessment they could check to see if it might be a geocache.

 

I know, it's too logical.

 

There are two problems with your idea. The first is that, if I recall correctly, GS will already do that for any law enforcement agency that asks. The second is that no bomb squad is going to assume that a package is harmless because a geocache is supposed to be at or near the location. They are, rightly, going to assume the worse until proven otherwise. If they start using GC listings as evidence that the item is not a bomb someone will figure it out and list their bomb as a cache or place a bomb in an existing cache.

 

Bomb squads have one job and one job only. Make safe.

 

Of course, you are quite correct.

 

Thank you.

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Sorry if I sound like a prude, but this "bomb scare" thing is getting to be a regular occurrence. Sure, you are "supposed" to have permission, but lets not kid ourselves here. We all know that many of the geocaches hidden in business parking lots are placed WITHOUT permission. :P

 

I think it should be mandatory that each geocache listing should include the name of the person who gave permission for that geocache, and a method of contact for them. That way there is verification that permission has been granted, and hopefully these incidents could be reduced.

t

 

There have been several of these incidents where there was permission.

 

The best way to avoid this is to give some thought to where they are hidden. If you place a cache in a high traffic area searchers are going to be noticed. Some people who notice them will consider them suspicious, and some who consider them suspicious will report them.

 

As the OP, I figured this might come up. :lol: As much as I've been ranting for years that almost all parking lot micros are placed without permission and everyone knows it (and it's even the major reason that I personally ignore them all), I have to agree 100% with Snat here. Many caches with permission have been blown up. The major issue is not everyone knows about it. I'd have to search for it, but a Wally World Parking Lot micro that was placed with permission (shocking as that may seem) in Western Pa. was blown up last summer.

WallyWorld TrvelBugHotel

This was our teams cache, placed with permission of the manager, who failed to inform other employees. We also had another cache at WallyWorld, MEadville TB hotel

placed with permission of one manager, but removed by another. Permission does not matter, muggles or employees will get you whenever they can.

 

Oh yes, that was it, thank you. I was talking about first one, and sorry I misrepresented it as a Wally World parking lot micro. So these were both "small's" eh? Were they both under Lampskirts? I definitely have a foggy memory of watching video of the first one getting blown up on an Erie TV Station's website.

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The one that went boom was placed at the managers directions in the pine trees at the edge of the lot, so as not to interfere with the traffic in the lot. From what we have been told, during a wind storm, (60+mph winds) it blew out of the tree and into the lot where it was thought to be a bomb. It was clearly marked as a cache too. The second was under a log on the side of the building, at a suggested location by the manager.

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I don't know the solution to this problem, other than to get people to stop being so paranoid, but it seems I am losing that fight to the terrorists.

 

While permission MAY have helped, nothing will prevent John Q Citizen from doing his part to fight the terrorists by phoning 911 whenever someone lifts a lamppost skirt.

 

I would have said the solution is to not put caches in high visibility locations, but the microwave oven in the woods incident showed that won't always work either.

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Well, in this case is seems likely that the person who hid the cache did not have permission from the store (as is required in the guidelines). If they had, then I would doubt that the store would have called the cops.

 

Of course, there is still the problem of a muggle potentially calling from the parking lot using a cell phone...

 

Getting permission for lampskirts could prove to be a chore. One mall in our area is owned by the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan. Good luck in finding a person to talk to about this. Another group of malls is owned by a huge company in Toronto. Others are owned by numbered companies. I wouldn't doubt that some have owners located overseas.

 

I haven't hid a lampskirt yet, but I don't think I would seek written permission first if I did.

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Maybe placing a cache (with permission, of course) at our local RCMP detachment would be good. Getting them to take up free Premium Membership - great! Having a ride in a police car with lights and siren to get that FTF - priceless!!!

 

This geocache GC16MKW is located at the tourism building WMRZ1 (Waymarking code) in some knee high bushes right next to a lampskirt. This is loacated right next to the Ontario Provincial Police building WM15HC (as noted in some of the logs). In fact they share a driveway.

Edited by 42at42
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Well, in this case is seems likely that the person who hid the cache did not have permission from the store (as is required in the guidelines). If they had, then I would doubt that the store would have called the cops.

 

Of course, there is still the problem of a muggle potentially calling from the parking lot using a cell phone...

 

Getting permission for lampskirts could prove to be a chore. One mall in our area is owned by the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan. Good luck in finding a person to talk to about this. Another group of malls is owned by a huge company in Toronto. Others are owned by numbered companies. I wouldn't doubt that some have owners located overseas.

 

I haven't hid a lampskirt yet, but I don't think I would seek written permission first if I did.

 

Regardless if getting permission is a “chore,” or not you would still be violating the geocache placement requirements. However, that is a debate for another day.

 

Granted, every situation is different even with or without permission being granted. Sure, the general public can call 911 for a possible bomb threat. However, if the geocache was placed with permission then your chances are greater that someone will speak up to let the authorities know that it is a geocache, and not a bomb. Of course permission will not always keep the bomb squad from responding, but I think these dramatic incidents could be significantly reduced if permission is granted.

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