TB Hospital/Hotel - ? Your thoughts ?

[+carolnbarney]

I just read, and posted to, another post on here in which the person replying spoke about a cache they had in their yard that functioned as a "hospital" for TBs, etc.

 

Personally, I thought what a good idea that is. Enough so that it pricked my interest enough to think about doing it myself down the road someday. I live in town on a main street with sidewalks and pedestrian traffic already. and certainly have the yard space to do it. I even have a potential spot picked out that would lend itself to a catchy, I think, theme and name for it.

 

But a question/s that I have is this. How much is something like this used? Is this a common thing? Are there any significant pros and/or cons to doing it?

 

Your thoughts???

[+9Key]

Very common. Thousands of them all over the world. The problem with a lot of them is caches like that attract travel bug thieves.

[+BlueDeuce]

Your thoughts???

 

Never add or remove anything without owner permission.

[+The Weasel]

Are there any other "Hotels" of sorts in the area? They are a good idea especially if they in a town that is close to a major HWY or interstate. I have seen/have one in a city setting, and it seems like after the rush of finding the cache was over, the fad was over for the cache. When people were finding my cache, they were trading travelers and such. Now that the cache has been around for almost a year, it's visits are few and far between. Yes, it is winter so hopefully once spring comes around this cache will pick back up.

[+ras_oscar]

I think TB motels work best when located near an interstate highway or an airport. Something associated with travel.

 

Never heard of a hospital. Are you expecting people to drop broken bugs and you'd fix them? Or do you mean Hostel, as in youth?

[+carolnbarney]

What I had in mind folks was to clean them up, freshen them up, get them back in close to the shape they were in when they started and send them on their way again. Or if they were bad try to contact the owner and see what they would like done. Nothing elaborate.

 

As to there being other hotels in the area, the closest one is just off I85 at, or across the road from, a truck stop. Probably 30 minutes give or take from my house. I'm not sure because I've not been there. My caching right now is local for the most part and wouldn't be much reason for me to go there to pick one up if I'm not in a position to move it along all that much. The other ones, that I know of, are from 1 to 2 1/2 hours or so away.

 

Maybe it's not all that much of a good idea, it just sounded like something interesting to do.

 

????

[+bittsen]

What I had in mind folks was to clean them up, freshen them up, get them back in close to the shape they were in when they started and send them on their way again. Or if they were bad try to contact the owner and see what they would like done. Nothing elaborate.

 

As to there being other hotels in the area, the closest one is just off I85 at, or across the road from, a truck stop. Probably 30 minutes give or take from my house. I'm not sure because I've not been there. My caching right now is local for the most part and wouldn't be much reason for me to go there to pick one up if I'm not in a position to move it along all that much. The other ones, that I know of, are from 1 to 2 1/2 hours or so away.

 

Maybe it's not all that much of a good idea, it just sounded like something interesting to do.

 

????

 

It sounds like a good idea. Especially the "clean up and refresh" part

[GermanSailor]

I don't know what a TB hospital is. TB Hotel, yes. But hospital?

 

If the label describing the mission is missing, I usually make a new one and so on, basically I perform some maintenance. I would use the metaphor first-aid.

 

What is the intention behind "hospital"?

 

I have a geocache just in front of my house, this is secured by a number lock. The combination is the last three digits of the longitude. This makes it save from a muggle stealing coins. Additionally the listing makes clear that it is kosher to look there and the name on the mailbox is "G. O. Cache".

 

GermanSailor

[+Chi-Town Cacher]

For once I'll keep my answer short. I like your idea of a hospital to provide a bit of first aid to travelers!

[+briansnat]

I don't care for these things. For them to work they need to be in easily accessible, high traffic areas. Precisely the kinds of areas where caches are most likely to go go missing. If one goes missing a lot of travel bugs and geocoins go with it.

 

I guess the probability of someone stealing it when it is on your property is reduced, but there are travel bug and geocoin thieves out there and I can see them being attracted to these hotels.

 

Why not just recondition TBs that you find and send them on their way?

[+BlueDeuce]

What I had in mind folks was to clean them up, freshen them up, get them back in close to the shape they were in when they started and send them on their way again. Or if they were bad try to contact the owner and see what they would like done. Nothing elaborate.

 

My bugs require no baggie, no printed goal sheet, etc. If you think it does then something really needs to be fixed. I would appreciate having the opportunity to repair it properly

[+hukilaulau]

I think it sounds like a fun thing to do. A lot of bugs and coins need some work on the goals sheets and stuff like that. As for the increased risk of them disappearing, I used to believe that... now I have the cynical viewpoint that MOST geocoins, and many personal TB's, get stolen eventually. If you could do the research, I bet you would find that geocoins are not stolen from hotels at any greater rate than from any other relatively easy cache.

most of the "new" ideas I see presented in the forums seem lame, too complicated, or just plain boring. This one actually sounds interesting! Let us know how it goes if you try it!

[+ThePetersTrio]

Please consider making TB Hotels/Hospitals for Premium Members Only as a way of cutting down on theft. I have only had 1 traveler go missing from a PMO cache. It isn't a perfect solution, but it can help.

 

As to the idea of refurbishing TBs, please only do so after being in contact with the owner. I am pretty specific about how I want my coins tagged and mission statements written. I recently had a very nice cacher mail one of our coins back to us for repair after someone removed the buddy tag I attached to the drilled coin. I will make the necessary repair and mail it back to them for releasing again. I am very appreciative that they contacted me about what I wanted, before doing anything to my traveler on their own accord.

[+Radnord]

I agree with many of the concerns expressed here about geocoin thieves. These bottom-feeders are opportunistic and lazy, and as such will look for easily accessible geocachers from which to steal coins. Otherwise the idea sounds very noble and I applaud those who try to assist other geocachers in keeping the TB’s well and moving along.

[+Col. Flagg]

I love TB hotels, I own one myself and haven't had trouble with thieves, yet, although I had one ammo box disappear in a flood, since it was located next to a river, but some chain fixed that problem. I make it a point to visit TB hotels, but I usually end up visiting right after someone wipes it out(that's what I wanted to do )

[+hydnsek]

I like your idea of a hospital to provide a bit of first aid to travelers!

Me too. The first TB 'hospital' I came across was Travel Bug First Aid in 2003, a Marky & Joani cache in California. They provided a little TLC to any dropped-off travel bugs that needed it - cleaning, new baggies, laminated goal sheets, etc. If they didn't need it - like BlueDeuce's - then they would be left alone, just another traveler passin' through. I thought it very generous of them to take the time and resources to help other folks' travelers. Kudos to you, too!

[+flask]

statistically caches go missing.

 

TB hotels, when they go missing, take a relatively high number of TBs with them. it your hotel isn't more secure than the average geocache, i'm going to have to suggest that you not place it.

 

i also wish to echo BD's sentiment: my TBs are released into the world the way i want them. with the exception of one, this means i don't want them in ziplocs or to be carrying goal sheets. i can't think of an instance in which i would need one of mine "freshened up".

[+carolnbarney]

I think I know somewhat where folks stand on this and I appreciate your time and effort.

 

That being said, I think that when I do this, I very well just make it a cache only on my property. The place I thought about putting it affords me the opportunity to keep a visual check on it pretty much day and/or night. Nothing would preclude doing a little freshening "if" the owner wanted it done. Never did intend to do something without the owner's consent and knowledge.

 

Hope all of you have a great day and wonderful luck.

[+Fncnca]

There is a new TB Hospital in my area. I assume that the owner is contacting the bug owners before he operates on them, don't know for sure. I do know that a lot of bugs are moving through that hide.

[+joespaz]

There is a new TB Hospital in my area. I assume that the owner is contacting the bug owners before he operates on them, don't know for sure. I do know that a lot of bugs are moving through that hide.

 

So am I to understand:

 

If I want to add a goal tag to a TB, I should ask the owner first?

 

If I want to place a TB into a quality Ziplock bag, I should ask the owner first?

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

What I had in mind folks was to clean them up, freshen them up, get them back in close to the shape they were in when they started and send them on their way again. Or if they were bad try to contact the owner and see what they would like done. Nothing elaborate.

 

My bugs require no baggie, no printed goal sheet, etc. If you think it does then something really needs to be fixed. I would appreciate having the opportunity to repair it properly

I've had different ways to do it over time, but this is also my preferred method now. Attach the tag, and let it go. There's no pressure on the finder to figure out the mission before grabbing them, and however beat up it gets is just part of the adventure. Coins are a little fifferent, they get a tag that says they're traveling, but not the specific mission, then they go into a craft bag. If it loses the bag or tag, then it can travel without.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

There is a new TB Hospital in my area. I assume that the owner is contacting the bug owners before he operates on them, don't know for sure. I do know that a lot of bugs are moving through that hide.

 

So am I to understand:

 

If I want to add a goal tag to a TB, I should ask the owner first?

 

If I want to place a TB into a quality Ziplock bag, I should ask the owner first?

Some people feel that way.

[+Pax42]

Hmm. My Honk Kong Phooey TB has been missing his head since shortly after he was released. He could sure use a TB hospital.

[+BlueDeuce]

There is a new TB Hospital in my area. I assume that the owner is contacting the bug owners before he operates on them, don't know for sure. I do know that a lot of bugs are moving through that hide.

 

So am I to understand:

 

If I want to add a goal tag to a TB, I should ask the owner first?

 

If I want to place a TB into a quality Ziplock bag, I should ask the owner first?

 

Never add or remove anything without permission. It's not your bug.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

There is a new TB Hospital in my area. I assume that the owner is contacting the bug owners before he operates on them, don't know for sure. I do know that a lot of bugs are moving through that hide.

 

So am I to understand:

 

If I want to add a goal tag to a TB, I should ask the owner first?

 

If I want to place a TB into a quality Ziplock bag, I should ask the owner first?

 

Never add or remove anything without permission. It's not your bug.

 

 

Leave the dirty TB that is missing its goal tag alone. Obviously if the owner wanted it to be clean, have a goal tag attached or be in a ziplock bag so it stays clean then they would travel halfway around the world to take care of it.

[+BlueDeuce]

Leave the dirty TB that is missing its goal tag alone. Obviously if the owner wanted it to be clean, have a goal tag attached or be in a ziplock bag so it stays clean then they would travel halfway around the world to take care of it.

 

No. If you want to do repairs talk to the owner. I'll say send me back my bug I'll take care of it myself. Thank you.

[+wimseyguy]

Never heard of a TB Hospital before, but have seen many TB Hotels & Motels and own one myself. Mine's been operating for 7+ years and has had over 1500 visits combining finds and notes. Lots of folks make repeat visits due to its excellent location.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

TB motels, hotels or even good intentioned hospitals, are typically not good ideas. Too often some sicko steals all the patients!

[knowschad]

Never heard of a TB Hospital before,

I'm not the only one?!?

[+frinklabs]

It looked like this TB had been run over by a lawnmower, so I reassembled what was left and sent it on its way.

 

Before:

 

 

After: