Jump to content

...explained to them what we were doing... ACK!


Recommended Posts

Does any other owner get nervous when you read in a log something like this?

 

"Approached GZ and some people walking by asked what we were doing. So we explained geocaching to them and showed them what the hide looked like. Signed the log and went on our way."

 

I don't mind the "explained" part but the "showed them" part makes me almost automatically put that hide on my maintenance list to be replaced :)

Link to comment

Does any other owner get nervous when you read in a log something like this?

 

"Approached GZ and some people walking by asked what we were doing. So we explained geocaching to them and showed them what the hide looked like. Signed the log and went on our way."

 

I don't mind the "explained" part but the "showed them" part makes me almost automatically put that hide on my maintenance list to be replaced :)

 

I say use your best judgement when showing a cache which does not belong to you to non-cachers.

 

While I was hiking on Sunday I retrieved an ammo can and scampered about 30 feet away from the hide to log and do travel bug related business. A couple who looked to be in their 60's came by and asked, with inquisitive, smiling faces what I had and what I was doing. I briefly explained geocaching and they both said that sounded like a lot of fun and said they were going to look it up when they got home. Score! They may yet become geocachers.

 

If it were a gaggle of little kids or teenagers I'd probably be more circumspect. I could be entirely fooled and the kids be the right material and the oldsters coming back later and muggling the cache. One never really knows for sure, but when caught in the act we go with our instincts.

Link to comment

I agree with DragonsWest. It is a situational thing. If the muggle(s) are/were adults and expressed a sincere interest in geocaching, once I had explained it to them, I would show them, or if I hadn't found it yet, invite them to join me in the hunt.

 

On the other hand, if it were a suspicious neighbor or curious kids...

Link to comment
I agree with DragonsWest. It is a situational thing. If the muggle(s) are/were adults and expressed a sincere interest in geocaching, once I had explained it to them, I would show them, or if I hadn't found it yet, invite them to join me in the hunt. On the other hand, if it were a suspicious neighbor or curious kids...
I agree from from a log reading owner you don't know "who" it was they showed it to. I have a waterproof match container hidden out on a fishing pier in a really tucked away spot and have had a handful of times people log a find and say that they showed someone nearby what they were doing... just as many times I have replaced the hide shortly thereafter because it mysteriously went missing... go figure.
Link to comment

Just my little input on this subject!! I was a "suspicious neighbor" :) as KC described! People kept showing up along the edge of our property to find a "Boy Scout " cache in the alley behind us.

 

I finally managed to get between a great couple from Nebraska and their vehicle, and find out what everyone was doing.

 

I am glad they took the time to explain!. They showed me their GPSr and let me "hunt" the cache which was nearby. Directed me to the website, and here I am! :huh: The owner of the cache has been awol from the site for some time, and I have unofficially adopted the cache. It doesn't see a lot of traffic, nor has it required much in the way of maintenance.

 

I thought the whole thing was funny!! It had been in place a couple years and we never had a clue!

 

So it shouldn't be assumed every stranger introduced to the game this way is going to have a negative impact!!!

 

This one instance has brought Me and my spouse, my Son and his spouse, and my brother and his spouse into the game!! All of us "hunters" before tracking a new species of "game".

Link to comment
I agree with DragonsWest. It is a situational thing. If the muggle(s) are/were adults and expressed a sincere interest in geocaching, once I had explained it to them, I would show them, or if I hadn't found it yet, invite them to join me in the hunt. On the other hand, if it were a suspicious neighbor or curious kids...
I agree from from a log reading owner you don't know "who" it was they showed it to. I have a waterproof match container hidden out on a fishing pier in a really tucked away spot and have had a handful of times people log a find and say that they showed someone nearby what they were doing... just as many times I have replaced the hide shortly thereafter because it mysteriously went missing... go figure.

 

Yep, depends who.

 

nogladyskravitz.jpg

 

But when you are caught in the act of caching it's lie or come clean. Sometimes I've been trapped for up to 20 minutes, waiting for people to clear out so I can replace a cache, which I have in my hand, unseen.

Link to comment
So it shouldn't be assumed every stranger introduced to the game this way is going to have a negative impact!!!
Not at all assuming that they WILL have negative impact but assuming wrong when at someone else's hide CAN have negative impact on THEIR cache. Since you don't KNOW they WON'T have a negative impact then I would say to err on the side of caution and not put someone else's hard work and property at risk and DON'T expose their hide to strangers. If it's your hide by all means, lay it out to everyone and their brother... but if it's not your's then explain geocaching using information and show them your GPSr but don't expose the hide. Just MHO

 

But when you are caught in the act of caching it's lie or come clean. Sometimes I've been trapped for up to 20 minutes, waiting for people to clear out so I can replace a cache, which I have in my hand, unseen.
Love the picture... :) I still say if you "come clean" then do it with discretion and use words and information and not "examples" unless they are your examples. I have actually left with container in hand and come back later to re-hide as to protect someone else's hide. It's called R-E-S-P-E-C-T... :huh: Edited by infiniteMPG
Link to comment
But when you are caught in the act of caching it's lie or come clean. Sometimes I've been trapped for up to 20 minutes, waiting for people to clear out so I can replace a cache, which I have in my hand, unseen.
Love the picture... :) I still say if you "come clean" then do it with discretion and use words and information and not "examples" unless they are your examples. I have actually left with container in hand and come back later to re-hide as to protect someone else's hide. It's called R-E-S-P-E-C-T... :huh:

 

Always a tricky aspect of caching, but when you are caching on the road, long way from home, nosy people can present a considerable obstacle. I was trapped in a Wal Mart parking lot with a Lamp Post Cache (LPC) in hand and people in a pickup about 30 feet away watching me with intense interest. I was tired and wanted to continue driving home from Yosemite, but needed to get that cache back. So I did the best thing I could, pull out some food from my backpack and start eating. After 20 minutes they lost interest (now I understand why some of the utter rubbish on TV is renewed, season after season) and I was able to replace the cache (I had done a little maintenance on it with some duct tape, which is how I was trapped with it.)

Edited by DragonsWest
Link to comment
Always a tricky aspect of caching, but when you are caching on the road, long way from home, nosy people can present a considerable obstacle. I was trapped in a Wal Mart parking lot with a Lamp Post Cache (LPC) in hand and people in a pickup about 30 feet away watching me with intense interest. I was tired and wanted to continue driving home from Yosemite, but needed to get that cache back. So I did the best thing I could, pull out some food from my backpack and start eating. After 20 minutes they lost interest (now I understand why some of the utter rubbish on TV is renewed, season after season) and I was able to replace the cache (I had done a little maintenance on it with some duct tape, which is how I was trapped with it.)
Been down that road a few too many times which is why my GF doesn't like to do city finds at all! Crawling all around over and under something thinking you're alone, then make the find and get the AH-HA moment and hold it up victoriously just to see some people standing not too far away looking at you like you're nuts. Or blasting thru the brush near a park and as you fly up on GZ you realize that the pile of debris in front of you is a homeless person under a cardboard blanket and you just woke him up.... ;)
Link to comment

A week ago, roommate and I were out (her first time -- loved it).

 

Twice on rural residential, cars pulled up and asked us what we were doing. First time we said we were geochacing, we got a blank stare. Roommate started to explain it was a treasure hunt with GPSr and they seemed to be satisfied. Second one was an older lady and we explained to her, she said "Oh, my son does that"... ;)

 

Neither seemed to be interested in the caches and neither were shown any. Don't think I'd have shown either of them the cache unless I saw real interest.

Link to comment
A week ago, roommate and I were out (her first time -- loved it).Twice on rural residential, cars pulled up and asked us what we were doing. First time we said we were geochacing, we got a blank stare. Roommate started to explain it was a treasure hunt with GPSr and they seemed to be satisfied. Second one was an older lady and we explained to her, she said "Oh, my son does that"... :) Neither seemed to be interested in the caches and neither were shown any. Don't think I'd have shown either of them the cache unless I saw real interest.
Ummmmm, even if there WAS interest I sure as heck wouldn't of shown them the hide because you used that catchy but dangerous term.... TREASURE HUNTING. We have explained it that way before and the first thing people ask it "What kind of treasure? Money?" which is also what leads to people who seem to like finding their treasure in unique toys (TB's) and plenty of treasure booty (geocoins at $10-$15 a pop). ;)
Link to comment

Ummmmm, even if there WAS interest I sure as heck wouldn't of shown them the hide because you used that catchy but dangerous term.... TREASURE HUNTING. We have explained it that way before and the first thing people ask it "What kind of treasure? Money?" which is also what leads to people who seem to like finding their treasure in unique toys (TB's) and plenty of treasure booty (geocoins at $10-$15 a pop). ;)

 

Ok.. reasonable.. But how do you explain Geocaching when you get that blank stare. A 10 minute dissertation ain't going to work when suspicious neighbors are wondering what you're doing wandering around on "their" road. I live in rural Oregon. Believe me, I'd be out there asking questions.

Edited by jgaiser
Link to comment

Ummmmm, even if there WAS interest I sure as heck wouldn't of shown them the hide because you used that catchy but dangerous term.... TREASURE HUNTING. We have explained it that way before and the first thing people ask it "What kind of treasure? Money?" which is also what leads to people who seem to like finding their treasure in unique toys (TB's) and plenty of treasure booty (geocoins at $10-$15 a pop). ;)

 

Ok.. reasonable.. But how do you explain Geocaching when you get that blank stare. A 10 minute dissertation ain't going to work when suspicious neighbors are wondering what you're doing wandering around on "their" road. I live in rural Oregon. Believe me, I'd be out there asking questions.

I detest the concept that it is treasure hunting almost as badly as the scavenger hunt or hide-and-seek analogies. To me, it is unlike any of those, but I agree that calling it a "treasure hunt" has bad connotations that go beyond simply being misleading (eg: shovels & buried valuables). I just tell people that is an activity where people hide things and post the coordinates online for others to go find and sign the log. Its kind of like telling young children about sex... you don't tell them any more than they asked about.
Link to comment

I detest the concept that it is treasure hunting almost as badly as the scavenger hunt or hide-and-seek analogies. To me, it is unlike any of those, but I agree that calling it a "treasure hunt" has bad connotations that go beyond simply being misleading (eg: shovels & buried valuables). I just tell people that is an activity where people hide things and post the coordinates online for others to go find and sign the log. Its kind of like telling young children about sex... you don't tell them any more than they asked about.

 

;) Fair enough.. Still learning..

Link to comment

I detest the concept that it is treasure hunting almost as badly as the scavenger hunt or hide-and-seek analogies. To me, it is unlike any of those, but I agree that calling it a "treasure hunt" has bad connotations that go beyond simply being misleading (eg: shovels & buried valuables). I just tell people that is an activity where people hide things and post the coordinates online for others to go find and sign the log. Its kind of like telling young children about sex... you don't tell them any more than they asked about.

 

;) Fair enough.. Still learning..

I use "scavenger hunting" instead of treasure hunting simply because a muggle isn't going to be interested in scavenging after me. However they might just be interested in treasure.

Most people can identify with the concept of "scavenger hunting" but any other analogy gets a blank stare.

Link to comment

Being a pain in the a** and addding to my "Treasure Hunting" comment...

 

On Geocaching.com's home page there is a "Welcome to Geocaching" paragraph.

 

First sentence reads:

 

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.

 

I agree that "Treasure Hunting" seems to imply a TREASURE, but seems to me that that is still a valid definition of what we are doing. ;)

Link to comment
Being a pain in the a** and addding to my "Treasure Hunting" comment...

 

On Geocaching.com's home page there is a "Welcome to Geocaching" paragraph.

 

First sentence reads:

 

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.

 

I agree that "Treasure Hunting" seems to imply a TREASURE, but seems to me that that is still a valid definition of what we are doing. ;)

 

 

I refrained from commenting earlier on the very point that Groundspeak itself calls it "treasure hunting " in more than one place. Most of the outside press I have seen on the game describes it the same way. :)

 

I don't like to use that term myself.

 

Of course, it goes without saying, they have a vested interest in attracting more players for whatever reason they join, and by whatever means brings them here.

Link to comment

I always refer to it as "hiking with a purpose" or "GPS Challenge". I've used "treasure hunt" and "scavenger hunt" in conversation before only to receive the dreaded blank stare, so I've steered clear of those terms. I have, though, printed off a couple copies of Groundspeak's "Guide to Geocaching" and handed them out, even to a curious LEO.

Link to comment
Being a pain in the a** and addding to my "Treasure Hunting" comment...

 

On Geocaching.com's home page there is a "Welcome to Geocaching" paragraph.

 

First sentence reads:

 

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.

 

I agree that "Treasure Hunting" seems to imply a TREASURE, but seems to me that that is still a valid definition of what we are doing. ;)

Yes, that has been discussed here before. You will also frequently see that terminology used in press articles. Many of us, though, would love to see that wording changed and the perception of treasure hunting fade away.

 

BTW: I don't seriously have a problem with the "scavenger hunt" analogy. Its just that I feel that it is inaccurate. Other than that... meh! Works for me.

Link to comment
I agree that "Treasure Hunting" seems to imply a TREASURE, but seems to me that that is still a valid definition of what we are doing. :P Yes, that has been discussed here before. You will also frequently see that terminology used in press articles. Many of us, though, would love to see that wording changed and the perception of treasure hunting fade away.
Agree. Treasure hunting gives outsiders the totally WRONG initial impression of the game.

 

BTW: I don't seriously have a problem with the "scavenger hunt" analogy. Its just that I feel that it is inaccurate. Other than that... meh! Works for me.
GC has enough people with insight to come up with something better that we can kind of use across the board. On the Wikipedia it states :

 

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world.

 

Pretty good summary without the word "treasure". Deeper in the description it states :

 

Geocaching is most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and Waymarking.

 

Mentioning "treasure" but only as having "sharing many aspects".

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...