Helpful muggles - how do you deal with them?

[+The Baggster]

As a newbie, I have yet to perfect my technique!

 

On Friday I was trying to find a landmark at a multi-cache and was 'helped' by a church warden who knew 'every grave'. I managed to shrug him off - eventually, but he clearly wanted to 'help'.

 

At another location I was spotted by two ladies. I whipped out my camera and began taking photos of a man-made landmark.

 

"What are you doing, why are you taking photos?" And so it went on.

 

She thought I was from the council!

 

At both those locations I had to just walk away - but I know when I go back to the first one, the warden will be on guard!

 

[+The Blorenges]

With the churchwarden you could explaining that you're on a special sort of treasure hunt which involves finding numbers from various locations... or you're new to the area and are simply browsing the old graves because they're interesting... or you're doing a PhD in lichen studies...

 

Similar tactics can work at most places. Try telling people that you're just doing a photography project. A lot of people seem to be doing projects on Flikr which involves uploading one photograph every day for a year.

 

Just get a few 'excuses' lined up in advance

 

MrsB

[+ChaceGuild]

The "education/research" themes are good to work lines from

 

In my case, they'll always be exaggerations of the truth, rather than outright lies. Having a degree in Archaeological Sciences, and having been an Ecoversity Ambassador, it's easy to say I'm doing a survey of "archaeological/environmental concerns in the area" This plays nicely with the hi-vis vest and clipboard Cacherflage that I wear!

 

May help if you add a pair of green/camo combat style trousers - the "look" is key to discouraging muggles from interfering.

[+Jonovich]

You could always try telling the truth....

 

"I'm looking for a geocache that the internet tells me is near here"

 

Is usually enough to scare off all but the most inquisitive muggle...

 

Jon.

[+ChaceGuild]

The truth is overrated

 

In my (limited) experience anyway - on annoucning what it was to a colleague, whilst hunting a cache in the grounds of somewhere I work, their response was "A what? What are you talking about? Eh?" It took about 20mins of explaining, at the end of which she still seemed none the wiser, but guaranteed that she'd tell everyone I was ok should they ask "What the heck he's doing"

[+Jonovich]

Usually quoting the Internet is enough to scare off the most helpful muggle... Saying you are from anywhere else usually brings on so many more questions. The only time it has failed us is when it's been security guards! Although I say failed, it didn't deter him from helping as it got us a lift out of the rain to the next cache, in the back of his security van whilst he got on the radio to all his colleagues, telling them he was on an official internet treasure hunt. I think he was expecting Anneka Rice to appear jumping out of a Helicopter too

 

Jon.

[+FantasyRaider]

 

May help if you add a pair of green/camo combat style trousers - the "look" is key to discouraging muggles from interfering.

 

So thats why I never get hassled by muggles then? ..... cool!

[+FantasyRaider]

Usually quoting the Internet is enough to scare off the most helpful muggle... Saying you are from anywhere else usually brings on so many more questions. The only time it has failed us is when it's been security guards! Although I say failed, it didn't deter him from helping as it got us a lift out of the rain to the next cache, in the back of his security van whilst he got on the radio to all his colleagues, telling them he was on an official internet treasure hunt. I think he was expecting Anneka Rice to appear jumping out of a Helicopter too

 

Jon.

 

now that was a real laugh out loud moment!

[+5Taylors]

We were trying to be subtle when 2 motorway maintance guys appeared as we were signing the log. We snuck the box back and walked casually past the men back to the car. "Did you find anything interesting?" the man asked "Might have" I replied. "We find them all the time" He said, "it's something to do with an internet treasure init?" We said "Kind of" and he said he just left them where they were. We thanked him and carried on our way.

We weren't sure quite how to react, but they were very nice and knew someone who did Geocaching, so weren't your regular muggles!

Denise

[+Team Noodles]

With the churchwarden you could explaining that you're on a special sort of treasure hunt which involves finding numbers from various locations..

 

We did exactly that, during a multi, the guy said he couldn't offhand remember the name, but that he would look him up for us (we had been through the yard twice by then), so we gave him the name and our email. We wondered off and decided to sit down working out the next cache.

 

Cue a 4yr old smart a** : daddy, whats that?? *pointing at an ingraved name on the bench we were sitting on*

 

DOH!!! lo and behold, the guy we were looking for. Finished doing the multi with a certain 4yr old singing all the way : I found it I found it!!!

 

Got a mail from the warden a few days later stating he couldnt find the name on the records for burials, but that it was possible his ashes were scattered in the church yard.

 

replied of course stating the above mini story to which he replied: yep, that makes sense.

 

pretty good all in all

[+ChaceGuild]

 

May help if you add a pair of green/camo combat style trousers - the "look" is key to discouraging muggles from interfering.

 

So thats why I never get hassled by muggles then? ..... cool!

 

Yeah The stuff I wear when Geocaching is basically my archaeology fieldwork clothes (fairly standard stuff for diggers & trowlies), and consists of: British army DPM combat trousers, hiking/work boots, scruffy top and/or body warmer, hi-vis vest, and clipboard holding the cache listings/clues. This is what I now call Cacherflage

 

People looking like this can usually be put into 1 of 3 categories:

1) Works people (builders, surveyors, etc.)

2) Archaeologists or similar random people on fieldwork

3) Nutters!

 

Given most people recognise this, they tend to avoid asking too many questions of them.

[+FantasyRaider]

We were trying to be subtle when 2 motorway maintance guys appeared as we were signing the log. We snuck the box back and walked casually past the men back to the car. "Did you find anything interesting?" the man asked "Might have" I replied. "We find them all the time" He said, "it's something to do with an internet treasure init?" We said "Kind of" and he said he just left them where they were. We thanked him and carried on our way.

We weren't sure quite how to react, but they were very nice and knew someone who did Geocaching, so weren't your regular muggles!

Denise

 

I never got the pleasure of meeting the muggle that frequents this cache:The Lost Valley - An ancient poem leads the way here

But he appears every now and then and has even signed the log!

[+Shiggaddi]

A few weeks ago, I went to find a geocache overlooking the coast in Plymouth, and there was a nice sun trap where you could sunbathe even in very cold weather in this man made hole that was cut in the wall next to the geocache. There was a lady who sits there most of the day, and as I walked down the steps and saw her feet hanging out the hole, and the GPS was saying that I was almost there, I wondered what to do, but she then went and said, "I think you'll find it's in there"

 

I explained that it was a treasure hunt from the internet, and she said, "Well, I've seen quite a few people with a machine like yours (referring to my GPS) and they all come looking for this container which is always in that hole" She seemed pleased to meet people and let us get on with what we're doing.

[+Team Noodles]

 

People looking like this can usually be put into 1 of 3 categories:

3) Nutters!

 

 

Narrows it down for you then

[+Yorkie30]

I find that helpful muggles are the best sort to explain what you are doing honestly.

 

The worst sort of muggle is the busy body who doesn't ask what you are doing but just accuses you of either planning to blow up the local village hall, rob the local post office or another crimial act.

Excuses I have used in the past are setting up a treasure hunt for the scouts, I dropped my keys and are looking for them etc.

 

The best excuse I gave to one old busy body was that I was from the council looking at access for the HGV's to enter the new building site starting next month and then made my excuses and left. I know I should not of said it but he was accussing me of all sorts of things and was going to call the local police. Made me laugh at the time.

[+HazelS]

The funniest one happened to Tigger (of Pengy and Tigger) and I a couple of years ago....

 

we were caching on the Oxford canal and we saw exactly where the cache would be - on this tree which was surrounded by kids just hanging out.

 

So, we just kind of sidled up to it, and the kids, naturally, asked what we were doing, when Tigs tells them that we're doing a survey for the Council on Rare Tree Snails, and the kids think this is great and run home to tell mum - fab, towpath to ourselves!

 

If I'm near Chester I say I'm a location scout for Hollyoaks, or If I'm in Cheshire, I hold up my work pass (I work for Cheshire West and Chester council) and tell them I'm surveying.

 

Sometimes, I pretend I'm foriegn... It just makes the day a little funnier for me!!! LOL

Edited March 15, 2010 by HazelS

[+drsolly]

With genuinely helpful muggles, I tell them I'm on a treasure hunt, and if they show interest, I'll explain more.

In a few cases, a muggles has shown me where the cache is!

 

With people who say "Can I help you?" meaning "What the hell are you doing here?" I say "No thanks". It's irresistible. And they look confused while they work out what just happened.

 

Then there's the ones who take the warnings "look out for suspicious behaviour" seriously. To them, I have "I'm counting slugs" (I have a British Slug Survey badge). If I'm feeling more difficult, I'll explain "I'm looking for God". Both of those are conversation stoppers, especially the second. People don't like to talk about slugs, but they *really* don't want to talk about God. And the great thing about religion, is that you can do *absolutely anything* and claim that it's a religious thing.

[team tisri]

I remember being startled by a muggle as I was studying a tree in excruciating detail looking for a film pot. They were fascinated at why I was so interested in this particular tree, but fortunately I'd been looking upwards when I realised how close they were so I just said I'd seen a squirrel run up the tree and wondered where it went.

 

Another time I was with a friend looking for one of the Rainbow series in central London, trying to figure out where something was, when a lady approached asking if we needed directions. That time I just said we were on a treasure hunt and she was happy enough. Since the cache was a virtual there was no way it could have gotten muggled over a casual comment.

[+little-miss-naughty]

i was looking for a micro along the beach which was hidden under a bench but as always all the benches are empty apart from the one with the cach hidden on it. i was hanging round waiting for the 5 of them to finish there ice creams which with 3 young kids was taking some time. eventualy i got fed up and asked them if they had seen a ring as i think i had dropped it near the bench earlier. the man said he hadnt seen it and moved is family and ice creams to the next bench along so i could look lol

 

lmn

[+Fuchsiamagic]

When I first started caching, I was signing the log, when I heard some horses approaching, so quicky bundled the cache back into into it's hidey-hole and tried to look innocent by taking some photos down the lane. A surley old biddy on a horse came up and asked me what I was taking pictures of. I made up some story about the area being of historic interest and I needed some photos for my research. The response was "That's strange, I was born in that house over there and I have lived here all my life. I wasn't aware of anything historical about the area. Tell me about it" DOH!

 

Since then, I've always aimed to tell the truth - if necessary, BUT, I always bear in mind that it could be the landowner who has approached me and it may not be in the cache-setters interest for him to know!

[+Jonovich]

Since then, I've always aimed to tell the truth - if necessary, BUT, I always bear in mind that it could be the landowner who has approached me and it may not be in the cache-setters interest for him to know!

 

You mean some caches are placed without the land owners knowledge or permission?

 

J

[+FantasyRaider]

Since then, I've always aimed to tell the truth - if necessary, BUT, I always bear in mind that it could be the landowner who has approached me and it may not be in the cache-setters interest for him to know!

 

You mean some caches are placed without the land owners knowledge or permission?

 

J

 

[team tisri]

When I first started caching, I was signing the log, when I heard some horses approaching, so quicky bundled the cache back into into it's hidey-hole and tried to look innocent by taking some photos down the lane. A surley old biddy on a horse came up and asked me what I was taking pictures of. I made up some story about the area being of historic interest and I needed some photos for my research. The response was "That's strange, I was born in that house over there and I have lived here all my life. I wasn't aware of anything historical about the area. Tell me about it" DOH!

 

That's the beauty of macro photography. You could be taking pictures absolutely anywhere, wanting to capture the particular form of veins on an individual leaf if needs be.

[WorcesterDan]

Had my first muggle experience today, It was a lone woman with a a dog, so honesty was the best policy I did not want to worry her.

 

Poor lady having a fat short haired 30 something pop out the bushes just in front of her

[Izzy and the Lizard King]

Our closest encounter occured on one of our night time caching expeditions. We were searching for the first part of a multi - a micro in an ICT. We were suddenly disturbed by a voice behind us asking about our activities. Without hesitation, Paul claimed that we were hunting for beetles. Quite a lengthy conversation developed between them whilst I continued to "hunt beetles" trying my best to stiffle any giggles and amazed at how convincing Paul's "expert knowledge" was coming over.

The fact that it was the middle of winter and beetles were probably hibernating never crossed our friendly muggle's mind. The clincher, however, was when the muggle revealed that he was on the parish committee and that he felt that our exploits were worthy of a mention in the local parish magazine!

[+Birdman-of-liskatraz]

Whilst terribly off topic, and nothing to do with caching..

 

When I wasn't caching, I volunteered to help for a bit at an animal sanctuary/zoo type place. It was indeed great fun -but- when working in an enclosure with the Raccoons, members of the public would wander up, read the information panel and obviously not believing a word it said, would ask me questions. Little did they know that I was merely cutting the grass and new nowt (or very little) about the diet of the beasts...

 

Member of Public - "What do they eat"?

 

Me - "They're very partial to pasta, though they can't hold a fork in their paws so can't cope with spaghetti "

 

and they'd wander off quite satisfied with that answer..

 

It's amazing what people will believe, if they THINK you know what you're talking about.

[+ChaceGuild]

I see that quite a bit - working in a museum, we get folks saying under their breath all the time, that the info on the displays is complete BS and that "this stuff was no way over millions of years old!" It's just sooo much fun to then pull out a well-known, highly acknowledged publication by a well-known author, and put them straight!

 

Or even better, the curator comes out of the back, siddles up beside them as though to make out he's a visitor too, and then say "Yeah, I didn't quite believe it til I did the degree, got the job here, and WROTE IT"

 

Get's me every time!

 

But back on caching - if you're going to bluff a muggle, make sure it's convincing A poor bluff will soon get you rumbled, and the muggle may quickly become hostile, and call the authoirities. All bluffs should really be exaggerations of the truth, as it's always easiest to work your way back to the full truth from their, rather than an outright lie = plausible deniability?

Edited March 19, 2010 by ChaceGuild

[team tisri]

... which is why I like the fallback of macro photography because you could be taking close-ups of absolutely anything regardless of how utterly uninteresting it is to anyone else.

 

Ivy is particularly good, as it throws out roots from its branches which can look quite striking when taken in close-up. Anything else could become "a study in colour and texture" or whatever artsy nonsense you feel like spouting at the time.

[+Amberel]

... which is why I like the fallback of macro photography because you could be taking close-ups of absolutely anything regardless of how utterly uninteresting it is to anyone else.

 

Ivy is particularly good, as it throws out roots from its branches which can look quite striking when taken in close-up. Anything else could become "a study in colour and texture" or whatever artsy nonsense you feel like spouting at the time.

But to make it convincing you've probably got to carry a half decent camera - you could come unstuck if you tried it with a cheap phone camera .

 

Rgds, Andy

[+natterjacktoad]

 

Then there's the ones who take the warnings "look out for suspicious behaviour" seriously. To them, I have "I'm counting slugs" (I have a British Slug Survey badge). If I'm feeling more difficult, I'll explain "I'm looking for God". Both of those are conversation stoppers, especially the second. People don't like to talk about slugs, but they *really* don't want to talk about God. And the great thing about religion, is that you can do *absolutely anything* and claim that it's a religious thing.

 

I WANT a BSS badge

Along similar lines, I had a story planned recently whilst hunting for an urban cache that I was looking for False Widow spiders and I even had some webs lined up if they were interested!!! (I've got one in my house, but Mr Natterjack doesn't know LOL!)

One of my hobbies is entomology and I am often out with what people assume is a butterfly net. When they ask what I'm catching I say 'wasps' as that usually gets rid of them! It's often actually true! I do take the opportunity, if they go 'ugh', to explain the benefits of wasps within the ecosystem.

One of my entomological colleagues, if challenged as to what he is doing crawling around in the undergrowth, says that he has lost a contact lens......

[WorcesterDan]

 

One of my hobbies is entomology and I am often out with what people assume is a butterfly net. When they ask what I'm catching I say 'wasps' as that usually gets rid of them! It's often actually true! I do take the opportunity, if they go 'ugh', to explain the benefits of wasps within the ecosystem.

 

off topic but a good excuse for a bad joke ( I don't really need a reason for a bad joke)

 

A World Renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps is browsing in a music store, when he spies an album titled "Wasp sounds from around the Globe".

 

Naturally, being a World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps he is curious and asks the young chap behind the counter if he can have a listen to "Wasp sounds from around the Globe".

 

A few seconds later the World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps is standing at one of those little sound stations with his headphones on and a puzzled expression on his face. He removes the Headphones, walks back to the counter and catches the young sales persons attention. "Excuse me" he says, "I'm A World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps and I've just been listening to "Wasp sounds from around the Globe", and I must say, there appears to be some mistake. Those are no Wasp sounds with which I am familiar". The young man dutifully checks the recording in question and assures the World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps that he is indeed listening to "Wasp sounds from around the Globe".

 

Puzzled, the World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps returns to the headphones and once again begins to listen. After a few seconds he once again returns to the counter and accosts the young fellow here. ""Excuse me" he says, "As I mentioned before, I am a World renowned expert in the sounds of European Wasps and I've just been listening to "Wasp sounds from around the Globe" and I have to say again, those are no Wasp sounds with which I am familiar. Are you certain I have been listening to the correct recording?" Slightly exasperated by now, the young man checks the record currently playing and with a slightly sheepish grin confesses:

 

 

 

"Oops, sorry Sir, I seem to have played you the Bee side

 

 

 

anyone seen my coat..

[+The Blorenges]

... What can I say?

 

 

MrsB

 

 

[+Pieman]

I walked up to a cache and saw it in the hands of a middle-aged couple. As the cache had a coin in it, I asked them if they had picked it up and introduced myself as Pieman. They looked a bit bewildered as it turned out they weren't cachers and had found the cache by accident.

 

I told them all about caching and they seemed interested. They said that they felt lucky that they had found a strange object in the middle of nowhere and someone had appeared to explain to them what it was all about!

[+Gushoneybun]

I have used all sorts of expanations from the kids have dropped something to I like looking at trees or great views, which often seem to lead into conversations, unless I say it stood behind an industrial unit, in which case they normally scarper. Sometimes I will explain and if they are interested I give them a GS leaflet with my user id written on.

[daveindeal]

a little while ago, i done one that was near a war monument, the cache was located off the main path in the undergrowth, the day was dull and light misty rain in the air, perfect for caching as muggles dont normaly venture out.

 

I entered the undergrowth with not a soul around, after a quick search found and signed the log, when i come walking out of the bushys iwas faced with 40 - 50 tourists all with cameras in hand and the most set's of evils i have ever had at once

 

after a second of my brain thinking whats my excuse, i started to fiddle with my zipper (fly's if your in the UK) and i dont think any one of the tourist went of to find where i had "been"

[GerritS]

I see that quite a bit - working in a museum, we get folks saying under their breath all the time, that the info on the displays is complete BS and that "this stuff was no way over millions of years old!" It's just sooo much fun to then pull out a well-known, highly acknowledged publication by a well-known author, and put them straight!

 

Or even better, the curator comes out of the back, siddles up beside them as though to make out he's a visitor too, and then say "Yeah, I didn't quite believe it til I did the degree, got the job here, and WROTE IT"

 

 

It was my Granddad who was worst for this, he was terrible for correcting people... Some examples:

 

My friend studying ancient history at Oxford, he tried correcting her very politely. She insisted she was right, she went back to Uni came back next holidays and apologized he was right .

 

In a museum for old motorbikes (his passion), he made quite an effort to tell them they had labeled a bike as the wrong model. Again polite and insistent, advising them the petrol tank was this shape and not that shape thats how he knew, a short whilst later the museum wrote to him and thanked him for correcting there mistake

 

What ever I have studied Engineering, Navigation, Stability. He was always there to tell me where I should revise

 

Aways nice always polite unassuming, you learned not to argue with him...

 

Sadly he is no longer around or he would of sent me running round the country with the answers to all the UK's puzzle caches. None would of been safe ...

 

As for dealing with muggles, sadly my Ex-wife got the dogs (always a great excuse).

 

 

I have taken to doing the telephone trick like above, but have been caught out with the question "You get phone reception here? What net work are you on?"

 

The great thing with an Oregon, is you pretend its a PDA and you are hard at work

Edited March 21, 2010 by GerritS

[+drsolly]

<<I have taken to doing the telephone trick like above, but have been caught out with the question "You get phone reception here? What net work are you on?">>

 

"I don't know, my butler deals with that."

[+HazelS]

I walked up to a cache and saw it in the hands of a middle-aged couple. As the cache had a coin in it, I asked them if they had picked it up and introduced myself as Pieman. They looked a bit bewildered as it turned out they weren't cachers and had found the cache by accident.

 

I told them all about caching and they seemed interested. They said that they felt lucky that they had found a strange object in the middle of nowhere and someone had appeared to explain to them what it was all about!

 

Pieman told me about his encounter with some youths on a canal towpath... These young guys were sat fishing right by where the cache ought to have been, and he needed them out of the way. He flashed his work permit at them very quickly, and asked to see their fishing permits, and told them they needed a permit to fish there.

 

They soon got up and walked off, and Pieman was able to log the cache and not DNF it (as he likes to do so very often! )

[+ChaceGuild]

Hmm... you have to be very wary of impersonating a figure of authority though Even though it would've been perfectly fine to ask if the lads had fishing permits, he didn't need to act as though he were some authority, telling them that they needed permits if there weren't signs stating as such.

 

That's why I've kept saying "exaggerate the truth, don't outright lie" - because you can always float with the truth, whereas a lie will sink you into all kinds of trouble

[+Eclectic Penguin]

I find honesty is usually the best course of action. I've had the "are you from the council" line many times (last time was last Thursday, almost on my doorstep) both when Geocaching and also taking pictures for Geograph - usually its down to a local dispute of some sort and seeing someone either with a camera or gizmo makes people wary.

 

What the Blorenges said above is sound advice - explain as simply as possible but also completely honestly what you're doing and why you're there. Be a judge of character - if the people challenging you look like they're up to no good in the first place (e.g. a gang of youths) I improvise, but in the vast majority of cases I find that once I've explained what I'm doing, the challengers actually take an interest and find the concept fascinating.

[+Eclectic Penguin]

to add to this - while driving around mapping the area for Open Streetmap I've been told people have worn high-visibility jackets with the Open Streetmap logo on the front and back along with the word SURVEYOR. There's nothing like a high-vis jacket to make you look official without so much as having to utter a word...

 

It can however backfire too when, as I mentioned above, there's already a problem in the area between the locals and the authorities.

[+T.R.a.M.P.]

A while ago, I was completing the last part of a puzzle cache that took us to a memorial next to a pub. My son and I spent some time getting the information and plugging in the final location before getting in to the car for a short drive to GZ. As we got out of the car a 4X4 drove up and stopped. The driver then came to ask what our interest was in the memorial. He turned out to be one of a team that maintained it and was watching us from the pub, becoming rather suspicious . When I explained about geocaching he seemed to lose interest but still kept me chatting while Michael headed off and found the cache.

[team tisri]

... which is why I like the fallback of macro photography because you could be taking close-ups of absolutely anything regardless of how utterly uninteresting it is to anyone else.

 

Ivy is particularly good, as it throws out roots from its branches which can look quite striking when taken in close-up. Anything else could become "a study in colour and texture" or whatever artsy nonsense you feel like spouting at the time.

But to make it convincing you've probably got to carry a half decent camera - you could come unstuck if you tried it with a cheap phone camera .

 

Rgds, Andy

 

A professional DSLR with unusual-looking macro gear does help but even a modern pocket camera can take surprisingly good macro pictures. I've got the beginnings of a collection of fungus pictures I took with a Canon Powershot camera, albeit the very latest one. The main thing is to be able to show a picture or two if the muggle does turn out to be more interested in the subject matter than might be hoped.

 

Failing macro work, abstract provides another opportunity to just snap a couple of frames of nothing in particular and say it's part of an abstract portfolio you're building. If it's badly exposed, blurry, whatever, that's all part of the abstract style you're working with.

[+lefthanded99]

If I am looking for a cache in a very "urban" area, I wear a hi-vis jacket, rigger boots and a yellow hard-hat. No-one ever takes any interest in what I am doing.

 

In more rural locations I always carry a walking-stick and ONE glove. If anybody asks what I am doing, I just say that I am looking for the other glove which I dropped while out walking.

 

There is an argument for telling the truth - but you have to make a instant decision about whether that would be a good thing. It does really depend on who's asking.

[team tisri]

In more rural locations I always carry a walking-stick and ONE glove. If anybody asks what I am doing, I just say that I am looking for the other glove which I dropped while out walking.

 

That one only really works if you're looking low down - it's hard to believe someone rummaging around in ivy at head height was looking for a glove they dropped...

[+PSHAX]

One set of caches I did ages ago was in central London.. I knew it would be muggle central.. So I had a patch made up saying "Radiation Leak Survey".. I velcro'd it to my ex plod hi-viz bullet proof vest (very heavy, looks like a radiation proof garment), and WOW, people soon buggered off when they read what was on my back!

 

And completely off topic, if I wear said vest under my coat on the way to work, I am guaranteed to get a seat on the tube!