Curfew on caching?

[GOF and Bacall]

A lot of people just can't resist dashing out at night for a FTF on a cache that was just published.

 

So what? If it's not against the law, let them cache when and where they want. I'm not sure why someone getting a FTF at night would bother you.

 

I've never understood the appeal of nighttime caching. Why go sneaking around a park at night when it's dark and who know what is lurking who knows where when one can go caching during the daytime when it's bright and you can actually see what you're doing? I know there are fewer Muggles but I don't feel it's worth it to go out when it's dark just to avoid Muggles.

 

I work the graveyard shift, so being awake at 2am, 3am, 4am, etc is an everyday occurance for me. Sometimes I get the urge to go out caching during those hours. I enjoy it. It does have its own challenges (finding a micro in a pine tree after dark is an exercise in insanity) but it also has its own rewards...such as finding that micro in a pine tree. Aside from less muggles, it's cooler and that leads to less bugs in the summer and in the winter, some of my favorite caching memories are from walking under a full moon that was lighting up the blanket of snow in the woods. I cache alot during daylight hours as well, but I won't bat an eye at going out after dark.

 

Nothing wrong with caching at night. That is until you start ignoring posted hours and such.

[newdiscovery]

I havent heard of that. but where I live there is a curfew. its a law that says anyone under 18 CANNOT be wandering out of doors or anywhere public without an adult after 11pm. my friend from Florida was shocked we have this law in Virginia. one time my friend and I were taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood at 4:30 in the morning just because we were bored. we got stopped by police and and had to show ID because they thought we were teens.

Edited May 13, 2010 by newdiscovery

[+ElliPirelli]

I've never understood the appeal of nighttime caching. Why go sneaking around a park at night when it's dark and who know what is lurking who knows where when one can go caching during the daytime when it's bright and you can actually see what you're doing? I know there are fewer Muggles but I don't feel it's worth it to go out when it's dark just to avoid Muggles.

There is a difference between caching at night for caches, which could be found at daytime, or going on a nightcache hunt.

A nightcache in our area can't be found in daylight, there are reflectors to be found with a torch, or you need to light up invisible ink with UV light. A nightcache has mostly a great story as well, so you really go on an adventure.

[+wimseyguy]

I saw someone at the gas station last month wearing a camo pattern blaze orange hat. What's that all about? Do you want to be seen or not?

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed the bright orange camo pattern stuff... that and the purple camo stuff. The best though was a lady that I saw at the grocery store who had a camo patterned wallet with 'bling' all over it.

 

Fashion sure is interesting!

 

As has been mentioned the blaze orange cammo is hunting gear. It is believed that many game animals can't distinguish color. The pattern is meant to break up the shape of the hunter while hopefully preventing an accidental shooting.

 

Based on the rest of the good ol' boy's outfit and the condition and vintage of the chevy pick up he departed in, I'm betting this was a fashion statement. It wasn't hunting season here.

[+tallgirl84]

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I don't get into the Forums because topics, other than technical, are without merit, thought, or direction. They soon degrade and become worthless pieces of information and take up valuable data storage. On this topic, it's clear (including the charter member) that all responders are inexperieced in modern Geocaching. I'm into 5 figures in finds and have over 500 FTF's, most of which are in the forests and logging country of the PNW, so far in the bush that I'm the only visitor in over three years. I hate skirt lifters, ivy, micros in the woods, rock walls, and fish bowls. I have the experience and knowledge about the background within this topic although I'd rather be solving puzzles or be in the field right now.

 

So..........when I was made aware of this I had to chime in.

 

Over two years ago, I shared with friends that I felt that the rise and fall of urban GC would take four years. I didn't know how the grim reaper would appear but now it's clear ....... FACEBOOK. Since it's worldwide and an addiction, the foundation of the cancer will spread rapidly. I have run into more county, city, and state law enforcement officers and deputies than most of the responders combined. I know it by the flakey comments. I just hand out the geo-caching spiel on hardcopy now.

 

If any of you are that ignorant to not see the impact of nighttime geocaching in neighborhoods, city and country parks for example, need to get a clue and wake up. The FTF Feeding Frenzy (I coined that about five years ago) is pushing a lot of this. Anywhere from one to 12 people show up according to logs. I feel the approvers need to do what was common once, no releases before dawn or after dusk.

 

This is a sign that "the end is near".

 

You are a funny man, mister frisbee'r! lol. I pride myself in being a nite-cacher! It's hard to get caches that are anywhere near muggles in the day-time when you're 6ft! It makes my world much easier to find things when I can bend over and crawl around places without having to worry about the next string of cars coming by and seeing me. Although I LOVE night caching, I do follow the rules as far as going places too early. Especially for an FTF. Go wait close-by til your allowed to enter like you're told. Doesn't seem fair to give people that ignore the rules the glory - seems like cheating to me... might as well help your buddy hide a cache and sign it before it posts while you're at it lol. (FYI when I say "you" I am talking to the bad-cachers lol). I have been stopped 6 times (that I can think of off the top of my head) by a police officer(s) both at night and during the day. They just ask what you're doing, (what geocaching is - even though most of the ones I met already knew), if you have your ID (and they do check up on you!), ask why you're out at that time of nite - the truth is the fastest answer of course, lol, cuz you're a geocaching addict, duh! lol, and in one fun meeting I (and my two geocaching pals) were more or less grilled about our drug and alcohol use due to the fact that a nearby employee found someone's bag of drugs near where we were caching! lol We assured them that it wasn't ours and we probably scared the drug-people off by our funny snooping around. Long story short, The End IsN'T Near just yet! I do think that people that have caches where they are only available at certain times should require that everyone that signs should include the time they were there on both the log sheet and their online post. Just to make the world a little easier lol.

Edited September 17, 2012 by tallgirl84

[+stijnhommes]

I'm in two minds about this one. I despise the trend that everything is seen as too dangerous for kids these days when in fact the world is safer than it was 30-40 years ago. On the other hand, a game of tag that involves chasing people by car does seem to have an inherent danger, as does the fact it tends to be played at night.

 

That said, police should train up, because if youngsters chasing each other is suspicious, a game of tag or some souped up version of kick the can really can't be played anymore without drawing police attention and that would be a shame.

[+Chokecherry]

I didn't read the entire thread. I do our local teen curfew laws are applied extremely selectively and there simply so there is some recourse to deal with the teens causing trouble. I also know that a lot of local parks "close" after about 10pm. And that too is there simply to rid the area of trouble makers and applied selectively. I've only been hounded in one local park after dark. But I'm all tattooed up and except reasonable hassle when out at odd hours. When I worked afternoons it wasn't unusual for me to walk the dog later at night around town and in the parks and on those occasions they knew I was there and paid no attention because I wasn't hurting anything.

 

Kids regularly play some foot ball game well into the night in the park across the street from my house. Not hurting anything and never bothered by the police.

 

Personally if I had people running through my yard being chased or chasing another person at night or speeding down the street erratically chasing someone I would certainly be calling the police.

 

That being said these curfew laws have been around forever. Hasn't stopped caching yet. Doubt it will now.

[+Off Grid]

As long as you aren't breaking any laws there should be no problem. You aren't breaking any laws while you geocache, are you?

That's true but considering the number of caches placed in cemeteries and parks which have posted open/closing hours the potential for what a LEO may deem as "suspicious activity" as it relates to geocaching is high.

People caching in a park after the posted hours are subject to being questioned regardless of some game of tag teenagers may be playing.

There's always that potential when caching at night, especially in parks with posted daytime hours.

 

I've always found it odd that our city parks have posted daytime hours, yet we've always visited the parks at night (and so do many others), without the police being bothered by it. I've been in our parks at night, even as a teenager, and had cops drive through the park's parking area, doing their sweeps, not bothered that we were walking on by in the park (they'll even give a friendly wave).

 

I guess it's like any other disclaimer: they don't mind as long as people are not disturbing anything. If people do cause a disturbance, the police can fall back on the posted hours.

 

Most of the "Hours of Operation" of a park relate to noise and groups gathering, just walking through or quietly looking for a cache should not raise any alarms and I have never meet police officer that does not know about geocaching, some even cache themselves :-)

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

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I don't get into the Forums because topics, other than technical, are without merit, thought, or direction. They soon degrade and become worthless pieces of information and take up valuable data storage.

 

You are a funny man, mister frisbee'r! lol.

 

Why are you replying to a post that is almost 2.5 years old?

[+JBnW]

Ya'll realize you're responding to a thread that thankfully died a quiet death over 2 years ago...right??

[+Off Grid]

I saw someone at the gas station last month wearing a camo pattern blaze orange hat. What's that all about? Do you want to be seen or not?

 

That so the hunters can see you and the deer cant! HaHa

[+Off Grid]

It is me or the topic dates out of sync?

[GOF and Bacall]

It is me or the topic dates out of sync?

 

That is what happens when you poke the zombis threads.

[+Roman!]

Ya'll realize you're responding to a thread that thankfully died a quiet death over 2 years ago...right??

 

So, I'm just itching to hear the outcome, was geocaching killed off by this game or by the FTF hounds caching at night or not?

Edited September 18, 2012 by Roman!

[+tallgirl84]

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I don't get into the Forums because topics, other than technical, are without merit, thought, or direction. They soon degrade and become worthless pieces of information and take up valuable data storage.

 

You are a funny man, mister frisbee'r! lol.

 

Why are you replying to a post that is almost 2.5 years old?

 

Lol because he's a pal of mine... i saw his post... felt like replying ... why r u replying asking why i replied? Lol