Caches near Schools

[+stokdal]

This is what the norwegian cache Reviewer Makuta Teridax says!:

Caches should not be located near kindergartens and primary and secondary schools, as it may arouse unnecessary fear and suspicion among children, parents or staff that people are looking for caches in such places.

any comments? I do agree on that!!

 

Norwegian text:

 

Cacher bør ikke plasseres nær barnehager samt barne- og ungdomsskoler, ettersom det kan vekke unødig frykt og mistanke hos barn, foreldre eller ansatte at folk leter etter cacher på slike steder.

[+StarBrand]

Not just the reviewer - the guidelines say that too.

[+geodarts]

Although those of us who want to arouse fear and suspicion among parents can always place caches on playgrounds instead. Not that I advocate doing either.

[+BulldogBlitz]

you know what did it right?

 

the ban on caches near schools is called the "Wilson Elementary Rule"...

 

a few years back outside of wilson elementary there was a geocache with an alternative logging requirement of nudity. after a few cachers got arrested, the rule was easily placed... it actually was the precursor to the "no ALR" rule.

[+dorqie]

I had one that was near a school, but not visable from the proporty, actually 3 or 4 blocks away.

however, being proximity to teenagers, it was muggled before it was published, in spite of the care I took to camo it. I'm going to replace it as soon as I get my hands on a similar container, but if that one goes missing, game over.

I did think about placing it outside the school grounds, but on public proporty near a bus stop, but the thought left my head as soon as I pictured the FTF hound activity around the cache site, and the stir that would cause (especially since it's a boarding school and occupied 24hrs)

[+mchaos]

If you are going to place one at a school it is possible BUT, You must talk to the school before even thinking of placing it. make sure the school is well aware of it and that they give you permission to place it. I would also after getting written consent to place it on the school grounds bring that to the local municipality so they are aware in case a muggle thinks something suspicious is going on and calls the police. If you have all that in line when you post it on geocaching.com, and let the reviewer know you have permission from the school and the local police know as well, that would count as an exception, and could be published.

 

As well if you are going to go through all this trouble for a hide, make sure it is very very good placement. Try to put it in a place that would at least not make it look suspicious. I would try not to put it near a kindergarten class or school. People may think adult cachers may be sex offenders etc.

 

I think that would be fine to hide one at a school, although a lot to go through to do it.

 

Personally if I was going to find a cache at a school if there was one placed there, I would let some one in the school office know I was going to be looking for it, so I would not be mistaken for some one up to no good.

 

Its just not worth it to go through to publish it all kosher like. Just go find another place to place the cache.

[+dbrierley]

An earlier thread on the subject:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=244096&hl=

[+Coldgears]

I have a cache near me that is placed in the woods. You virtually have to go through school grounds to get to it. It was placed for the parent's daughter who goes there. Funny thing, I was searching for it and I screamed to my caching buddy "I think I found it!" Some guy walking his dog wanted to know what the hell we were looking for... We left! Oh, and I never did find it...

[+Kiwi Nomad]

I did think about placing it outside the school grounds, but on public proporty near a bus stop, but the thought left my head as soon as I pictured the FTF hound activity around the cache site, and the stir that would cause (especially since it's a boarding school and occupied 24hrs)

 

I know of a cache that is placed exactly like this. Was telling my sister about geocaching and her first thought was that her two oldest at boarding school would enjoy it and give them something to do other than hanging out at malls. We looked their school hostels up on line and there was one on the side of the street right outside her daughters hostel.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

you know what did it right?

 

the ban on caches near schools is called the "Wilson Elementary Rule"...

 

a few years back outside of wilson elementary there was a geocache with an alternative logging requirement of nudity. after a few cachers got arrested, the rule was easily placed... it actually was the precursor to the "no ALR" rule.

 

And as anyone that has attended a geoevent and seen those that attend them the "no nudity while searching for a cache" guideline is certainly justified.

[+thedeadpirate]

you know what did it right?

 

the ban on caches near schools is called the "Wilson Elementary Rule"...

 

a few years back outside of wilson elementary there was a geocache with an alternative logging requirement of nudity. after a few cachers got arrested, the rule was easily placed... it actually was the precursor to the "no ALR" rule.

 

Nude Cacher ruined it for us all.

[+mchaos]

I have a cache near me that is placed in the woods. You virtually have to go through school grounds to get to it. It was placed for the parent's daughter who goes there. Funny thing, I was searching for it and I screamed to my caching buddy "I think I found it!" Some guy walking his dog wanted to know what the hell we were looking for... We left! Oh, and I never did find it...

 

I think that right there was the wrong thing to do. I think the best thing would have been to walk up to him, introduce your self, then explain what you are doing. Go on geocaching U and print up a few of those geocaching fliers, that will make it simple. Just hand it to people in those situations. Running away just makes it sound like you are up to no good. That's how caches end up on the news with a robot.

 

you know what did it right?

 

the ban on caches near schools is called the "Wilson Elementary Rule"...

 

a few years back outside of wilson elementary there was a geocache with an alternative logging requirement of nudity. after a few cachers got arrested, the rule was easily placed... it actually was the precursor to the "no ALR" rule.

 

Nude Cacher ruined it for us all.

 

That's just disturbing... Disturbing.

[kobe008]

I had one that was near a school, but not visable from the proporty, actually 3 or 4 blocks away.

however, being proximity to teenagers, it was muggled before it was published, in spite of the care I took to camo it. I'm going to replace it as soon as I get my hands on a similar container, but if that one goes missing, game over.

I did think about placing it outside the school grounds, but on public proporty near a bus stop, but the thought left my head as soon as I pictured the FTF hound activity around the cache site, and the stir that would cause (especially since it's a boarding school and occupied 24hrs)

 

I had the same experience with you but in my case, I hid a cache less than 120 feet to a boys boarding school and it was a private property I explained that from the boarding school you can't see the cache site and vice versa then it was approved without any problems.

Edited October 22, 2010 by kobe008

[hoosier guy]

It was much funnier in Norwegian

[+Ecylram]

If you are going to place one at a school it is possible BUT, You must talk to the school before even thinking of placing it. make sure the school is well aware of it and that they give you permission to place it. I would also after getting written consent to place it on the school grounds bring that to the local municipality so they are aware in case a muggle thinks something suspicious is going on and calls the police. If you have all that in line when you post it on geocaching.com, and let the reviewer know you have permission from the school and the local police know as well, that would count as an exception, and could be published.

 

As well if you are going to go through all this trouble for a hide, make sure it is very very good placement. Try to put it in a place that would at least not make it look suspicious. I would try not to put it near a kindergarten class or school. People may think adult cachers may be sex offenders etc.

 

I think that would be fine to hide one at a school, although a lot to go through to do it.

 

Personally if I was going to find a cache at a school if there was one placed there, I would let some one in the school office know I was going to be looking for it, so I would not be mistaken for some one up to no good.

 

Its just not worth it to go through to publish it all kosher like. Just go find another place to place the cache.

With or without permission, caches should not be placed on or next to school grounds. IMO.

 

First reason...As we saw this last week, when a 'suspicious' object is found no calling circle is initiated to find out if the suspicious item was placed with permission. Instead, the person who finds the suspicious item calls the police and they come out. Stories of suspicious items found near school grounds WILL appear in the media. Result: black eye for geocaching.

 

Second reason...just like with playgrounds, having middle-aged males standing behind trees and bushes raises the concerns of parents nearby.

[+TheFinleys]

you know what did it right?

 

the ban on caches near schools is called the "Wilson Elementary Rule"...

 

a few years back outside of wilson elementary there was a geocache with an alternative logging requirement of nudity. after a few cachers got arrested, the rule was easily placed... it actually was the precursor to the "no ALR" rule.

 

Nude Cacher ruined it for us all.

 

I think he would want to live somewhere warmer than Washington... shrinkage....

[+kimgh]

 

With or without permission, caches should not be placed on or next to school grounds. IMO.

 

First reason...As we saw this last week, when a 'suspicious' object is found no calling circle is initiated to find out if the suspicious item was placed with permission. Instead, the person who finds the suspicious item calls the police and they come out. Stories of suspicious items found near school grounds WILL appear in the media. Result: black eye for geocaching.

 

Second reason...just like with playgrounds, having middle-aged males standing behind trees and bushes raises the concerns of parents nearby.

 

But I think there are exceptions. Here in California, there are several schools where the play yard doubles as a public park during non school hours. It's perfectly fine to place a cache in the park, but the caution is that cachers confine their searches to evening and weekend hours when the play yard is in fact a park.

 

Even that restriction is not completely set in stone. I recently found a cache that is on a hiking trail that runs right past a school yard/public park. There is no posting that says the trail cannot be used during school hours, but it sure ran quite close to playing children.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

If you are going to place one at a school it is possible BUT, You must talk to the school before even thinking of placing it. make sure the school is well aware of it and that they give you permission to place it. I would also after getting written consent to place it on the school grounds bring that to the local municipality so they are aware in case a muggle thinks something suspicious is going on and calls the police. If you have all that in line when you post it on geocaching.com, and let the reviewer know you have permission from the school and the local police know as well, that would count as an exception, and could be published.

 

As well if you are going to go through all this trouble for a hide, make sure it is very very good placement. Try to put it in a place that would at least not make it look suspicious. I would try not to put it near a kindergarten class or school. People may think adult cachers may be sex offenders etc.

 

I think that would be fine to hide one at a school, although a lot to go through to do it.

 

Personally if I was going to find a cache at a school if there was one placed there, I would let some one in the school office know I was going to be looking for it, so I would not be mistaken for some one up to no good.

 

Its just not worth it to go through to publish it all kosher like. Just go find another place to place the cache.

With or without permission, caches should not be placed on or next to school grounds. IMO.

 

Agreed. Even with specific permission from the principal it likely means that only one or two people at the school know it's there and what it is. It's unlikely that all of the teachers have been told about it, none of the parents dropping off and picking their children up from school would know about it, and any neighbors nearby wouldn't know about it either. The principal may not call the police if they see someone lurking around a school yard but there are a lot of other people that might. The same thing goes for a cache placed in a strip mall parking lot, or pretty much any other public place. You just can't inform every employee in the nearby business nor every customer that might see someone looking for the cache and consider their behavior suspicious enough to inform authorities.

[+dreamarcher]

To get around the creepy male aspect at the playground I take my 11 daughter with me. If someone needs to crawl around a play structures I just give her the directions and sit on the bench with the other parents.

 

But yeah, don't put them nears schools. If you fail to understand why then have a couple kids. It will become painfully clear to you.

[+JohnnyVegas]

 

With or without permission, caches should not be placed on or next to school grounds. IMO.

 

First reason...As we saw this last week, when a 'suspicious' object is found no calling circle is initiated to find out if the suspicious item was placed with permission. Instead, the person who finds the suspicious item calls the police and they come out. Stories of suspicious items found near school grounds WILL appear in the media. Result: black eye for geocaching.

 

Second reason...just like with playgrounds, having middle-aged males standing behind trees and bushes raises the concerns of parents nearby.

 

But I think there are exceptions. Here in California, there are several schools where the play yard doubles as a public park during non school hours. It's perfectly fine to place a cache in the park, but the caution is that cachers confine their searches to evening and weekend hours when the play yard is in fact a park.

 

Even that restriction is not completely set in stone. I recently found a cache that is on a hiking trail that runs right past a school yard/public park. There is no posting that says the trail cannot be used during school hours, but it sure ran quite close to playing children.

I have seen those school/public playgrounds. I just keep on driving. There are about 6000 caches within just a few miles of me, why bother with a lame location.

[+OldLog]

I don't try for any that are located on school property or play grounds. I leave those for families. I don't want to add to paranoia. My life is hectic enough being old LOL

Edited October 23, 2010 by OldLog