Electric Pole caches

[+bluedoberman]

I have seen a couple of caches mounted to wood telephone/electric poles. They are plastic boxes mounted to the side. They look like power boxes, to the usual passerby, but have no wires running from them. Are these legal? I have a cache location that is limited in cache options, and this would be a great option.

[+geodarts]

Several years ago I was advised by law enforcement officers not to use utility poles for political signs since they are the property of the particular company. Of course in many areas that does not keep people from stapling various things to poles, that are there for limited periods of time and cleaned off every once in a while. Assuming the officer who told me this was correct, and I believe he was, the question should be whether you should have permission before you attach anything to private property.

Edited June 6, 2010 by mulvaney

[+gesharp]

Please do not attach anything to utility poles. When a lineman has to climbs one using hooks, the foreign object can cause him to fall.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

First of all, I do believe the utility company just may have a say-so in the use of their service equipment.

 

Secondly, as the power pole is considered private property, you will need permission from the managing utility company.

 

Third piece of advice, check your laws closely as various jurisdictions just may have laws dealing with unauthorized use of public utility service equipment.

 

Lastly -- not a good idea.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+dbrierley]

Archived utility pole caches that ran into problems:

 

GCNHV8

 

GC1AMMG (archived the same day it was published)

[+briansnat]

I have seen a couple of caches mounted to wood telephone/electric poles. They are plastic boxes mounted to the side. They look like power boxes, to the usual passerby, but have no wires running from them. Are these legal? I have a cache location that is limited in cache options, and this would be a great option.

 

Unless the cache owner was given permission by the utility company then they are a guideline violation. Actually they would violate 2 guidelines. Private property without permission and assuming that they are screwed into the poles, caches that deface public or private property.

[+bluedoberman]

These concerns are exactly why I posted this thread before putting it out. Now I have to figure out how to hide a new container. I had used a piece of tile that looked like rock and tucked it in the grass. That lasted all of 2 months. I need to get something out there soon.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Moving from the Getting Started forum to the Geocaching Topics forum.

[+DragonflyTotem]

Archived utility pole caches that ran into problems:

 

GCNHV8

 

GC1AMMG (archived the same day it was published)

 

Not arguing the point as I do get it....but still find it interesting that these folks never seem to mistake those many signs stuck on poles, etc. As bombs. Heck around here in this particular city you can find yourself in trouble for even removing an obviously illegal sign.

[flapjack4]

if you think about it , all caches should have a signed permission slip in the cache container itself or its just geo junk .

[+brslk]

if you think about it , all caches should have a signed permission slip in the cache container itself or its just geo junk .

 

I've thought about it and... no.

 

If you think about it, any land managers, property owners or caretakers give signed permission, they could be held legally responsible should a cacher be injured while on their property caching.

 

I'm also pretty sure that civic employees would get pretty tired of giving permission to anyone that wants to hide a cache in a city park and just put a blanket ban out there.

 

Also... by paying property taxes I consider myself a partial owner of city parks.

I give anyone in my city permission to place a cache there but will not do so in writing.

 

If your idea became a guideline / rule then I would estimate 80% of all caches would be archived.

Edited June 7, 2010 by brslk

[flapjack4]

whelp,,just becauce i pay taxes doesnt give me the right to go distribute my junk through out the parks,gamelands,mall parking lots and whatever..imagine if everyone did that..soon you wouldnt be able to walk through those places..i mean,with your way of thinkin i could just go throw my weekly garbage out at the mall..what the hey,,i pay my taxes..

Edited June 7, 2010 by flapjack4

[+K T S]

whelp,,just becauce i pay taxes doesnt give me the right to go distribute my junk through out the parks,gamelands,mall parking lots and whatever..imagine if everyone did that..soon you wouldnt be able to walk through those places..i mean,with your way of thinkin i could just go throw my weekly garbage out at the mall..what the hey,,i pay my taxes..

 

Well, I hope folks aren't just putting junk around and calling it a cache; to say nothing for the fact they have to be 500 ft apart (1/10th of a mile). Have fun in while caching. If having caches out there bothers you then stop caching... Remember to CITO always leave things better when you leave and pick up after all of the junk throwers out there...

[flapjack4]

whats wrong with getting a sighned permission slip to put in the cache .. that way everything would be legit .

[knowschad]

whats wrong with getting a sighned permission slip to put in the cache .. that way everything would be legit .

The guidelines require "adequate" permission, not a signed permission slip for each and every cache. Besides, do you really think the bomb squad is going to open the container to see if it has a signed permission slip? And what voluntary reviewer is going to travel all over their area to validate and enforce your rule?

 

Lastly, please stop calling my caches "junk", OK?

[+wimseyguy]

whats wrong with getting a sighned permission slip to put in the cache .. that way everything would be legit .

 

Good luck with that. Here's the contact info for you.

Dear Allegheny Energy, may I please have permission to drill a hole into one of your utility poles? I play this really cool GPS treasure hunt game, and want to hide a game piece in that hole in your pole.

 

Thanks,

flapjack4, without syrup

[flapjack4]

Wimsey..you made my point precisely..

Edited June 7, 2010 by flapjack4

[+wimseyguy]

Be sure to come back and tell us as soon as they say "Yes, you may drill your hole in our property".

 

I suspect it will be a while, or you will get an immediate no.

But perhaps things are different in WV.

[+gesharp]

You would get an immediate "no" from the utility company I work for. No questions asked and no discussion made.

[+Chokecherry]

You'd get an immediate no here too. Based on information in this thread and how there is no good spot to hide a cache right at that spot... is that really the best spot to hide a cache?

[+StarBrand]

whats wrong with getting a sighned permission slip to put in the cache .. that way everything would be legit .

Because many areas have well defined Geocaching rules and guidelines - I followed them. Who exactly is going to sign the slip??

 

...and caches are not junk - nor are they abondoned. I maintain mine very well.

[+Sioneva]

whats wrong with getting a sighned permission slip to put in the cache .. that way everything would be legit .

 

Until the day someone throws it out as junk, or a religious pamphlet, or a business card or promotional material... or it gets wet and illegible, and becomes a wadded ball at the bottom of the cache snowing little paper shreds, until someone throws it out as junk...

 

And then an epidemic of "illegit" caches, all crying out for their signed permission slip... eep, I'm having flashbacks to third grade field field trips...

 

Mommie.

[+Huntleigh]

I have seen a couple of caches mounted to wood telephone/electric poles. They are plastic boxes mounted to the side. They look like power boxes, to the usual passerby, but have no wires running from them. Are these legal? I have a cache location that is limited in cache options, and this would be a great option.

 

My day job is as a "safety guy" in the gas and electrical field. Putting aside the issue of whether the utility would allow it I see a greater risk.

 

"They look like power boxes" So if you have cachers poking their fingers into something that looks like a power box what are the odds that someone may end up in a real one? (Remembering that the cache could be in any "power box" within several metres).

[knowschad]

"They look like power boxes" So if you have cachers poking their fingers into something that looks like a power box what are the odds that someone may end up in a real one? (Remembering that the cache could be in any "power box" within several metres).

Here we go again...

[+brslk]

whelp,,just becauce i pay taxes doesnt give me the right to go distribute my junk through out the parks,gamelands,mall parking lots and whatever..imagine if everyone did that..soon you wouldnt be able to walk through those places..i mean,with your way of thinkin i could just go throw my weekly garbage out at the mall..what the hey,,i pay my taxes..

 

If you consider caches junk or garbage then you are playing the game wrong.

Also, parking lots are not funded by tax payers. They are private property.

[JohnX]

if you think about it , all caches should have a signed permission slip in the cache container itself or its just geo junk .

If you think about it, the concept of a signed permission slip in a cache is extremely similar to a junior high permission slip to go the the bathroom. Grow up.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

And to think... all of this came about from a legitimate question posted in the proper format!!

[+Viajero Perdido]

Obligatory re-re-re-re-re-post:

 

Johnnygeo's Geocaching Electrical Safety Blog

[+bittsen]

I just have to ask what kind of person has such little imagination that they feel the need to violate the guidelines in order to hide a cache?

 

There are hundreds of thousands of ways to hide a geocache without drilling holes in electrical poles.

[+Huntleigh]

"They look like power boxes" So if you have cachers poking their fingers into something that looks like a power box what are the odds that someone may end up in a real one? (Remembering that the cache could be in any "power box" within several metres).

Here we go again...

 

Ahh.. one of those eh? I wondered whether that might be the case. To cut to the chase, what's the consensus?

[+LewisClan77]

whelp,,just becauce i pay taxes doesnt give me the right to go distribute my junk through out the parks,gamelands,mall parking lots and whatever..imagine if everyone did that..soon you wouldnt be able to walk through those places..i mean,with your way of thinkin i could just go throw my weekly garbage out at the mall..what the hey,,i pay my taxes..

 

 

I know I shouldn't say that here. but it had to be said.

 

edited to remove my derogotory remark...

Edited June 8, 2010 by LewisClan77

[knowschad]

"They look like power boxes" So if you have cachers poking their fingers into something that looks like a power box what are the odds that someone may end up in a real one? (Remembering that the cache could be in any "power box" within several metres).

Here we go again...

 

Ahh.. one of those eh? I wondered whether that might be the case. To cut to the chase, what's the consensus?

Yup... one of those. A BIG one of those. There is no consensus, I'm afraid.