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"Don't take a TB without leaving one" - WHY?


InkyCat

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The only rule that remains on said hotel now is that you have to email us (the wife and I) to get the actual proper coordinates for the travel bug hotel and state that you understand how to log a bug in and out. If you can do that, it demonstrates that you can read instructions and write a simple message, and if you can, I'm more than happy to send you the coordinates.

What an awesome idea! I'm going to use that if you don't mind.

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I, for one, don't understand the point of a TB hotel in the first place. It seems like a cop out to leave a bug in one, especially if you don't further its goal.

 

I recently sent my first TB out into the world, only to have it in someones hands for 2 weeks, goal not completed...then DUMPED in a TB prison.

 

Imagine my happiness when it was rescued...and my sadness when the same thing happened 2 weeks later.

 

Both of these "hotels" are remote, and I am a little ticked that neither person who had this TB had the courtesy to at least fulfill its simple requested goal. Am I being unreasonable? Should I just accept this fate? This is my first TB, and so far it's a disappointment.

 

If you want to rescue it here it is: Fear

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Both of these "hotels" are remote, and I am a little ticked that neither person who had this TB had the courtesy to at least fulfill its simple requested goal. Am I being unreasonable? Should I just accept this fate? This is my first TB, and so far it's a disappointment.

 

Yes. Once you it leaves your possession it leaves your control. It would be nice if everyone followed directions to the letter, but thats never going to happen. The sooner you realize and accept that the sooner you'll be able to enjoy the adventures your traveler do get into (and out of) :rolleyes:

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I, for one, don't understand the point of a TB hotel in the first place. It seems like a cop out to leave a bug in one, especially if you don't further its goal.

 

I recently sent my first TB out into the world, only to have it in someones hands for 2 weeks, goal not completed...then DUMPED in a TB prison.

 

Imagine my happiness when it was rescued...and my sadness when the same thing happened 2 weeks later.

 

Both of these "hotels" are remote, and I am a little ticked that neither person who had this TB had the courtesy to at least fulfill its simple requested goal. Am I being unreasonable? Should I just accept this fate? This is my first TB, and so far it's a disappointment.

 

If you want to rescue it here it is: Fear

If it were my TB I would just be happy knowing it is somewhere. The one time I went out of my way to help a TB some new cacher got a few weeks later and has not been heard from since.

 

I often pick up TBs and I *try* to help them out. If I can't help them then I put them in a cache as soon as I can. At least they are active.

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And sometimes a TB hotel, be it dowtown or remote is just another cache, with hotel/motel in its name, because the cache owner likes to watch TB's travel through. It isn't necessarily a bad thing. Read the cache page and decide. It's not all the same.

 

(edit spelling error :ph34r: )

Edited by Eartha
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Well, that would explain why one of my personal bugs I dropped in a travel bug motel in Tucson 2 months ago is still sitting there.

 

30 more days, and it can claim residency.  :ph34r:

 

Yup, seems silly that it has had numerous visitors since, and yet that "There always MUST be 5 TB's left here" rule seems too have kept mine in limbo.  :D

I agree that this is a stupid rule. Here is the cache in Tucson:

 

Tucson Travel Bug Mansion

 

Here is a good example of why this is an absurd rule. This geocacher visited this cache and wanted to take some travel bugs to Oregon, but because of this rule, he did not take any travel bugs. Thus, some travel bugs were denied the opportunity to travel from Arizona to Oregon.

 

Restrictive rules like this keep travel bugs in the cache longer than necessary. If I visited Tucson, I would visit this cache and take all of the travel bugs in it, no matter what the owner thinks about it.

 

:)Ken Akerman (a.k.a. Highpointer) :huh:

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I, for one, don't understand the point of a TB hotel in the first place. It seems like a cop out to leave a bug in one, especially if you don't further its goal.

 

I recently sent my first TB out into the world, only to have it in someones hands for 2 weeks, goal not completed...then DUMPED in a TB prison.

 

Imagine my happiness when it was rescued...and my sadness when the same thing happened 2 weeks later.

 

Both of these "hotels" are remote, and I am a little ticked that neither person who had this TB had the courtesy to at least fulfill its simple requested goal. Am I being unreasonable? Should I just accept this fate? This is my first TB, and so far it's a disappointment.

 

If you want to rescue it here it is: Fear

Naw, don't be disappointed. We launched 4 bugs at the same time. 2 were swallowed by hurricanes, never to be seen again. That's disappointment. Fortunately, we had the copy tags and recently relaunched them both. One is now in Ireland.

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I have seen instructions on a number of Travel Bug Hotels, to the effect that you should not take a TB unless you can leave one - sometimes it's suggested that if you take one, you should leave two! It just doesn't make sense to me...if the goal of the TBs is to travel, the owners should be glad they're taken and moved along. Let's say there's a TB hotel near my house, with a bug in it whose goal is to get to Florida; I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow, but I don't have a TB of my own. Do you agree I should NOT take the bug? The cache owner is setting these rules, but I would think that the TB owners would rather their bugs get moving. Just wondering what others think.<BR><BR>InkyCat

Just as with any cache, the owner of the cache has some leeway in the way it works. I have no concerns with TB hotels. I do have trouble with TB Cops People who are so bitter about life that they send raving hate mails to other cachers about how a TB was or was not handled.

 

I have a few TBs in the wild and mostly they sit untouched. My family loved playing with TBs and we will take photo's and enjoy them. Some people will never touch them.

 

Some people will place them in a cache that is so ermote and unvisited that 1 year later they are still in the same cache. An example would be Italian Spring Trail. A cacher from Pheonix came all the way to Tucson and then dropped in what should be considered vacation caches. This poor TB Anakin Skywalker was picked up by a single cacher then placed in the middle of no where.

 

My family has gone back to caches to remove TBs we placed because it had not moved in 3 weeks. If you really are concerned about TB Hotel rules, maybe you should back off from the TB scene before you get to a level that you also yell and complain about TB's then place them inside your own made prison.

 

Finding a TB to replace a TB is simple. Yes you will have to go back to a cache you have been too most likely to make it happen quickly, but you can Always search for TBs and go grab one to move a TB along.

 

I say it is just as important to respect the other cachers and honor there cache as it is to respect the TB owner by ensuring you do what you can to assist in the TBs goal.

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Heh. Interesting. I posted a note on that "Tucson Travel Bug Mansion" cache page mentioning that the cache is being mentioned in this thread and if the owner wants to comment, they have the opportunity, as well as fellow cachers. A few hours later, my note has gone missing. Gee, I wonder how, expecially with this deletion notice in my email.

I am actually rather amused, really... shoulda figured... :)

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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Heh. Interesting. I posted a note on that "Tucson Travel Bug Mansion" cache page mentioning that the cache is being mentioned in this thread and if the owner wants to comment, they have the opportunity, as well as fellow cachers. A few hours later, my note has gone missing. Gee, I wonder how, expecially with this deletion notice in my email.

I am actually rather amused, really... shoulda figured... :)

Don't be amused by my deletion of your note on my cache page. The forums are the proper place for your note - not my cache page.

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Heh.  Interesting.  I posted a note on that "Tucson Travel Bug Mansion" cache page mentioning that the cache is being mentioned in this thread and if the owner wants to comment, they have the opportunity, as well as fellow cachers.  A few hours later, my note has gone missing.  Gee, I wonder how, expecially with this deletion notice in my email.

I am actually rather amused, really...  shoulda figured...    :)

Don't be amused by my deletion of your note on my cache page. The forums are the proper place for your note - not my cache page.

OK, I promise to not be amused and shall nevermore post something like that on a cache page.

 

Still it would be interesting and a classy thing to do if you could gently address the concerns of the folks in this thread who had problems with your cache in question in the first place. The concerns are real. I hope you don't take them lightly.

 

Just my thought du jour...

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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Still it would be interesting and a classy thing to do if you could gently address the concerns of the folks in this thread who had problems with your cache in question in the first place.  The concerns are real.  I hope you don't take them lightly.

 

Just my thought du jour...

A fair statement. There is some merit to the argument that travel bug hotels can become prisons. The concerns of some of those in this thread will not be taken lightly...

 

... with the exception of the cacher who dug this thread out of a 9-month abyss to promote a personal agenda. I have had, as have many others cachers in my state, personal issues with this cacher in the past and will disregard all of his concerns 100%. :)

 

I had originally stocked my hotel with 15 bugs so that there would be enough to take. From time to time I have revisited the cache to restock bugs in it. Many times, TBs were taken anyway. Currently there are less than 5. (which means I'm due to restock it again.) It happens. And you're right, you can't police a rule.

 

I think my original intent was to discourage people from showing up and taking every single travel bug. It happens quite a lot around here by some of the TB Gestapo who feel they have the right to dictate where every single Travel Bug goes. Share the wealth.

 

In this particular case, I feel that the number of people that have enjoyed my hotel has far exceeded the number that have issues with it, and I don't plan to change it for that reason. I might consider changing the cache page description from a so-called "rule" to a suggestion. People can always take the bugs as they see fit, and there's absolutely nothing I can or should do about that.

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<<After almost 2 months, and two geocachers finding this and NOT FURTHERING ITS MISSION PROPERLY, I feel the need to remind the next person to follow my directions for this Travel Bug, or just leave it be.>>

 

The issue of TBs languishing in a cache is moot if the above statement has been left for cachers to read. It's their choice to move or not! Cachers have the responsibility to choose whether they want to do a cache (and comply with the cache rules) when they read the cache page!

 

Play by the rules -- don't make up your own!

 

My concern lately, and the reason I do not move some travel bugs, is that the bug sheet is not with the bug. More bugs are showing up in caches with only the ID tag. I can't tell what the "mission" is and will not pick up a bug unless I can move along the right way or do what the owner wants the TB to do. I do print missing bug sheets and ziplock them with the bug when I have a bug missing one. This may be why TBs are staying in caches longer than the owner would like.

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The only rule that remains on said hotel now is that you have to email us (the wife and I) to get the actual proper coordinates for the travel bug hotel and state that you understand how to log a bug in and out.  If you can do that, it demonstrates that you can read instructions and write a simple message, and if you can, I'm more than happy to send you the coordinates.

What an awesome idea! I'm going to use that if you don't mind.

You're welcome to. It's important to be a *frequent* checker of email, though, if you're going to do this.

 

To make it easy on myself, I put the coordinates, and the actual reply message, on a secret web page (that's not linked in anywhere) so if I'm on the road, for business, and get an email, I can quickly bring up the secret web page, copy and paste the message and coordinates into a response, and *presto*. Takes about a second. My wife can back me up if she sees a request before I do, too.

 

I just wish I'd thought of this sooner. The whole take-one-only-if-you-leave-one was a *bad* idea. As another poster said, I simply have to be prepared to restock the cache periodically -- fortunately, I travel a lot and am always bringing bugs home. They generally move on quickly thereafter.

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<<After almost 2 months, and two geocachers finding this and NOT FURTHERING ITS MISSION PROPERLY, I feel the need to remind the next person to follow my directions for this Travel Bug, or just leave it be.>>

 

The issue of TBs languishing in a cache is moot if the above statement has been left for cachers to read. It's their choice to move or not! Cachers have the responsibility to choose whether they want to do a cache (and comply with the cache rules) when they read the cache page!

 

Play by the rules -- don't make up your own!

 

My concern lately, and the reason I do not move some travel bugs, is that the bug sheet is not with the bug. More bugs are showing up in caches with only the ID tag. I can't tell what the "mission" is and will not pick up a bug unless I can move along the right way or do what the owner wants the TB to do. I do print missing bug sheets and ziplock them with the bug when I have a bug missing one. This may be why TBs are staying in caches longer than the owner would like.

My bugs don't have sheets because I am not that concerned whether they achieve their missions or not. (Most of them I didn't give any specific mission) I think I will be lucky if they just don't disappear. Maybe the next batch I will use the tips about how to make your TB more successful and see if there is any difference.

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I have to confess that sometimes I will clean out a TB hotel (maybe we should change the name to motel to indicate the short stay). I will do this if I am traveling and after checking the missions (if attached to bug and not just on the website). In reverse sometimes I will collect a few at home and take them to where I am going. I really don't understand the cache owner's placing restrictions on trades. The owners of the Travel Bugs want them to travel and should have first priority. There are more forum postings about "Why hasn't my bug moved" than "It is moving to much".

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The wishes of the TB owner definitely take priority over the wishes of the TB hotel....a good cache owner should recognize this.

 

I of coarse mention the fact that I'm following the TB owner's wishes...if I'm contradicting the cache owner's.....

 

Otherwise..I follow the cache owner's wishes..

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also...I once posted on a TB cache site...to please move my TB along...wether it met with the cache owner's rules or not. I suppose can always list instructions on the TB's website..about what to do.

 

Most cache owner's though (not all) are cool about it.

 

I had a TB released and stuck awhile..then release...and moved the wrong way...

it then got grabbed for a future TB hotel...after a few weeks..I contacted the *future* cache owner..and He was very nice....and took my TB to a caching event..which got it to someone coming to my state.

 

And all I did was ask when his cache was going to be placed!!

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... with the exception of the cacher who dug this thread out of a 9-month abyss to promote a personal agenda. I have had, as have many others cachers in my state, personal issues with this cacher in the past and will disregard all of his concerns 100%. :lol:

The Cow Spots, please read the forum guidelines.

 

Respect: Respect the guidelines for forum usage, and site usage. Respect Groundspeak, its employees, volunteers, yourself, fellow community members, and guests on these boards. Whether a community member has one post or 5,000 posts, they deserve the same respect.

 

Personal Attacks and Flames will not be tolerated. If you want to praise or criticize, give examples as to why it is good or bad, general attacks on a person or idea will not be tolerated.

 

Even if a thread is old, don't we always ask people to do a search first before starting a new thread? If someone feels a need to discuss something, then it is a topic for today.

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I generally do *not* stick to the take one/leave one rule.

 

If a TB Hotel owner has this policy I follow it, just so I don't get someone mad at me.

 

Hmmm.... Keep the cache owner happy and you piss off the TB owner. Keep the TB owner happy and you piss off the cache owner. Either way you are going to get someone mad at yourself.

 

Personally, I could care less if a TB hotel owner isn't happy. Let them archive thier hotel so someone who knows what they are doing can put up a real TB hotel.

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I generally do *not* stick to the take one/leave one rule.

 

If a TB Hotel owner has this policy I follow it, just so I don't get someone mad at me.

 

Hmmm.... Keep the cache owner happy and you piss off the TB owner. Keep the TB owner happy and you piss off the cache owner. Either way you are going to get someone mad at yourself.

 

Personally, I could care less if a TB hotel owner isn't happy. Let them archive thier hotel so someone who knows what they are doing can put up a real TB hotel.

I guess I agree with you, that the TB owner's desires take precendence, but I don't see how trading TB's at a TB hotel is going to upset the TB owner...

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After reading this thread, I'm gonna have to edit the "rules" on my TB hotel. I've come to the conclusion that TB's should be move on, and anyways, my first batch of TB's were gone in fairly short order from my TB hotel. That annoyed me at first, since I said "1 for 1" on TB's. Now I realize it just doesn't matter. It can't be enforced anyway. Besides, my TB hotel can be a real b***h to get to in the summer.

 

I'll change it to something like "1 for 1 is encouraged but not necessary...take a TB if you can move it along, no need to trade anything for it. Just log it and move it to another cache.

 

John

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I have seen instructions on a number of Travel Bug Hotels, to the effect that you should not take a TB unless you can leave one - sometimes it's suggested that if you take one, you should leave two!  It just doesn't make sense to me...if the goal of the TBs is to travel, the owners should be glad they're taken and moved along.  Let's say there's a TB hotel near my house, with a bug in it whose goal is to get to Florida; I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow, but I don't have a TB of my own.  Do you agree I should NOT take the bug? The cache owner is setting these rules, but I would think that the TB owners would rather their bugs get moving.  Just wondering what others think.<BR><BR>InkyCat

Just as with any cache, the owner of the cache has some leeway in the way it works. I have no concerns with TB hotels. I do have trouble with TB Cops People who are so bitter about life that they send raving hate mails to other cachers about how a TB was or was not handled.

 

I have a few TBs in the wild and mostly they sit untouched. My family loved playing with TBs and we will take photo's and enjoy them. Some people will never touch them.

 

Some people will place them in a cache that is so ermote and unvisited that 1 year later they are still in the same cache. An example would be Italian Spring Trail. A cacher from Pheonix came all the way to Tucson and then dropped in what should be considered vacation caches. This poor TB Anakin Skywalker was picked up by a single cacher then placed in the middle of no where.

 

My family has gone back to caches to remove TBs we placed because it had not moved in 3 weeks. If you really are concerned about TB Hotel rules, maybe you should back off from the TB scene before you get to a level that you also yell and complain about TB's then place them inside your own made prison.

 

Finding a TB to replace a TB is simple. Yes you will have to go back to a cache you have been too most likely to make it happen quickly, but you can Always search for TBs and go grab one to move a TB along.

 

I say it is just as important to respect the other cachers and honor there cache as it is to respect the TB owner by ensuring you do what you can to assist in the TBs goal.

Aha.. The TB Cops have stuck again.

 

CDs & TBs

 

I think this shows my point from above rather well. You will be interested to know this is not the first time this has happened and this individual has been asked by many of the local, ah heck, statewide cachers to be more considerate in his practice of geocaching. This time a visiting cacher from Michigan was disappointed to find all the TBs missing and then upset to see why.

 

When the Travel Bug Gestapo makes the rules, only they will enjoy the sport.

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I applaud him on getting those stuck bugs moving again. Perhaps without stupid rules on the cache pages, the bugs wouldn't have sat there so long in the first place. Here's hoping he makes it a monthly ritual to stop by and remove any bug that's been passed over because of your dumb rule.

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I applaud him on getting those stuck bugs moving again.  Perhaps without stupid rules on the cache pages, the bugs wouldn't have sat there so long in the first place.  Here's hoping he makes it a monthly ritual to stop by and remove any bug that's been passed over because of your dumb rule.

Here are some comments on my visit to CDs and TBs:

 

- The travel bugs that I removed from this cache had been in the cache an average of 25 days each, and each of these travel bugs had been passed up by an average of 10 geocaching teams before I grabbed them. I took five travel bugs, but I immediately moved two of them to nearby caches later in the same day. I took pictures of those travel bugs and uploaded them to both my cache and travel bug log entries.

 

- There is no need for a travel bug hotel in this location. There are many geocaches nearby with regular-sized containers. This is not in the middle of the city but is near the edge of Tonto National Forest. There are over 50 caches within a five-mile radius of this location, and most of these caches have containers that are large enough to fit most travel bugs. It may take a little more effort, but if one has multiple travel bugs, isn't it better to put them in a variety of different caches rather than one single cache?

 

- This cache is exposed and is very close to a street corner. The cache site is close enough to be seen by motorists who are stopped at the stop sign. Whenever I come here, I see new litter desosited in the area, and usually I pick some of it up. There is good chance that this cache could be found accidentally by a non-geocacher, who would likely take the cache and/or it contents, especially since the contents contain a large variety of music and computer CDs which is more valuable than the contents of most caches. I do not like to put travel bugs in caches that I feel are too exposed.

 

- The geocacher who commented on what I did on the cache page has nearly 1,000 cache findings, but has more than 2,000 travel bug findings. I, on the other hand, have close to 1,600 cache findings, but I have less than 400 travel bug finds. Enough said.

 

Addendum: To the best of my knowledge, I did write in the logbook at the cache that I had visited the cache and had exchanged travel bugs. To save space in the logbook, I may have written my comments on ununused space on a page before the last entry, instead of opening up an unused page.

 

Ken Akerman (a.k.a. Highpointer)

Edited by Highpointer
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I, for one, don't understand the point of a TB hotel in the first place. It seems like a cop out to leave a bug in one, especially if you don't further its goal.

 

I recently sent my first TB out into the world, only to have it in someones hands for 2 weeks, goal not completed...then DUMPED in a TB prison.

 

Imagine my happiness when it was rescued...and my sadness when the same thing happened 2 weeks later.

 

Both of these "hotels" are remote, and I am a little ticked that neither person who had this TB had the courtesy to at least fulfill its simple requested goal. Am I being unreasonable? Should I just accept this fate? This is my first TB, and so far it's a disappointment.

 

If you want to rescue it here it is: Fear

Take my advice, sending out a TB with a destination goal is a total joke, period. I just wish that I had understood that prior to sending mine out to watch it sit in some dumbbutt remote cache for over two months. Fortunately the TB is not too far from my residence and God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be retrieving it soon. Sending a TB out with a particular goal defined there-on.........a mistake that I'll not be repeating, trust me. I guess that the experience is ok for those who don't mind dealing with irresponsible morons and who are happy when low expectations are achieved. I think that I'll hang it from my rear view mirror as a reminder.

Edited by Team cotati697
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I personally have a TB Hotel with a take 1 leave 1 policy. I implemented it for this reason: If you have one in your possession and exchange it for another one, chances are you know how to log a TB. We have has so many TBs disappear due to ignorance of the logging procedures. However, I do not have a problem with cachers emailing me and asking if they could take one to help on its way without leaving one. I even get IOU's from local cachers who grab one and deposit another a few days/weeks later.<BR><BR>Again, I only made this policy to try and keep TBs from going MIA.<BR><BR>The path to insanity is seldom a solitary journey.

 

Nevermind. It's been rehashed already.

Edited by Webfoot
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The travel bugs that I removed from this cache had been in the cache an average of 25 days each, and each of these travel bugs had been passed up by an average of 10 geocaching teams before I grabbed them.  I took five travel bugs, but I immediately moved two of them to nearby caches later in the same day.  I took pictures of those travel bugs and uploaded them to both my cache and travel bug log entries.

 

The cacher before posted that there was 'no clear indication of where they {the TB's} had gone' , implying you hadn't noted their removal in the logbook.

 

- There is no need for a travel bug hotel in this location. There are many geocaches nearby with regular-sized containers.  This is not in the middle of the city but is near the edge of Tonto National Forest.  There are over 50 caches within a five-mile radius of this location, and most of these caches have containers that are large enough to fit most travel bugs.  It may take a little more effort, but if one has multiple travel bugs, isn't it better to put them in a variety of different caches rather than one single cache?

 

No need for a TB hotel?  The placement of a cache has absolutely nothing to do with you or your opinions, but with those of the cache placer and with Groundspeak.

 

- This cache is exposed and is very close to a street corner.  The cache site is close enough to be seen by motorists who are stopped at the stop sign.  Whenever I come here, I see new litter desosited in the area, and usually I pick some of it up.  There is good chance that this cache could be found accidentally by a non-geocacher, who would likely take the cache and/or it contents, especially since the contents contain a  large variety of music and computer CDs which is more valuable than the contents of most caches.  I do not like to put travel bugs in caches that I feel are too exposed.

 

There is a good chance that _any_ cache could be found by a non-geocacher.  Since this cache has been there a year and had well over 100 finds without any problems, I'd say it's doing OK.  Since you've visited it at least 3 times, there must not be any major problem.

 

- The geocacher who commented on what I did on the cache page has nearly 1,000 cache findings, but has more than 2,000 travel bug findings.  I, on the other hand, have close to 1,600 cache findings, but I have less than 400 travel bug finds.  Enough said.

 

Yeah, enough said.  I would seem to trust their opinion regarding Travel Bugs more as they have more TB finds.

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The travel bugs that I removed from this cache had been in the cache an average of 25 days each, and each of these travel bugs had been passed up by an average of 10 geocaching teams before I grabbed them.  I took five travel bugs, but I immediately moved two of them to nearby caches later in the same day.  I took pictures of those travel bugs and uploaded them to both my cache and travel bug log entries.

 

The cacher before posted that there was 'no clear indication of where they {the TB's} had gone' , implying you hadn't noted their removal in the logbook.

 

- There is no need for a travel bug hotel in this location. There are many geocaches nearby with regular-sized containers.  This is not in the middle of the city but is near the edge of Tonto National Forest.  There are over 50 caches within a five-mile radius of this location, and most of these caches have containers that are large enough to fit most travel bugs.  It may take a little more effort, but if one has multiple travel bugs, isn't it better to put them in a variety of different caches rather than one single cache?

 

No need for a TB hotel?  The placement of a cache has absolutely nothing to do with you or your opinions, but with those of the cache placer and with Groundspeak.

 

- This cache is exposed and is very close to a street corner.  The cache site is close enough to be seen by motorists who are stopped at the stop sign.  Whenever I come here, I see new litter desosited in the area, and usually I pick some of it up.  There is good chance that this cache could be found accidentally by a non-geocacher, who would likely take the cache and/or it contents, especially since the contents contain a  large variety of music and computer CDs which is more valuable than the contents of most caches.  I do not like to put travel bugs in caches that I feel are too exposed.

 

There is a good chance that _any_ cache could be found by a non-geocacher.  Since this cache has been there a year and had well over 100 finds without any problems, I'd say it's doing OK.  Since you've visited it at least 3 times, there must not be any major problem.

 

- The geocacher who commented on what I did on the cache page has nearly 1,000 cache findings, but has more than 2,000 travel bug findings.  I, on the other hand, have close to 1,600 cache findings, but I have less than 400 travel bug finds.  Enough said.

 

Yeah, enough said.  I would seem to trust their opinion regarding Travel Bugs more as they have more TB finds.

Nice, real nice. Thank you very much.

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When the Travel Bug Gestapo makes the rules, only they will enjoy the sport.

Godwin's Law invoked.

Actually, those Jeremy uses that phrase a lot, it has nothing to do with Nazi or Hitler. It has to do with people who make rules that others have to live by. That is why I also refered to them as TBCops and TBPolice. The difference is that some people are going beyond law enforcement and becoming Law writers.

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OK since everyone is commenting on CDs & TBs I gotta chime in.

I placed this in a location close to my house so that I can regularly check up and move those bugs that have been there a while. I try to do this during the week so that the weekends are open for all cachers to choose from a variety. The CDs in the cache are the other trade item. This is on purpose for those who want to take a bug but havent one to replace, and can trade across by leaving a CD. Easy!

It is located in a location easy to access for those who have had some TBs for longer than they ment to and have not been able to get out to the "wilder" locations and need to just drop them somewhere to get them back into circulation.

My problem with what highpointer is doing, (and I have emailed you about this HP) is that ALL of the TBs are taken in one visted, boom, gone. That leaves none for others to enjoy!

The cacher nor the cache site can be seen from the stop sign, It is hidden well enough. I think people like visiting it, over and over.

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Well if you can definitely help the TB towards it's goal then I say take the TB regardless if you have another to leave. However that rule is in place because no one likes an empty TB hotel, and if you don't have that disclaimer, people come and clean the place out. Heck, sometimes they still do that anyway.

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When the Travel Bug Gestapo makes the rules, only they will enjoy the sport.

Godwin's Law invoked.

Actually, those Jeremy uses that phrase a lot, it has nothing to do with Nazi or Hitler. It has to do with people who make rules that others have to live by. That is why I also refered to them as TBCops and TBPolice. The difference is that some people are going beyond law enforcement and becoming Law writers.

Hm. Without taking sides or commenting on the merits of any side of the discussion....just an observation:

Is there a difference between complaining about and calling someone a "TB Cop" or the "Gestapo" because you don't like them dictating "their rules" to you as to how to play the game, and YOU (the universal "you") DICTATING how to play the game, or "your rules" how THEY should play the game?

Aren't you doing the very thing you are complaining about? :unsure:

And some people wonder why I dropped out of the local discussion list. Some folks are just downright mean to each other. It ain't worth it. ;)

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Thought I'd drop a note on this topic.

 

When starting, you may not have a TB to leave. So, Take one, leave one doesn't work. I collected a few locally to help on their way to their goals, but they ended up getting stuck at their next location, for which I feel guilty since I transferred them to someone else (this is being rectified this weekend). I think if we can truly help a bug towards their goal, then it's fair game, though we don't want to pilfer a cache clean of all the bugs, since others may want to participate, and isn't that the way it should be.

 

I'm about to release 3 TB's of my own in the near future, and I hope that people help them fulfil their mission, reguardless of the "Leave one, take one" rules. I want my bugs to move, like I know others want theirs to move, of which I will be more careful in the future in how I handle them. Lesson learned.

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The whole concept of Geocaching and every aspect of it is based on trusting the other cachers to do the right thing. TBs are going to get lost, for many reasons, but you have to take the chance that every cacher is trying to do the right thing. If you can't take a TB without leaving one, then that means no one can touch a TB without releasing one.

Have some faith, and let others have fun with Geocaching. I just don't get the "hotel" thing.

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I have posted the "take one only" rule due to suggestions from people who have hunted my Infamous Travel Bug Prison Oklahoma Branch

 

This is because if someone takes all the bugs from the cache, the next person that may show up later that day wont have anything for thier trouble since its sort of hard to get to.

I believe this is what gets called a travel bug prison -- a place a bug gets stuck for a long time because a cache owner wants to always have bugs in the cache so people who take the time to hunt the cache always find one there. Believe me, I understand what you're talking about. Nonetheless, I think there's a lot to be said for the argument that travel bug hotels should *not* be incredibly hard to get to. If they are, they defeat the purpose of the cache, namely, to keep bugs moving and reaching their goals. Your cache, by its very purpose, acts contrary to that.

 

-- Lemur

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My first travelbug got stuck in a hotel for over a month...and it and the rest of the 'guests' got Exterminated in a big way. So my view on hotels is that unless its near a commercial travel hub, like an airport or train station, they're a bad idea.

Edited by EleriandBlade
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I have posted the "take one only" rule due to suggestions from people who have hunted my Infamous Travel Bug Prison Oklahoma Branch

 

This is because if someone takes all the bugs from the cache, the next person that may show up later that day wont have anything for thier trouble since its sort of hard to get to.

I don't remember your cache rule being added from suggestions. At least not the suggestions I remember.

 

Edited to remove extra angst

Edited by BlueDeuce
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I once took every TB out of a cache I visited. I was taking a trip and all of them would benefit from it. The cache owner of course complained that I took all the TB's and didn't leave any in trade. On the other hand, the TB owners were more than happy to get some miles on their bugs.

 

TB's do not belong to the cache owner and are not trade items. If you see a bug that you can help, go ahead and take it. Don't trade for it if you don't want.

 

Cache owners who get upset over this don't really understand TB's all that well.

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I have posted the "take one only" rule due to suggestions from people who have hunted my Infamous Travel Bug Prison Oklahoma Branch

 

This is because if someone takes all the bugs from the cache, the next person that may show up later that day wont have anything for thier trouble since its sort of hard to get to.

I don't remember your cache rule being added from suggestions. At least not the suggestions I remember.

 

Edited to remove extra angst

Take a look at the note for feb 25th

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I have posted the "take one only" rule due to suggestions from people who have hunted my Infamous Travel Bug Prison Oklahoma Branch

 

This is because if someone takes all the bugs from the cache, the next person that may show up later that day wont have anything for thier trouble since its sort of hard to get to.

I don't remember your cache rule being added from suggestions. At least not the suggestions I remember.

 

Edited to remove extra angst

Take a look at the note for feb 25th

I see.

 

I know most TB owners agree that if someone collects their bug and sticks it in a remote cache they wouldn't want any burden placed on someone who can't move it.

 

Gosh, you better place a restriction on this cache. There are just too many bugs to move here. People might try to move too many and that's just too hard. Please place a limit.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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I have a question of all the TB Hotel owners that have these 'rules' concerning one for one trades only, etc. A couple have claimed they 'restock' the cache now and then because cachers don't abide by their request concerning trading one for one. So how do you go about restocking the cache? It must mean that you visit other caches, take TBs, not leaving any TBs in it's/their place, and then you restock your own cache after having removed TBs from other's caches. Seems as though you are doing to other's caches the precise thing you are asking others to not do to yours - take a TB without leaving a TB. Do you think that makes it okay because you've removed a TB from a 'regular' old cache, and your cache is a TB hotel? Even assuming that all the TBs you pick up to stock your cache are ones that you are moving in the right direction to reach their goal, how is it different if cachers stop at your cache and pick up however many TBs they can help in their goals?

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I have a question of all the TB Hotel owners that have these 'rules' concerning one for one trades only, etc. A couple have claimed they 'restock' the cache now and then because cachers don't abide by their request concerning trading one for one. So how do you go about restocking the cache? It must mean that you visit other caches, take TBs, not leaving any TBs in it's/their place, and then you restock your own cache after having removed TBs from other's caches. Seems as though you are doing to other's caches the precise thing you are asking others to not do to yours - take a TB without leaving a TB. Do you think that makes it okay because you've removed a TB from a 'regular' old cache, and your cache is a TB hotel? Even assuming that all the TBs you pick up to stock your cache are ones that you are moving in the right direction to reach their goal, how is it different if cachers stop at your cache and pick up however many TBs they can help in their goals?

Excellent question.

 

I travel *widely*. If I'm in, say, Bend, Oregon, and there're two caches with bugs I can get to, I'll stop by, take the bugs, leave more than adequate trade bait, and take them back to Vermont -- unless of course they have goals that going to Vermont would frustrate.

 

Most bug owners are tickled pink to see serious miles put on their bugs.

 

-- Lemur

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I never checked into a hotel where I couldn't leave until new guests arrived; let alone two! Sounds like the Hotel California...."You can't never leave"

 

The bug doesn't belong to the hotel, it's just spending the night. That's crazy!

You want your hotel stocked....stock it yourself!

 

Whah? Can someone tell me why or how the word Tadpole appeared under my picture?

Edited by 20hertz
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Some people are WAY to uptight about the whole take one bug leave one bug. If I am going somewhere that I know a TB would be better off in (IE- a more visited TB hotel) or closer to its mission I will take it even if I do not have a TB to put in. The next time I am near that particualr hotel I will make sure I put a TB in though. I think for those who are so uptight (and I know one sadly) should relax, and ENJOY it is a hobby not a lifestyle

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