+Tobias & Petronella Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle Quote
+Viajero Perdido Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 (edited) Sorry if I'm getting a bit repetitive, but... Every cacher should read this. Johnnygeo's Geocaching Electrical Safety Blog Edited December 18, 2010 by Viajero Perdido Quote
+narcissa Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Sorry if I'm getting a bit repetitive, but... Every cacher should read this. Johnnygeo's Geocaching Electrical Safety Blog +1 Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I dislike LPCs. But curiosity is a hard itch not to scratch. Has any cacher ever been injured while accessing a light pole cast? Quote
+The Jester Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 The type of street light that is having a problem around here is different than the LPC lights. They are some of the oldest in the system (40+ years old) and it is a seperate plate that is charged, not the pole itself or on the pole. Quote
+t4e Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 (edited) i appreciate the warning through posting those stories, but in all honesty why would it affect cachers more when those affected where just regular passers by? what those stories tell me is that i could have got electrocuted way before i even lifted the "skirt" a cache hidden in a hole can be as dangerous due to various critters that can reside inside, and the examples can go on as with all aspects of life one has to be careful and exercise judgment and when that fails i' sure you can just find someone to sue, today's society certainly encourages people to be careless and not assume responsibility for anything, its always someone else's fault for our misfortune, of course not the case in the above stories Edited December 18, 2010 by t4e Quote
+The Jester Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Yeah, it's all fear mongering. The news had a story about a fatal car accident, but you don't here any one calling for a halt to caches you have to drive to. Or even expressing worry about what could happen on the way to a cache - heck, I was hit (broadsided) on the way to a cache, totaled the van. Quote
+SeekerOfTheWay Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Thanks for the links. I'm off of LPCs now! Quote
+Sol seaker Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Yeah, it's all fear mongering. The news had a story about a fatal car accident, but you don't here any one calling for a halt to caches you have to drive to. Or even expressing worry about what could happen on the way to a cache - heck, I was hit (broadsided) on the way to a cache, totaled the van. So I don't understand the part where you are afraid. Are you afraid of learning new things? Are you afraid of learning of what has happened to others? Does that scare you? Do you not tell your children it is dangerous to cross the street so they can be aware and look both ways before they cross? Learning the facts allows us to be careful. As adults we make the choice whether we still want to do it or not, and how to handle a situation carefully once we have the information. Just like looking both ways before crossing the street. I don't know how fear has anything to do with this. It's about being informed adults. Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle These aren't the same type of lamp post with a skirt as found in many a big box parking lot. There's lots of reasons to not like LPC hides. This isn't one of them. Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I dislike LPCs. But curiosity is a hard itch not to scratch. Has any cacher ever been injured while accessing a light pole cast? I haven't heard of one yet. I'm sure if it had happened it would be mentioned in every anti-LPC hide thread that ever pops up ever. It would be the poster child for reasons not to place caches in lamp skirts. Quote
+Manville Possum Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I would not hide a cache near any source of elecitricty. I don't mess with anything that runs uphill as fast as it can downhill. Quote
+Walts Hunting Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Yeah, it's all fear mongering. The news had a story about a fatal car accident, but you don't here any one calling for a halt to caches you have to drive to I am with you on this one it is just the nanny's trying to make everyone scared to do anything. If you can't take a little shock occasionally then maybe you should find another hobby that is completely safe and stop bothering us with all the Oh My God You Could Get Hurt Stories. Quote
+Viajero Perdido Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 This was a "shocking" discovery in the rain! Not sure how many volts but that will teach me to stop reaching discreetly into spots without looking first. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...9e-94baddb9389e Quote
+FunnyNose Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle These aren't the same type of lamp post with a skirt as found in many a big box parking lot. There's lots of reasons to not like LPC hides. This isn't one of them. An unproperly grounded lamp post is an unproperly grounded lamp post doesn't matter if it a city owned lamp post or a wally world lamp post. Both will kill or maim. Quote
+The Jester Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Yeah, it's all fear mongering. The news had a story about a fatal car accident, but you don't here any one calling for a halt to caches you have to drive to. Or even expressing worry about what could happen on the way to a cache - heck, I was hit (broadsided) on the way to a cache, totaled the van. So I don't understand the part where you are afraid. Are you afraid of learning new things? Are you afraid of learning of what has happened to others? Does that scare you? Do you not tell your children it is dangerous to cross the street so they can be aware and look both ways before they cross? Learning the facts allows us to be careful. As adults we make the choice whether we still want to do it or not, and how to handle a situation carefully once we have the information. Just like looking both ways before crossing the street. I don't know how fear has anything to do with this. It's about being informed adults. I'm not afraid, but the people who are saying "Oh look what happened. Better not touch a LPC!" are using fear to try and get rid of something they don't like. That's fear mongering. I was pointing out that there is a much high risk of getting in an accident on the way to a cache - but nobody is raising the specter of "death on the way to a cache" (or injury). Teaching kids to be careful crossing the street is different than teaching them that it's dangerous so they shouldn't ever go near a street. Quote
+The Jester Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I would not hide a cache near any source of elecitricty. I don't mess with anything that runs uphill as fast as it can downhill. Well you better make sure all caches are a couple of football fields away from any source, ground current has killed people many yards away from the source. These days you can't tell where a buried line might be... Quote
+niraD Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I don't mess with anything that runs uphill as fast as it can downhill.That reminds me of a couple friends who were discussing their (least) favorite handyman jobs around home. One hated plumbing, and the other hated electrical work. The one who preferred plumbing pointed out that no one had accidentally touched the wrong pipe and been hydro-cuted. The other pointed out that a tiny pinhole in the insulation on a wire doesn't flood your basement with electricity. Back on topic, I'm sure there are many things we do as geocachers that carry more risk of injury than lifting the skirt of a lamppost. Driving (whether to parking lots or trailheads) is probably pretty high on the list. Quote
+Tobias & Petronella Posted December 18, 2010 Author Posted December 18, 2010 Too many people see geocaching as a light hearted game where everyone has fun and no-one ever gets hurt. The truth of the matter is that stuff happens. And if it happens to you, it can really mess-up your day. I don't have a problem with people doing dangerous, or stupid things as long as they know the down side of their actions and they don't involve an innocent bystander. I most definitely don't have a problem with "extreme caching" as long as the warnings are in place. And as far as LPC's or other easy/lame hides, they have there place and in many ways are needed in this game. I have done a lot of caching at night and twice have walked face first into a spindly tree branch. Both times it hit my glasses in the lens so hard it almost knocked them off of my face. If I had not been wearing my glasses, there's a very good chance I would be missing an eye by now. Even though it is dangerous to cache at night around trees or bushes for that reason, I don't plan on stopping. But at the same time it would be irresponsible of me not to pass along the possible dangers to those that have never cached at night like that before. Letting others know that sometimes the wiring is not always up to code is not being an alarmist, it's just letting them know the world isn't perfect and to be careful. Those news stories just go to prove that "bad things happen to good people". As cachers, we are putting ourselves in situations that most people would rarely find themselves. So the odds of something going wrong for us is much higher. So I see nothing wrong with a reminder every now and then about some of the dangers that are part of this game. Even if you have heard it a hundred times before, that new person to the game my not know about it. Quote
+Manville Possum Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Too many people see geocaching as a light hearted game where everyone has fun and no-one ever gets hurt. The truth of the matter is that stuff happens. And if it happens to you, it can really mess-up your day. I don't have a problem with people doing dangerous, or stupid things as long as they know the down side of their actions and they don't involve an innocent bystander. I most definitely don't have a problem with "extreme caching" as long as the warnings are in place. And as far as LPC's or other easy/lame hides, they have there place and in many ways are needed in this game. I have done a lot of caching at night and twice have walked face first into a spindly tree branch. Both times it hit my glasses in the lens so hard it almost knocked them off of my face. If I had not been wearing my glasses, there's a very good chance I would be missing an eye by now. Even though it is dangerous to cache at night around trees or bushes for that reason, I don't plan on stopping. But at the same time it would be irresponsible of me not to pass along the possible dangers to those that have never cached at night like that before. Letting others know that sometimes the wiring is not always up to code is not being an alarmist, it's just letting them know the world isn't perfect and to be careful. Those news stories just go to prove that "bad things happen to good people". As cachers, we are putting ourselves in situations that most people would rarely find themselves. So the odds of something going wrong for us is much higher. So I see nothing wrong with a reminder every now and then about some of the dangers that are part of this game. Even if you have heard it a hundred times before, that new person to the game my not know about it. I enjoy extreme caching and night caching also. I agree that a new person to the game may be unaware of the dangers that exist in our hobby of geocaching. I try and think ahead, what if someones child stumbles upon a 1/1 rated cache, but it is in a lampost with faulty wiring? I don't think that LPC's should be banned or anything, but I avoid them. Quote
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate This line makes me wonder if some further research into the veracity of that story might be required: There was enough electricity still in Sammy that the person got a shock from inside the dog's mouth Really? Electrocuted dogs become batteries and store energy? Quote
+t4e Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 An unproperly grounded lamp post is an unproperly grounded lamp post doesn't matter if it a city owned lamp post or a wally world lamp post. Both will kill or maim. now i have to add a tester to my geocaching bag and perhaps put a lightning rod on my head attached to the tinfoil hat I would not hide a cache near any source of elecitricty. I don't mess with anything that runs uphill as fast as it can downhill. Well you better make sure all caches are a couple of football fields away from any source, ground current has killed people many yards away from the source. These days you can't tell where a buried line might be... hmmmz lightning comes to mind, how about that? Quote
knowschad Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I dislike LPCs. But curiosity is a hard itch not to scratch. Has any cacher ever been injured while accessing a light pole cast? I haven't heard of one yet. I'm sure if it had happened it would be mentioned in every anti-LPC hide thread that ever pops up ever. It would be the poster child for reasons not to place caches in lamp skirts. Its only been 10 years (give or take how long it took the early cachers to figure out that those skirts lift). Give it time... Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I dislike LPCs. But curiosity is a hard itch not to scratch. Has any cacher ever been injured while accessing a light pole cast? I haven't heard of one yet. I'm sure if it had happened it would be mentioned in every anti-LPC hide thread that ever pops up ever. It would be the poster child for reasons not to place caches in lamp skirts. Its only been 10 years (give or take how long it took the early cachers to figure out that those skirts lift). Give it time... So it appears that the answer is no. I guess that leaves the permission thing as the #1 issue with LPCs followed by the fact that they are almost always in a parking lot with no other reason than there wasn't a cache near by. (Cue the list of interesting parking lot caches.) Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle These aren't the same type of lamp post with a skirt as found in many a big box parking lot. There's lots of reasons to not like LPC hides. This isn't one of them. An unproperly grounded lamp post is an unproperly grounded lamp post doesn't matter if it a city owned lamp post or a wally world lamp post. Both will kill or maim. A lamp post in a Wal-Mart parking lot will likely encounter a Wal-Mart shopper before it encounters a cacher. Are you suggesting we simply avoid all parking lots due to the danger of lamp posts? Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle These aren't the same type of lamp post with a skirt as found in many a big box parking lot. There's lots of reasons to not like LPC hides. This isn't one of them. An unproperly grounded lamp post is an unproperly grounded lamp post doesn't matter if it a city owned lamp post or a wally world lamp post. Both will kill or maim. A lamp post in a Wal-Mart parking lot will likely encounter a Wal-Mart shopper before it encounters a cacher. Are you suggesting we simply avoid all parking lots due to the danger of lamp posts? Just one more reason not to lick metal poles. Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Bottom line: you're more likely to be killed while driving to a cache than you are likely to be electrocuted lifting a lamp skirt. Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Just one more reason not to lick metal poles. Unless double dirty-dog dared, of course. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 Just one more reason not to lick metal poles. Unless double dirty-dog dared, of course. Well, yes, of course. That goes without saying. Quote
7rxc Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 I don't think you want to do that, especially at dog height... And someone else mentioned buried lines as a hazard... another good reason cachers should avoid shovels and pointy things to push into the ground... to hide or find caches. Or at least use locating services from utility companies... first. Frankly I'm more concerned about Grizzly Bears and Cougars... they are here and have their own mindset. Then there are avalanches and forest fires in season, hunters too! Doug 7rxc Quote
+SeekerOfTheWay Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal 3 more potentially dangerous light poles found in Seattle These aren't the same type of lamp post with a skirt as found in many a big box parking lot. There's lots of reasons to not like LPC hides. This isn't one of them. An unproperly grounded lamp post is an unproperly grounded lamp post doesn't matter if it a city owned lamp post or a wally world lamp post. Both will kill or maim. A lamp post in a Wal-Mart parking lot will likely encounter a Wal-Mart shopper before it encounters a cacher. Are you suggesting we simply avoid all parking lots due to the danger of lamp posts? Why are Wal-Mart customers looking under lamp post skirts? I think eventually someone(s) will die or be really hurt by a LPC gone bad. There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. Can't your heart be stopped by just a small amount of electric Quote
+niraD Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. And yet, the average person is more than 200x more likely to die in a traffic collision than by electrocution, and that includes all the truly foolish things people do with electricity (as well as the truly foolish things they do with vehicles). Electrocution from improperly wired streetlight poles makes the news because it is extremely rare. When we hear about a traffic fatality, it's usually on a traffic report that's warning us about the resulting traffic delays, so we can take an alternate route if possible. Quote
+lamoracke Posted December 18, 2010 Posted December 18, 2010 (edited) the dog who died was not even touching the lamp post nor was it the type of lamp post that folks hide geocaches in. The dog which died was next to the lamp post on an electrical grate. I do not see how this impacts classic LPC caches personally, in all their glory. Edited December 18, 2010 by lamoracke Quote
+Tobias & Petronella Posted December 18, 2010 Author Posted December 18, 2010 (edited) the dog who died was not even touching the lamp post nor was it the type of lamp post that folks hide geocaches in. The dog which died was next to the lamp post on an electrical grate. I do not see how this impacts classic LPC caches personally, in all their glory. According to the first story, the dog died when it stepped on a metal plate by a lamppost which was on the ground and not while lifting a skirt - True. However there have been a lot of cachers that have talked about removing plates and other coverings on poles, and opening and reaching into the vaults which are next to the poles. As far as I'm concerned they all fall into the broad category of lamppost hides since they are searching in and around a lamppost. The classic skirt lifter is only one type of an LPC. Another type is when the pole is raised a few inches off of the base and the cache is slid in between them. Sometimes the container is pushed back so far it is up against the wiring that goes up through the center of the pole. There are many ways to die, such as getting hit by a car. Most people know this and it is no longer a big deal. But when someone is playing around something, thinking it perfectly safe (when it is not), that is when a warning or two should be given. And I also feel parents really need to think twice before they let their kids blindly reach into an area where there's wiring. Frankly I'm more concerned about Grizzly Bears and Cougars... they are here and have their own mindset. Bears and cougars. The number one reason I personally have problems going in to the woods. But that is for another thread. Edited December 18, 2010 by Tobias & Petronella Quote
+lamoracke Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 personally, I do not like any caches on electrical things...like telephone ground cables, or uni cable brackets on power poles, or power boxes. I feel more comfortable on a classical LPC hide than those. Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 A lamp post in a Wal-Mart parking lot will likely encounter a Wal-Mart shopper before it encounters a cacher. Are you suggesting we simply avoid all parking lots due to the danger of lamp posts?[/b] Why are Wal-Mart customers looking under lamp post skirts? I think eventually someone(s) will die or be really hurt by a LPC gone bad. There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. Can't your heart be stopped by just a small amount of electric Were the dogs in the articles looking under lampskirts? Quote
+The Leprechauns Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal As with everything else in Geocaching, having the proper equipment for the cache you're seeking is essential. I use different dogs to seek out caches in the woods and to hunt caches in parking lots. Choosing the right tool for the job helps me to enjoy each experience. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 In the Seattle, WA area there has been a problem with some frayed and exposed wires in the lampposts. So far the only death has been a German shorthair pointer. Below are links to the news stories. Normally things like this would be of local interest only. But I feel that with a lot of new people caching and the possibility of this happening elsewhere, this real danger should be made known. Dog electrocuted from Seattle sidewalk power plate 2nd dog suffered shock on holiday; this one wasn't fatal As with everything else in Geocaching, having the proper equipment for the cache you're seeking is essential. I use different dogs to seek out caches in the woods and to hunt caches in parking lots. Choosing the right tool for the job helps me to enjoy each experience. What kind of dog are you going to use to clean the soda outta my keyboard? Yes, I am holding you responsible. Quote
knowschad Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. Can't your heart be stopped by just a small amount of electric Is your home not wired for electricity? While modern homes do have some safeguards such as ground-fault interrupters on some circuits, most of your circuits are not protected against a faulty ground. You could be electrocuted just as well by any appliance in your home as by a Walmart streetlight. As far as stopping your heart... it depends on a number of things... the amperage, how well you're grounded (less is better) and how weak your heart already is (and probably a number of spiritual factors as well). Quote
+Castle Mischief Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 (edited) There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. You may want to turn away from the monitor. What you're about to see may cause you untold distress. AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! THE HORROR!!!!!!!!!!!! Edited December 19, 2010 by Castle Mischief Quote
vagabond Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 A lamp post in a Wal-Mart parking lot will likely encounter a Wal-Mart shopper before it encounters a cacher. Are you suggesting we simply avoid all parking lots due to the danger of lamp posts?[/b] Why are Wal-Mart customers looking under lamp post skirts? I think eventually someone(s) will die or be really hurt by a LPC gone bad. There's just something about electricity that scares me. I feel safer driving to a cache than I do touching a metal pole that's wired. Just seems risky. Can't your heart be stopped by just a small amount of electric Were the dogs in the articles looking under lampskirts? Maybe checking their Pmail Quote
+FunnyNose Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 And yet, the average person is more than 200x more likely to die in a traffic collision than by electrocution, Guard Rail caches are dangerous also Quote
+aurght Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 the dog who died was not even touching the lamp post nor was it the type of lamp post that folks hide geocaches in. The dog which died was next to the lamp post on an electrical grate. I do not see how this impacts classic LPC caches personally, in all their glory. According to the first story, the dog died when it stepped on a metal plate by a lamppost which was on the ground and not while lifting a skirt - True. However there have been a lot of cachers that have talked about removing plates and other coverings on poles, and opening and reaching into the vaults which are next to the poles. As far as I'm concerned they all fall into the broad category of lamppost hides since they are searching in and around a lamppost. The classic skirt lifter is only one type of an LPC. Another type is when the pole is raised a few inches off of the base and the cache is slid in between them. Sometimes the container is pushed back so far it is up against the wiring that goes up through the center of the pole. There are many ways to die, such as getting hit by a car. Most people know this and it is no longer a big deal. But when someone is playing around something, thinking it perfectly safe (when it is not), that is when a warning or two should be given. And I also feel parents really need to think twice before they let their kids blindly reach into an area where there's wiring. Frankly I'm more concerned about Grizzly Bears and Cougars... they are here and have their own mindset. Bears and cougars. The number one reason I personally have problems going in to the woods. But that is for another thread. I am a caching junky. I will go for an lpc or a rattlesnake hole(with a tott). The hides I pass by are playgrounds full of kids and on the front of courthouses. Never was more spooked than walking thru an urban wildlife reserve on a hot midday, not a critter was in sight or making a noise. Felt like sasquatch was watching me. But I digress---the lpc voltage doesn't worry me. Us old electric guys check the voltage by touching the wire. 400 volts hurts, but house voltage is just a buzz. I worry more about bears or bear hunters. Quote
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 Once again proving that lamp posts are dangerous... It was all captured on a security camera in front of a pub in Crawley, West Sussex, England: one man threw bricks through the glass door to make a hole, and the second man tossed a lit firebomb into the hole. But the second man missed, and the bomb bounced right back, landing right where the first man was crouching, and exploded into a fireball. Neither man received significant injury, and once they recovered from the shock they turned and ran -- and the first man ran straight into a light pole, knocking him to the ground. When he went to a clinic for treatment for his injuries, police made the collar. Despite the video evidence, Amir Ali, 28, denied being involved, but was convicted. Police still don't know who the other man is. (RC/London Telegraph) ...Surely there's a lamp post out there with his name on it. Quote
knowschad Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 Once again proving that lamp posts are dangerous... It was all captured on a security camera in front of a pub in Crawley, West Sussex, England: one man threw bricks through the glass door to make a hole, and the second man tossed a lit firebomb into the hole. But the second man missed, and the bomb bounced right back, landing right where the first man was crouching, and exploded into a fireball. Neither man received significant injury, and once they recovered from the shock they turned and ran -- and the first man ran straight into a light pole, knocking him to the ground. When he went to a clinic for treatment for his injuries, police made the collar. Despite the video evidence, Amir Ali, 28, denied being involved, but was convicted. Police still don't know who the other man is. (RC/London Telegraph) ...Surely there's a lamp post out there with his name on it. I'm sorry, call me a puritan and sic Toz on me, but in my opinion, it is insufficient to simply sign the lamp post. Quote
+kwcahart Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 LPC hides are not dangerous. If you lift the skirt and see bare wires just drop it and go on. Quote
+tozainamboku Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 Once again proving that lamp posts are dangerous... It was all captured on a security camera in front of a pub in Crawley, West Sussex, England: one man threw bricks through the glass door to make a hole, and the second man tossed a lit firebomb into the hole. But the second man missed, and the bomb bounced right back, landing right where the first man was crouching, and exploded into a fireball. Neither man received significant injury, and once they recovered from the shock they turned and ran -- and the first man ran straight into a light pole, knocking him to the ground. When he went to a clinic for treatment for his injuries, police made the collar. Despite the video evidence, Amir Ali, 28, denied being involved, but was convicted. Police still don't know who the other man is. (RC/London Telegraph) ...Surely there's a lamp post out there with his name on it. I'm sorry, call me a puritan and sic Toz on me, but in my opinion, it is insufficient to simply sign the lamp post. Actually this whole story made no sense. The UK cachers are always posting they don't have LPCs (or at least no skirt lifters) in England. So whatever the guy found was not a cache. Quote
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 Once again proving that lamp posts are dangerous... It was all captured on a security camera in front of a pub in Crawley, West Sussex, England: one man threw bricks through the glass door to make a hole, and the second man tossed a lit firebomb into the hole. But the second man missed, and the bomb bounced right back, landing right where the first man was crouching, and exploded into a fireball. Neither man received significant injury, and once they recovered from the shock they turned and ran -- and the first man ran straight into a light pole, knocking him to the ground. When he went to a clinic for treatment for his injuries, police made the collar. Despite the video evidence, Amir Ali, 28, denied being involved, but was convicted. Police still don't know who the other man is. (RC/London Telegraph) ...Surely there's a lamp post out there with his name on it. I'm sorry, call me a puritan and sic Toz on me, but in my opinion, it is insufficient to simply sign the lamp post. Actually this whole story made no sense. The UK cachers are always posting they don't have LPCs (or at least no skirt lifters) in England. So whatever the guy found was not a cache. Time to get back on the meds Toz! Quote
+The Jester Posted December 19, 2010 Posted December 19, 2010 Too many people see geocaching as a light hearted game where everyone has fun and no-one ever gets hurt. The truth of the matter is that stuff happens. And if it happens to you, it can really mess-up your day. I don't have a problem with people doing dangerous, or stupid things as long as they know the down side of their actions and they don't involve an innocent bystander. I most definitely don't have a problem with "extreme caching" as long as the warnings are in place. And as far as LPC's or other easy/lame hides, they have there place and in many ways are needed in this game. I have done a lot of caching at night and twice have walked face first into a spindly tree branch. Both times it hit my glasses in the lens so hard it almost knocked them off of my face. If I had not been wearing my glasses, there's a very good chance I would be missing an eye by now. Even though it is dangerous to cache at night around trees or bushes for that reason, I don't plan on stopping. But at the same time it would be irresponsible of me not to pass along the possible dangers to those that have never cached at night like that before. Letting others know that sometimes the wiring is not always up to code is not being an alarmist, it's just letting them know the world isn't perfect and to be careful. Those news stories just go to prove that "bad things happen to good people". As cachers, we are putting ourselves in situations that most people would rarely find themselves. So the odds of something going wrong for us is much higher. So I see nothing wrong with a reminder every now and then about some of the dangers that are part of this game. Even if you have heard it a hundred times before, that new person to the game my not know about it. If all you wanted was to let people know about a possible danger, why is the topic subtitled "another reason not to do LPCs?" You saying "it's dangerous so don't do it" about LPCs but aren't a warning against night caches even though you came close to losing an eye. It still sounds like fear mongering to me. Quote
+Tobias & Petronella Posted December 20, 2010 Author Posted December 20, 2010 If all you wanted was to let people know about a possible danger, why is the topic subtitled "another reason not to do LPCs?" You saying "it's dangerous so don't do it" about LPCs but aren't a warning against night caches even though you came close to losing an eye. It still sounds like fear mongering to me. I never said "it's dangerous so don't do it", but I did state that there could be a hidden danger. There are those that don't like any kind of LPC. I'm just giving them one more reason not to like them. And by doing so, maybe they will be the ones to remind us why we need to be careful long after the rest of us have forgotten about this story. At the same time I'm letting those that plan on doing them anyway know that they need to be careful about the possible hidden dangers that they might know not about. There are many ways we as cachers can get hurt or even killed while out caching. I have also been walking in an open field and stepped in a hole that was about two feet deep and just wide enough for my one leg. I could have been really hurt but I wasn't. I have also have slipped and fell, striking my head on the ground one time as I was walking down a grassy hill near an apartment complex which did cause me some problems. Fear mongering would be if I listed all the different ways someone could get hurt or killed and end it by saying this will happen to you if you go caching. My point is, as cachers, we will have things happen to us more then most people. That's part of the price we pay to do this strange activity that we all enjoy. But to pretend that we are somehow protected, or that everything and every place is always safe I see as wrong. I would never tell someone not to stick their hand into a hole to get a cache. But I would tell them first to make sure there is nothing living inside there, and that they should wear gloves when they do it. If I was fear mongering I would instead tell them never do it because they will get bitten and maybe die if they did. Letting others know that they need to be cautious around electrical devices due to a known problem I see as the right thing to do. Letting others think that bad things could never happen I feel is misguided. Knowledge does not equal fear, instead fear equals the lack of knowledge. Quote
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