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Travel Bug Etiquette


Bubba Cache

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icon_rolleyes.gif Jus wondering what the rules of etiquette for travel bugs are. I mean there are no set rules are there. I have a few questions about situations, for example:

Is it OK to retrieve a TB from your own cache?

How long is too long to keep a TB?

Can u request to have your own TB sent to you?

 

Anymore u can think of? Thanks guys and gals.

 

God bless you and your family,

Bubba Cache

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As a bug hunter who's handled almost 300 t-bugs, I probably have 3 enumerated rules:

1. don't steal the travel bug; 2. log the bug's activity on the bug's page ASAP; 3. do the bug's mission if you can or allow the next finder to do so.

 

Can you collect from your cache or a cache you've previously found? Yes, t-bugs are a separate sub-game. I try to trade bug for bug, or bug for added cache toy.

 

Request own t-bug sent to you? Return home mission very common. Good luck, though.

 

How long to hoard? Most owners accept 2 weekends. Most owners very aggravated at 2 months. But I'm going to Europe in 10 months-- I don't think so, Bubba.

 

Mission violations. I feel we bug owners place our $1-$10 bugs in the public domain, without an enforceable contract. If the bug goes east instead of west, oh well. I think bugs get better play with K.I.S.S. missions. Owners, please use a mission info tag, so finders don't have to check the home computer first; it also cuts down on theft.

 

Grab and re-drop. I'll occasionally do it for cute or famous bugs. The website tallies finds not moves (travelling), so I don't find it too unacceptable; some owners do. Grab and re-drop happens at geo-events, too; I personally do not grab all 10 at an event, just a couple.

 

Serial cache adventures. Most owners like the mileage, cache tallies, and extra photos. I've done about 50 bug photo adventures.

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Thanks for the response, bthomas. I have a few questions for ya. I am a 2 1/2 month newbie to this hobby, WHICH I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

1. What is K.I.S.S. missions?

2. What is "grab and re-drop"?

 

I am glad you mentioned the "mission info tags". I only have found 2 TB and have never seen one of these tags. I thought it would be a good idea to include one of these, so when I got my first 4 TB tags, I placed a small, lamenated tag that told the mission of the TB besides the info on the website. I really appreciate the wisdom from experience. Good luck.

 

God bless you and your family,

Bubba Cache

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Hey Bubba, make sure if you want it to go to a specific place, attach a mission tag to the bug. Many bugs I've picked up don't have one. It helps to know where they want to go. I've grabbed some heading east only to find out when logging in that the owner wanted it to go west, or south. Also, make sure to use heavy paper (Index cards work good for backers), and laminate or use clear packing tape to seal. Good Luck launching it. SF1

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We've been carrying a couple of travel bugs in our possession for 2-3 weeks now. Each week we try to get them some activity, checking them in and out of some local caches, posting photos of them on their pages, etc. We will be taking them with us on a round trip to Kansas later this month, which means we will have them in our possession for longer than most people might consider good etiquette. In both cases, we contacted the owners to make sure they didn't mind this. In both cases, they were excited by the concept and gave us their ok. icon_biggrin.gif

 

If you're unsure of the etiquette with a particular bug, go to the bug's web page, and use the feature that allows you to send an e-mail to the owner. You can then discuss directly with them what you are thinking of doing with the bug, why you might want to keep them longer than normal or do something different with it. If they don't mind, go for it. If they have problems with your concepts, you would need to comply with their desires.

 

So far, that concept has worked well for me, and the owners seem very pleased to be asked.

 

We also contacted a local cache owner to ensure that we understood the theme of his cache, and again he seemed pleased that we took the trouble to make sure we didn't violate the theme. We were then given permission to do so icon_wink.gif one time, but we decided not to. We now have an ongoing and cordial conversation with the owner whom we have never met. This is a really neat community of people to be involved with.

 

"Roads? Where we're going we don't need .... roads" --Dr. Emmett L. Brown

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quote:
Originally posted by bthomas:

Grab and re-drop. I'll occasionally do it for cute or famous bugs. The website tallies finds not moves (travelling), so I don't find it too unacceptable; some owners do. Grab and re-drop happens at geo-events, too; I personally do not grab all 10 at an event, just a couple.


 

I'd also like to point out that a "Post a Note" log accomplishes the same thing. As bthomas correctly points out, thew website tallies bugs 'found'. Since you need the tracking number to 'Post a Note' it IS counted as a FIND. Presumably, the logic being you have to have found the bug in order to get the number....

 

Also note, as hard as you try and as many different Have it/Note/etc time you log on the same TB, the website still only will count is as 1 bug found in your count.....

 

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"The number you have reached is imaginary, please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again... <beeeeep>"

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I have read some posts here and I hope what I am going to say is ok? I have picked up only one TB but have about 5-6 of my own in various status. I plan to go to NJ and PA next month and if someone has a TB that they would like to head or startoff in that area, feel free to contact me (Steve@GeberthFamily.com) and I will help the TB head in that direction.

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Re Bubba Cache:

TB of your own and a cache of your own, is it bad to log it as if it is in your cache, u retrieve it yourself and move it to another cache to log the miles?

 

Starting your TB's travel map in your local home cache is very common. Adding miles yourself, eg business trip to the other coast, IMO excusably low down on the crimes list. There are other ways giga-mileage gets padded, and mileage is no longer the top 10 bug criteria.

 

Looks like your other questions were answered.

 

Re contacting bug owners... very good advice.

Other times to contact cachers: When the bug has multiple moves in a day and you are late to log a find (eg you are on vacation for days). Seems to me you can log the find date and ask the other finders to re-log; maybe you can just date the find one day earlier. Anybody want to re-fresh my memory?

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quote:
Originally posted by Bubba Cache:

Thats what I am talking about, starting my TB from my own cache to where I drop him off. Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

God bless you and your family,

Bubba Cache


 

Just be sure to log him as being taken OUT of your cache, so folks don't make a trip just to grab it!

 

Like I did last night, for example... icon_wink.gif

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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I thought it might seem stupid or unfiar if I placed him in my own cache and then took him back out so the plan was.... drop him off legit and get theviolas to pick him up since they are venturing to DC with us. He was unable to log getting the Mouth of the South TB. He did get it tho. As to the Racer TB, it was in Monday but maybe someone else got him. I called theviolas but he didn't get him and said it WAS in there 36 hours ago. Sorry for the bad luck and wasted trip.

 

God bless you and your family,

Bubba Cache

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