Cacher spotting

[goosegogger]

This is better read in your best Sir David Attenborough voice

 

Like I've just mentioned in my other post- I've not visited my profile for a while, the reason I had a 'bit of a guilt trip', while at work the other day I had stopped near a busy road in town, I parked off in a side street, my attention was immediately drawn to a species rarely seen in suburbia, and only easily identified by a trained eye , well two of them actually, a young mother and daughter team of the 'container seeking lesser spotted welly-wearer', these two 'hunter gatherers' I could identify by their give-away stooping and head bobbing, back and forth they went, the elder clutching something precious held tightly in her hand-which she seemed to be 'speaking to/or it was speaking to her?' in a language only their species would understand, my years of study (2) led me to the conclusion I had made the correct identification, I mustered up the 'courage' to approach-in slow and steady footsteps so as not to startle them into flight, averting my gaze at the road in front of my feet so as not to cause alarm, they didn't seem unsettled by my presence, I got close enough to be able to try and 'communicate' in a gentle manner with a calm tone and non alarming volume and said "Ur yooz geo-caching"?

 

After all the sheepishness dissipated we had a couple of minutes chat and they told me that they were fairly new-like me, I wont mention their user name on here-you know who you are !

Keep at it (I'm good at preaching eh-just need to practise more ) and lots of fun and success with your adventures

 

Jim

[Pup Patrol]

 

Excellent story. Thanks for posting it.

[+metal-bijou]

 

Just had to share this on twitter, such a nice story.

[+NattyBooshka]

I saw my possible non-logging person again near several caches today... Taking an unusual/unorthodox walking back to the snake pass... Striding over the armco. Almost crashed as I've seen this guy in about 5 places now, but never so close.

 

Everywhere I've seen this guy, there has been a cache nearby... Any tips for proving to myself that he's a cacher? Righ now he's a reverse stalker... As he's there before me!

[goosegogger]

Have you tried sending a message to the last logger in the cache ?

[+NattyBooshka]

Have you tried sending a message to the last logger in the cache ?

He doesnt log either in cache or online... Here's the issue.

[+JUSTHEJOB]

Hi After i suspect someone is geocaching i give them the geocaching wave to greet them

[+justine time]

Hi After i suspect someone is geocaching i give them the geocaching wave to greet them

 

As a newbie, could you enlighten me - is this some kind of special secret sign shared between cachers?

 

At the moment, if I see someone who I think is a fellow cacher, I usually ask if they're looking for something. If they smile and say yes, we then have a nice chat about caching experiences. If they look at me blankly I surreptitiously put my GPS in my pocket and wish them a pleasant day. Hopefully they won't notice that I have bits of hedge stuck to me as I walk past them.

[+The Blorenges]

Hi After i suspect someone is geocaching i give them the geocaching wave to greet them

 

As a newbie, could you enlighten me - is this some kind of special secret sign shared between cachers?

 

 

This question about a special geocacher's greeting comes up from time to time. The "official" standard greeting was posted in the forums by briansnat in 2008:

 

When you see a possible geocacher you are to yell "Ho! Are ye a geocacher" The proper response is "Yay, a geocacher am I".

Once you get the proper response you stand facing each other and put your right hand on the other geocacher's left shoulder.

You then skip together in a circle while loudly repeating in unison, "Geocachers are we, runny munny mee. Ha ha ha, Tee hee hee" This should continue for no less than 5 minutes.

 

You may want to practise this with another consenting adult, in the privacy of your own home, until you feel confident enough to perform it on a public footpath somewhere.

 

MrsB

[+Legochugglers]

Just tried this in the lounge at home. Unfortunately my wife did not 'consent' so the GPS is now in the garden and I'm in the doghouse!!

[+The Waddlers]

Well I have been searching in the forums for local Geocaching organisations. I came accross this and wondered whether it was just a laugh or true. The first part would be fine but dancing round in circles in public is just a bit OTT even for me. I will try it on my hubby when he comes home!

[+The Blorenges]

Well I have been searching in the forums for local Geocaching organisations. I came accross this and wondered whether it was just a laugh or true. The first part would be fine but dancing round in circles in public is just a bit OTT even for me. I will try it on my hubby when he comes home!

 

Make sure you're both wearing "serious walker" (i.e. red) socks for the full effect.

 

And welcome to the forum!

 

MrsB

[+The Waddlers]

Thanks, but is it true or just a laugh? :-)

[+The Blorenges]

Thanks, but is it true or just a laugh? :-)

 

Just a laugh... although some (should be) committed geocachers have performed the greeting in the past.

 

MrsB

[+Bear and Ragged]

Thanks, but is it true or just a laugh? :-)

 

 

True, of course.

 

There's the 'secret sign' to learn as well.

Have you not seen Jeremy using it?

 

Edited August 18, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+mcwomble]

Perhaps there should be some drink related forfeit as there is with the Turtles?

[+Delta68]

Not forgetting that for one weekend per year, late July usually, the official greeting is:

 

Arrrrrrrrrh!

 

 

 

Mark

[+The Waddlers]

Thanks MrsB

Just shows how how gullible I can be. Lucky you told me, as far from meeting other Geocachers we'd probably scare them off and get arrested :-) (sorry don't know how to get the yellow smilies that everyone else is using on here).

I woudn't have really done it but it would certainly be good for a laugh!

[+Fianccetto]

I was driving through town today and my daughter piped up "Geocacher!" in her I've seen something rare and interesting voice. She proceeded to then list the give away geocaching qualities in a disparaging tone of voice, indicating them to be unacceptable behaviour: "Knee high socks! Red ones and a green backpack! He kept looking down at his GPS and up at a tree, and down again. He looked suspicious, there were normal people walking all around him and he had a beard and he had a hat on!." I had to suppress a giggle. I love it when geocaching brings what I consider to be 'normal' people into town. :-)

[+Pharisee]

I was driving through town today and my daughter piped up "Geocacher!" in her I've seen something rare and interesting voice. She proceeded to then list the give away geocaching qualities in a disparaging tone of voice, indicating them to be unacceptable behaviour: "Knee high socks! Red ones and a green backpack! He kept looking down at his GPS and up at a tree, and down again. He looked suspicious, there were normal people walking all around him and he had a beard and he had a hat on!." I had to suppress a giggle. I love it when geocaching brings what I consider to be 'normal' people into town. :-)

 

So what's wrong with a beard and a hat?

 

[edit ... I would have put a 'smiley' in but I cant get the *** things to work! ]

Edited August 24, 2011 by Pharisee

[+Pedagog]

I was driving through town today and my daughter piped up "Geocacher!" in her I've seen something rare and interesting voice. She proceeded to then list the give away geocaching qualities in a disparaging tone of voice, indicating them to be unacceptable behaviour: "Knee high socks! Red ones and a green backpack! He kept looking down at his GPS and up at a tree, and down again. He looked suspicious, there were normal people walking all around him and he had a beard and he had a hat on!." I had to suppress a giggle. I love it when geocaching brings what I consider to be 'normal' people into town. :-)

 

Sounds more like "Where's Wally"

[+Fianccetto]

I was driving through town today and my daughter piped up "Geocacher!" in her I've seen something rare and interesting voice. She proceeded to then list the give away geocaching qualities in a disparaging tone of voice, indicating them to be unacceptable behaviour: "Knee high socks! Red ones and a green backpack! He kept looking down at his GPS and up at a tree, and down again. He looked suspicious, there were normal people walking all around him and he had a beard and he had a hat on!." I had to suppress a giggle. I love it when geocaching brings what I consider to be 'normal' people into town. :-)

 

So what's wrong with a beard and a hat?

 

[edit ... I would have put a 'smiley' in but I cant get the *** things to work! ]

Absolutely nothing in my view, and we do have a few regulars around, but sadly not many, so he must have stood out. It was the standing out as 'different' she was objecting to (but was particularly humorous coming from her as her hair colour & type make her stand out and she hates being identified by it!) I think it was that he stood out in a town with his hiking gear and he dared to show his GPS in public while getting in people's way, looking lost, in the middle of the pavement.

[+Bear and Ragged]

I was driving through town today and my daughter piped up "Geocacher!" in her I've seen something rare and interesting voice. She proceeded to then list the give away geocaching qualities in a disparaging tone of voice, indicating them to be unacceptable behaviour: "Knee high socks! Red ones and a green backpack! He kept looking down at his GPS and up at a tree, and down again. He looked suspicious, there were normal people walking all around him and he had a beard and he had a hat on!." I had to suppress a giggle. I love it when geocaching brings what I consider to be 'normal' people into town. :-)

 

So what's wrong with a beard and a hat?

 

[edit ... I would have put a 'smiley' in but I cant get the *** things to work! ]

Absolutely nothing in my view, and we do have a few regulars around, but sadly not many, so he must have stood out. It was the standing out as 'different' she was objecting to (but was particularly humorous coming from her as her hair colour & type make her stand out and she hates being identified by it!) I think it was that he stood out in a town with his hiking gear and he dared to show his GPS in public while getting in people's way, looking lost, in the middle of the pavement.

 

Red socks?

 

Rambler!

Obviously lost, as they are in town!

[+Pedagog]

Spotted a pair today, pull up in their car, walk towards site of one of my caches, said to my daughter "Geocachers", she replied "how do you know, they may just be looking at the *******" I said "No, Geocachers" just then young man slide his hand into location and grabbed cache.

[+Palujia]

Was out today doing some cache maintenance and putting in some TBs from our recent hols in Lincs ! Have a cache in a nice location in Minster Lovell (Judith's circular cache no 5 - Don Quixote) Saw a man approach from the Wooded parking area across field and making straight for the tree in which the cache is located - thought - will give the standard Oxfordshire caching greeting "Wotcha, looking for the cache then ?", when he veered off into a bush next to the tree and had a W*****. Whoops ! nearly gave game away - strolled back to car and then thought perhaps he was trying a new caching tactic to put off muggles !! waited in car park for a bit - but no - he was really using the bushes as a urinal !

[+JUSTHEJOB]

Hi After i suspect someone is geocaching i give them the geocaching wave to greet them

 

Oh, looks like my greeting im refering to must be a secret greeting as it has been mention so far

[+Fianccetto]

A wave of the GPS and pen?

[+Babsbaby]

One of the problems of spotting the great-crested geocacher these days is the rise of the iPhone. In the good old days, you could spot a yellow Etrex at 50 paces, so all you had to do was to waggle your own Garmin in salute and off you went. Nowadays people look dodgy if they're not nose down in a screen!

 

I personally disguise my activity by wearing my Oregon round my neck attached to a lanyard that has the word "Geocaching" in big white letters on it. Works in town as well as the country. Seemples!

[+swanscot]

I spotted, and was spotted by, fellow cachers for the first time on Saturday. I went off to grab a few caches in a neighbouring village while my son took part in a hill race as part of the Highland Games. As I approached the old church I spotted a couple in the graveyard and was a bit concerned about prowling around the old ruins with who I thought was the public visiting the old graves. However I passed the couple just before the gates and I saw the guy glance down at my bright green Garmin Geko that I was holding. I didn't see either of them with a GPSr, but I got the feeling they were cachers. A couple of days later I thought I'd check the cache logs and sure enough they had written "Found it after a wee bit of search and watched swanscot go for the cache right after we left the cemetery"

[+drsolly]

Nowadays people look dodgy if they're not nose down in a screen!

 

I remember when anyone speaking into thin air was regarded as dodgy. I still instinctively think "Nutter" when I see that, until I realise "No, phone-user".

[+Legochugglers]

Nowadays people look dodgy if they're not nose down in a screen!

 

I remember when anyone speaking into thin air was regarded as dodgy. I still instinctively think "Nutter" when I see that, until I realise "No, phone-user".

 

Talking of nutters. I recently used the 'mobile phone to the ear' diversion tactic whilst looking for a market square urban cache. Whilst wandering up and down at GZ trying to be stealthy I realised I wasn't just in full view of muggles but also in earshot so I then commenced a completely shambolic pretend conversation about meeting somebody later, where we were meeting, times, who would be there etc etc etc. In fact I got so absorbed in the phone conversation it started to distract me from actually looking for the cache!!.... (I hope no other cachers spotted that one).

[+The Patrician]

 

... a completely shambolic pretend conversation about meeting somebody later, where we were meeting, times, who would be there etc etc etc. In fact I got so absorbed in the phone conversation it started to distract me from actually looking for the cache!!.... (I hope no other cachers spotted that one).

 

It's when you get a reply you know you're really in trouble!