Muggles "in your face"

September 30, 2011

I just hate those caches that are placed in full view of houses, I feel sooo self conscious that people are "curtain twitching". I must say that I have avoided such caches when confronted with them. Does anybody else feel the same way, or am I being paranoid?

3.7k · October 1, 2011

Yep. I do look for them, but I immediately check the hint so I can (hopefully) make a quick find. I have had people stop and ask me if I lost something. It's a bit akward, but I tell them what I'm donig and they usually walk away satisifed (nobody's called the police yet!)

2.6k · October 1, 2011

Yep. I do look for them, but I immediately check the hint so I can (hopefully) make a quick find. I have had people stop and ask me if I lost something. It's a bit akward, but I tell them what I'm donig and they usually walk away satisifed (nobody's called the police yet!)

I feel the same way. I'll have a quick look, but I have in-built alarm in my head when looking for such caches. If I don't find the cache quickly that "alarm" goes off, and I suddenly feel very uncomfortable. At that point, I move on.

The speed of the find is the significant thing. If it can be done quickly, then most likely it can be found without calling attention to oneself. But if you have to spend 30 minutes crawling around on your knees overlooked by houses, someone is going to get suspicious.

That is why I like clear hints on such caches.

5k · October 1, 2011

I just hate those caches that are placed in full view of houses, I feel sooo self conscious that people are "curtain twitching". I must say that I have avoided such caches when confronted with them. Does anybody else feel the same way, or am I being paranoid?

They make up the bulk of my Ignore list. I actually went to one that was on a fence across the street from a house with a big picture window. Through the window, I could see the back of a TV and a big fat man sitting in his recliner, watching TV and sipping on a can of Bud. How the heck am I supposed to find the cache and look nature in that situation? I just pop the clutch and go. I put them on my ignore list but I also put them on my watchlist for a bit, just to read the log from the cacher that finally gets confronted.

5k · October 1, 2011

Yep. I do look for them, but I immediately check the hint so I can (hopefully) make a quick find. I have had people stop and ask me if I lost something. It's a bit akward, but I tell them what I'm donig and they usually walk away satisifed (nobody's called the police yet!)

In my area, people are a bit less inclined with the idea of us playing games around their and their neighbor's property. Residential burglary and theft from motor vehicles is the #1 crime around here.

October 1, 2011

Ive never had any problems and if people ask me what Im doing a simple "geocaching its like a savanger hunt" works. Most of the people I come across have heard of it and if they haven't then I try to teach them about. But then again Im barely 5ft and look non threatening sooooooo...Also in my mind if they are near someones house chances are the home owner put them there and already knows what your doing.

Come to think about Ive lived in some rough places and have never once had any problems sometimes it makes me wonder what people are doing to get confronted.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Presence

1.1k · October 1, 2011

Not my cup of tea, either. But, as stated, if I really want to get it I'll come up with a plan that might involve getting there early, on a Sunday, reading all the logs and hints, a Google Earth view, or all of the above. That usually works.

10.2k · October 1, 2011

I just hate those caches that are placed in full view of houses, I feel sooo self conscious that people are "curtain twitching". I must say that I have avoided such caches when confronted with them. Does anybody else feel the same way, or am I being paranoid?

They make up the bulk of my Ignore list. I actually went to one that was on a fence across the street from a house with a big picture window. Through the window, I could see the back of a TV and a big fat man sitting in his recliner, watching TV and sipping on a can of Bud. How the heck am I supposed to find the cache and look nature in that situation? I just pop the clutch and go. I put them on my ignore list but I also put them on my watchlist for a bit, just to read the log from the cacher that finally gets confronted.

I could have typed this paragraph myself. Well, except I never saw a fat guy drinking a Bud through his picture window. :laughing: And I often too will put ignored caches that are a recipe for confrontation on my watchlist. I'm weird that way.

If only cache placers would stop and think "what are the nearby residents who are going to see people looking for this cache going to think"? I mean c'mon, you're living in your house on a quiet residential street for 20 years, and all of a sudden, one day, out of nowhere, a bunch of weirdos start driving up, and investigate the same spot.

7.9k · October 1, 2011

These types of caches don't bother me much anymore.

I just go there, find the cache as quickly as possible, put it back and leave.

If someone saw me, oh well. If they check out the spot and find the cache, too bad.

If someone chooses a poor location for their cache, I'm not going to feel responsible if it goes missing.

19k · October 1, 2011

One of my logs:

Knowschad didin't find it

Arrived at home tonight to a very interesting email:

So you were geocaching in Wdbry today huh!? About 1145 or so.... I just took a call on some strange guy putting something in a pipe or retrieving something from the pipe. So here is your notice that the cops got called on you...thankfully I had already done this cache and was very familiar with it. Take Care

ABaldEagle

I saw the woman watching me from her kitchen window, and even smiled and waved at her. She waved back. I guess she thought I might be a terrorist anyway.

Glad we've got friends on the Woodbury force!

Thought I had the neccessary tools with me, but they failed me anyway.

2.6k · October 1, 2011

Ive never had any problems and if people ask me what Im doing a simple "geocaching its like a savanger hunt" works. Most of the people I come across have heard of it and if they haven't then I try to teach them about. But then again Im barely 5ft and look non threatening sooooooo...Also in my mind if they are near someones house chances are the home owner put them there and already knows what your doing.

Come to think about Ive lived in some rough places and have never once had any problems sometimes it makes me wonder what people are doing to get confronted.

I've not had much in terms of problems, but I still prefer not to be overlooked. Actually in a busy area with lots of muggles; not so much a problem. Lots of people doing stuff. It is in a quiet area where a few houses overlook the cache where I am most concerned. Not because I look threatening, but because I know stuff does happen - like people calling the police, or the bomb squad getting called out. I know these cases are rare, and I've not had it happen to me.

I've had one confrontation I can remember; it was due to lack of permission (the land manager said I wasn't allowed to be where I was, and to leave immediately - I did). I've also had curious muggles where I have explained (vaguely) what I'm doing. And others where the muggle said "are you doing that geo-thing I have heard about", in which case I said yes. Basically if I am approached from a muggle in a friendly manner I'll probably explain something about what I'm doing... if I am greeted by an aggressive "what are you doing there", then I'll react differently.

Just the other day I found a cache where the previous cacher logged that he was confronted by a muggle through the hedge (who obviously was unaware of the cache). I approached that one cautiously; planning to abort my search if I saw any muggles around. But it was a quick find, so I grabbed it quickly. But I wasn't comfortable.

October 1, 2011

I came across this one in a log a few days ago.

Didn't find it 09/14/2011

got muggled! i was walking the path to 0 and some lady and her dog were standing there! the dog started barking and i said hello, she said there was no reason for a grown man to be out there at 9am! she said go do your "drug deal" somewhere else! i tried explaining what i was doing out there but she wouldn't have it! so she went home to call the cops LOL when she was gone i looked for a couple min but decided to leave WOW

October 1, 2011

One of my logs:

Knowschad didin't find it

Arrived at home tonight to a very interesting email:

So you were geocaching in Wdbry today huh!? About 1145 or so.... I just took a call on some strange guy putting something in a pipe or retrieving something from the pipe. So here is your notice that the cops got called on you...thankfully I had already done this cache and was very familiar with it. Take Care

ABaldEagle

I saw the woman watching me from her kitchen window, and even smiled and waved at her. She waved back. I guess she thought I might be a terrorist anyway.

Glad we've got friends on the Woodbury force!

Thought I had the neccessary tools with me, but they failed me anyway.

I'm a bit confused... so was the e-mail from a cacher who is a cop that got called to check out a spot where an old lady saw you looking for a cache that the cop/cacher had already found? How did he know it was you or are you really that weird looking? :lol:

1.1k · October 1, 2011

I came across this one in a log a few days ago.

Didn't find it 09/14/2011

got muggled! i was walking the path to 0 and some lady and her dog were standing there! the dog started barking and i said hello, she said there was no reason for a grown man to be out there at 9am! she said go do your "drug deal" somewhere else! i tried explaining what i was doing out there but she wouldn't have it! so she went home to call the cops LOL when she was gone i looked for a couple min but decided to leave WOW

That's both a shame and a reality. Did you know that only dog owners/walkers are "entitled" to use parks and trails? Sure seems like it. I've been questioned like that person was many times, only I'm not quite as nice when I respond to an interrogation. No one would notice or care about my activity if I had a dog on a leash.

2k · October 1, 2011

my PAF percentage definitely goes up if I feel I could be watched at any second.

October 1, 2011

It's funny this comes up as I just had my 1st real muggle interaction yesterday. I had just lost my footing and slid down a muddy embankment and I was a tad bit dirty. I was also near a playground and disheveled. Luckily due to the rain and cold (40 degrees), no kids were around. I was going to check on the 3rd cache in the area and it was in a high visibility area and someone called the cops because they showed up. I explained what I was doing and why I was muddy. We couldn't find the last cache but I did show them the other two to prove I was telling the truth. They thought it was a neat game and I gave them the link to here. Hopefully they'll join.

11.6k · October 1, 2011

someone called the cops because they showed up. I explained what I was doing and why I was muddy

I had just walked out of a forest, when I saw a police car pull up behind my car. I was dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a DVD of cartoons. <_<

Edited October 1, 2011 by kunarion

October 1, 2011

I had just walked out of a forest, when I saw a police car pull up behind my car. I was dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a DVD of cartoons.

HAHAHAHA Win.

8k · October 1, 2011

Yep. I do look for them, but I immediately check the hint so I can (hopefully) make a quick find. I have had people stop and ask me if I lost something. It's a bit akward, but I tell them what I'm donig and they usually walk away satisifed (nobody's called the police yet!)

In my area, people are a bit less inclined with the idea of us playing games around their and their neighbor's property. Residential burglary and theft from motor vehicles is the #1 crime around here.

Personally, I'd prefer having to deal with an angry home owner or business owner asking what I was doing or even calling the police, than to be hiking on a trail in high desert and have someone taking pot shots at me.

October 1, 2011

We have a few of those front yard caches in my town but I don't ever plan on looking for them. Just don't see what enjoyment I could possibly get out of rummaging through the bushes in someone's yard.

I also can't imagine why in the world anyone would want to place a cache in their own yard. I live in a neighborhood where neighbors used to look out for one another. Once upon a time, strangers rifling around in a neighbor's front yard would have resulted in the cops showing up. Unfortunately, parts of my neighborhood are now riddled with drug activity so strangers coming and going at all hours every day no longer draws any real attention. Can't even tell you how many neighbors have had things stolen from their property and vehicles, the culprits were witnessed on the property, but no one raised an eyebrow because it wasn't out of the ordinary for strangers to be hanging around.

Now don't misinterpret me, I'm not saying that someone placing a cache in their front yard is going to cause a rash of crime. What I am saying is that once their neighbors are accustomed to it and the activity it brings, they'll be lees likely to notice or call the cops when real crime or suspicious activity occurs.

October 1, 2011

I also dislike the cache in plain sight and proximity of someones front window. What is often more weird is the CO that places a cache in plain view of their own front window and then invites visitors to give them a wave as they will be looking out for them when they search for the cache. One for the kids whilst I huddle in the car.

1.7k · October 1, 2011

I came across this one in a log a few days ago.

Didn't find it 09/14/2011

got muggled! i was walking the path to 0 and some lady and her dog were standing there! the dog started barking and i said hello, she said there was no reason for a grown man to be out there at 9am! she said go do your "drug deal" somewhere else! i tried explaining what i was doing out there but she wouldn't have it! so she went home to call the cops LOL when she was gone i looked for a couple min but decided to leave WOW

Sounds like she was upset that someone was trying to work her corner. :laughing:

2.6k · October 2, 2011

I pass them by, and they go on my ignore list

October 2, 2011

Around here most HOA don't like you even driving down the streets of the neighborhoods. I have had cops called for parking on the street while going to visit a friend or driving through at night lost...then you have to deal with a angry cop that was called out for no reason. I avoid these caches period. I left a comment on GC11EW9 Copperpots Blunder but archived it because I wasn't being to nice in my comments. But I was leaving my gf house planing on going to this night cache. The road was being worked on so it detours into this neighborhood. My TomTom trys to tell me drive through a dead end...while I am sitting there trying to find way to get to the cache I planed to visit which was about 2 miles away. A guy comes up to my car and says the roads close at night...really?!? because the city has a detour going through your neighborhood. He also says the park is closed...umm I don't know anything about a park. Nice guy...doesn't ask what I am doing there or if I am lost or need help. I almost pulled my gun on him since he approached my vehicle at night and wasn't an officer. I noticed the POI for the cache above though when I was trying to find my way.

But yeah if it is in someone yard (as I know exactly what house)I might go for it. If it is in a Housing addition where they have an HOA and sign for the community I won't even attempt it.

October 2, 2011

We were at one of the caches placed in a neighborhood and a bare chested elderly gentleman came out to take out his trash. By the way he was staring us down and the way he belabored the taking out of the trash it was pretty clear he did not appreciate his presence across the street from his home. We DNF'd and the next person to come did the same. I would not be surprised if he threw out the entire cache. Was it fun? Nope, we moved on to a better area. Live and learn.

3.7k · October 2, 2011

someone called the cops because they showed up. I explained what I was doing and why I was muddy

I had just walked out of a forest, when I saw a police car pull up behind my car. I was dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a DVD of cartoons.

:laughing: For me, it's dirty, sweating, scratched up and a pocket full of bouncy balls.

19k · October 3, 2011

One of my logs:

Knowschad didin't find it

Arrived at home tonight to a very interesting email:

So you were geocaching in Wdbry today huh!? About 1145 or so.... I just took a call on some strange guy putting something in a pipe or retrieving something from the pipe. So here is your notice that the cops got called on you...thankfully I had already done this cache and was very familiar with it. Take Care

ABaldEagle

I saw the woman watching me from her kitchen window, and even smiled and waved at her. She waved back. I guess she thought I might be a terrorist anyway.

Glad we've got friends on the Woodbury force!

Thought I had the neccessary tools with me, but they failed me anyway.

I'm a bit confused... so was the e-mail from a cacher who is a cop that got called to check out a spot where an old lady saw you looking for a cache that the cop/cacher had already found? How did he know it was you or are you really that weird looking?

I forget how he said he recognized me... probably ran my plate. Maybe she had taken pictures. I really don't remember.

7.7k · October 3, 2011

someone called the cops because they showed up. I explained what I was doing and why I was muddy

I had just walked out of a forest, when I saw a police car pull up behind my car. I was dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a DVD of cartoons.

For me, it's dirty, sweating, scratched up and a pocket full of bouncy balls.

Could be worse - you could be dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a bag of white powder because you've been searching for benchmarks (the talc powder is used to make the inscription on the benchmarks more visible).

1.1k · October 3, 2011

someone called the cops because they showed up. I explained what I was doing and why I was muddy

I had just walked out of a forest, when I saw a police car pull up behind my car. I was dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a DVD of cartoons.

For me, it's dirty, sweating, scratched up and a pocket full of bouncy balls.

Could be worse - you could be dirty, sweating, bleeding, and holding a bag of white powder because you've been searching for benchmarks (the talc powder is used to make the inscription on the benchmarks more visible).

Oooooh, that's a bad one. Over the summer I did way more bushwhacking than necessary at a particular cache and "got caught" exiting the bush bleeding and disheveled. I quickly explained geocaching to the kindly gentleman and his kids who spotted me and, fortunately, they were intrigued enough to put me at ease. Otherwise, I looked like a fugitive!

Muggles "in your face"

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