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Muggle city worker


Gan Dalf

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Got this e-mail just a bit ago:

 

I found a cache of yours in North XXXXXX. It was in a place it couldn't stay so I took it with me. I don't want to interrupt your process and want to get the container back to you. I work for the City of XXXXXX and you could retrieve the container at the Reception counter at Public Works.

 

I responded to the e-mail with the following:

 

Hi there,

 

First let me say thank you so much for contacting me. It looks to me like you created your geocaching profile just to conatact me and let me know what happened and so I am very grateful for that.

 

I will go to the Reception Center at the Public Works building to pick up my container but I am hopeful that you will answer a couple of questions for me. I should know which cache it is when I pick up the container but would you mind telling me where you found it and when? It might be a couple of days before I can get there and I would like to disable the cache so other cachers know not to go and look for it.

 

Also if there is a way that I could keep it in it's current location or somewhere nearby, I would appriciate your input. I put a lot of work in to the caches I place and so I would like to try and keep it active if at all possible, even if it has to be in some other form and not in the exact same spot.

 

Thank you again for reaching out to me, it is greatly appriciated.

FobesMan

 

The cacher that contacted me through my geocaching profile created their account today. Pretty impressive that they figured out what the container was and how to contact me so quickly. Actually, it might not have been so quick as they could be referring to one of three caches, one of which has been missing for at least a month if not longer. I just thought it was cool that they took the time to contact me and let me know how to retrieve my container.

 

Thoughts on success on keeping my hide spot or at least somewhere close by?

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Without knowing where you're talking about it's impossible to speculate about how to keep your hide location. But always keep in mind that there are tons of great spots around - you don't have to be tied down to a handful of places - get busy and get creative!

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Had several more correspondence since my initial post.

 

Her reply, just about 15 minutes after I sent my last note:

 

I found it in the grassy area on the north side of XXXXX Dr across from the end of XXXXX St. It was laying on the grass where we were trimming branches and grinding them up. I was afraid it would be thrown in the trash.

The little book says <cache name>. I think it was the seventeenth - one week ago. It took me a while (and the having of time) to figure out how to find you.

The last entry was 10/2/11.

I am thinking that the grass probably won't be mowed there for a while and we should be done with the trees and it might be okay to put it back. Perhaps suspended from a branch to keep it off the ground. It blends too well.

 

My Reponse:

 

You are amazing, again, thank you. the cache is actually supposed to be suspended fromt he branches, that is how it was hidden to begin with. The person that found it last time (on October 2nd) must not have put it back well enough and it fell from it's spot.

 

I will get the container and put it back where it is supposed to be. Now that you know it is there, please let your co-workers know that it is supposed to be there and if you could do me the additional favor of asking thme not to remove it in the future I would be even more grateful, if that is even possible.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to be helpful.

 

And then she wrote back again:

 

It is possible that the last person did it right. We were trimming low branches from all the trees in that area. Unless we have a big wind storm, that should be all right.

 

The cache is a decon container that was in the low hanging branches of a Douglas Fir, clipped to a branch with a carbiener(sp?). The area itslef is a grassy open area with several trees in it across the street from a park. It is open access, about 200 feet wide from the side walk to an embankment that drops down about 60 feet or so to some railraod tracks and then a river and open water on the other side of th tracks. The tree that the cache was placed in is about 100 feet from both the sidewalk and the embankment. There are no time restrictions or access restrictions on being in the grass and so it never occured to me to ask for permision, although I will certainly inquire about it when I go to pick the container up in the next few days.

 

It doesn't sound to me as though she was telling me she removed it from a lack of permission. She didn't understand that the cache was not supposed to be laying on the ground, thought thats where I left it and decided it was probably not a good way to hide it, and she would be right. Lucikly I put a log book and note in the cache that enabled her to track me down which she did.

 

I'm still just amazed at the due diligence that this person followed through with. Most other times I think it would have gotten a couple of DNF's, I would have gone to check on it, discovered it really was missing and then just written it off as city maintanence workers and replaced the container. All in all I can't htink of a better way that this could have happened...

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I was caching in a city in California. The maintenance workers knew about the cache, had no problem with the cache being there and told me I was looking in the right area. Not all city workers are against the game and probably more than we think know about the game. I agree the person that contacted you was being helpful and from what I read was not saying the cache could not be there.

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I think I know the area you are referring to FM as I have done most of your caches, its not like its a labeled city park or anything, I would not have known who to ask permission in that case either if I was even trying to get permission.

 

Sounds like they are not telling you to remove it, so that is good news for your caches there. I like that area, minus the moment where my 2 year old walked head first into a random bush.

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I have a cache placed in a local park. Early this summer, the maintenance people literally removed the vegetation from the area it was hiding in and moved the cache in its camo'ed container only a few feet away to where it rests now. They knew it was there and had given permission for its placement but I was impressed that they actually attempted to rehide it well and did a dang good job of it too. B)

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I got permission from the city to hide caches in two different cities and arranged to let the park department know where they were so they didn't accidentally hit them with their equipment if they were going to maintain stuff in the parks and so that the caches remain relatively safe (parks worker won't find it and think it's trash etc.).

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If it's not obvious who owns the property, and it's not really developed, then City Parks & Recreation (or the local equivalent) is probably a good place to start inquiring. I know of a cache nearby, which I haven't gotten around to doing, that specifically mentions being placed with permission from the city Parks & Recreation department.

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If it's not obvious who owns the property, and it's not really developed, then City Parks & Recreation (or the local equivalent) is probably a good place to start inquiring. I know of a cache nearby, which I haven't gotten around to doing, that specifically mentions being placed with permission from the city Parks & Recreation department.

 

Well she said she left the container at the front counter of the Pubilc Works office. Don't know if the Parks department falls under the Public Works Juridiction (probably does) but I think asking for permission from Public Works is probably the way to go.

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The City of Everett is very aware of and welcoming to our game. They even have pages on their website about finding caches in and around the area. It would be nice if all cities were so welcoming. :D

 

Who said anything about this particular cache being located in Everett? :o:D

Obviously I have superior sleuthing skills in order to have been able to narrow the possibilities! :lol:

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If it's not obvious who owns the property, and it's not really developed, then City Parks & Recreation (or the local equivalent) is probably a good place to start inquiring. I know of a cache nearby, which I haven't gotten around to doing, that specifically mentions being placed with permission from the city Parks & Recreation department.

 

Well she said she left the container at the front counter of the Pubilc Works office. Don't know if the Parks department falls under the Public Works Juridiction (probably does) but I think asking for permission from Public Works is probably the way to go.

 

I was mostly giving general advice rather then advice about that specific hide. But if the DPW was working on that property, then that would seem to indicate that it is City (or Town/Village) owned property. Parks and Recreation may or may not have jurisdiction over it, and if not they may know who does. Which is why I said it might be a good place to start. :) My local DPW is responsible for all sorts of things, from street and cemetery maintenance to maintaining city parks. It's still the city that owns the property though. :)

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The City of Everett is very aware of and welcoming to our game. They even have pages on their website about finding caches in and around the area. It would be nice if all cities were so welcoming. :D

 

Who said anything about this particular cache being located in Everett? :o:D

Obviously I have superior sleuthing skills in order to have been able to narrow the possibilities! :lol:

 

ooooo... you must do puzzles, can you teach me? :P;)

 

(said with tounge firmly planted...)

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If it's not obvious who owns the property, and it's not really developed, then City Parks & Recreation (or the local equivalent) is probably a good place to start inquiring. I know of a cache nearby, which I haven't gotten around to doing, that specifically mentions being placed with permission from the city Parks & Recreation department.

 

Well she said she left the container at the front counter of the Pubilc Works office. Don't know if the Parks department falls under the Public Works Juridiction (probably does) but I think asking for permission from Public Works is probably the way to go.

 

I was mostly giving general advice rather then advice about that specific hide. :)

 

I know. :) It was more a thinking out loud type of statement then a critique of your advice. Didn't have time to go get the container today, hopefully tomorrow...

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This is a great story! Very nice of that lady to take the time to contact you and also help in ideas on how to hide it! Really cool! If I was in that same situation I would definitely ask about getting permission to hide it there when picking it up. Sounds like the lady who took it would have your back in saying it should be OK. I have friends who work for the parks and I am sure if one of there employees seemed to think it was OK that most of the time they would go with it. My old boss is a worker for the San Francisco Parks and he is a good friend and very good at getting people to follow what he thinks. I have thought about talking to him about GeoCaching but have not gotten around to it yet. Not only could he help getting permission for them I think he would like the game.

-WarNinjas

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This same thing happened to one of the local caches. The owner of the property (Port of Benton) was aware of the cache and when they did some improving of the area they removed the cache and even posted a note on the cache page letting everyone know that they have it and they would put it back once the job was completed. The CO disabled the cache. Obviously some areas are cache friendly. If only they were all that way!

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Well after work tonight I went back and retrieved my container from the reception desk at the Public Works Department. I was forced to remember that the container was green. Had to think for a minute if it was black or not as I have recently found a few that were that color. After the nice lady's from behind the desk gave me back my container I returned to the site where it was hidden to discover that I was no longer able to hide my cache int he manner it was hidden before. It seems that the branches of the tree that I had put it in we gone...

 

I moved it to a different nearby spot but I am still a bit disappointed as I preferred the other location and hide method. Hoepfully it will be safe there but I fear that within a year it will go missing again due to it's new location. It's such a great spot for a cache but hiding options are limited; unless I want to go against my own grain and hide an undesirable micro...

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