+Brasstax Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I haven't sought out that many caches where I am likely to be asked what I am doing. I am fortunate to live in an area where I can combine my passion for hiking and now caching and can avoid most such confrontations. However, I do wonder what I would say if I needed to explain myself in the safest possible way. I know honesty is the best policy, especially when dealing with law enforcement, but I was curious what memorable conversations people have had when confronted, be it by police, curious passers-by, property owners or even other cachers. Any good stories out there to inspire us, warn us or just make us laugh? If this topic has already been thoroughly discussed, could someone provide me with the link, I couldn't find one and I'd like to check it out. Quote Link to comment
+t4e Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=272324&hl=what &st=0 Quote Link to comment
+Gan Dalf Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 The police, property owners, other authority figures, the truth. Everyone else, mind your own business. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "Looking for the body" is always a good one, but be careful... it could backfire on you. Much safer is to pretend you are hunting mushrooms. But not finding any. What kind? The edible kind. Act annoyed by all the questions. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 'Looking for spiders (or snakes)' usually makes them loose interest. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 'Looking for spiders (or snakes)' usually makes them loose interest. Mapping out the toxic waste dump works, too. Quote Link to comment
+frinklabs Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Why lie? Any interaction with civilians is an opportunity to proselytize. I carry a bunch of the folding cards that can be downloaded from here: http://www.lehighvalleygeocachers.org/Links.html I used to use them for LEO but now I'll hand them to anyone willing to take them. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Why lie? Any interaction with civilians is an opportunity to proselytize. I carry a bunch of the folding cards that can be downloaded from here: http://www.lehighval....org/Links.html I used to use them for LEO but now I'll hand them to anyone willing to take them. Why would you feel the need to proselytize? Quote Link to comment
+Gan Dalf Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 [snip] I carry a bunch of the folding cards that can be downloaded from here: http://www.lehighvalleygeocachers.org/Links.html I used to use them for LEO but now I'll hand them to anyone willing to take them. Good idea. When our children were infants and toddlers my wife used to carry cards with her that contained a statement pertaining to the relavent laws to hand to people that questioned her breast feeding in public places. It's basicly just a nice way of saying shove it to people that should be minding their own business. I underestand the need to inform people of what you're doing when in a place that looks like you might be doing something suspicious but If I am searching along a public trail where I have just as much right to be there as the dog walker who is passing by then my response is going to be short, curt and uninformative. Nosy people drive me nuts and there are far too many of them around IMHO. Quote Link to comment
+frinklabs Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Why would you feel the need to proselytize? Why not? Is there some reason not to share this awesome activity with others? That family in the encounter I linked might be looking for just this kind of thing to do as an outdoor activity. They didn't have a dog and didn't appear to be there trainspotting, although it was a great spot for it (I was surprised that they don't appear to have train track proximity restrictions up here). Quote Link to comment
+The_Incredibles_ Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 (edited) I used to think sharing the love of the game would be a good thing. However, the last time I was at a cache and explained the game to muggles, the cache went missing shortly after. So I was at a cache the other day and an old lady walked by and asked if I was looking for mushrooms so I said yes. Edited November 11, 2011 by The_Incredibles_ Quote Link to comment
Maripossa24 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 To the cops, the truth. Depending on my mood to all others: scavenger hunt, or I lost a (contact, piece of jewlery, etc). Quote Link to comment
+power69 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "Lost my keys" and they say "under a lamp post cover?" Quote Link to comment
+Ant89 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "What am I doing? That would be looking round acting suspiciously, the fact though is that I am waiting at this spot for no reason that concerns you and bid you a pleasent day" Quote Link to comment
+A & J Tooling Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "The missing body parts" Quote Link to comment
+luvvinbird Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "What am I doing? That would be looking round acting suspiciously, the fact though is that I am waiting at this spot for no reason that concerns you and bid you a pleasent day" I've been asked "what am I doing" several times. I feel out the situation. If there's a sincere curiosity on the part of the person asking, I like to provide a little insight into geocaching. On the other hand, if there's a negative tone to the question, I politely indicate that I'm enjoying the park or the trail my way. Once, I was actually interrogated by a dog walker who I got to finally back off after I asked if I needed to have a dog on a leash to enjoy the trail. Most are simply curious. I mean, what's so unusual about two grown men coming out from under a bush, lol? Quote Link to comment
+DadOf6Furrballs Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 We've always just told the truth. They'll either look at us with the hairy eyeball and scoot away pronto, or act mildly interested. Never had a problem either way. Quote Link to comment
+SamuraiTrapper Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I usually just pull a "Watchtower" pamphlet out of my pocket and ask them if they have a few minutes to talk, and they get the heck out of there. :-) Quote Link to comment
+Chokecherry Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I usually just explain I'm geocaching. Nothing more suspicious than the tattooed chick rummaging around anywhere. It actually has been kind of fun and I've got to meet some neato people that way as well. Other than urban caches our caches typically stay in place here if non-cachers find them. Found a bunch of them and read the paper logs in them to find non-cacher after non-cacher who have found it signing the logs out in the woods. Quote Link to comment
+Brasstax Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 They'll either look at us with the hairy eyeball Sounds painful. Do they carry ointment for that? Quote Link to comment
+Clarkbowman Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I usually just pull a "Watchtower" pamphlet out of my pocket and ask them if they have a few minutes to talk, and they get the heck out of there. :-) Love this one, may have to use it. : Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I usually just pull a "Watchtower" pamphlet out of my pocket and ask them if they have a few minutes to talk, and they get the heck out of there. :-) Love this one, may have to use it. : As long as you don't run into another JW... I usually just say "scavenger hunt" to avoid a lengthy explanation. Though these days just about everyone has heard of geocaching. Quote Link to comment
+Dgwphotos Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Why would you feel the need to proselytize? Why not? Is there some reason not to share this awesome activity with others? That family in the encounter I linked might be looking for just this kind of thing to do as an outdoor activity. They didn't have a dog and didn't appear to be there trainspotting, although it was a great spot for it (I was surprised that they don't appear to have train track proximity restrictions up here). Some people just aren't trustworthy... I would certainly never explain it to a teen, unless they look very honest, and are there with adults. Quote Link to comment
+Ambient_Skater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I would certainly never explain it to a teen... Because that actually keeps them from finding out anyways. Quote Link to comment
+Dgwphotos Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I would certainly never explain it to a teen... Because that actually keeps them from finding out anyways. It's one thing for them to stumble on a cache, it's a completely different thing to actively tell them about it. Quote Link to comment
+Ambient_Skater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 When my friends and I see someone who looks like they're geocaching where we know there's a cache, we like to ask them what they're doing and see what kind of convoluted responses we can elicit when we don't leave after they provide their usual answer that makes muggles walk away, Quote Link to comment
+BMndFul Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) When confronted around parks I usually respond with " I am waiting for the small children...." Funny, no one seems to laugh. Seriously, if they are pleasant about the inquiry, I will provide a short overview of geocaching. If they are rude, they become my verbal play toy. Edited November 13, 2011 by Russ! Quote Link to comment
+CanadianRockies Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I used to provide a cover story to non-LEO people who asked. For the last year or so, though, I've simply offered the truth. Around here, most people have heard about geocaching previously. Yesterday, we were asked twice. Both people had heard about it before. One had accidentally found a geocache last year. The other was a park groundskeeper who now understands why so many people behave strangely around one of the park's picnic tables. Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 'Looking for spiders (or snakes)' usually makes them loose interest. While searching for a cache in a rocky area near a boat ramp in the Outer Banks I had a muggle ask me if I was looking for snakes. When I told him that I wasn't he said, "we'll if you keep looking around over by those rocks you'll probably find one anyway". I DNFd that cache. Quote Link to comment
+CrazyPony Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 (edited) I tell them that I'm looking for my sunglasses/umbrella/mittens. It's really simple and almost always works! When it doesn't, however, I try to explain it and then hand out a brochure and tell 'em to Google it. Edited November 19, 2011 by CrazyPony Quote Link to comment
+ScoutPack12 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I'm looking for my dog's ball :-) Quote Link to comment
+swissgreys Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I live in a country where I don't speak the main language fluently. This naturally limits my response repertoire. I never try to hide what I am doing, and actually find most people either don't notice, or frankly could not care less. Almost every time someone has asked me what I am doing it is becasue they think I have lost something, and are offering to help find it (the Swiss are pretty community spirited like that). I am always pretty up front. I tell them I am playing a game with friends. One of them hides a magnet and I am trying to find it. In return I hide something for them. At this point most people just walk away. If they ask more questions I usually pull out leaflet, and tell them to look it up online. With my recent success rate, the chances are I am not leading them to anything anyway.... Quote Link to comment
+Legochugglers Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I have found that if a muggle arrives you are better off to keep on hunting in the undergrowth making funny grunting noises, cursing to yourself as usual. Amazingly they just move on (quickly). I was deep in an Ivy covered tree on all fours the other day and actually called out 'good morning' nice and confidently on a muggles approach. Even the Rottweiller gave me a wide berth. Quote Link to comment
+humboldt flier Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I usually just pull a "Watchtower" pamphlet out of my pocket and ask them if they have a few minutes to talk, and they get the heck out of there. :-) Favorite Point for this one. Quote Link to comment
TwoMcGhees Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Was caught in Northern Manhattan aroudn 9pm with my girlfriend geocaching and some little old lady from the church next door was hovering adn starting shouting and calling us disrespectful and told us to move on..so walked away still looking, eventually had a DNF However whilst in Central Park i was looking by the lake for a cache when i discovered i was accompanied by two men sat on top of the rock on top of the cache!! I seen the GPS in their hand and me with paper and caches dotted on! Got chatting for a while then headed separate ways! First time caching in New York whilst travelling and met people along the way! Quote Link to comment
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