Best excuse while caught geocaching

[Cymbios]

Was looking for a cache this morning that I suspected was attached to a road sign.

I didn't realise I had been spotted, and suddenly there was an elderly gentleman questioning my as to what I was up to.

"Eh, I'm doing a school project on roadsigns", was the first thing that popped into my head.

Actually to be honest, I think that was a pretty good excuse. He went for it.

Not to seem overly keen on the sign, I left the cache area. Will need to go back at a later time

 

What are your best excuses?

[GOF and Bacall]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

[+The_Incredibles_]

Mushroom hunting.

 

Probably wouldn't work too well for LPC.

 

Sometimes if I'm in the mood, I'll tell curious muggles I"m geocaching and try to explain it a bit.

[+redsox_mark]

Not my idea, but a favourite from an esteemed local cacher: "I'm counting the slugs". He also has a badge which says "British Slug Survey".

 

I'm not very good at making stuff up on the spot. If the person has asked me in a friendly way, I'll tend to tell them I'm Geocaching. Or I might keep it a bit more vague and say I'm looking for something as part of a game.

 

If the person is unfriendly - if it is more of a "what do you think you are doing there?" challenge, I tend to take the teenage approach and either ignore and move on, or actually say something like "nothing - just looking at this hedge".

[GOF and Bacall]

Look, my post may have sounded a bit flipant. But if this is someone local to the cache you may as well be up front about it. Otherwise they are likely to get the wrong idea as they watch a string of people "counting slugs".

[+Snoogans]

Give 'em the patented Verizon routine-

 

Ignore them. Walk 5 feet. Put GPSr to your ear and say, "Can you hear me now? Good." - Rinse - Repeat--- Until they get bored and walk away.

 

Admittedly the V-Routine hasn't worked well since about 2007. Before then most folks assumed your GPSr was a phone.

 

Or

 

I did a John Force NHRA race win reinactment once thanking my sponsors and my crew and flipping out just a little bit. Don't do that for anyone wearing a badge.

 

Memorize this clip. That should do the trick.

 

 

More homework. Move around, yell, and gesticulate a whole bunch.

 

Edited April 3, 2012 by Snoogans

[+OZ2CPU]

Many threads about this:

often is it best not to lie,

but the problem is: it takes alot of time to first explain geocaching,

and then all their questions

[+Snoogans]

Many threads about this:

often is it best not to lie,

but the problem is: it takes alot of time to first explain geocaching,

and then all their questions

 

It's best not to lie. I agree. But sometimes I just go meh, I'm dressed like a homeless person, so I might as well act like one.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Snoogans

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

As strange as it may seem, truth is generally the best route to take.

 

After a career of dealing with folks that lie, I can tell you one thing -- the truth never changes. A lie, on the other hand, does change -- mostly because it dictates the need for another lie to cover the first, and on... and on... and on...

[+Viajero Perdido]

When snooping around a bridge:

 

"Structural inspectors, ma'am. Yes, we work on weekends in the summer; it's our busy season. That's when most failures happen. This? It measures neutrino emissions from steel under stress. Would you mind stepping away from the bridge, please? Thanks!"

[+StarBrand]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

When asked - that is my answer.

 

If not asked, just approached - I'll pull the cell phone routine sometimes - or reach for my camera - or a notepad and pencil. Most folks just walk on by.

[+Snoogans]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

When asked - that is my answer.

 

If not asked, just approached - I'll pull the cell phone routine sometimes - or reach for my camera - or a notepad and pencil. Most folks just walk on by.

 

Wearing an orange or yellow vest and picking up a piece of trash almost ensures you won't have to give an excuse.

 

Wearing an orange jumpsuit and doing the same will probably get folks to leave if they don't see an armed guard anywhere nearby.

[+DragonsWest]

Depends on the setting and who's asking -

 

If it's police or security - I'm geocaching.

 

If it's muggles I'll play it by ear, sometimes tell them I'm geocaching while others tell them I'm looking for survey markers.

[+wimseyguy]

Performing community service often gets them to leave you alone.

[Cymbios]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

 

New to geocaching and got flummoxed!

Was the first thing that flew outa my head.

I guess I didn't want to give the game up.

[+Team Pixos]

Love John

Force that man can out talk anything alive

[+Snoogans]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

 

New to geocaching and got flummoxed!

Was the first thing that flew outa my head.

I guess I didn't want to give the game up.

 

Ya gotta play it by ear. Don't fool with authority figures.

 

Anyone else you have to let your spider sense tell you what to do.

 

I got accosted by a homeless looking fishing guy with meth mouth asking if I was one of those "homos" passing notes in the woods.... I held up the dog leash and told him I was walking my dog. He went on to tell me how he had stolen a container (my cache) several times because "homos" were going back in the woods near the spot where he fishes and passing notes. I just turned around an left.

 

I have given the John Force win speech twice and both times it was to curious and bold teenagers who sped off on their bikes.

 

Seriously, do you wanna give the game away to a teenager? Kiss the cache goodbye. Hello LTF.

 

(Non- Caching) Once, in Yosemite, I entered the park late at night after coming out of the backcountry and I camped on Washburn Point just up the road from Glacier Point.

 

Ranger's quarters are a couple hundred yards away. A young female ranger saw my car parked at the point after hours and checked it out. Then she walked down the hill and found me in my sleeping bag. I started talking gibberish (Talk to any 5 visitors to Yosemite and maybe 1 or 2 will speak English.) and she walked away without pointing out that I couldn't camp there.

 

It was awesome to have Glacier Point all to myself for almost an hour at sunrise the next morning. It was worth the risk.

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Not my idea, but a favourite from an esteemed local cacher: "I'm counting the slugs". He also has a badge which says "British Slug Survey".

 

In some places, especially inner cities, "counting the slugs" would take on a different meaning and would require a different kind of badge, but it would probably cause a muggle to leave the area just as quickly.

[+uxorious]

Look, my post may have sounded a bit flipant. But if this is someone local to the cache you may as well be up front about it. Otherwise they are likely to get the wrong idea as they watch a string of people "counting slugs".

 

Your post didn't seem flipant at all to me. That would be my first response.

 

Without looking back at my caches, I can think of at least three times someone asked what I was doing, and it turned out to be a neighbor that was wondering what was going on over there. In each of these cases the people seemed very relieved to find out that the strange goings on were just a game.

 

I also agree you do need to play it by ear. If the person asking is giving bad vibs, you don't want to give it away.

[MisterEFQ]

I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

[+ras_oscar]

I usually have a one sentence explanation in case I am asked. Having that in my mind permits me to stride purposefully to the cache and do my business with a minimum of questions. It's how you carry yourself at GZ. If you're furtive you attract the most attention. When asked, its better to tell the truth on one or 2 words, unless the situation suggests otherwise.

 

I had one cache that was in the middle of a parking lot in a raised (6 feet) planter. Spend 20 minutes with no success. Went down the street to an identical planter and immediately found the hide. Also understood where the first one was. Went back to the first and was approached by an employee from a local business as I was fixin to replace the signed log, asking what I was doing in their planter. My first question (since the fellow was easily 300 pounds and someone i did NOT want to get angry) was "Do you work at ****** business?" Yes. Looked him straght in the eye and said " I'm looking for a geocache". Pause. "Do you know what that is?" Pause. He said " oh, sorry, my bad. That's to do with Bees, Right? sorry, my bad" The upshot: he was probably watching me the first time and finally screwed the courage to confront me. Since I did not act suspicious, since I am a mature responsible adult that is reasonably groomed and in posession of all my faculties, he was hesitant to even ask in the first place, fearing he would invade my privacy. (in his parking lot). It's how you carry yourself. I could just as easily have said I was hunting snapes or looking for Emilia Earhart

[GOF and Bacall]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

 

New to geocaching and got flummoxed!

Was the first thing that flew outa my head.

I guess I didn't want to give the game up.

 

Ya gotta play it by ear. Don't fool with authority figures.

 

Anyone else you have to let your spider sense tell you what to do.

 

I got accosted by a homeless looking fishing guy with meth mouth asking if I was one of those "homos" passing notes in the woods.... I held up the dog leash and told him I was walking my dog. He went on to tell me how he had stolen a container (my cache) several times because "homos" were going back in the woods near the spot where he fishes and passing notes. I just turned around an left.

 

I have given the John Force win speech twice and both times it was to curious and bold teenagers who sped off on their bikes.

 

Seriously, do you wanna give the game away to a teenager? Kiss the cache goodbye. Hello LTF.

 

Yes, you need to judge each incident by its own merit. However, in the incident described in the OP I would just tell him what I was doing. With the hypothetical teenagers hanging around, or some such, I would use discretion instead of stealth or misdirection. That means I would not look for the cache if I thought it would endanger the hide.

[+OZ2CPU]

>I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

 

I just spilled my coffee, it all your fault, man that was funny

I love to see a hidden cam video of this move one day !!

Edited April 3, 2012 by OZ2CPU

[+SwineFlew]

I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

Thats an idea!

[MisterEFQ]

I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

Thats an idea!

 

You would be surprised by peoples reactions.

 

Once I guess I cut somebody off and he was mad and pulled up next to me and started screaming and wanted to fight at a red light. I looked him dead in the eye and started digging in my nose, and he didn't know how to react. He just drove away when the light turned.

[+DragonsWest]

I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

Thats an idea!

 

You would be surprised by peoples reactions.

 

Once I guess I cut somebody off and he was mad and pulled up next to me and started screaming and wanted to fight at a red light. I looked him dead in the eye and started digging in my nose, and he didn't know how to react. He just drove away when the light turned.

 

Yes. What do you then do when they pull a Leatherman out of their pocket and offer it to you?

[+popokiiti]

If I see other folks approaching, I get my camera out to take a picture "of a project I am working on" - be it trees, lamp posts, flora. If they ask about my GPS, I just say I'm geocaching. 9 times out of 10, that gets an "oh" and they leave, not wanting to appear as if they are not aware of what it is.

Little kids have been heard to ask what we're doing, and the well-informed parent says "I think they are geocaching."

[+Dancing_Duo]

We have only been asked a couple times what we were doing. But it probably helps that I almost always have my camera with me taking photos. Most of the time we also have a bag with us so we can CITO along the way.

[+manicgecko]

In my experience the question askers usually have a pre-conceived notion and I usually play along with it. I have been everything from a city employee inspecting the park trees, a culvert cleaner, to a homeless person collecting cans. All those came from the person wondering what this freak is doing. Actually the most frustrating experience I have had explaining what I was doing - I was sitting on a bench on a bike trail trying to get the roll of paper out of a micro - when confronted by a police officer wondering what I was doing. Actually told the truth this time (a relative rarity for me)and ended up going through a field sobriety routine because why ever would a 40 year old man be sitting on a bench in 25 degree weather signing a tightly rolled piece of paper - with an alias of manicgecko.... Didn't help that the cache container can be confused by overworked law enforcement eyes as a joint clip --- I guess -- maybe -- so he said. Truth at times is over-rated - but at least I can still recite the alphabet backwards....

[+ArcherDragoon]

How about "I'm geocaching"?

+1

 

I use the Truth...about 75% of the time people say "Oh, I heard about that...I may need to give it a try some time." Based on a gut feeling...I will either invite them to join me on the hunt or just have a brief/general conversation about geocaching.

 

The 25% of the time...they give me a blank stare and either stick around to hear what I have to say about it...or shrug their shoulders and walk off thinking I am some sort of loon...

[knowschad]

I just stare at them and stick my finger up my nose as far as possible.

es. What do you then do when they pull a Leatherman out of their pocket and offer it to you?

[knowschad]

Or, you could REALLY become a street light inspector: http://www.lgcareers.com/careers-az/street-lighting-inspector/

[+firestronaut]

I carry the little definition of geocaching from the website home page in my GC bag! I copied, pasted and printed and have about 8 slips of paper that explain what geocaching is.

Not been asked yet, (because I'm so stealthy ) but I'm sure the day will come!

[+Chrysalides]

Depending on the person, I'll say geocaching (if I think they'll understand) or "some kind of scavenger hunt". I don't like lying, even to strangers that I encounter in the street.

 

While I try my best to avoid it, there have been times when I returned a cache, looked up, and see someone staring at me. In such situations, I just smile, wave, and move on. So far none of those caches have vanished.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Chrysalides

[+66henry]

I was right at GZ looking for the cahce inder what I think is some kind of juniper tree in a very small (3 store) shopping area. What I believe was one of the employees or business owners pulled in her car right next to the tree. After getting out of her car she asked me what I was doing. I told "I'm admiring this beautiful little tree." She agreed it was an attractive tree and went into her store. I did find the cache!