Police called on a geocache

[+_SWH]

I have removed this post. The person who I know found this and replaced with a micro tube is getting harassed.

Edited November 3, 2012 by MrsLink10

[Mr.Yuck]

Well. This is a first for me. A muggle thought a cache was a pipe bomb. I do have to say it was not well hidden. Kind of blended but not really. The CO hasn't been online in half a year. I wonder what they would think about this if they knew?

Article in the archived cache. I was going to go get this one since my friend did. Glad I didnt

 

GC1JEM0

 

The picture in the newspaper article doesn't seem to match up too well with the Google Street view. But the intersection mentioned in the article certainly does, and the next closest cache is .4 miles away. If this was the correct cache, then it would have been a "throw down" left by a relatively new cacher the day before Halloween. Well, you people who look for micros with 6 word cache pages in residential neighborhoods in full view of peoples houses have to expect these kinds of things, I suppose.

[Keystone]

I agree with Mr. Yuck. The message from this particular incident is "don't leave throw-downs, and if you do, use common sense on container choice." The original cache container, according to the listing, was a simple match safe.

[+The A-Team]

...use common sense on container choice...

Yeah, a pipe with caps on either end has to be one of the worst possible choices for a cache container.

[+_SWH]

Agree all. I just thought this was community newsworthy in hopes a newer cacher won't do this!!

[+lamoracke]

Wow, wonder if the person who admitted the throw down in their log (course many folks who do them will not admit them in the log) knows about this yet. Course, this is assuming the correct cache has been identified.

 

Edit, was looking at the picture of the "cache" in the news article. Who has this type of container as a replacement container handy? Seems a strange container to just use in general, much less to replace someone's. I wonder if all the facts are right here.

Edited November 3, 2012 by lamoracke

[+stijnhommes]

...use common sense on container choice...

Yeah, a pipe with caps on either end has to be one of the worst possible choices for a cache container.

I've seen videos of several pipe caches and I have to agree that to non-cachers some could easily look like bombs.

At the very least someone using such a cache should have the common sense to mark it with a geocaching sticker to identify it as a cache.

[+Manville Possum]

...use common sense on container choice...

Yeah, a pipe with caps on either end has to be one of the worst possible choices for a cache container.

 

I have discussed this issue before and another geocacher that is a retired Police Officer confirmed and pointed out the Law where where a pipe with caps on each end is considered a "hoax device" and it is a felony to possess. I would not chance it myself.

[Mr.Yuck]

Wow, wonder if the person who admitted the throw down in their log (course many folks who do them will not admit them in the log) knows about this yet. Course, this is assuming the correct cache has been identified.

 

Edit, was looking at the picture of the "cache" in the news article. Who has this type of container as a replacement container handy? Seems a strange container to just use in general, much less to replace someone's. I wonder if all the facts are right here.

 

Agreed. As I said in my first post (and I can't believe Keystone would publicly agree with anything I said ) the surroundings in that picture just don't match that intersection. Well, maybe just a little, that brick facade with the neighborhood's name on it (is that what you call those things? What do you call those things?) looks like the one you can see on street view. There certainly does not appear to be a chain link fence in an open field. The alleged pipe bomb certainly looks like it could have been placed there a couple of days ago. The person who threw down a micro at that archived cache is obviously an active geocacher. I'll bet if someone just happened to send them an email, they would answer it, and identify whether that was their container or not.

[+Beach_hut]

Am I missing something? The cacher who did the throw down added a photo to their log with their container... And THAT'S certainly not a pipe.

[Mr.Yuck]

Am I missing something? The cacher who did the throw down added a photo to their log with their container... And THAT'S certainly not a pipe.

 

I think that's the destroyed, abandoned cache. The actual CO seems quite inactive, and most of his caches have been archived, several involuntarily, for lack of maintenance. As I've said three times now though, there are inconsistencies with the picture of that alleged bomb, and the area of the archived cache.

[+_SWH]

The person who replaced it was After the story aired

[+wimseyguy]

The person who replaced it probably didn't bother to correct the date on their log entry.

I agree that they are holding the weewacked remnants of what they thought was the cache and thought they were doing a good deed by putting out a throw down cache. WRONG ANSWER, unless you have been in contact with the CO and are doing so with their blessings.

 

Over 600 caches within 10 miles and this PD has never heard of geocaching? Color me surprised.

[+The A-Team]

Over 600 caches within 10 miles and this PD has never heard of geocaching? Color me surprised.

That assumes that the container was marked as and easily recognizable as a geocaching container. The item in the news article photo looks way more like a pipe bomb than a geocache, and I can't see anything identifying it as a geocache. Anyway, LEOs aren't going to take the chance. If it could even remotely be dangerous, they'll take it out.

[+wimseyguy]

Agree completely that once the bomb squad is called out things will go boom.

Agree completely that this was a poor choice for a container at this location.

 

I was referring to the last paragraph in the news article that the archive log links to: "“It’s the first we’ve seen of this real-world outdoor treasure hunt,” Slater said in a statement. “We’re told that participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location."

[+The A-Team]

As I've said three times now though, there are inconsistencies with the picture of that alleged bomb, and the area of the archived cache.

After some more searching and StreetViewing, I found the spot in the photo. If you pan around to the other side of the road, you'll see the correct residential development sign. Measuring in Google Earth, I get that fence as being about 800 feet away from the posted coordinates of the archived cache, so it most definitely is not the same cache. I'd say it could be a multi or puzzle final, but the reviewer should have been able to tell if it was with their reviewer-level tools. I wonder if it's just an unpublished cache. Regardless, I think the cache in the OP was archived wrongly. 800 feet is way too far to have been the same cache.

[+Isonzo Karst]

The cache that was mis-identified as a pipe bomb was likely another, already archived, near the spot that The A-Team has identified.

 

However, this other nearby cache was requested to be archived, and it has been.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Isonzo Karst

[+uxorious]

I have discussed this issue before and another geocacher that is a retired Police Officer confirmed and pointed out the Law where where a pipe with caps on each end is considered a "hoax device" and it is a felony to possess. I would not chance it myself.

 

Interesting. I know of two caches that were pipes with caps on each end, which were taken by local law enforcement when called out on a bomb scare. Both of which were returned to the Cache owner by the police.

 

One is now back out and hidden as a cache again. This time along a trail in the woods and not in a fence at the post office.

 

I would never use something like that for a cache. I've seen enough news articles on bomb scares now to make that mistake. However, I used to have a larger PVC pipe with caps on both ends I used to carry a rather expensive fishing pole. It would never occur to me it might be illegal to do so.

[+The A-Team]

However, this other nearby cache was requested to be archived, and it has been.

If the LEOs asked for it to be archived, then that does explain why the originally-discussed cache was archived. Thanks for posting that here.

[Mr.Yuck]

The cache that was mis-identified as a pipe bomb was likely another, already archived, near the spot that The A-Team has identified.

 

However, this other nearby cache was requested to be archived, and it has been.

 

And now there's a throw-down there. Could you be a dear, and go pick it up for us?

[+TheMasses]

it was actually this cache http://coord.info/GC3F5A9 (now also archived)

[Keystone]

Thank you, TheMasses. The description of that container in the archived reviewer notes matches the picture in the news story. ("magnetic cache inside a pvc attached to a fence")

[4wheelin_fool]

I have removed this post. The person who I know found this and replaced with a micro tube is getting harassed.

 

Wow.

 

They did not even do it.

[knowschad]

I have removed this post. The person who I know found this and replaced with a micro tube is getting harassed.

 

Wow.

 

They did not even do it.

 

Well... they did do a throwdown, but apparently that wasn't the problem. Still, I'll bet they won't do another throwdown.

[Mr.Yuck]

I have removed this post. The person who I know found this and replaced with a micro tube is getting harassed.

 

Wow.

 

They did not even do it.

 

Well... they did do a throwdown, but apparently that wasn't the problem. Still, I'll bet they won't do another throwdown.

 

Well yeah, they probably no longer believe they should engage in the practice of throwdowns. However, I feel partially responsible for them receiving emails. I did in fact say that if someone were to email them, they could probably verify if that was the cache they threw down, and they could confirm it. All while expressing doubt on multiple occasions that the cache in the OP (the OP which has now been erased) was the cache that caused the bomb scare. I would have to believe the local reviewer took action based on the intersection listed in the newspaper article, and the GC number in the original post was definitely the closest one to that intersection.

[4wheelin_fool]

It's still not acceptable for anyone to harass them. The only person who could say anything is the nonexistent cache owner with the wet cache.

[Mr.Yuck]

It's still not acceptable for anyone to harass them. The only person who could say anything is the nonexistent cache owner with the wet cache.

 

Of course not. I have sent an email to the OP asking them to extend my apologies to the throw down person, if I in any way influenced some wahoo and/or wahoo's to email them. Seeing as I have no recollection of what the cache was now that it's GC code has been removed from this thread. I do know it was a solo female cacher from their profile pic.

[+Don_J]

I have removed this post. The person who I know found this and replaced with a micro tube is getting harassed.

 

Wow.

 

They did not even do it.

 

Well... they did do a throwdown, but apparently that wasn't the problem. Still, I'll bet they won't do another throwdown.

 

Well yeah, they probably no longer believe they should engage in the practice of throwdowns. However, I feel partially responsible for them receiving emails. I did in fact say that if someone were to email them, they could probably verify if that was the cache they threw down, and they could confirm it. All while expressing doubt on multiple occasions that the cache in the OP (the OP which has now been erased) was the cache that caused the bomb scare. I would have to believe the local reviewer took action based on the intersection listed in the newspaper article, and the GC number in the original post was definitely the closest one to that intersection.

 

Yeah, well, If you told me to jump off a bridge, would it really be your fault if I did?

[+Mick McPhee]

I have to disagree that a pipe with caps makes a lousy geocache. It all depends on where you live and where you place it. I live in SW CO. I have 6 or so 4 inch black camo PVC pipes with removable end caps. I leave a space of white pipe where I write GEO with a felt marker. I put the white down for concealment and put the cache in a bush, under a log or in some rocks. This makes a wonderful inexpensive cache that takes the harsh winters and summers well. Lots of room for SWAG and lasts for years.

 

Putting such a cache in an urban area may not be advisable, but if you live in an area with lots of sagebrush, pinyon, scrub oak, pine trees and empty space the cache is just fine.

[+Totem Clan]

An ammo can in some urban enverions wouldn't be a good container. The point is use common sen.....

 

Never mind. I forgot. They don't that issue that to most people any more.