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FTF Chickens


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Sure, there are times when I've held back. Usually it's because I have family obligations. One time recently a cache was published late at night, like after midnight, I think. Not too far from me, but I was too lazy to go out. :)

 

I remember distinctly a couple FTFs we got where we took our sweet time getting there, but still got the FTF.

 

One, we were in the middle of lunch so we finished up and meandered on over there. Was surpised to get the FTF.

 

Another one, recently, didn't bother going out at publishing, but as the first people DNFd, we got curious and decided to check it out. Was 100 meters off, but we found it, a couple hours after publishing. Woo hoo!

Edited by The_Incredibles_
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I have a good one. I was at work. I had my work vehicle and had to take a coworker home early. He lives outside of my jurisdiction. A cache just happened to be released in a graveyard about 2 miles if that from the guys house. I pulled into the graveyard and got thinking about how it would look for my company vehicle to get spotted in a graveyard where it had no business being. I got off of work 2 hours later and I saw the dreaded geotrail of tire tracks. Sure enough I missed it by 45 minutes... Bock-Bock-Bock

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I did quite alot of RUN out like heck, drive like stolen, only to find another cacher standing there signing the log,

so now I dont give a darn, it is not worth the fustration, I will (almost) newer be no 1 in this area,

it is SO hard !! but the few times I did get first, I was very happy :-)

I think, if you play this part of the game.. like REALY play it,

it is more fun to win, if it is hard, and not funny if it is easy,

who cares to win, if you are the only one running.

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I get the notification and usually can't be bothered.

 

The only time I have rushed out the door was on Christmas Day. I'd been bored out of my gourd, waiting for a local Christmas Cache to be published -- didn't know it would but, but suspected it would be -- when it popped up I popped out for it. 15 miles away, but took about an hour to get to, due to wet and icy roads. Didn't expect FTF, just wanted it to be my find for the day.

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I only go if its close enough AND I get the notification quick enough. Often I do not hear the email sound and if its been 5 or 10 minutes already, why bother, will get to it in my own time.

 

Will almost never go if I have the kids and need to get one or both of them ready to get said FTF.

 

If its a tough puzzle and I am the first geocheck? Then I expand my radius a bit!

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Personally a few reasons:

1. There are some retired or not often busy cachers in my area. They are very difficult to beat, so why bother?

2. Most of the new caches are park and grabs. I do those types of caches, but it is hardly worth racing to in my opinion.

3. I'm usually at work or with my family, who are not geocachers.

4. I've got a very small handful of ftf's under my belt. The appeal wasn't enough to warrant the work.

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I do not use FTF in logs so I am not sure if that makes me more or less of an "FTF Chicken" I have probably signed a blank log around 2-300 times (I started to count for a challenge cache awhile back but stopped at a hundred). In general, I am not going to interrupt my life just because someone put out a container that I may or may not ever have an interest in finding. A film canister or bison tube is not going to be any more exciting to me just because time, circumstances, geography, and lack of a sense of delayed gratification allow me to sign a blank log.

 

So my wife would have serious questions if I left during dinner because someone put a container in a lamp post six miles away. She would probably be even more upset if I left the house at midnight or got up at 5 am to drive 20 miles because I got a text message telling me that there was a nano on a bench. My boss may not appreciate it if I walked out of a meeting in order to get to a keyholder before someone else. Perhaps there are some aspects of being a chicken to this, but our interests probably coincide.

 

Everyone once in a while there is something about a cache that inspires me to seek it out right away. I wanted to do an "end of the world" themed cache on December 21 and ended up signing a blank log for that one. There might be a nice hike, an afternoon walk, or a bike ride that coincides with a new cache. So the question to me is the reverse of what the OP asks -- what is it about a cache that makes me want to get it sooner rather than later?

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I do not use FTF in logs so I am not sure if that makes me more or less of an "FTF Chicken" I have probably signed a blank log around 2-300 times (I started to count for a challenge cache awhile back but stopped at a hundred). In general, I am not going to interrupt my life just because someone put out a container that I may or may not ever have an interest in finding. A film canister or bison tube is not going to be any more exciting to me just because time, circumstances, geography, and lack of a sense of delayed gratification allow me to sign a blank log.

 

So my wife would have serious questions if I left during dinner because someone put a container in a lamp post six miles away. She would probably be even more upset if I left the house at midnight or got up at 5 am to drive 20 miles because I got a text message telling me that there was a nano on a bench. My boss may not appreciate it if I walked out of a meeting in order to get to a keyholder before someone else. Perhaps there are some aspects of being a chicken to this, but our interests probably coincide.

 

Everyone once in a while there is something about a cache that inspires me to seek it out right away. I wanted to do an "end of the world" themed cache on December 21 and ended up signing a blank log for that one. There might be a nice hike, an afternoon walk, or a bike ride that coincides with a new cache. So the question to me is the reverse of what the OP asks -- what is it about a cache that makes me want to get it sooner rather than later?

 

Being sensible is completely off-topic.

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I've had my excuses, many like above. The last one was the cache was published while I was at work. 4 hours later I went to find it and no one logged it online so I thought I was good to go. When I got to GZ there was a NO TRESPASSING sign right in front of where the cache was supposed to be. That was enough for me to wave off and check with the CO and reviewer to make sure permission was granted.....

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.. because it is just another keyholder that doesn't excite me.

 

Not sure it's being chicken or not but this is where i stand.

 

It's a numbers thing around here so most of the caches placed are the same,,, lpcs, matchboxes, and pill bottles. A ftf in itself used to be alot of fun with us leaving at the sound of a notification. I've slowed down alot and now rarely go after them these days. Guess i now realize that i have better things to spend my time and gas money on.

Edited by Mudfrog
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I've had my excuses, many like above. The last one was the cache was published while I was at work. 4 hours later I went to find it and no one logged it online so I thought I was good to go. When I got to GZ there was a NO TRESPASSING sign right in front of where the cache was supposed to be. That was enough for me to wave off and check with the CO and reviewer to make sure permission was granted.....

 

CHICKEN!

 

You are supposed to go in with guns blazing like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

 

Do you have no concept of the true meaning of the FTF?

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I've had my excuses, many like above. The last one was the cache was published while I was at work. 4 hours later I went to find it and no one logged it online so I thought I was good to go. When I got to GZ there was a NO TRESPASSING sign right in front of where the cache was supposed to be. That was enough for me to wave off and check with the CO and reviewer to make sure permission was granted.....

 

CHICKEN!

 

You are supposed to go in with guns blazing like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

 

Do you have no concept of the true meaning of the FTF?

 

I think, you gotta move your FTF hating to another thread. Let's stick to the OP.

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I've had my excuses, many like above. The last one was the cache was published while I was at work. 4 hours later I went to find it and no one logged it online so I thought I was good to go. When I got to GZ there was a NO TRESPASSING sign right in front of where the cache was supposed to be. That was enough for me to wave off and check with the CO and reviewer to make sure permission was granted.....

 

CHICKEN!

 

You are supposed to go in with guns blazing like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

 

Do you have no concept of the true meaning of the FTF?

 

I think, you gotta move your FTF hating to another thread. Let's stick to the OP.

 

I don't hate FTFs, in fact I do enjoy them when I get them.

 

It's just that they are not a driving force in my geocaching adventures.

 

Perhaps you should stay on-topic, and not second-guess other's motivations for posting? :P

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CHICKEN!

 

You are supposed to go in with guns blazing like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

 

Do you have no concept of the true meaning of the FTF?

 

Lol, so you weren't trying to cast a negative spin on FTF caching with this comment? My mistake, it just sounded nothing like "FTF Chickens - People who are afraid to run out. You know who you are. You get the notification and hesitate to run out. Has this ever happened to you, and why?"

 

Don't know how I missed it. :ph34r:

Edited by Flintstone5611
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It's 2318 hours and we just now had 3 new cache published notifications come in. Let's see,,, looking at the map, going for them would involve around 40 miles roundtrip driving which would cost at least 5 dollars for fuel and add wear and tear to my vehicle. I also see on the map that they aren't in the best of neighborhoods. I'm clean, dressed for bed, and on top of that, getting sleepy too. The caches are showing to be micro so i have a good idea what they are.

 

I'm pretty sure i could grab a ftf or three on them but after thinking about it for a couple of seconds, it just seems like too much trouble. I'm going to bed! :laughing:

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>I also dislike nosy COs who stick around to spy on those who are first to come looking for the cache.

 

We have a few here, who do show up, bring a chear, sit down and just look

while you poke arround looking like a big fool for not beeing able to spot it.

 

on another FTF hunt, quite a lot of crasy dudes hang out to see how stupid we looked,

they did all show up erly in the morning, bring huge drill hammer, vacum cleaner,

drilled a HOLE in one of them huge stones you see on the parking lots, cleaned all drill dust away,

put in a metal bison, released the cache, hang out for fun..

They keept the secret, all day, when cache was released, I was allready there,

but after 40 mins of looking arround, I started toget nervous, maybe someone else was also on their way ?!?!

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I live in the middle of now where, most new caches I get emails on are listed 17-20 miles away, PnG's off of a major highway. With a lack of a direct route it makes for about a 30 minute 1 way trip, not worth it for me. Granted if they they got published a little earlier I would hit them on my way home from work.

 

One did get published about 3 miles away a couple of weeks ago as I was making dinner, I believe the big football game bought me the time I needed to finish eating and still grab the FTF about 45mins later

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the funny thing is, many people play this FTF like:

try if you feel a chance to win,

DONT try if you feel the chance is very low,

this little thing, trick people..

most caches are found 5-40 mins

but if not found in 2-4 hrs,

most likely it IS found, and the finder just "forgot" to log it online

so no one else try to run for it.

we do have a gentleman agreement outhere, it is very normal to see a

NOTE : log later

performed on site via a phone by the FTF,

when he gets home to a normal keyboard, he make a real found log, and delete his note.

Edited by OZ2CPU
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I passed one up the other night not because I am chicken, not because it was after 10:30pm, and especially not because it was -9 degrees F here in MN. But because I felt that being a good geocaching citizen means that I should do my fair share and let someone else have a chance at FTF. I figured equal opportunity is not enough and that I should help guarantee equal outcome. Afterall, aren't my 150 logged FTF's enough? :ph34r: :ph34r:

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After a few FTF I realized I want to enjoy my time out so I no longer worry to much about the FTF. GeoCaching is not the only thing I have chickened out on and later wished I had gone. I need to be more motivated to go, cause once you are out there, it is usually a good thing! In general I do alot more than GeoCache once I am up and running. I like to explore any place I go to, if there is something of interest. New places are new fun! Take me, Take me, Take me!

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I passed one up the other night not because I am chicken, not because it was after 10:30pm, and especially not because it was -9 degrees F here in MN. But because I felt that being a good geocaching citizen means that I should do my fair share and let someone else have a chance at FTF. I figured equal opportunity is not enough and that I should help guarantee equal outcome. Afterall, aren't my 150 logged FTF's enough? :ph34r: :ph34r:

 

Bwahahaahahahahahahaa!! That's hilarious... You're kidding right? "Good geocaching citizen", nice.

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I'm in my pajamas (doesn't stop me :laughing:

 

Aren't pajamas expected? Our first FTF I had just gotten out of the shower. My hair was wet and I'm pretty sure I didn't have a bra on. Added to the excitement!

 

 

I've cached wearing a bra and without...you're right, without adds excitement! :ph34r:

 

Nowadays, things have to really fall into place for me to bother with trying for a FTF. The small town I live in isn't exactly a geocaching ghost-town but new caches don't pop up very often.

 

One of the last FTF "chases" I went on, afterwards it made me do a bit of soul-searching. It was a two stage puzzle/multi. The first stage was at a boat landing and the final was miles away at another boat landing. I found the first stage and was getting into my car when another vehicle pulled in behind me. I figured it was another cacher (it was somewhere around 4 a.m.) and hightailed it to the final. Just after replacing the cache, the other cacher pulled in behind me again and we had a pleasant enough chat before he headed off to find the cache.

 

On the drive home, I started thinking about what had happened. Nothing outrageous...just your typical FTF race. But, I was thinking that it just wasn't how I enjoy caching. I don't mind meeting other cachers but the feeling of trying to outrace someone to the find...it just went against what I found so appealing about geocaching. I like the idea of being miles away from anywhere, going at my own pace, while so many other people are cramming themselves into the mall or a restaurant or sitting in traffic. The world is still in overdrive and there's little ol' me, walking along in the woods, being crushed by nature.

 

So, to make a long and pointless story short, I will go for a FTF...but only if it allows me to cache the way I enjoy caching and the cache itself seems worth my time. One of those hasn't popped up in quite awhile for me.

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I found the first stage and was getting into my car when another vehicle pulled in behind me. I figured it was another cacher (it was somewhere around 4 a.m.) and hightailed it to the final.

...

On the drive home, I started thinking about what had happened. Nothing outrageous...just your typical FTF race. But, I was thinking that it just wasn't how I enjoy caching. I don't mind meeting other cachers but the feeling of trying to outrace someone to the find...it just went against what I found so appealing about geocaching.

Maybe it's just my area, but every cacher I know would have joined up with the other cacher and found the cache together as a team instead of racing against each other. In fact, often a cacher will wait around for a few minutes at a trailhead when they're going for an FTF just in case someone else shows up to join them. To me, the best thing about trying for an FTF is the fact that it greatly increases the odds of running into another cacher.

 

Not to dis you or anything, but around here your behavior of dashing off might have even been perceived as rude and subjected you to some lighthearted ribbing in the STF's log. But I must admit, new caches pop up all the time around here. I'm sure FTFs are viewed quite differently when they're so rare.

 

(Just for the record: I never wear a bra when geocaching.)

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