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Identifying Geocachers vs muggles


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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

Someone in the forums has suggested some bizarre dance in such situations. Of the 5, 000, 000 (?) cachers on the planet, I think he and two friends like the idea.

 

:laughing::rolleyes::laughing:

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

Someone in the forums has suggested some bizarre dance in such situations. Of the 5, 000, 000 (?) cachers on the planet, I think he and two friends like the idea.

 

:laughing::rolleyes::laughing:

Ha!

I was thinking more along the lines of just putting your hand by your side and using the American sign language G...

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We used to be able to tell simply by GPSrs, but now with many using phones and everybody seems to have a phone to their ear or texting, I guess it is tough to spot another cacher today.

Maybe moreso in urban caching.

...sigh...I guess you're right.

It used to be if you thought you were being watched, you could pretend the GPSr was your phone.

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Some people in the past have tried to get Jeremy's thoughtful pose to be the official geocaching signal:

93d1af1c-a796-4968-b8be-58598f0616c4.jpg

 

I did spot a family of cachers this past weekend. They were sitting on a bench right next to a cache I had previously found, and I saw them 20 minutes later walking along with one of them holding a GPSr. I was also spotted today by another cacher who saw the TB decal on my car.

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I've found that the easiest way to identify geocachers is to say, "Hey, are you geocaching?" If they're muggles -- and they almost always are -- then this leads to a quick introduction to geocaching in preparation for searching right in front of them -- or with them -- and showing them the cache. Once they're in on the game, they'll be unlikely to turn around and steal the cache after I'm gone.

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

 

Secret signals seem to introduce so much scope for misunderstandings, especially when there's no way of knowing how many other groups might have their own secret signals. It would seem spectacularly unfortunate if our sign to say "hey, I'm a geocacher" was close enough to another group's sign for "hey, I you look hot and the public toilets are nearby"...

 

I figure in an urban setting unless it's pretty obvious that someone is looking for something I'm just happy to let people go by, all the while trying not to make it too obvious what I'm doing. I remember setting a new personal best for discreet retrieval of a geocache when I grabbed it from under a bench while sitting at the bench talking to the guy who turned out to be the cache owner and who didn't notice me grabbing it.

 

In a rural setting people are more likely to be using a GPS than a phone and anyone lingering for a while within about 50 feet of a geocache is probably out looking for a geocache.

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

Someone in the forums has suggested some bizarre dance in such situations. Of the 5, 000, 000 (?) cachers on the planet, I think he and two friends like the idea.

 

:laughing::rolleyes::laughing:

 

I think you are referring to this? It's been around since 2004, you must be new here. ;)

 

I believe the standard we agreed on was when meeting another geocacher, one was to yell "Ho, are ye a geocacher?" and the correct response is "Yay I am".

 

Upon the confirmation, the two then approach each other, put their left hand on the other person's right shoulder, standing arm's length and dance around in a circle while skipping and singing (very loudly) "Geocachers are we! Runy muny mee! Yaba daba baba. He, he, he!". At least that's the way we do it in New Jersey.

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

Someone in the forums has suggested some bizarre dance in such situations. Of the 5, 000, 000 (?) cachers on the planet, I think he and two friends like the idea.

 

:laughing::rolleyes::laughing:

 

No, that's the guy who wants to rename Geocaches Jeeks. But it's only one other friend. :ph34r:

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Here's my thinking - It's another SideGame!!

 

We all learn Ninja Skills to keep the muggles from knowing what we're doing - now we can all work on BUSTING each other's stealth!

 

"O-ho! I see what you're doing! You're one of ME!"

 

"Drat! Did the hood with the eyeslits give it away? The nonchalant whistling and sauntering over to the lightpole? Did you spot me because this 'phone' I'm using has a lanyard?"

 

- or -

 

"Honest, Officer! I was staring at the child in the playground because I was trying to figure out if she's playing the same game as me!"

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Secret signals seem to introduce so much scope for misunderstandings, especially when there's no way of knowing how many other groups might have their own secret signals. It would seem spectacularly unfortunate if our sign to say "hey, I'm a geocacher" was close enough to another group's sign for "hey, I you look hot and the public toilets are nearby"...

:laughing:

I was thinking about that yesterday, but more along gang signs.

We've found the simplest things may mean something to someone.

CJ backing into a Game Lands parking lot caused a stir one day.

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Secret signals seem to introduce so much scope for misunderstandings, especially when there's no way of knowing how many other groups might have their own secret signals. It would seem spectacularly unfortunate if our sign to say "hey, I'm a geocacher" was close enough to another group's sign for "hey, I you look hot and the public toilets are nearby"...

:laughing:

I was thinking about that yesterday, but more along gang signs.

We've found the simplest things may mean something to someone.

CJ backing into a Game Lands parking lot caused a stir one day.

 

That's a gang sign of sorts too. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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When I have met geocachers in the field, it has been pretty obvious - generally the GPSr has given it away. Sometimes the other cacher spoke first, sometimes it was me. (It has happened to me 27 times; I keep count).

 

I've not yet asked someone and had them turn out to be a muggle.

 

There could be countless other geocachers which I was close to whilst out caching that I didn't notice.

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I generally take out my platinum member coin necklace and shake it twice.

 

TWICE?!? How ostentatious!

Merely having mine in my pocket is all that any other Pl-member should need, since they new ones are fitted with prox-tech RFD chips.

 

Twenty-five feet, and my pocket begins to buzz.

 

Then, my Google Glass appliance (look it up!) shows me a pop-up over their head with their stats and other pertinent info.

 

Kinda like a FPC-game. ("First-Person-Cacher".)

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My fiance and I were picking up a few caches today and we were wondering how many other seemingly normal people were really hunting for geocaches. I have never actually spotted anyone looking around for one. We were talking about how there should be some sort of hand signal you could discreetly make as you pass by other people to see if they are on a hunt too, something that wouldnt look particularly weird to someone whos not looking for it.

Does anyone know if people already do this or would be willing to try to make this a thing?

Someone in the forums has suggested some bizarre dance in such situations. Of the 5, 000, 000 (?) cachers on the planet, I think he and two friends like the idea.

 

:laughing::rolleyes::laughing:

 

I think you are referring to this? It's been around since 2004, you must be new here. ;)

 

I believe the standard we agreed on was when meeting another geocacher, one was to yell "Ho, are ye a geocacher?" and the correct response is "Yay I am".

 

Upon the confirmation, the two then approach each other, put their left hand on the other person's right shoulder, standing arm's length and dance around in a circle while skipping and singing (very loudly) "Geocachers are we! Runy muny mee! Yaba daba baba. He, he, he!". At least that's the way we do it in New Jersey.

 

I understand that this is the standard greeting in 117 countries now. But be veeeery careful. Responses such as "I are", "ja", "Yeppers" "Yes I am" and "Yeah" are wrong, so unless that other person responds with "Yay I am", he isn't a geocacher, but he might be a evil doer up to nasty business. Run away, fast!

Edited by briansnat
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I generally take out my platinum member coin necklace and shake it twice.

 

TWICE?!? How ostentatious!

Merely having mine in my pocket is all that any other Pl-member should need, since they new ones are fitted with prox-tech RFD chips.

 

Twenty-five feet, and my pocket begins to buzz.

 

Then, my Google Glass appliance (look it up!) shows me a pop-up over their head with their stats and other pertinent info.

 

Kinda like a FPC-game. ("First-Person-Cacher".)

 

oh drat I must have the old model. Can I get mine retrofitted or do I need to establish a new accounnt and earn platinum status all over again?

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I was walking a jogging path and came upon a lady w/ a telescoping mirror looking under a park bench. I don't pay too much attention to caches w/ a terrain under 2 so thought she was looking for a nano. I asked if she found it. She said "I hope not". Why?, I asked. It turns out she carries the mirror to check for spiders. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:...Hey, wait a minute. That would be a really good explanation to give a muggle. I wonder????

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Just ask "Did you find it?"

 

Another cacher will know what you're talking about. At the same time, if they are muggles, you won't give anything away that might put the cache at risk.

On an early cache expedition near my house, I was standing at the cache location when I saw someone making a beeline towards me looking down at a smart phone. Since I was in a corner up against two walls, I assumed the cache must be his destination. As he came up to me I said "Are you looking for it too?", at which point he gave me a startled look, said "No, No I'm Not!" and RAN away! Ummm...

 

On the way out I drove past him in his car... it looked like he lived there, and the entire inside was lined with tin foil!

 

I think that day I was part of the Conspiracy LOL

Edited by RDMagnum
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Just ask "Did you find it?"

 

Another cacher will know what you're talking about. At the same time, if they are muggles, you won't give anything away that might put the cache at risk.

On an early cache expedition near my house, I was standing at the cache location when I saw someone making a beeline towards me looking down at a smart phone. Since I was in a corner up against two walls, I assumed the cache must be his destination. As he came up to me I said "Are you looking for it too?", at which point he gave me a startled look, said "No, No I'm Not!" and RAN away! Ummm...

 

On the way out I drove past him in his car... it looked like he lived there, and the entire inside was lined with tin foil!

 

I think that day I was part of the Conspiracy LOL

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: That's awesome! Interesting muggles could be a thread of its own.

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I generally take out my platinum member coin necklace and shake it twice.

 

TWICE?!? How ostentatious!

Merely having mine in my pocket is all that any other Pl-member should need, since they new ones are fitted with prox-tech RFD chips.

 

Twenty-five feet, and my pocket begins to buzz.

 

Then, my Google Glass appliance (look it up!) shows me a pop-up over their head with their stats and other pertinent info.

 

Kinda like a FPC-game. ("First-Person-Cacher".)

 

oh drat I must have the old model. Can I get mine retrofitted or do I need to establish a new accounnt and earn platinum status all over again?

 

No, no, Oscar - retrofit is possible. After all, one you're up at Pl-status, there are NEVER any more payments or requirements, aside from attending the yearly PL-convention at the lilypad. Nice that they pay for it, right?

 

Anyway, use the hidden text on ANY cache page to get the link and remember to use the ROT-26 decryptor and not the visible ROT-13 (A-M,N-Z) decryptor people use for hints.

Edited by TeamRabbitRun
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Hmm, just to get back on topic....

 

I recommend looking for someone holding a GPS, and asking 'Did you find it?' as the best option. I was hunting for a cache in a country lane: a man drew up in his car, got out and started walking around. After a while I asked him, "Are you looking for the same thing as me?" "Well I could be," he said, smiling and walking towards me, "it depends what you're looking for..." "Oh the geocache, right?" I said, waving my GPS, at which point he scowled and went back to hanging around his car. I moved off at this point to find another cache, but soon saw another car pull up near his. I guess some people need to go out into the countryside to find a little privacy.

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Most notice the GPSr in someone's hand.

Kind of a give away ain't it? :anibad:

 

Not necessarily. I once suspected that two people standing five feet away from a cache with a very nice gpsr in their hand might be caching. It turned out they were simply comparing the topo for a couple of alternate routes back to the trailhead.

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Most notice the GPSr in someone's hand.

Kind of a give away ain't it? :anibad:

 

Not necessarily. I once suspected that two people standing five feet away from a cache with a very nice gpsr in their hand might be caching. It turned out they were simply comparing the topo for a couple of alternate routes back to the trailhead.

 

I once encountered a couple in the woods. One was holding a GPS and the other was reading from a sheet of paper and both were looking confused. This was before paperless was popular, so you'd often encounter geocachers with the paper cache page. They were standing about 20 feet from a cache of mine so I KNEW they were geocachers. So I said "No luck yet?" and was met with a blank stare. So I asked if they were geocaching and they said they had no clue what I was talking about. Turned out they were just hikers who recently bought a GPS and they were lost and trying to figure out where they were from the hike narrative they had printed out.

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I was looking for a cache when I saw beams of flashlights rushing through the darkness. I wondered, if they were cachers. Then I thought that what if they are just some crazy nerdy joggers. I fleed.

 

Later I read their online logs and they reported something like "We saw someone near GZ and thought it was a cacher but it seemed to be some random dog walker with a flashlight". My disguise is too perfect. I returned later to find the cache 10 meters from where I had looked for it. I wish I would have stayed there, I could have had a nice chat with those other cachers.

 

Well, you cannot spot me with a GPS device or a too new mobile phone or mobile computer. I don't have one. I use maps. And don't count on paper in my hand. I try to memorize the map in my head or sometimes use notes with more tricky caches. Like those in the woods.

 

I wonder if I saw a caching couple once. Their direction was towards a cache I had found and they seemed to look for something. But I don't know. Maybe they were just after a shortcut and found no trail there.

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Hmm, just to get back on topic....

 

I recommend looking for someone holding a GPS, and asking 'Did you find it?' as the best option. I was hunting for a cache in a country lane: a man drew up in his car, got out and started walking around. After a while I asked him, "Are you looking for the same thing as me?" "Well I could be," he said, smiling and walking towards me, "it depends what you're looking for..." "Oh the geocache, right?" I said, waving my GPS, at which point he scowled and went back to hanging around his car. I moved off at this point to find another cache, but soon saw another car pull up near his. I guess some people need to go out into the countryside to find a little privacy.

"You got the time?" "Yes. It's 11:45." (From a friend who had an hour till his next appointment, so he parked in South Mountain Reservation and read his newspaper for a while...)

I so want to hide a cache in Pickel Park! But that's not in my normal maintenance area. And, I wonder if the reviewer would permit it?

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We were out just yesterday in the middle of nowhere, hadn't seen anyone for ages...when a lovely old chap came walking by (no dog in hand)... My son and I were in a very small wood just off the track - evidently searching for something, whilst my mum, left ON the track, had to respond to his "Afternoon!...Looking for Fungi?"...to which she replied "It's that time of year for it isn't it!" <grin> which I thought was rather clever... still not sure if he knew!!Ah the mystery!

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I've met 3 geocachers in the field, not counting the cache owners who placed caches in their yards... Most times I run across suspicious muggles who end up getting scared when I grin at them and ask, "Did you find it?" So the number of odd muggles far outway the informed cachers.

The one time I knew for sure it was a cacher was when I saw a woman in business clothes on a busy street, sticking her head in the bushes and lifting up light pole skirts. Sure enough, cacher. I know tumblr code is "Nice shoelaces" (to which you reply "I stole them from the president."). Maybe we could do something similar? :anibad:

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I guess people snooping around bushes are cachers. When I pull up near a cache and see someone in the area. I simply hold my GPS in my hand as I walk over and if they're geocachers, they'll usually take notice and if not, they'll think nothing of it.

 

Today, I parked my car in an area overlooking a highway off ramp and got out. I walked three steps before I heard a man yelling from the off ramp "CORDS ARE SLIGHTLY OFF, HEAD OVER TO THAT BIRCH TREE" and then he drove off. It was fun.

 

Another time I was at a bus stop and I know of a cache that a local indie newspaper allowed to be placed in their paper box. I saw a woman look in it, walk around it, and then peer near the sides. I walked over and said "I know what you're doing." in an accusing voice. Her reaction was hilarious and then I helped her find it and we talked for a bit after.

 

Ya know. It's easy to tell once you're part of the game.

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I'm new to this hobby/craft/art/science. Today, while out and about, a person asked if I was looking for marijuana; another person known to me, told me I was "crazy... needing psych counseling" and she offered to contact my spouse! I lurked for about one hour seeking and not finding and felt like I was noticeable and perhaps leaving impressions as being an incompetent person in need of mental health care or a person seeking street drugs.

I think the idea of a "cache sign" would have been helpful in my novice case! Is there a respectable time frame for searching a location? :rolleyes:

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Since most of my caching is done at night, I have taken to making a caching binder and on it I have the following:

 

"The owner of this vehicle is geocaching. Please call (phone number) to contact."

 

I have done this and will display it when I am parked in a legal but questionable location, like on the side of a country road, or if I am away from my vehicle and can't see it. I started doing this after my first encounter with a local cop while I was caching one evening after work. After I explained to him what I was doing and why, he asked a few more questions about geocaching, I gave him a flyer I had on me, and he went on his way. I have had no further problems, though I have gotten the occasional call asking about geocaching.

 

Other than that, there is no real way to tell me apart from the rest of the muggles since the GPSr I use is my smartphone and I look like your average person staring at and fixated to their phone. Well except that I am circling around an area like a bird at mating season.

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What do you tell people when they call? Are they calling out of interest, or just curiosity as to why it's posted on your car?

 

It ends up being a lil of everything.... some are interested, some curiosity as to why its posted on my car and on occasion, I get a cop asking about my car being parked where it is and asking about geocaching in general. I have offered to take some folks that seem like it may be something they would like to try but dont want to sign up for an account and/or buy a GPSr. To date I have no one take me up on the offer. In showing someone new geocaching in practice, I would take them to caches I have already found and let them try and find it using my phone, apps, and account.

 

I am in process of getting a trackable sticker to tattoo on my vehicle... so that will add to the fun and questions. Though dont get me wrong, I dont get a ton of calls, but every once in a while the phone will ring while I am on the hunt.

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I have also been left notes on the windshield that I thought were a ticket from the cop, but in fact just a note from either a local cop advising me to find a better parking spot when possible and that he has heard of geocaching before, took my number and may call me to talk to me about it, OR from muggles saying they stopped to see if the vehicle or occupant(s) were in need of help and they learned of something new to look into.

 

Sometimes I am forced to park in areas that may look legal but may not be. If a cop wants to ticket me that's fine, I will fight it like I do all tickets. I have a pretty good track record of winning them. I have yet to pay full price on the ticket received, most have been dismissed. I need to find a temp way to attach a container of some sort to my van with geocaching flyers inside for people to take when the stop to investigate my vehicle while I am away from it caching. Need to do the same thing for flyers from my company I just started too.

 

I firmly believe that stealth while a good concept, will only draw negative attention from muggles. I toss stealth to the wind when I can, and will in stead educate when asked. If more people know about geocaching, the more likely they are to not pay attention and keep our containers in tact. It is the uninformed and curious muggle that posses the greatest danger to compromising a cache container. Just my opinion.

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We spotted a family in a spot we had been 20 mins earlier taking a picture of a cache as we drove past. We kind of wanted to stop and say 'good wasn't it, its getting a favourite point' but didn't....

I think we are going to put a little geocaching symbol on the windows of our car so that if we are parked up and someone else comes along they will know others are around etc.

Its strange how I am constantly looking around now trying to spot someone when I pass a hiding place!

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