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DISSED by Mr. Wiggles! (long)


Guest guerroloco

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Guest guerroloco

Someone from KC calling himself "Mr. Wiggles" logged two of my caches in Boone County last weekend. Evidently he disliked my placements so much that he cut short his Columbia trip rather than look for 2 more of my caches in the area.

 

The ones he logged are:

 

Turkey Creek: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=596

 

Rock Bridge: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=1337

 

I have to admit to a bit of wounded pride here. Turkey Creek was my first cache and I thought the placement was fine -- difficult enough to keep it from being found by accident, and located where there could be an easy approach if desired. Also, the description clearly states that the cache is located "near the top of a steep slope." Mr. Wiggles wrote that "the added effort of the cache being so high up the slope gave nothing to the scenic value of finding this cache, it just made the difficulty rating higher." I don't understand this response. Must all caches be placed where there is a nice view? Geocaching allows us to share our knowledge of scenic, unique or interesting locales -- are we also responsible for telling finders to look around themselves? I put that cache there because I like that area and have spent a lot of time there, hiking, bike riding, wading in the creek, looking for fossils, etc. There isn't all that much "scenic value" there, in the sense of having a nice view laid out in front of you like some postcard, but there is other value that Mr. Wiggles chose to ignore.

 

Regarding the Rock Bridge cache, Mr. Wiggles wonders whether I was an idiot for placing a cache in 6 foot tall, tick infested grass. When I placed the cache, the grass was only a few inches high and the ticks were south (or wherever they go) for the winter. Again, the cache description clearly states: "If you visit this cache in the summer, you'll want to take precautions against ticks." Also, many of the logs mentioned the ticks. Mr. Wiggles complained: "why take a scenic area that could be a pleasurable experience and force it into being a difficult find?" The Rock Bridge cache is only about 100 feet or so from the trail; it's at or near ground level; there are no trees to block GPS signals; and there is no poison ivy, thorns, briers or other noxious undergrowth. How difficult is it, really? Also, Mr. Wiggles chided me for the lack of "scenic value" of the Turkey Creek cache; but I placed the Rock Bridge cache specifically for the nice view of the rolling prairie on the approach. Instead of enjoying it, however, Mr. Wiggles complained about the tall grass and ticks.

 

Am I an idiot? Should all caches be placed where they can be reached in all seasons with the absolute minimum of discomfort or difficulty? Is Mr. Wiggles out of line, or am I making too much of this?

 

Finally: does anyone know where Mr. Wiggle's own caches are? I'd like to check some of them out, maybe get an idea of what he considers ideal placement.

 

Sorry about the rant, folks, but this business has me really bothered.

 

Glenn Rice,

Columbia, MO

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Guest tedoca

Hi Glenn,

I've had a similar experience just today as well. I placed my first cache over this last weekend http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=6333 and thus far it has been logged twice. The first log was a positive one but the second log was certainly negative.

 

The poster mentions thorns, "swarming clouds of mosquitos", a yellow jacket nest, and broken glass. I live in an urban area and, yes, there is some trash including broken glass near the cache site, but that has also been the case on EVERY cache I have found in this area, it's simply a fact of life. That's why we carry trash bags with us, or so I thought. The poster does not mention whether or not he collected any of the trash but in my opinion a few geocachers moving through the area could have the place cleaned up in no time.

 

As far as the mosquitos, thorns, and yellow jackets are concerned, isn't that the sort of thing one would expect to encounter in the woods? The poster mentions how lucky it was that he was not stung for he is allergic to bee stings. Well, excuse me but, perhaps he should not be out traipsing through the woods at all with a condition like that? Also I don't see how a person placing a cache can possibly predict the activity cycles of native insects on any given day or time.

 

Interestingly enough, in your case as well as in mine, I did a search of the forums for the poster's user name and found not one listing which got me to thinking... see my post at http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000853.html .

 

I agree with you. I've found some caches that, in my opinion, were less than perfect but rather than publicly berate someone for what you believe to be a lack of planning or thoughtfulness on the part of the placer why not just post a short log and PRIVATELY choose not to seek that persons cache's again?

 

Also, while I'm not suggesting that participation in the forums should be a requirement for participation in geocaching, it seems to me that this is the medium to discuss situations like this and it can be done by referring to your experiences anomynously or hypothetically rather than directly criticizing an individual.

 

Finding a good location to place a cache is dificult and I guess we just need to remind ourselves that we can never please everyone.

 

Just my two cents.

Thanks

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Guest turken

I personally wouldn't take Mr. Wiggles' comments very seriously. As anything like geocaching gains popularity, there will be a few jerks that hop on for awhile, but eventually they'll get bored and find some other person/thing to gripe about. It's a lot like how I got some pretty strange complaints and threats over my first ever webpage years ago. I just shrugged it off and let it slide. 99% of the people who went to the site thought it was hilarious.

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Guest ACotttingham

Speaking from personal experience at the Rock Bridge cache, I thought it was a great location! When I saw Rock Bridge, I thought it would be over by Devil's Ice Box and was surprised that there was a park on the other side of the road. The rolling hills did offer a great view of the countryside.

 

Two thoughts on Mr. Wiggles--unless you're geo-caching on asphalt, you're going to come across ticks during the summer in Missouri, duh!--part of geo-caching is about the adventure, going through tall grass is just part of the hunt!

 

Don't let him discourage you! We visit Columbia often and need more caches to hunt!

 

Good luck!

 

 

[This message has been edited by ACotttingham (edited 27 August 2001).]

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Guest guerroloco

I just checked the UBB FAQ. It says that if you start a new thread/topic, then delete your post, that the entire topic gets deleted, including all replies. So maybe it wasn't Jeremy at all -- maybe Wiggles deleted his original post himself. Still an odd response.

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Guest coralgeo

I saw Mr. Wiggles ranting post to the forum earlier and pretty much dismissed him as one of those people who can't be happy unless they're complaining about something. I now notice that he has posted a sort-of apology to the Rock Bridge online log. Perhaps he saw the error of his ways and deleted the forum thread himself. He is most likely a newbie, and they are allowed to make a couple of mistakes (I shudder to think of my many faux pax when starting out). While I understand your disappointment and frustration at being dissed publically Glen, I say be the better person and don't let this discourage you. Just cache on!

 

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http://www.geocities.com/scubasue1/geocaching

Into a melody of deep blue; shells drifting downward to sink and settle on the seafloor. An earth song of creation kneads them into stone, draws aside the waves and lifts them into mountains.

-Nancy Penrose

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Guest Todd Svec

Tracy and I have pretty much determined that ticks SUCK during any time but the winter. Is that your fault? Nope! As an avid cache placer, I would probably just ignore his comments and if I've had enough beer, just delete the log. That?s just me though, and I can be an ***.

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Guest joshgray

i've been wondering, when exactly do you the ticks start to disappear.. only after a frost or two or sometime in the fall? they kinda scared me out of rock bridge the one time i was looking for the cache hehe..

 

 

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JoshGray

eTrex Basic http://joshgray.myip.org

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Guest Sarah James

Well I'm an advid reader of this forum and have been sitting on the sidelines. I read the thread started by MR. Wiggles, and was then deleted and now this one.

BOYS Grow up...here in Arizona we call this a PISSING MATCH. I looked at the logs...and have this to say.

MR. Wiggles not every cache is going to be to your liking, so just log it and go on..if it's indeed bad enough there will be a lot of other to say so.

And guerroloco, if you place a cache there will always be someone who doesn't agrre with it...let them log and go on.

I'm surprised the moderators have allowed this public bickering to go on. It doe nothing to further the cause of geocaching.

So guerroloco, maybe you would consider ending this now and deleting your thread? Or maybe Jeramy would do so. I looked in the agreement we all chose to abide by and it clearly state no deragatory statements.

MR. Wiggles said something, then geurroloco,then MR. Wiggles, etc. It wont end unless someone takes the step not to continue. Both of you should be ashamed, my 8 year old son would be sent to a corner until he got over himself.

Enuff said....

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Guest Sarah James

One last word, I looked at the logs in question. and I'm NOT defending anyone here. But until this thread no user name or name of a chache was ever mentioned. So close down the Bashing BOYS....

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Guest Steve McGinnis

Is everyone finished putting in there two cents. As was said before, some caches you will really like, some you won't. I have placed caches in the winter, and come spring found there to be tall grass and of cours the little critters. Ever heard of "OFF"? Lets quit the flames and just enjoy the sport/hobby.

 

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smcginnis@terraworld.net

home 20:

N 37 50.532

W094 42.371

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Guest Paul Lamble

I really liked that cache. I was amazed that there is tallgrass prairie that far east in Missouri. Of course a person will encounter ticks in a situation like that. You don't wade into such a place if you're not prepared and/or willing to take the consequences.

 

Paul Laamble

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