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I though I was going to be arrested (kinda long)


OblongFred

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Last Wednesday night when I went to Caching Toddler, Hidden Tupperware on Dec. 11th, I though I was going to be arrested. Thankfully the Cleveland Hts. Police department is very understanding.

 

If you never have been there before, where the cache site is, you can see a bridge and of course they can see you. I'm walking around with a large freezer bag with the travel bug I was going to drop off. I looked up once and see a lady there with her dog on her cell phone. I didn't think about at all and went back to caching and finished my buisness. I get back to my truck and see two police cars parked there and they started to ask me if I was in the woods with a plastic bag. I told them yes and before I can explain, I was handcuffed and in the back of one of the squad cars. By now I telling them about Geocaching, and there was a cache there. They didn't really beleive me. I offered to take them back to site and show them everything. Finally they agreeded. So we walk back and I point with my foot where it is. One of the Officers told me to get it out. I turned around and told him I can't due to the handcuffs. He asked me if I was going to run and I said no. They took off the handcuffs, I dig out the cache, and show them what was inside. After about another five minutes of explaining they let me go.

 

I hold no grudge toward them. They were only doing their job. In fact, I am kinda happy they did that. Who knows, maybe next time they will catch someone doing wrong. Oh well, life goes on.

 

Never hold a cat and a Dustbuster at the same time.

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Did they tell you why they were handcuffing you? Is it illegal to walk through a park with a plastic bag? Sometimes the police can have what I call "duh moments". I was watching COPS the other night and they kept yelling at this guy to stand up. Unfortunately, the guy was hog tied.....hands and feet were handcuffed behind his back. icon_confused.gif

 

worried.gif Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.

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quote:
Originally posted by Greenback:

Wow, I'm glad my recent run-in with the Westmont Illinois police didn't go that far. All I did was pull into a parking lot for five minutes, then pull out and leave, they felt it appropriate to pull me over for that. What would they have done if I had gotten out of the car with a plastic bag.


Where was the parking lot? And did they tell you why they stopped you?

 

migo_sig_logo.jpg

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I don't think the police are willing to take any chances of personal injury to themselves, which is why they resort to handcuffing everyone (Kind of a control thing). icon_eek.gif

 

I still think they should have questioned you first before the "Cuff & Stuff", but I have no idea what kind of area the park is in. icon_confused.gif

 

It's always the few (criminals) that make it harder for the many (Us), and you can't get them back for it. icon_mad.gif

 

I'm not Lost, my GPS says I'm right here....no here......no here.

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quote:
Originally posted by Geo-Johnson's:

Holy cow!

Did they tell you why they were handcuffing you?


No kiding! I mean i can understand stopping and questioning you, but just cuffing and throwing you in the car to start seems a bit much to me.

________

officer1:"Were you just out in XX park with a ziplock?"

geocacher:"yes sir, i was geo-"

officer1:Snap Snap"come with us."

geocacher:"but i..."

officer2:"Save it buddy, we'll discuss this at the station."

geocacher:"But officer...

__________

 

Wonder what would have happened if you'd been wondering around with a Container, not just a bag icon_biggrin.gif

 

waypoint_link.gif22008_1700.gif37_gp_logo88x31.jpg

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quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by Greenback:

Wow, I'm glad my recent run-in with the Westmont Illinois police didn't go that far. All I did was pull into a parking lot for five minutes, then pull out and leave, they felt it appropriate to pull me over for that. What would they have done if I had gotten out of the car with a plastic bag.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Where was the parking lot? And did they tell you why they stopped you?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is usually more to the story isn't there? Actually it was a strip of offices in a very heavily traveled area, though it was 8pm. The business next door was open. The police said they were patrolling the area as there had been a number of break-ins. I don't have any complaint, I'm just glad I never got out of the car as I'm sure they would have swarmed in. The cache was actually archived with zero finds and I tend to stay away from urban caches, now more than ever.

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My first reaction to Fred's story is YIKES!!!!!! but then I had two further reactions.

 

First, Caching Toddler, Hidden Tupperware is in a neighborhood that would be best described as abso-freakin-lutely astonomically wealthy. The place is full of turn-of-the-century mansions. Cheap places can be had for about $750K. There are several $1,500K+++ homes within a 1/2 mile of the cache. Any car less than a BMW looks out of place. Besides, the cops are bored. They spend all day chasing embezellers and crooked stock brokers. Busting a regular hoodlum is a nice break.

 

Second, I've met Fred at one of the local events. I would have arrested him as well. He looks like a criminal from a mile away. icon_wink.gificon_wink.gificon_wink.gif

 

Now where did I park my car??????? monkes.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Runaround:

My first reaction to Fred's story is YIKES!!!!!! but then I had two further reactions.

 

...

 

Second, I've met Fred at one of the local events. I would have arrested him as well. He looks like a criminal from a mile away. icon_wink.gificon_wink.gificon_wink.gif

 


 

I knew I should have shaved (I was on vacation for a couple of days). icon_biggrin.gif

 

Yeah they were real nice. Lucky I didn't take the Wife. She would have freaked out.

 

Never hold a cat and a Dustbuster at the same time.

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quote:
Originally posted by Markwell:

 

Did they at least apologize for handcuffing you, etc.?

 


 

Of course they did. They kept telling me it was for their safety, though. Who knows, maybe the next person they don't cuff and doing somthing similar might have a gun and doesn't like the police.

 

Never hold a cat and a Dustbuster at the same time.

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quote:
Originally posted by OblongFred:

They kept telling me it was for their safety, though. Who knows, maybe the next person they don't cuff and doing somthing similar might have a gun and doesn't like the police.


That's got to be the key. I think we're all having a hard time figuring out exactly what the police perceived you to be doing that suggested to them that you might be a threat.

 

migo_sig_logo.jpg

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Having had an unsuccessful search for the cache in question, I feel I can add a bit more. While the neighbourhood is high $$$, it is still an Urban cache.

 

One of the main reasons I called off my search the time I was there was because someone who most distinctly did not seem like a geocacher started randomly searching through the area as well. I may be offbase, but the thoughts going through my head were that he was searching for some secret drug stash tucked away in the same area icon_redface.gif

 

So, it doesn't surprise me that the cops there might err to the side of overkill, since I know I was concerned about the cops stopping me when I was there, and I know I look even shadier than OblongFred...

 

Hey, that could be a new discovery (aka locationless, I hate that term) cache -- Post Your MugShot. icon_biggrin.gif

 

Glad to hear that the Oblong didn't end up in the pokey, though...

 

Cache well, and see ya round the bend...

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I had a similar encounter with Law Enforcement and geocaching but it wasn't on the way to a geocache.

 

I was coming through Canada on my way to Syracuse, NY. When I arrived at the U.S. Customs in Buffalo, NY I was asked to follow a customs officer.

 

The guy guided me up to this 'garage'. When the door went up, it turned out to be a little room, just big enough for a car, with another door (closed) on the other side. I'm told to drive my car in. Then I'm told to leave my ID card on my seat and was escorted into this little detainment room.

 

About a half hour (or so it seemed) passed and after hearing a lot of banging and scuffling, a customs officer (U.S.) comes in holding my cache bag. Crap. That does look suspicious.

 

Contents of cache bag:

-100 military patches for trade items

-GPS Unit

-FRS Radios

-Digital Camera

-Pocket PC

-My Trash Out Canisters (about 100 little 35mm canisters stuffed with trash bags)

 

Ho boy. "What is this?" "Are you in the military?" "What are these patches for?" were just a /few/ of the many questions they had for me icon_smile.gif Looking back, I had what seemed to be the dream spy backpack. Anyway, after about an hour of detainment and a full 30 minute dissertation on Geocaching, we were allowed to go on our way.

 

I was about wetting myself though, I have to say. I already have a near-phobia of law enforcement (for no particular reason... that's why I call it a phobia) and then to be detained like that at Customs nearly put me into the fetal position icon_smile.gif

 

Anyway, just beware icon_smile.gif You may not /think/ you look suspicious. But you do. Even if you're not on the hunt.

 

--------

trippy1976 - Team KKF2A

Saving geocaches - one golf ball at a time.

migo_sig_logo.jpg

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I've had the police called on me twice. Once in Illinois and once in my hometown in Indiaina. Both caches were in high visibility areas where walking around in circles would be deemed as very unusual behavior. A lady walking a dog called the cops on me as well.

 

For me it just added to the fun. It's not like I'm REALLY committing a crime, carrying drugs, or have a warrant out on my head.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

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quote:

For me it just added to the fun. It's not like I'm REALLY committing a crime, carrying drugs, or have a warrant out on my head.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

 

MENTAL NOTE: Change contents of my geocachig bag.

 

----------

 

A man said to the Universe:

"Sir, I exist!"

"However," replied the Universe,

"The fact has not created in me

a sense of obligation." -- Stephen Crane

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