Innapropriate Items in Cache

[Helweh]

Hi all,

I have been caching for several years now, and thankfully, I have never run into this issue until now. I recently found a cache that had a COMPLETELY inappropriate item in it. We're not talking something questionable that someone new to Geocaching left and honestly didn't know was inappropriate. I opened the cache, dug through it, and found a half-smoked joint inside. Of course I immediately disposed of it, so that kids wouldn't find it, but what do you do in cases like that? If I were a parent and found that with my kids, my immediate reaction might have been "Ok, that's it. No more caching!" which definitely has a detrimental effect on the community. I think caching is a great activity for families, and I wouldn't want anyone to be turned off to it by something like that they found in the cache. I'm just glad I found it first and was able to take care of it. What do you do in those instances? The cache was placed in January by someone fairly new to caching, and I would really like to believe that even though it was someone new, that they wouldn't do something like that. I am inclined to believe it may have been local kids who found the cache by chance and thought it would be funny to leave a "surprise."

[+T.D.M.22]

While Groundspeak can make requests what not to leave in a cache - basically anything harmful, any food/scented items, anything dangerous, they can't force those rules. That is because the caches do belong to us, not them. Also it would require someone to be at every cache 24/7/365. Not going to happen.

 

Also, as you're thinking it was, it may have been someone who just found the cache, and thought it would be funny. In that case, someone who stops (themselves or their kids) geocaching because they found something like that, is either really naive, or just looking for a reason to no say no. There are bad people everywhere, and this really isn't that bad. Sure it's not good, but would your reaction be the same if it was as common as drinking coffee?

 

I guess what I'm saying is theres nothing you can do other than take it out. I doubt even the cops would care. Now if it was bath salts, a gun, meth, it might be worth contacting the police and (requesting) archiving of the cache may be effective.

 

I wouldn't worry about it, you did what you could do.

[+cerberus1]

I woulda flicked it away (I'm not holding on to it) and forget about it.

That was pretty tame compared to what some of us have seen in caches.

[+T.D.M.22]

I woulda flicked it away (I'm not holding on to it) and forget about it.

That was pretty tame compared to what some of us have seen in caches.

 

Come to think of it, I'd rather find a joint than pee. I had someone find that in one of my caches. Promptly archived, and trashed it.

[jholly]

I opened the cache, dug through it, and found a half-smoked joint inside. Of course I immediately disposed of it, so that kids wouldn't find it, but what do you do in cases like that?

Did you trade for the joint? You should always trade even or trade up. Taking the joint without trading is really bad form. I would have swapped it for one of the planned parenthood tracts I carry to trade for the condoms I find.

[+niraD]

The few times I've found something inappropriate in caches, I've traded for it (it's pretty easy to trade up for something that has little or no value), and then disposed of it as I saw fit.

[Helweh]

That's what I pretty much figured. It angered me that someone would leave something like that for kids to find, but I just disposed of it and "traded" it for a toy I left. I guess I'm just looking for confirmation I did the right thing.

[Helweh]

Haha, I get it, maybe I am just naive, but I just don't like finding things I'd be embarrassed to find with kids. I've found questionable items before, but never something like that. I think maybe I just did the best thing...threw it out, put something more kid-friendly in its place and moved on.

[+Tassie_Boy]

Haha, I get it, maybe I am just naive, but I just don't like finding things I'd be embarrassed to find with kids. I've found questionable items before, but never something like that. I think maybe I just did the best thing...threw it out, put something more kid-friendly in its place and moved on.

 

If your kids find it call it a bit of rubbish and toss it when you get home. They don't need to know exactly what it is and it's not something they're likely to play with, just play it down and they're not likely to pay too much interest in it.

[+The VanDucks]

Helweh - You absolutely did the right thing! All cachers should remove anything in a cache container that might be harmful: matches, lighters, pocketknives, bullet casings - we've seen and removed them all over the years. We've also taken out lots of tiny bottles of bubble soap and candy or gum. Nothing that smells like food or can leak liquid in the container should be left in a cache. We also make it a policy to remove rocks, leaves, dirt, used golf balls,and wet stickers. (We hate it when we find such debris in our own caches!)

 

It sounds like a muggle may have left the joint, or someone trying to impress his caching buddies - not impressive at all!

 

Thank you for being a responsible cacher.

Edited April 25, 2015 by The VanDucks

[+kunarion]

What do you do in those instances?

At a somewhat out-of-the-way cache, a couple of months after the had FTF found it, someone left some poop in the ammo box. Then they returned it to the tree (nice touch!) using the rope provided. The 2nd cacher to find that cache was understandably freaked. I asked her to change the text to something more benign (and she agreed), and I archived it with no fanfare. Maybe the perpetrator will think twice next time, since nothing became of that prank. It was merely a way for me to know that's not a good hiding spot. It's a place where sickos go.

 

That cache took weeks of planning and was quite a chore to set up, too.

Edited April 25, 2015 by kunarion

[+TriciaG]

We also make it a policy to remove rocks, leaves, dirt, used golf balls,and wet stickers. (We hate it when we find such debris in our own caches!)

Send the golf balls to me! That's where I get my supply. (I am such a bad golfer, the type of ball I use makes no difference.)

[+wmpastor]

We also make it a policy to remove rocks, leaves, dirt, used golf balls,and wet stickers. (We hate it when we find such debris in our own caches!)

Send the golf balls to me! That's where I get my supply. (I am such a bad golfer, the type of ball I use makes no difference.)

 

I've heard these remarks about golf balls before and I don't get it at all. Most kids *love* finding a golf ball. Now we hear that even some adults like finding them.

[+wmpastor]

To the OP - people remember the inappropriate swag and the stories get passed around. The truth is that a low % of caches have that kind of stuff.

[knowschad]

That's what I pretty much figured. It angered me that someone would leave something like that for kids to find, but I just disposed of it and "traded" it for a toy I left. I guess I'm just looking for confirmation I did the right thing.

 

I'm guessing that kids hid it. Muggle kids.

[+ThePetrifiedWood]

We also make it a policy to remove rocks, leaves, dirt, used golf balls,and wet stickers. (We hate it when we find such debris in our own caches!)

Send the golf balls to me! That's where I get my supply. (I am such a bad golfer, the type of ball I use makes no difference.)

 

I've heard these remarks about golf balls before and I don't get it at all. Most kids *love* finding a golf ball. Now we hear that even some adults like finding them.

 

I think the disdain for golf balls comes about from people finding old ones stained on one side from a few seasons half buried in the dirt, and sun-bleached on the other side that someone obviously found near the cache site and just dropped it in for a trade item, rather than bringing a trade item from home. The likelihood of old dirty golf balls in caches is inversely proportional to the distance from a golf course.

 

There is nothing wrong with a good golf ball in good condition, but it probably isn't cool to use something picked up off the ground on the way to the cache as a trade item, particularly if you would have just left it laying there if you weren't going to make a trade. Same goes for rocks, acorns, pine cones, and anything else lying around the area.

 

Finding a brand new golf ball in a cache miles from the nearest golf course is different than finding an old dirty one in a cache next to a golf course, for example.

[+Blue_Ranger]

In a geocaching Facebook group I'm in, somebody found a substantial stash of weed. What the heck those people were thinking, I couldn't tell you. An awfully expensive joke or trade item, because we're talking at least $20 worth and probably more-- they posted a photo, there was quite a bit there.

[+Trav'lin Two]

"What do you do in those instances?"

 

We take the stance of would we want kids to find it and if we don't, we remove it.

 

Most items are good stuff but we have found broken tv remotes, bottle caps, a crack pipe, condoms, candy, ammunition, bare fish hooks, filthy pictures, and the list goes on.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Trav'lin Two

[knowschad]

Most items are good stuff but we have found broken tv remotes, bottle caps, a crack pipe, condoms, candy, ammunition, bare fish hooks, filthy pictures, and the list goes on.

 

OMG!! Where do you LIVE?!? I've seen candy and bottle caps. Started in 2005.

[+MMaru]

I found a MJ bud in a cache once. When I looked at previous logs, I saw that a somewhat new cacher shortly before I found it had posted a note that made it pretty obvious they were the ones that did it. I sent a polite email pointing them to the guidelines. I removed it from the cache and got rid of it - didn't want anyone else stumbling across it, especially since the cache was behind a restaurant where a family might've easily gone after it together after a nice meal.

[+narcissa]

I don't remember finding weed inside a cache, but I've definitely found it near a cache! We're not the only ones who know where to find the best little hidey-holes in town.

 

At any rate, it's best to just remove that nonsense and move on. If you mention it in a log, it just validates the troll who put it there.

[+HOWsMom]

I just take it out and toss it away.

 

Thankfully most of what we find isn't TOO bad.

 

And I don't think I'd recognize a joint or marijuana bud anyhow !