travel bugs in owner's hands

[+smots]

Hi, in the last few days we have come across a few TBs that we wanted to discover, only to find that they weren't listed as being in the cache's inventory, but in the owner's hands instead. Today, we found one like this and decided in order to list it as being in the cache we would grab it, and then drop it in the cache. This seemed to work okay, but only a couple of hours later the cache was back to being listed as in the owner's hands.

So for some other caches I checked the TBs that had been there, and found that a huge number of those seem to be constantly in the owner's hands.

 

What is going on? Is this a  software bug? or a 'thing' that people do these days??

 

Thank you!

[+lee737]

Sounds more like an owner who doesn't know how TBs work.....

[+StefandD]

Some trackables are meant to be discovered only. Usually, there are multiple copies in various caches and should not be grabbed.

If so, the TB's home page might give more information.

[+Goldenwattle]

16 minutes ago, StefandD said:

Some trackables are meant to be discovered only. Usually, there are multiple copies in various caches and should not be grabbed.

If so, the TB's home page might give more information.

I have found this only once. Annoying. I dumped the TB in the next cache that I could. If I had known this I wouldn't have picked it up, or discovered it, but ignored it. There was no way to know this until I took it home and logged onto the computer.

 

Similar was with a game piece which was a TB which wasn't supposed to move, but I only discovered this after I grabbed it and later logged onto my computer. They are nuisances.

[+lee737]

2 hours ago, StefandD said:

Some trackables are meant to be discovered only. Usually, there are multiple copies in various caches and should not be grabbed.

If so, the TB's home page might give more information.

 

If it is not physically connected to the cache, and has a trackable tag, then you should expect someone to move it on.... 

 

 

[+kunarion]

15 hours ago, smots said:

Hi, in the last few days we have come across a few TBs that we wanted to discover, only to find that they weren't listed as being in the cache's inventory, but in the owner's hands instead. Today, we found one like this and decided in order to list it as being in the cache we would grab it, and then drop it in the cache. This seemed to work okay, but only a couple of hours later the cache was back to being listed as in the owner's hands.

So for some other caches I checked the TBs that had been there, and found that a huge number of those seem to be constantly in the owner's hands.

 

What is going on? Is this a  software bug? or a 'thing' that people do these days??

 

Thank you!

 

Did you find the actual tag and include photos and other information that shows what and where the item physically is?  Is there a clue on the TB page that might explain what's happening?

 

Some people place more than one item with identical tracking numbers, then are suprised to see log issues.

 

[+cerberus1]

17 hours ago, smots said:

Hi, in the last few days we have come across a few TBs that we wanted to discover, only to find that they weren't listed as being in the cache's inventory, but in the owner's hands instead. Today, we found one like this and decided in order to list it as being in the cache we would grab it, and then drop it in the cache. This seemed to work okay, but only a couple of hours later the cache was back to being listed as in the owner's hands.

So for some other caches I checked the TBs that had been there, and found that a huge number of those seem to be constantly in the owner's hands.

 

What is going on? Is this a  software bug? or a 'thing' that people do these days??

 

I couldn't find any like you describe.  Could you provide a Reference Number ?  Thanks. 

 

Sometimes a TO has numerous copies of the same trackable out, all using the same Tracking Code.

[+Max and 99]

I'm going to piggyback on this thread for something I saw for the very first time this past week: a piece of scratch paper in a cache, with the TB code and written words: 

This is a TB . Please log it and move it along. 

 

That's the first time I've seen a scratch paper TB!

[+smots]

5 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

 

I couldn't find any like you describe.  Could you provide a Reference Number ?  Thanks. 

 

Sometimes a TO has numerous copies of the same trackable out, all using the same Tracking Code.

 

If you look at past trackables in GC5YFH8 you can see quite a lot of TBs that seem to be travelling with their owners. Not sure what the point is, as I doubt they are carrying all these things around? I know somebody who has a TB on his car and you can discover it and he keeps visiting caches with it, which does make sense.

Still, the ones that we found where definitely in the cache and not in the hands of any owner. 

Weirdly, the TB we grabbed and dropped (I didn't keep any reference for the other bugs) now shows as being with somebody else, and apparently it was in location overnight - rather than returning to its owner within a couple of hours. 

 

[+cerberus1]

18 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I'm going to piggyback on this thread for something I saw for the very first time this past week: a piece of scratch paper in a cache, with the TB code and written words: 

This is a TB . Please log it and move it along. 

 

That's the first time I've seen a scratch paper TB!

The other 2/3rds once found a "police officer" rubber duck, like all the other made-on-the-cheap rubber ducks we find in caches.

 - She thought it'd be cute for one of the control rooms I'd visit on a typical day.

Turned out it had a Trackable Code in sharpie on the bottom.  No other mention saying it was a trackable, and wasn't a duck originally. 

Could have just as easily ended up with a kid as swag, for bath time.  

[+cerberus1]

18 hours ago, smots said:

If you look at past trackables in GC5YFH8 you can see quite a lot of TBs that seem to be travelling with their owners. Not sure what the point is, as I doubt they are carrying all these things around?

I know somebody who has a TB on his car and you can discover it and he keeps visiting caches with it, which does make sense.

Still, the ones that we found where definitely in the cache and not in the hands of any owner. 

Weirdly, the TB we grabbed and dropped (I didn't keep any reference for the other bugs) now shows as being with somebody else, and apparently it was in location overnight - rather than returning to its owner within a couple of hours. 

 

We've yet to see anyone with many trackables carried cache-to-cache.  Lucky if ones we see are even taking water.   

Most we know who send out multiples have geocoins, and the "additions" are everything from laminated paper to poker chips.

 - We realize the cost is a reason to hold on to the coins, but it used to be a no-no to send out multiples.  It confuses people.

[+lee737]

22 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I'm going to piggyback on this thread for something I saw for the very first time this past week: a piece of scratch paper in a cache, with the TB code and written words: 

This is a TB . Please log it and move it along. 

 

That's the first time I've seen a scratch paper TB!

 

That one will last ages...... 

[+colleda]

On 11/3/2019 at 4:33 AM, cerberus1 said:

 

We've yet to see anyone with many trackables carried cache-to-cache.  Lucky if ones we see are even taking water.   

Most we know who send out multiples have geocoins, and the "additions" are everything from laminated paper to poker chips.

 - We realize the cost is a reason to hold on to the coins, but it used to be a no-no to send out multiples.  It confuses people.

I found a cache today and forgot to take TBs with me so no visit for them. Apologies to the  TOs. I'll try to remember them tomorrow when I go out. I may revisit the cache I found as it's not far from my hotel (and take some pics).