Cacher wants a trackable back

[Ageleni]

What would you do?  On Saturday someone dropped a trackable into a cache.  On Sunday I took it and logged it.  This morning she wrote to me and asked to have it back.  It originated in Florida, and she is going to Florida this week and "was asked to bring it to Florida where it began."

Here is the TB in question: https://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=TB7D92D

 

My inclination is to say no, mainly because I like the organic process of moving trackables.  I like them to go where they land, to give an accurate look at their travels.  And there is nothing on the page that indicates that it should return to Florida.  I'd like to put it in the next large cache I find, and let it continue on its journey.  HOWEVER, if some folks here make some interesting arguments as to why I should give it back, I am certainly open to discussion.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, Ageleni said:

My inclination is to say no, mainly because I like the organic process of moving trackables.  I like them to go where they land, to give an accurate look at their travels.

Just to play devil's advocate: Imagine that I stand up at an event and announce, "Is anyone going to Florida, because I've got a trackable that wants to go to Florida?"

 

Have I interfered with the "organic process" of moving trackables?

 

What if I just leave the trackable on the table next to the event log, with a note saying that it wants to go to Florida?

[Ageleni]

3 minutes ago, niraD said:

Just to play devil's advocate: Imagine that I stand up at an event and announce, "Is anyone going to Florida, because I've got a trackable that wants to go to Florida?"

 

Have I interfered with the "organic process" of moving trackables?

 

What if I just leave the trackable on the table next to the event log, with a note saying that it wants to go to Florida?

Interesting question.  My kids and I plan to take a road trip from Illinois to Oregon over the summer, and we plan to get as many TBs as we can, so we can move them farther than a single state.  So I can see the intent there.  And I have certainly held on to some TBs when they "want to go west" or whatever, and I know I will be going west soon, rather than just deposit them in another local cache.  But in these cases, it is a matter of honestly finding the TB and moving it, whereas this is the case of someone who dropped it off and now wants to change the dropoff location after someone else found it, and thus is wanting to interfere with the natural travel process.

[+msrubble]

Have you asked the owner?

 

If the owner really did ask the previous cacher to bring it home, I would recommend trying to leave it in a nearby cache. If you're being asked to travel hours out of your way, on short notice, that's another story.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 minute ago, msrubble said:

Have you asked the owner?

 

If the owner really did ask the previous cacher to bring it home, I would recommend trying to leave it in a nearby cache. If you're being asked to travel hours out of your way, on short notice, that's another story.

I agree. If the owner wants the TB to return to Florida (that goal should be written on the cache page) and the other geocacher is willing to take it there let them have it.  (With some consideration of that geocacher's likely ability to do that naturally). That's what I would do. If it's too inconvenient to get it to the other person leave it in a cache with a note saying the TB wants to go to Florida and let the other cacher know where it is and they can pick it up from there. But check if this is the written goal on the cache page, otherwise leave it up to the CO owner to contact you, as they would now know you have it as you have logged it (I hope).

I like to fulfil the written goal of a TB and have passed some TBs onto other people who are travelling to the TB's stated goal. I even got one TB to the Antarctica by passing it to someone travelling there and fulfilling that TBs goal. I have managed to fulfil other TB's goals myself, such as getting a TB from the UK to Australia and then to the actual suburb they wanted it dropped off in.

[+CAVinoGal]

3 hours ago, Ageleni said:

What would you do?  On Saturday someone dropped a trackable into a cache.  On Sunday I took it and logged it.  This morning she wrote to me and asked to have it back.  It originated in Florida, and she is going to Florida this week and "was asked to bring it to Florida where it began."

 

2 hours ago, msrubble said:

Have you asked the owner?

 

If the owner really did ask the previous cacher to bring it home, I would recommend trying to leave it in a nearby cache. If you're being asked to travel hours out of your way, on short notice, that's another story.

 

Perhaps the TO contacted the previous cacher and DID ask them to bring it back to Florida.  But they had just dropped it off, and before they could get back to retrieve it, you had picked it up.  So you were contacted by the cacher to get it back.

 

I wouldn't flat out say no to this request.  I would try to get it back to the cacher who dropped it off if it isn't too much trouble - or drop it in a cache that's a midway point and the other cacher can pick it up (since they are the one wanting it back in their possession).  And if it doesn't work out, put it in a cache and let what happens, happen, like with all the other trackables that are moved!

Edited January 28, 2020 by CAVinoGal
Spelling corrections

[+Viajero Perdido]

2 hours ago, Ageleni said:

This morning she wrote to me and asked to have it back

 

This is why I now consider trackables radioactive.

 

Good luck with that side game; I now steer clear of it.  (With one notable exception, a Grade 5 class whose trackables I'm glad to help out for education purposes.)  The ecosystem changed, and well, it's broken. 

[+kunarion]

2 hours ago, Ageleni said:

I'd like to put it in the next large cache I find, and let it continue on its journey. 

The item’s goal is “To travel the world”.  You can promptly place it somewhere safe and cool, with a story and photo (never publish the Tracking Code), and you’re good. 

[+Max and 99]

I would return the trackable, if it wasn't too much trouble.

[Keystone]

I moved this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum.

[+Goldenwattle]

I hadn't checked the TB's page to now. As kunarion mentioned, the Current Goal is "To Travel the World". If the CO wants it returned they should have changed that, or at the least contact you. Then you should assist where possible. As it appears to stand at present, it's up to you how you respond to the request from the other cacher, but they are not the owner and there is no proof the CO wants the cache returned to Florida. Without this proof, I would be tempted not to return it to the previous cacher and tell them to get the owner to contact you directly with the request.

[+cerberus1]

3 hours ago, Ageleni said:

What would you do?  On Saturday someone dropped a trackable into a cache.  On Sunday I took it and logged it.  This morning she wrote to me and asked to have it back.  It originated in Florida, and she is going to Florida this week and "was asked to bring it to Florida where it began."
Here is the TB in question: https://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=TB7D92D

My inclination is to say no, mainly because I like the organic process of moving trackables.  I like them to go where they land, to give an accurate look at their travels.  And there is nothing on the page that indicates that it should return to Florida.  I'd like to put it in the next large cache I find, and let it continue on its journey.  HOWEVER, if some folks here make some interesting arguments as to why I should give it back, I am certainly open to discussion.

 

There's no mention of it finally returning to the owner, or even brought back to a Florida cache anywhere on the trackable's page.

Similar to Viajero Perdido, sometimes there's an odd bird or two in that side-hobby.   

Who asked them to bring it ?   Why didn't the TO email you ?   "To travel the world" doesn't sound like anything this person's telling you...

 

Every once in a while we meet someone who feels they know what's best for other people's property.

Not knowing what I'm dealing with, I probably wouldn't respond at all.  

 

[+speakers-corner]

Where is the Problem. I have picked up and returned at least 5 TB's that owners wanted to have back. Once I travelled 10000 miles to return one (we were going to LA to visit our daughter). We took photos at an Event where he then asked me to take it back to Europe so that he had an excuse to go there for a Giga-Event. Which I did. It is a game. If you can help someone, help them. Dont put obstacles in the way.

As suggested, contact the owner and ask them if you are unsure about the Mission.

Edited January 28, 2020 by speakers-corner

[+thebruce0]

Contac the TB owner and find out what they want. That's the easiest and quickest way for a definitive answer. And if they say they don't care, then use your judgment as whether to keep it to travel organically in your possession and risk stirring the pot by saying no to this cacher, or just give it to them (or for kicks, place it in a TB hotel they'd have to go and pick it up from, if they're fast enough) and avoid the drama.

[+lee737]

Ask her to mail you a stamped envelope so you can mail it back.....

[+hzoi]

I don't really have an overall philosophy about trackables.  They're just neat things in caches.  I suppose my only overarching goals are not losing any while I have 'em and not keep 'em for too long.

 

Here, I wouldn't just keep it on principle.  But I also wouldn't go out of my way.  I'd maybe drop it in one of my own caches that's on my way to work and let them know it's in there, or otherwise meet up in a way that was convenient to me.

[+HunterandSamuel]

On 1/27/2020 at 8:12 PM, Ageleni said:

What would you do?  On Saturday someone dropped a trackable into a cache.  On Sunday I took it and logged it.  This morning she wrote to me and asked to have it back.  It originated in Florida, and she is going to Florida this week and "was asked to bring it to Florida where it began."

What did you decide to do? I would drop it back into the same cache that she dropped it in and let her know it's there. 

[Ageleni]

I ended up writing to both of them--asking the owner if they intended it to go back to Florida now, and asking the last holder if the owner had told her to bring it to Florida.  I noticed that the previous holder didn't actually find it herself; it was given to her by someone else, and then she's been dipping it for a while.  She got it from someone who also has been dipping it for months.  I get the impression that the two people are related somehow (their paths keep intertwining and they both have "Bear" in their names.)  Looks like the two "Bears" prefer to hold onto it while they travel instead of dropping it and letting other people move it.  So my inclination now is to keep it and move it along the way a trackable is supposed to be moved.  (Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated when people hold onto TBs for months and just log "visits" instead of putting them physically back into the game for others to find.)  But I will wait to hear back from the owner and the last holder to get more info.

[+Goldenwattle]

2 hours ago, Ageleni said:

(Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated when people hold onto TBs for months and just log "visits" instead of putting them physically back into the game for others to find.)

I like that when the person is actually travelling and visiting new places and especially when they add photographs. I tend to do that with TBs if I am going travelling and never had a complaint. In fact I have had a number of thank you-s for doing this and that they have enjoyed following the journey and seeing the photographs. The biggest thank you I got after holding a TB for several months and meeting the CO (which I hadn't expected to do when I began travelling with the TB), was a big hug, afternoon tea and an offer of accommodation. I have only had one message asking, "when are you moving on the TB" when I had only had this TB for about a WHOLE FOUR DAYS. After I showed them an example of the photographs they would now not get, then wanted me to hold onto the TB longer, but by then I was too annoyed at this TB owner that I dumped the TB in the next cache that I could. It was picked up but then never heard of again. So rude of this person, I can't say I was sorry.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Goldenwattle

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, Ageleni said:

(Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated when people hold onto TBs for months and just log "visits" instead of putting them physically back into the game for others to find.)  

 

Agreed.  My biggest issue with "Visits" is whether it's even still there. 

Some of these "Visitors" are supposedly holding another person's property for months or years on end.

 - Yet without pictures of it somewhere, it could have been lost the second day they had it...

[Ageleni]

Just heard back from the last holder.  Apparently her friend had been traveling with it and dipping the whole time, and the FRIEND asked her to take it back to Florida because the FRIEND thought it should go back since it had logged so many miles.  The TB owner apparently had no say in it.  This sort of causes me to lean toward, "You both have had it for months; time to move it on like the TB owner wished."

[+Max and 99]

20 minutes ago, Ageleni said:

Just heard back from the last holder.  Apparently her friend had been traveling with it and dipping the whole time, and the FRIEND asked her to take it back to Florida because the FRIEND thought it should go back since it had logged so many miles.  The TB owner apparently had no say in it.  This sort of causes me to lean toward, "You both have had it for months; time to move it on like the TB owner wished."

Oh wow! I didn't see that coming. Thanks for the update. 

[+kunarion]

On ‎1‎/‎28‎/‎2020 at 12:29 AM, speakers-corner said:

Where is the Problem.

 

There is the problem.  --> https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/354997-cacher-wants-a-trackable-back/&do=findComment&comment=5814966