Someone called the Cops!!

March 9, 2002

Had to share this. This morning I was searchign for a local cache (WATER PIT) and was having some trouble finding it. I expanded my search area from the trail which lead into the area and began poking about the bushes.

About 10 minutes into my search I noticed a woman walking a dog heading down the trail. I tried to act 'normal' but how do you do that when you're just standing about twenty feet off the trail just 'standing around'.

She gave me a weird look and moved on. After waiting a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear and returned to my search. I found the cache and logged it. On my way back to the car I was surpised to see two uniformed police officers heading my way.

Yep! The lady had called the police. They were nice enough. After trying to explain what geocaching was one of the officers smiled and said, "Oh, I've heard of this. It's like a scavenger hunt -- Right?"

I ended up showing them my GPS unit which was still locked in on the cache I just logged and they seemed to find the whole thing fascinating.

Apparently the lady with the dog called in that a 'suspicious looking man' had some sort of device and was 'taking measurements'. I guess I can understand her nervousness.

Anyway, I'm sure others have had similar experiences. It turned out to be an interesting hunt.

Jolly R. Blackburn

Editor/Creator, Knights of the Dinner Table

1k · March 9, 2002

Well I didn't have the cops called ... but when I was doing some maint. on my Hawk 14 cache ... I caught something out of the corner of my eye ... a female walker/jogger was hiding behind a cluster of cedar trees staring at me ... I kind of ignored her ... then about 20 meters away from her. I spun around real quick and said HI! OK that was mean but you should have seen her face .. anyway ... you guessed it ... she spotted me in the bush and did a little sneak up to check out what I was up to. Had a nice talk about Geocaching ... and she was breathing easier as she walked off ... actually said she thought she might try it out that weekend ... Told her I'd watch for her posts ... that's been over a week ... I guess she was just glad to get out of the woods ... all kind of bearded crazies in there

1k · March 9, 2002

Well I didn't have the cops called ... but when I was doing some maint. on my Hawk 14 cache ... I caught something out of the corner of my eye ... a female walker/jogger was hiding behind a cluster of cedar trees staring at me ... I kind of ignored her ... then about 20 meters away from her. I spun around real quick and said HI! OK that was mean but you should have seen her face .. anyway ... you guessed it ... she spotted me in the bush and did a little sneak up to check out what I was up to. Had a nice talk about Geocaching ... and she was breathing easier as she walked off ... actually said she thought she might try it out that weekend ... Told her I'd watch for her posts ... that's been over a week ... I guess she was just glad to get out of the woods ... all kind of bearded crazies in there

March 9, 2002

>

Yeah that was mean. Wish I had thought of that.

Jolly R. Blackburn

Editor/Creator, Knights of the Dinner Table

March 9, 2002

>

Yeah that was mean. Wish I had thought of that.

Jolly R. Blackburn

Editor/Creator, Knights of the Dinner Table

9.4k · March 9, 2002

Carry a trashbag along with you when you are doing your last 100 foot "swirl." Occasional pretend (or really) pick up trash as you zone into the cache. People ignore you if you have a trash bag in hand.

Jeremy

1k · March 9, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:
Carry a trashbag along with you when you are doing your last 100 foot "swirl." Occasional pretend (or really) pick up trash as you zone into the cache. People ignore you if you have a trash bag in hand.

Jeremy

Actually Jeremy ... I usually carry at least one white kitchen size garbage bag ... which I happen to have lying on the ground beside me on this particular event ... The whole time we talked ... she kept staring at the bag ... until I told her I was picking up cans and trash while I was running maint. on my cache. I honestly think that my being in the bush ... not making a lot of noise carrying this plastic bag around got her curiousity up when she spotted me! At least she didn't just sneak back off and call a cop!

March 9, 2002

I think wearing a Nice "All In The Charlie Manson Family" tshirt and gibbering incoherntly works best when confronted by the noncachers.

Having the wife and kid in the team often helps. Folks tend to fear loners more than familys, which in our case is probably a bad assumption to make. Instead of just one whacko we got 3.5.

Hell hath no fury like a 7 year old who cant find a cache right off the bat.

-tom

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

TeamWSMF@wsmf.org

March 9, 2002

It was funny reading these posts... I just posted this in a log this past week....

"As I'm poking around I hear someone coming down the path....when they turned the corner I could see the geocaching sheet and gps in hand. Phew... It's so hard to explain to someone what your doing when your down to the final hunt."...

Don't ya just feel like the biggest goofball going trying to explain? I'm usually given half a chance just long enough for them to take off running when they hear the obsession in my explanation...heheh nah honestly no one's ever really slowed down long enough to ask...I usually just get these wierd kinda looks..smile back and they see it coming and run.... though I'd love to share with them :

March 9, 2002

My neighbor called the police on Rentakid when he hunted a geocache near my house. He's a magnet for that kind of stuff. You'll have to poke through his 99 logs, but they're in there. Heh heh.

March 10, 2002

Didnt get the police called on me, but they did notice me coming out of a remote wooded area and put me through the 20 questions about what I was doing in there, and where are you going type of thing. I didnt bring up geocaching, simply told them I was hiking. The way I see it, the less said about it the better. Frankly, unless I am doing something wrong, it really isnt their business to ask me where I was or where I am going. The last thing I wanted to do was have that interigation be their introduction to geocaching, so I simply told them I was hiking.

'nuff said!

March 10, 2002

perhaps gone are the days when people noticed something suspicious and chose not to 'get involved'

MajBach

You can't have everything.

where would you put it?

March 10, 2002

I had somebody walk by staring at me one time so I pretended to "dial" my GPS and then held it up to my head and in a loud voice said "Hi Honey! Just out for a walk...." the person turned and kept walking away!

Another time I had somebody ask me what I was doing and I said "GeoCaching" and they said "Oh" and walked away. I'm sure they had NO idea what I ment but the way they said "OH" with fake understanding had me on the floor laughing!

I tend to be pretty stealthy when I'm in the woods and I freeze and drop to one knee if I see or hear someone coming. Usually they are too focused on staying upright as they walk that they aren't even enjoying the woods and would never see me!

Rob

March 10, 2002

My experience happened two months ago while searching for Balboa Park Treasure with my then 8 month old daughter. After finding the cache I went up to the street and logged my entry, a few minutes later, a squad car with two senior citizen volunteers aboard drove by slowly observing what I was doing. They asked if everything is fine so I turned around while holding a McToy on one hand, pen and logbook on the other. Hurriedly returned the cache in its hiding spot and ran fast pushing my baby's stroller towards the front entrance of the Aerospace Museum. While taking pictures under the airplane models outside, a police car parked close to me and started asking me questions. He said someone saw me running away from something at the back of the building (must've thought that I was running away with someone else's baby) He even asked where my wife is (at work) and got my personal information. Oh well. I'm not about to tell them I went geocaching although the GPS was hanging around my neck.

Have GPS, Will Travel.

24.7k · March 10, 2002

I'd rather have people call the cops on me. It means they are taking an interest and getting involved and genrally making the world a safer place to geocache in. In my neck of the woods the cops have called the wife of a geocacher becaue they found her husbands car near my geocache. The conversation was along these lines "Are you aware that your car is parked behind a pumphouse in Kuna?" "no, but my husband was geocaching in Kuna" "oh...er...as long as you know where he is..." Anyway about like that. When my friends and I head for the mountains we will be loaded down for bear. Last time we are armed to the teeth (no good reason) and made the 7-11 where we gassed up nerviouse as heck. The manager made a point to come out and greet us as he stared at my plates. He looked us all in turn in the eye before going back in. My banker friend was laughing, he said that was classic training similar to what he went through for bank robberies, it was funny for him to see it in actuion. Anyway, the only thing in danger from us (in spite of what we look like) are pop cans, and plastic bottles.

Like I said I'd rather they call the cops on me than not. It means they are doing the right thing. Besides I'm good at getting out of trouble (come from getting into it so much).

24.7k · March 10, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:
Carry a trashbag along with you when you are doing your last 100 foot "swirl." Occasional pretend (or really) pick up trash as you zone into the cache. People ignore you if you have a trash bag in hand.

Jeremy

Good idea. People always ignore the 'underclasses'.

March 11, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:
Good idea. People always ignore the 'underclasses'.

Underclasses and hippies! People in my neck of the woods usually think that I'm out hunting mushrooms. I even had to old ladies offer to help me look once, but when I told them about geocaching they became disinterested. I guess psychadellic mushrooms are all the rage around here.

-IC

______________________

Iron Chef

March 11, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:
Good idea. People always ignore the 'underclasses'.

Underclasses and hippies! People in my neck of the woods usually think that I'm out hunting mushrooms. I even had to old ladies offer to help me look once, but when I told them about geocaching they became disinterested. I guess psychadellic mushrooms are all the rage around here.

-IC

______________________

Iron Chef

March 11, 2002

Have no idea if the cops were called on me or not. But one day while doing maintence on my "Where is that Dam Cache", I noticed the police helicopter in the area flying pretty low. I was mostly done and walking back to the car, had a couple miles to go, but still had the Magellen 315 out. Figured I'd put it in my pocket. Sure enough the police helicopter flew over to me and circled me about 3 times as I just walked along. I looked up and smiled and pretended I didn't notice that much. They then flew off and dissapeared behind a hill. Not less than 10 mins later, bingo they were back, circled me once and flew off again.

Were they checking to see if I was back up to my strange activity?

Did someone call the cops?

Could a Maggie 300-315 appear to be a hand gun from over 30 yards or so?

Should I have waved and done a happy dance?

I'll let you be the judge.

March 11, 2002

Both of these have been posted elsewhere, but I thought they would be amusing here.

The first story is from January when my 9 year old daughter and I were looking for a cache in a city park at around 7 PM. The park curfew was 10 PM. Well, while we were in the woods, a car came driving by (on the bike path). Obviously the vehicle didn't belong on that path, so I had two suspicions. They could either be the cops (which I would then have to explain what I was doing with a 9 year old girl in the woods at the edge of a park on a dark night or they were muggers. I didn't think about more obvious possibilities like teenagers just having fun. Anyway, we ducked behind a log as the vehicle drove by and we were totally silent. When they left our view, we got up and RAN like the dickens back up to the car. My kid had a blast!

The second story I'll abbreviate it 'cause it's on another thread I don't want to look for right now. My family was coming home from a day of caching and looked at the local airport for a place to hide a cache. We were on an abandoned county road, on municipal property, OUTSIDE the airport perimeter fence. Security from a defense contracting company located on the field came up and questioned us. Told her we were just watching airplanes (didn't want to get into the whole geocaching thing with her). She proceeded to tell me nothing more than that it was not a good idea. I asked if I was trespassing, or if I was doing anything illegal. She couldn't answer me. After a brief scuffle (ok, just your typical "You're on your side of the fence, leave me alone on this side of the fence" argument) we left and decided against putting a cache there 'cause I didn't want to put other cachers through that kinda crap.

Venture Forth, out to the wild, wet forest...

March 11, 2002

Both of these have been posted elsewhere, but I thought they would be amusing here.

The first story is from January when my 9 year old daughter and I were looking for a cache in a city park at around 7 PM. The park curfew was 10 PM. Well, while we were in the woods, a car came driving by (on the bike path). Obviously the vehicle didn't belong on that path, so I had two suspicions. They could either be the cops (which I would then have to explain what I was doing with a 9 year old girl in the woods at the edge of a park on a dark night or they were muggers. I didn't think about more obvious possibilities like teenagers just having fun. Anyway, we ducked behind a log as the vehicle drove by and we were totally silent. When they left our view, we got up and RAN like the dickens back up to the car. My kid had a blast!

The second story I'll abbreviate it 'cause it's on another thread I don't want to look for right now. My family was coming home from a day of caching and looked at the local airport for a place to hide a cache. We were on an abandoned county road, on municipal property, OUTSIDE the airport perimeter fence. Security from a defense contracting company located on the field came up and questioned us. Told her we were just watching airplanes (didn't want to get into the whole geocaching thing with her). She proceeded to tell me nothing more than that it was not a good idea. I asked if I was trespassing, or if I was doing anything illegal. She couldn't answer me. After a brief scuffle (ok, just your typical "You're on your side of the fence, leave me alone on this side of the fence" argument) we left and decided against putting a cache there 'cause I didn't want to put other cachers through that kinda crap.

Venture Forth, out to the wild, wet forest...

2.3k · March 11, 2002

There is a certain type of clothing you could wear. It makes people completely forget about their thoughts about what you are doing. They are concerned by your looks only.

And once you've got the discussion into that topic, you simply ward them off by saying "I don't argue about your style, do I?"

Anders

[This message was edited by Anders on March 13, 2002 at 01:13 AM.]

2.3k · March 11, 2002

There is a certain type of clothing you could wear. It makes people completely forget about their thoughts about what you are doing. They are concerned by your looks only.

And once you've got the discussion into that topic, you simply ward them off by saying "I don't argue about your style, do I?"

Anders

[This message was edited by Anders on March 13, 2002 at 01:13 AM.]

March 11, 2002

quote:
I had somebody walk by staring at me one time so I pretended to "dial" my GPS and then held it up to my head and in a loud voice said "Hi Honey! Just out for a walk...." the person turned and kept walking away!

LOL...I did that one time as well. The cache was on a university campus and I had a heck of a time finding it. Well, it was at night so there weren't a lot of students walking around, but when they did appear I tried to pretend I was talking to someone on my yellow 'cell phone' so they wouldn't suspect anything.

1k · March 11, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:
There is a certain type of clothing you could wear. It makes people completely forget about their thoughts about what you are doing. They are concerned by your looks only.

And once you've got the discussion into that topic, you simply ward them off by saying "I don't argue about your style, do I?"

Anders

When this post started ... I knew it wouldn't be long .... Although I thought you might have had couple of good encounter stories for us!

1k · March 11, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:
There is a certain type of clothing you could wear. It makes people completely forget about their thoughts about what you are doing. They are concerned by your looks only.

And once you've got the discussion into that topic, you simply ward them off by saying "I don't argue about your style, do I?"

Anders

When this post started ... I knew it wouldn't be long .... Although I thought you might have had couple of good encounter stories for us!

9.4k · March 11, 2002

Or a photo in your profile

Jeremy

9.4k · March 11, 2002

Or a photo in your profile

Jeremy

March 11, 2002

Steak and I have had our share of legal entanglements, but so far not from Geocaching.

Try playing CB Radio tag sometime! The object is for a car load of folks to hide in their vehicles while the seekers in their vehicles sit at a pre-selected location and wait. Once the "hiders" are hidden, they transmit general information about where they are. There are rules, very simple ones, but they suffice.

The seekers then need to use their knowledge of the area and the signal on their CB transceivers to locate the hiders.

(disclaimer: try this at your own risk!)

Steak and I have upped the ante by hiding in vacant home garages, car and all (did this more than once), a refrigerator truck trailer, between buildings with trash dumpsters blocking view of us, etc. The local PD and sheriffs would notice us congregating at the local K-Mart parking lot and knew what we were doing, so generally didn't bother us unless they were called by neighbors (near where we'd hide).

It was great fun and a total rush. We'd still be doing it if most of our group hadn't flaked out. Geocaching has (safely and thankfully) taken it's place for getting our jollies.

Thanks for reading, I know this isn't about Geocaching (completely).

----------

Lori aka: RedwoodRed

KF6VFI

"I don't get lost, I investigate alternative destinations."

GeoGadgets Team Website

Comics, Video Games and Movie Fansite

September 17, 2003

I'm early in my geocareer, but I've already had 2 experiences. 1) While looking for a cache in Orlando, FL area, following my GPS, I turned into what I thought was going to be a park where I'd find the cache. Then all of a sudden I drive up to what looks like row of turnpike tollbooths. I stopped and asked if there was a park nearby and the security guard said no. Then I asked "what is this place?" and he said "it's private property that's what it is". I looked over his shoulder and saw a sign for "Lockheed Martin", a huge defense contractor. He got on his radio and then showed me where to make a u-turn and get out. Glad I didn't hold up my GPS and say "the coordinates say that this is the spot I'm supposed to go to" or something like that.

2) At "Walk Among Us", a great cache in Fellsmere, FL we went into an old graveyard at night for a halloweed-themed cache placed by the quarterback from a local highschool. As soon as I pulled up in our black Volvo stationwagon (which looks kind of like a hearse) a cop pulled up. There were 6 of us (2 families) with flashlights climbing out of the car and giggling. I tried to explain to the cop what we were doing and when I said "we're on a scavenger hunt" his eyes got huge and I could almost see his brain thinking "scavenger hunts is where you go collect things on a list, isn't it? And these folks pull up in front of an old graveyard in a hearse?" I quickly explained that the goal is to find the spot and sign a log that says ou were there and that's it. He laughed and let us go.

September 17, 2003

While at home for a visit to my family I did Winding River cache in Toms River, NJ. My wife was getting ready to gog to the beach so, since it was right around the corner from my dad's house, I went out to get it while waiting for her. I took the rental and off I went. Followed the GPSr to a close, and secluded, parking spot. A car that was parked followed me. I got out of the truck and the guy driving the car gave me the once over. He decided to drive away, me being 6' 3" and 235 LBS. I didn't give it another thought.

Any ways, I walked down the path to the cache site, which was about 40' off of the trail in some thick under brush. Signed the log and re-hid the cache. Got back on the trail and started to walk back to the truck. Going around the corner and there was a cop standing there with his gun drawn on me. He asked me what I was doing there and I explained. He didn't believe me. He made me go and show him the cache, cache page, and explain to him about GPSr use and everything. I had left my ID back at the house because I was just going around the corner. After about 20 min of questions He finally believed me enough to let me go. I asked him why he was patrollng the trails of these woods and so on edge. He told me that there was a lot of homosexual activity going on in the park and that a family happened on two of them doing what they do. The two were suprised and attacked the father (not seriously injuring him)and then ran away. I guess I looked suspicious tramping out of the under brush.

I wonder what that guy in the car wanted?

Jason

SO THAT ONE MAY WALK IN PEACE.......

2.1k · September 17, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by XTERRER:
I guess I looked suspicious tramping out of the under brush.

That's not a good thing according to your story, you tramp...lol

quote:
I wonder what that guy in the car wanted?

Do we dare ask? lol

Brian

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

September 17, 2003

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I would love to think know what the Cops' thought process was.

"That man is alone in the woods. He's completely by himself, no-one else. Dag-nabbit, he's got ter be one of them Homosexuals!"

Oh, and read in the good humour it was intended, please!

------

"There's Sparticus. That's him, over there."

September 17, 2003

I read the humor in it. I don't know what the guy's thought process was. He looked really young. I probably scared him. Oh well.

No. I don't want to know what the guy in the car wanted.

Jason

SO THAT ONE MAY WALK IN PEACE.......

September 17, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy:
Carry a trashbag along with you when you are doing your last 100 foot "swirl." Occasional pretend (or really) pick up trash as you zone into the cache. People ignore you if you have a trash bag in hand.

Jeremy

We do this, only with a body bag and a shovel. Kathy will beat at the bag with the shovel while I hiss "Shut him UP, man! Shut him UP!"

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

This space for rent! Ask about our easy layaway plan!

September 17, 2003

I did the "GPS Cellphone" thing 2 days ago. I was looking for a cache that was hidden near an apartment complex, and was scouting out the best way to get to it. I was a single guy with a hiking pack in an area where there wasn't really anywhere to hike at. I figured out how to get to it, so as I was walking out from behind a building, a lady was kind of looking at me oddly. I "dialed" on my GPS, out ut to my ear and said "Yeah, I couldn't see anything wrong with that gas meter, we must have just gotten a bad reading last time. I'll be back in soon." She didn't look back at me.

I never have had the cops called on me, but I was looking for a cache on a residential street one time. At the house next door, there were 2 little girls playing in the front yard. Their dad came out, looking pretty protective, and I had to give him a lesson in geocaching before he called the cops about a pedophile lurking around his kids! He actually ended up helping me look for the cache for a minute.

"I'm 35 Years old, I am divorced, and I live in van down by the river!" - Matt Foley

September 17, 2003

We've had other geocachers pull the cell phone trick on US, when we were obviously walking down the trail holding an eTrex and looking for the same thing they were!

September 17, 2003

While looking for a cache (hidden in some bushes at a busy intersection), someone walked by and saw me looking at my GPS unit. All he said was "Can you hear me now? Good" (from the Verizon wireless commercial) and walked away.

DiverMan

Dive Down, Dive Deep

September 17, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:
Carry a trashbag along with you when you are doing your last 100 foot "swirl." Occasional pretend (or really) pick up trash as you zone into the cache. People ignore you if you have a trash bag in hand.

Jeremy

Good idea. People always ignore the 'underclasses'.

Great idea. Maybe take it one step further and confiscate an old shopping cart to push around the woods!

___________________________________

All weal drive, the only way to go!

1.5k · September 17, 2003

I've had several, none of which I'm going to chronicle again...sorry, but with that much typing, once is enough.

All turned out well in the end.

Brian

Team A.I.

September 17, 2003

Ok folks, things to keep in mind:

1) In general, parks tend not have any laws against going off the trails.

2) Just because you don't happen to want to go the same direction everyone else does doesn't make you a terrorist.

3) Cops showing up to question you about what you're doing is nasty and abusive of them.

4) A cop pulling a gun on you is a BIG DEAL in pretty much any state in the US, to the extent that in many states if they don't actually see a weapon in your hands before they pull their gun on you, you can have them suspended or discharged.

So, if a cop shows up to question me while I'm doing something perfectly innocent and legal, I'm not about to be mister sweet cooperative victim and play along.

Well before there was geocaching, I was (and am) a ham radio operator. I used to carry my radio everywhere with me. Cops would occasionally get it into their heads to stop me and interrogate me about it. It would generally go something like this:

Cop: What are you doing with that radio?

Me: Walking.

Cop: I want to know what it's for.

Me: Receiving and transmitting radio waves.

Cop: Don't be smart with me.

Me: Would you prefer I give stupidly incorrect answers?

Generally it would go downhill from there until I pointed out that I was just walking home and I knew damned well I wasn't breaking any laws so if they had a problem with that they could arrest me and the judge would no doubt give them plenty of time to explain why when my lawyer grilled them about violating my rights. Then I'd leave.

I'm disgusted that some of you think that it's a good thing that this has become such a stupidly paranoid nation that people are calling cops on innocent people in parks with GPSs, and cops are actually facistic enough to grill you about it. (I don't have a problem with them showing up to take a peek, but interrogating innocent people is another story.) I thought we were a proud and free people living in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, not a bunch of timid subjects of a police state like soviet russia.

If we play along timidly, we are simply increasing the precedent that we can be intimidated. Only by standing up and saying that we are doing nothing wrong and do not deserve to be harrassed will we preserve our rights and freedoms.

2.7k · September 17, 2003

I, too have carried a commercial 2-way radio with me everywhere for many years and have had similar experiences in a "very special city" in KY.

It seems that some Motorola salesman allegedly told them their radios were made exclusively for them (meaning the crystals were put in to their order).

Apparently some of them took it to mean that a Fortune 100 company spent millions of dollars designing, engineering, developing, and manufacturing a $1500 radio for the exclusive use of their little podunk department that bought 100 of them.

I was stopped several times and interrogated about my "stolen" radio.

I actually had to go to the chief and get a paper signed by him saying I didn't steal one of their radios.

This was in the 70's and I must say, I've not encountered this kind of arrogance and condescion in any law enforcement personell that I have dealt with recently.

I do, however disagree with your smart-aleck type answers. They only serve to make matters worse.

I suppose the reward of winning a lawsuit and making your attorney rich is worth a few days in jail for something you didn't do. Not me. I'd rather avoid the trouble than suffer to prove a (petty) point.

If the cops are out of line, you can always go to their surperiors after the fact. They are much more responsive to citizens that are NOT in jail.

"Freedom is a two-way street."

GDAE, Dave

2.7k · September 18, 2003

Um, I won't go into flame mode here, but I will say this.

Cops only enforce the laws that the elected officials WE vote into office create. And I don't mind one bit if one of them stops and asks me questions if it means the one time out of 99 they do that they grab a pedo & bust them before they can claim another victim.

I'd rather be profiled and help to protect innocents than let some poor person get 'whatever' because being asked a few questions inconvenienced me.

Sorry, but I'm just not that selfish.

And if you should want to be able to communicate without inciting a negative repsonse from the officer, may I suggest you read "Verbal Judo"?

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

Don't hurt me. I'm new here.

September 18, 2003

Read the log on Feb. 27

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=55952&log=y&decrypt=

Geocaching: Hiking with a purpose.

September 18, 2003

I was about to post some comments like this. I am glad to know there are at least a few geocachers who cherish their RIGHTS!

quote:
Originally posted by Thomas Farrell:
Ok folks, things to keep in mind:

1) In general, parks tend not have any laws against going off the trails.

2) Just because you don't happen to want to go the same direction everyone else does doesn't make you a terrorist.

3) Cops showing up to question you about what you're doing is nasty and abusive of them.

4) A cop pulling a gun on you is a BIG DEAL in pretty much any state in the US, to the extent that in many states if they don't actually see a weapon in your hands before they pull their gun on you, you can have them suspended or discharged.

So, if a cop shows up to question me while I'm doing something perfectly innocent and legal, I'm not about to be mister sweet cooperative victim and play along.

Well before there was geocaching, I was (and am) a ham radio operator. I used to carry my radio everywhere with me. Cops would occasionally get it into their heads to stop me and interrogate me about it. It would generally go something like this:

Cop: What are you doing with that radio?

Me: Walking.

Cop: I want to know what it's for.

Me: Receiving and transmitting radio waves.

Cop: Don't be smart with me.

Me: Would you prefer I give stupidly incorrect answers?

Generally it would go downhill from there until I pointed out that I was just walking home and I knew damned well I wasn't breaking any laws so if they had a problem with that they could arrest me and the judge would no doubt give them plenty of time to explain why when my lawyer grilled them about violating my rights. Then I'd leave.

I'm disgusted that some of you think that it's a _good_ thing that this has become such a stupidly paranoid nation that people are calling cops on innocent people in parks with GPSs, and cops are actually facistic enough to grill you about it. (I don't have a problem with them showing up to take a peek, but interrogating innocent people is another story.) I thought we were a proud and free people living in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, not a bunch of timid subjects of a police state like soviet russia.

If we play along timidly, we are simply increasing the precedent that we can be intimidated. Only by standing up and saying that we are doing nothing wrong and do not deserve to be harrassed will we preserve our rights and freedoms.

September 18, 2003

I am by no means a timid person. As I stated, I am 6' 3" 235Lbs. I am also a martial arts instructor. I am not intimidated by anyone or anything. I did stand up and say I was doing nothing wrong. While I fully believe in freedom (7 years in USMC to defend that freedom), I think that being a wisea** to the police is not solving anything. The officer was doing his JOB. Remember, someone was attacked on this same trail. If I have to go through a little questioning to make someone else safer, so be it.

Jason

SO THAT ONE MAY WALK IN PEACE.......

September 18, 2003

Its all about attitude, if you give it you recieve it. While I'm not timid around the police I am respectful, after all they will lay down their lives to protect you and your family, and deserves respect. I have had one experience with a bad cop, but that was just one. Most Officers are just interested in doing their job, keeping people safe, arresting bad guys and returning to their family every night in one piece. So if you want to act like they are stomping on your rights because they question you feel free this is America after all. I for one will answer their questions without any issues and may even attempt to get them to caching themselves.

September 19, 2003

The problem here is NOT the attitude when the cop shows up, but the presumption that the officer *thinks* he has the RIGHT/Authority to detain you (ie: arrest) and interrogate you, etc...when you have done absolutely nothing to warrant it.

Sure, it is public, the officer can come and do some recon, but if he sees no laws being broken, then he should not harass anyone!

And another thing - cops usually do not know the law anyway, and will harass you if a soccer mom calls in to report a "man with gun" when you are legally walking around with it in a non-threatening manner.

September 19, 2003

quote:
Or The way I see it, the less said about it the better. Frankly, unless I am doing something wrong, it really isnt their business to ask me where I was or where I am going.

So cops should have to read you mind and know your intentions beforehand?

They mainly get called AFTER a crime has been commited...I think it's a good thing if they are being alert and concerned enough to check out suspicious activity BEFORE any crime is committed. (Isn't that what everyone is complaining LEOs should have done pre-9/11?) If they harrass you, are abusive, or otherwise break the law, call a lawyer and sue. Otherwise, why not cooperate? If you had told them you were geocaching, perhaps if someone reports the cache as a possible bomb, they might remember you and be able to save the cache and some taxpayer money.

ApK

September 19, 2003

That is the kind of attitude that is F*ing up this society.

Don't give up your freedoms for some "perceived" security.

(Note: If you think searches and intrusion into our lives would have prevented 9/11, then you are VERY WRONG! Airport "security" was implemented long before 9/11, and it still happened...)

quote:
Originally posted by ApK:

quote:
Or The way I see it, the less said about it the better. Frankly, unless I am doing something wrong, it really isnt their business to ask me where I was or where I am going.

So cops should have to read you mind and know your intentions beforehand?

They mainly get called AFTER a crime has been commited...I think it's a good thing if they are being alert and concerned enough to check out suspicious activity BEFORE any crime is committed. (Isn't that what everyone is complaining LEOs should have done pre-9/11?) If they harrass you, are abusive, or otherwise break the law, call a lawyer and sue. Otherwise, why not cooperate? If you had told them you were geocaching, perhaps if someone reports the cache as a possible bomb, they might remember you and be able to save the cache and some taxpayer money.

ApK

Someone called the Cops!!

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment