What would you do if...

[Radman Forever]

someone got seriously hurt or died while trying to find your cache (it can be because of their own fault or because of the conditions or terrain). How would react? Do you think you'll stop geocaching or remove the cache. It's something that'll hopefully never happen, but there's always a risk. It's a serious question that can be overlooked.

 

Fathers and Sisters I have none but this man's father is none other than me, Tony De Angelo. I know, it doesn't make any sense!

[+Windrose]

You assume all risks involved seeking a cache. By using this printout you agree to the disclaimer posted at ]http://www.geocaching.com/disclaimer.asp

 

"The way of the Wind is a strange, wild way."

[+ron50eli]

i dont think i would stop caching in either case. hopefully this will never happen while caching but that is one of those risks that we all take to move along through life. i guess you would have to cross that bridge when you came to it. we all except some risks while caching and it just goes with the territory. if you dont trust yourself to go farther, dont. there are caches all over and easier and safer if you dont feel right with the one youre on. so HAPPY AND SAFE CACHING ron50eli

[Dale_Lynn]

Death is a part of life!.... Its a proven fact that living causes death. If a death happens, and you were at fault or contributed to it by your actions or non-actions you have to come to terms with it on your own terms. If a death occurs during a geocache experience, what would make that any different than say, a water skiing accident or a car accident or being struck by lightning, or a member of your picnic party having a heart attach...

 

If you took a person to the local MALL and they slipped fell because of a spilled ice cream cone and hit their head and died for the inflicted injuries, would you stop shopping at the mall?

 

Dale

 

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I'm Diagonally Parked, In A Parallel Universe.

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[+EraSeek]

Lets look at it in a bit different way. If I got hurt or died while doing a cache hunt how would I feel about it? (Assuming I still could feel). Sorry for those who depended on me, yet joyous that I had the chance to have an adventure. The cache hider would have nothing to do with it, other than providing the opportunity. Mine was the choice.

 

If I was the hider, I would, of course, feel concern and compassion. One always feels concern about what part we have played in anothers misfortune. It does not mean we are guilty of another's ill fated actions.

 

[skydiver]

There's always a risk of getting hurt or dying, regardless of whether you get out of bed in the morning or not. A preoccupation with trying to avoid all possible forms of injury will only give you high blood pressure and a heart attack. Be careful, be prepared, but be happy.

 

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Missoula Organization Of Geocachers (MOOG)

MOOG; Unarguably, the coolest geocaching club acronym to date.

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[skydiver]

There's always a risk of getting hurt or dying, regardless of whether you get out of bed in the morning or not. A preoccupation with trying to avoid all possible forms of injury will only give you high blood pressure and a heart attack. Be careful, be prepared, but be happy.

 

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Missoula Organization Of Geocachers (MOOG)

MOOG; Unarguably, the coolest geocaching club acronym to date.

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[skydiver]

There's always a risk of getting hurt or dying, regardless of whether you get out of bed in the morning or not. A preoccupation with trying to avoid all possible forms of injury will only give you high blood pressure and a heart attack. Be careful, be prepared, but be happy.

 

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Missoula Organization Of Geocachers (MOOG)

MOOG; Unarguably, the coolest geocaching club acronym to date.

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[Eeyore and Shadow]

I'm soon going to place my first caches one will be a 1/1 thats about a mile hike down a paved trail. But a lot of people complain about 1/1 being too easy so the other will be a 2.5/4.25 which is on a fairly dangerous trail. I probably won't place that one until spring approaces because the trail is really dangerous in the winter. But when I do place it I"ll put in the description that its not a cache for small children or anyone that that isn't an experienced cacher and/or climber. If anyone gets hurt I'm sure I'll feel bad but I'm not going to feel responsible for someone being forewarned getting hurt.

 

It took a GPS to get me away from technology.

[The Pet Posse]

There's a guy here in Phoenix that broke his leg getting to a lake area cache! He was toting his kayak or canoe up the hill & took a tumble! The cache owner told my husband the tale. Now, that's a bummer! But, it was really the cache seeker who's ultimately responsibe for himself.

 

Dogs Have Owners....Cats Have Staff!!

[+cachew nut]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eeyore/Shadow:

I'm soon going to place my first caches one will be a 1/1 thats about a mile hike down a paved trail.

---

 

This is my opinion only, but I think you might be getting complaints because your ratings are not using the standard rating system that has been put into place, and the complainers may not know about the rating system. In your example above, I would rate it a 1/2 based on the rating system we are using, a 1/1 gives the impression that the hike will be a half mile or less.

[+Allen_L]

I saw this on a plaque in a hiking store

 

You could fall off of a cliff and die

You could run out of food and die

You could get mauled by a bear and die

or you could stay at home and fall off the couch and die.

 

There is risk in everything. There is a greater chance I will die in the car on the way to work than on the trail on the way to geocache, but risk is a part of life. I choose to spend some of it going on multi mile hikes to find a geocache, my choice, my risk, my life.

[+Allen_L]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cachew nut:

 

This is my opinion only, but I think you might be getting complaints because your ratings are not using the standard rating system that has been put into place

---

 

A link to the "Standard rating system" Geocache Rating System. There also is a link to it on the form where you report your new cache.

[+Zartimus]

The cache seeker has a greater chance of getting hurt driving to the cache than meeting up with a bad accident once they arrive at the site and try to find it.

 

Although that cache in the train tunnel may have been an exception(grin).

 

I'd say they have to heed the rating system. The cacher should also provide plenty of warnings in the cache description.

[Rubbertoe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Christopher A. F. Randolph:

someone got seriously hurt or died while trying to find your cache (it can be because of their own fault or because of the conditions or terrain). How would react? Do you think you'll stop geocaching or remove the cache.

---

 

Well, despite everyone understanding that the seeker should be responsible for whatever happens to them when they search - you can bet that there are a few morons out there who would jump at the chance to sue you if they broke an arm or busted their *** while searching for your cache.

 

If someone actually died while searching for one of my caches, I'd probably reclaim all my caches and quit participating. For one, I'd feel pretty guilty - even though it wouldn't be my fault, the person wouldn't have been in that situation had they not been seeking my cache. Second, I'd quit so that no more attention was brought to me or my caches - hopefully making legal action a little less likely.

 

I've got one cache in particular that is located about 20 feet from the edge of a cliff - probably a 80-100 foot drop. Of course, unless the person is a complete dolt, there is no reason for them to wander close enough to the edge that they'd fall off.

 

The whole trail at that particular park winds around the edge of this rock face - and people could tumble off the side at any location... I'm surprised that more injuries and deaths aren't reported there.

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[Rubbertoe]

Oh, for the people who don't think that anyone would really sue or anything... look back through the forums for complaints about cache locations. People have posted in here complaining that they got poison ivy, or that there are broken bottles in the area, or that there are snakes, etc.

 

There is an amazing amount of folks who just aren't interested in taking responsibility for their own actions. Like most people say - if you don't like the looks of where a cache is hidden, don't go after it... and quitcherbeetchin.

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[Rubbertoe]

Oh, for the people who don't think that anyone would really sue or anything... look back through the forums for complaints about cache locations. People have posted in here complaining that they got poison ivy, or that there are broken bottles in the area, or that there are snakes, etc.

 

There is an amazing amount of folks who just aren't interested in taking responsibility for their own actions. Like most people say - if you don't like the looks of where a cache is hidden, don't go after it... and quitcherbeetchin.

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[solohiker]

If someone came at you with a giant set of toenail clippers?

[+wcgreen]

quote:

---

Originally posted by solohiker:

If someone came at you with a giant set of toenail clippers?

---

 

I would confiscate them. If we let people cache with giant sets of toenail clippers, the terrorists will have won.

 

wcgreen

[Rubbertoe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by wcgreen:

quote:

---

Originally posted by solohiker:

If someone came at you with a giant set of toenail clippers?

---

I would confiscate them. If we let people cache with giant sets of toenail clippers, the terrorists will have won.

---

 

*LOL*

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[+Web-ling]

With the permission of the next-of-kin, I'd probably rename the cache in their memory.

 

[Eeyore and Shadow]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cachew nut:

 

This is my opinion only, but I think you might be getting complaints because your ratings are not using the standard rating system that has been put into place, and the complainers may not know about the rating system. In your example above, I would rate it a 1/2 based on the rating system we are using, a 1/1 gives the impression that the hike will be a half mile or less.

---

 

I did use the rating system originally and as i'm not surte exactly how far down the trail you have to go to see both the sites that this location is inteneded for. I know it can't be more than a mile and it most likely will be much less. A mile is the longest possible it could be. Chances are once I find the apropriate place it will be a 1/1.

 

Thanks for reminding me of the distance taveled associated with a 1/1 though. I'm sure the distance issue will show up when I do place the cache and prepare to register it. It may end up being a slightly higher rating.

 

Eeyore

[Eeyore and Shadow]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cachew nut:

 

This is my opinion only, but I think you might be getting complaints because your ratings are not using the standard rating system that has been put into place, and the complainers may not know about the rating system. In your example above, I would rate it a 1/2 based on the rating system we are using, a 1/1 gives the impression that the hike will be a half mile or less.

---

 

I did use the rating system originally and as i'm not surte exactly how far down the trail you have to go to see both the sites that this location is inteneded for. I know it can't be more than a mile and it most likely will be much less. A mile is the longest possible it could be. Chances are once I find the apropriate place it will be a 1/1.

 

Thanks for reminding me of the distance taveled associated with a 1/1 though. I'm sure the distance issue will show up when I do place the cache and prepare to register it. It may end up being a slightly higher rating.

 

Eeyore

[+Jamie Z]

Just a clarification regarding 1/1. The mile hike only refers to the /1 part. The first number is the difficulty in finding the cache. You could just as well have a 3/1 or a 5/1 on the same trail and it should be just as handicapped accessible. Folks who are disabled can do puzzle caches too, you know. Terrain and difficulty ratings refer to completely different aspects of the cache.

 

Jamie

[+Jamie Z]

Just a clarification regarding 1/1. The mile hike only refers to the /1 part. The first number is the difficulty in finding the cache. You could just as well have a 3/1 or a 5/1 on the same trail and it should be just as handicapped accessible. Folks who are disabled can do puzzle caches too, you know. Terrain and difficulty ratings refer to completely different aspects of the cache.

 

Jamie

[Reddfrogg]

The first thing I would do is raise the difficulty level of the cache.

 

 

Reddfrogg

[+Zartimus]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reddfrogg:

The first thing I would do is raise the difficulty level of the cache.

 

Reddfrogg

---

 

ROTFL

[+georgeandmary]

I guess I'd have to add a star to the difficulty or terrain, or maybe both.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[Geo Quest]

This is somthing I've given serious thought to. Let's review shall we: You can sue a restaurant if you spill hot coffee on yourself, you can sue the manufacturer of the cigarettes you smoked if you get sick, you can sue the manufacturer of the gun that killed your relative, the manufacturer of the car you wrecked, the manufacturer of the ladder you fell off, and the homeowner whose front porch you tripped on. I could go on with countless examples of liability laws abused to the extreme. All the lawyers have to do is find out who has the deepest pockets. I do not want to have placed the cache that will be used as the first test case. Regrettably, I pulled all three (good ones too!) of my caches a long time ago due to this very reason.

 

"There's no need to be afraid of strange noises in the night. Anything that intends you harm will stalk you silently."