Irony and Paradoxes in Caching

24.7k · May 31, 2003

I like irony, and I like paradoxes even more.

Some I've noticed while goecaching.

a cache called the (*&(*& Rules Cache that after complaining about rules requested that you email some information inside the cache and sign the log to claim your find.

Cavers can be geocachers, but geocaches at caves annoy cavers.

A nice parking lot with a sign that said "Parking for Church Patrons Only" while the curch sign affixed to the building itself said "Visitors Welcome".

We can't place caches at cultural and protected sites, but they can't tell us where these sites are at. We get blamed just the same.

What are your favorite irony's and paradoxes you have encountered while out and about?

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

May 31, 2003

I don't know if this counts but a local cache page says "easy walk from the road" but the "easy" walk is through EXTREMLY dense undergroth where I got my pants very muddy from crawling on my hands and knees and my arms got scratched all over and my shirt got ripped in at least half a dozen places!!

Sorry... wanted to vent a bit about that one

June 1, 2003

I think the biggest irony is that a cache is defined as:

A hiding place used especially for storing provisions.

A place for concealment and safekeeping, as of valuables.

A store of goods or valuables concealed in a hiding place

With all the junk caches, empty caches, rain soaked caches, etc that I've run across I have to laugh at the thought of ever calling such a thing a cache. Odds are that if a non-geocacher stumbled across a cache, he wouldn't find what's inside significant or valuable enough to go home and tell his friends about this great "cache" he found out in the woods.

1.7k · June 1, 2003

True. You make a good point:

The original "mountain man" caches contained food, gunpowder and balls, and other provisions for survival.

All those items are verboten in geocaching....

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

June 1, 2003

Just had one!

Yesterday I drove by an area after doing a cache on the way, and specifically thought about the cache that's there (my very first multi). Today I found out that a new cache was placed in that area yesterday! I wonder at what time...2:00ish?

It just occurred to me, I did the cache yesterday just as the rain was starting, and went to this new cache today as the rain was concluding.

Randy

PS: I've alway found it ironic that food was one of the most commonly historically cached items, specifically to prevent animals from getting to it. We, on the other hand, rule out food...

June 1, 2003

Sign in a parking lot near a cache "Do not enter. This is not an exit" I was quite preplexed trying to figure out what it was if not an entrance or an exit.

Eeyore

I'm one sat short of triangulation.

4.1k · June 1, 2003

One of my favorite ironies when out and about was when we got hungry and went through a McDonald's drive-up. When we got to the window to pick-up our food we saw a sign that read "Braille menus available"!

Who's doing the driving?

June 1, 2003

A local park district banned geocaching because it violated the "no off trail hiking" rule yet they teach orienteering and land navigation classes where they take groups of 20 people deep into the woods and then let them figure out how to get back to the starting point, all while "off trail"!!!!!

A different local park district that banned geocaching because it involved leaving something unnatural and man made in the parks yet their parks are full of grills, picnic tables, batting cages, horseshoe pits, parking lots, roads, port-o-pots, interpretive signs, and playgrounds.

Now where did I park my car???????

3.1k · June 1, 2003

Using US military technology to find boxes that belonged to the same military in the first place?

I made a big decision a little while ago.

I don't remember what it was, which prob'ly goes to show

That many times a simple choice can prove to be essential

Even though it often might appear inconsequential. -- Bill Watterson

4.5k · June 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Eeyore and Shadow:
Sign in a parking lot near a cache "Do not enter. This is not an exit" I was quite preplexed trying to figure out what it was if not an entrance or an exit.

Eeyore

I'm one sat short of triangulation.

This has nothing to do with geocaching, but that reminds me of Barnum of Barnum and Baileys Circus fame. His side show with strange animals and wierd peole was so popular and crowded, that customers would hang around and he couldn't get any new people to get in because there was no room left. So he placed a big sign near one of the exit doors titled:

quote:
THIS WAY TO THE GREAT EGRESS

People flocked through the door and he got more room for paying customers to enrich himself.

I think he was the same guy who said "A sucker is born every minute".

June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:
I like irony, and I like paradoxes even more.

Some I've noticed while goecaching.

<snip>

A nice parking lot with a sign that said "Parking for Church Patrons Only" while the curch sign affixed to the building itself said "Visitors Welcome".

<snip>

Hmmm...this one makes sense to me.

You are welcome to visit the church but not loiter in the parking lot. If you enter the church then you are a patron and allowed to park.

If it said "Parking For Church Members Only" and "Visitors Welcome", then it would be a paradox.

Kenneth

24.7k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by kennethpruett:

quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:
I like irony, and I like paradoxes even more.

Some I've noticed while goecaching.

<snip>

A nice parking lot with a sign that said "Parking for Church Patrons Only" while the curch sign affixed to the building itself said "Visitors Welcome".

<snip>

Hmmm...this one makes sense to me.

You are welcome to visit the church but not loiter in the parking lot. If you enter the church then you are a patron and allowed to park.

If it said "Parking For Church _Members_ Only" and "Visitors Welcome", then it would be a paradox.

Kenneth

That's a mighty big axe you used to split that hair. Clearly you don't like the paradox angle, but perhaps the irony of it had more appeal?

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

June 3, 2003

This ties in with the church sign discussion more than the paradox topic, but it seemed like a good place to post the picture.

generatecachelogimage.asp?ID=241559

This sign is behind the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, KY at the In Deo Gratis Cache.

June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by RJFerret:

PS: I've alway found it ironic that food was one of the most commonly historically cached items, specifically to prevent animals from getting to it. We, on the other hand, rule out food...

So . . . are the animals getting smarter, or are we getting dumber?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -- Matthew 6:21

2.7k · June 3, 2003

Well since Paradoxical things and churces surfaced in this forum, maybe somebody can explain this Sign.

I asked why the two were there and was given a respectable answer but it is still funny when you drive by the place.

Tahosa - Dweller of Mountain Tops.

2.2k · June 3, 2003

A geocache hint that says "No Hint"

June 4, 2003

When you spend a lot of time searching for a 3/3 cache, only to trade for a golf ball, and then lose said golf ball the next day on your first drive on #1.

Make a sanity check.

June 4, 2003

When you spend more time trolling on the boards, then actually looking for new caches in your area.

Make a sanity check.

38.2k · June 4, 2003

Not an irony or paradox, but how can you tell when blue cheese goes bad?

And why do canned refried beans look and smell like dog food, but taste way better?

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

1.5k · June 4, 2003

Why do you park on the driveway, but drive on the parkway?

Brian

Team A.I.

1.5k · June 4, 2003

Why is it a FREE]way if we pay for it?

Brian

Team A.I.

9.5k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Alan2:

This has nothing to do with geocaching, but that reminds me of Barnum of Barnum and Baileys Circus fame. His side show with strange animals and wierd peole was so popular and crowded, that customers would hang around and he couldn't get any new people to get in because there was no room left. So he placed a big sign near one of the exit doors titled:

quote:
THIS WAY TO THE GREAT EGRESS

People flocked through the door and he got more room for paying customers to enrich himself.

I think he was the same guy who said _"A sucker is born every minute"._

Actually, Barnum was too smart to say that of his customers. That quote, though attributed to Barnum was never written or spoken by him.

You can go to my web page for more details of how this particular rumor got started.

Cheers!

TL

2.5k · June 4, 2003

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Is there another word for synonym?

Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?

If you ate pasta and antipasti, would you still be hungry?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

---George Carlin

June 4, 2003

After a recent find: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around... Does the cache it landed on let out a scream?

-beatnik-

June 5, 2003

BrianSnat said:

quote:
And why do canned refried beans look and smell like dog food, but taste way better?

How do you know?

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

June 5, 2003

One day I went for a cache with old printout only to notice that this was the one that was disabled because a mallard nested right on top of the stash. Of course I did not have a new printout because the cache was disabled. Wanted to mail the cache owner that the mallard was still there and noticed that the cache had been moveded 10 meters away and activated on previous day. Great.

-Errare humanum ets.-

June 5, 2003

How about this response to another thread:

http://ubbx.Groundspeak.com/6/ubb.x?q=Y&s=5726007311&a=tpc&f=6216058331&m=52660445&r=15960716#15960716

That's akin to searching for the glasses propped on top of your own head!

Randy

38.2k · June 7, 2003

It's not a paradox, nor is it about geocaching, but how come my wife tells me I smell great, but if I don't bathe for 3-4 days, she gets mad. I would think that would concentrate the good smell and I'd smell even better.

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

June 7, 2003

Why do they call them APARTments when they're so close together?

and this one only works when spoken:

Q: What do you call a fish w/ no eye?

A: a fsh (eye=i when spoken)

Nyarlotep

"Fear My Robot Army"

June 9, 2003

If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they get the Teflon to stick to the pan?

June 9, 2003

Why is abbreviation such a long word?

Bender

Searching, for the lost Xanadu

June 9, 2003

Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?

Make a sanity check.

2.8k · June 9, 2003

I found a micro cache recently that in it's original form was a pencil lead holder.

You have to bring your own pencil to log the cache!

June 9, 2003

OK, this is more of a coincidence than truely ironic but here goes anyway:

I've only stumbled upon one cacher on the trail.

This past weekend, attending the Geo Jamboree, I go caching w/a group to hit 5 caches in the park. Our group dwindles down to just that aforementioned person and me.

When done, I go to pack up tent/campsite, grab some food, discard trash, place a travelling cache in a new place, say 'hi' to the rehab'ing hawks/owls that're there & mark parking coords., drive by my old residence in that town, etc.

This other cacher was going to hit another cache on the way home (we do live in neighboring towns).

I've now crossed the state border and am stopped at a light to turn onto the highway, when I glance in the rearview and recognize the driver--SAME PERSON! We wave...

A LOT of things had to go "just so" for us to end up stopped right in line at that light...

Enjoy,

Randy

9.5k · June 10, 2003

Coincidence? or... Stalking? muahhahaha

Cheers!

TL

June 10, 2003

Never mind.

[This message was edited by Zaphod Beeblebrox on June 10, 2003 at 10:09 AM.]

June 10, 2003

I guess this is ironic. I jus hope no one was injured.

I found the following on a cache hunt a few months ago.

The close-up of the sign:

Fro.

________________________________________

Geocaching . . . hiking with a purpose

2.5k · June 10, 2003

I love searching for caches, but hate searching for things that were misplaced at home. I shouldn't say misplaced since I know where I left whatever it is. Others seem to misplace my things for me.

June 10, 2003

2.8k · June 10, 2003

Ironic that there doesn't seem to be a cache associated with the above pairaducks

Irony and Paradoxes in Caching

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