TBs and the time they spend "in the hands of..."

[Swagger]

I've started two travel bugs so far.

 

The first one was picked up two days after launching it and put into a cache seven days later. It sat there for about a month and was picked up again. It's now been almost six weeks since it was last picked up. I think that a month and a half is a bit of a long time to be holding onto a TB without a good reason being posted.

 

The second bug shows that it's still in the cache that I launched it from. Another cacher posted in their log that it wasn't there, so I went to check on it and sure enough, it's gone. A physical log entry states that it was picked up five days after I placed it, which was the 1st of this month. The cacher who picked it up hasn't posted an online log in months, but is obviously still caching. I don't care if people want to log caches online or not, but when there's a bug involved, shouldn't they log it appropriately? If they really have a "thing" about not logging online, then they shouldn't be picking up bugs, IMHO.

 

How long should I wait before e-mailing these people and asking what's up with my bugs? Am I asking too much? Do I just have bad luck? Did I waste my money on the TB tags?

 

--

Pehmva!

 

Random quote:

[Rickfur]

For number one, I would have mailed him weeks ago and asked what his plans were.

 

For number two, I would be raising all kinds of hell because he's apparently too stupid to even be Geocaching, let alone picking up a bug. I think the introduction of semi-automatic weapons would be the best way to deal with him.

 

Contents Under Pressure...

[auntyweasel]

One of mine disappeared for quite some time, the someone was nice enough to log that they found it. I really think that if people can't log them, they need to keep their hands off of them. Don't give up hope, it may pop back up eventually.

 

Never invoke anything bigger than your head.

[+briansnat]

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How long should I wait before e-mailing these people and asking what's up with my bugs?

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As long as you want to

 

 

quote:

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Do I just have bad luck?

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Maybe

 

quote:

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Did I waste my money on the TB tags?

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That's for you to decide. Just like caches, TB's are susceptible to misuse, theft, mischief, carelessness and general stupidity.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[+Og's outfit]

If I were you, I'd e-mail them. I had a bug that was held by someone for over a month. This person was a VERY active new cacher. After stewing about the fact that he had found nearly 100 caches since grabbing my bug, I finally e-mailed him. I politely asked him if there was anything wrong with the bug, ie: tag fell off, or broken. Mostly my intent was to nudge him into dropping him somewhere. It worked! Within a few days my bug was dropped off and is again on his way.

 

As long as you're tactful, go ahead and nudge those bone heads!

 

Good Luck

OG

 

Prophetically Challenged (or is that Pathetically?)

[+sept1c_tank]

I have 2 bugs and several more in the oven. My fist bug was picked up shortly after I released it. It appeared in another cache in about a week. It was picked up quickly again, with the promise that it would make it into Tennessee within the week.

 

After 4 weeks I became concerned and emailed the cacher who had it. Two weeks later it was placed in a cache near to my home (Indianapolis). The other cacher never responded to my email.

 

Ironically, my other bug sat in its original cache for about 2 weeks and was picked up and promptly delivered to eastern Tennessee.

 

I think some cachers, especially ones who don't own travelbugs just don't realize how nervous bug owners get.

 

Anyway, back on topic, I think it is appropiate to email a cacher who has your bug anytime. Maybe even start a friendly correspondence (not necessarily about travelbugs). This could ease your mind that the cacher has not died or taken up another hobby.

 

It might also serve as a gentle reminder that you're still alive and caching (and concerned about your bug).

 

I empathize with your predicament. Perception is reality and not everyone perceives time the same.

 

============="If it feels good...do it"==============

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")

 

.

[+Breaktrack]

I don't know, I'm not sure they don't know about how nervous we get, I think it is they don't understand what a TB is or what to do with it.

 

One of mine went absent for darn near a year and when I finally got an answer to my umpteenth e-mail request for what's going on, the guy wrote me, "Oh, man, I forgot about that thing. A friend of mine is using it as a keychain! I'll get it back and get it on it's way..."

 

Sheesh.

 

But, it did get on it's way... The only one I've totally lost so far was in a cache that was plundered, such is life.

 

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

[+Mudfrog]

We have two bugs out and they have been moving slow. At first it concerned me when they were held for what i thought was too long a time. I emailed a Cacher on one and he responded telling me that he had a trip planned up north. Took awhile but that bug logged over a thousand miles in that one jaunt. Now we dont worry about them and just hope for the best. Almost forget about them then all of a sudden get a nice surprise when we see them logged.

[shrekTBA]

A cacher picked up one of my TB's on jan 1, 03, and still has it, and will not respond to email. Have to write it off i guess. May make the new one a very ugly one and name it after the terrorist highjacker that kidnapped my Bug.

 

It's not a sport unless there is something dead in the back of the truck when you get home.

[+Renegade Knight]

They can and should fess up if they are going to keep it for an extended period. I had to email one onwer of a TB that I've misplaced their bug and haven't been able to find it in a long time. But I did email them.

[+tmncali]

Originally posted by AnthonyFM:

Things can happen and people may screw up. I am guilty of having 2 TB's in my hands for 11 months. I would like to apologize. and report that they have been placed back into caches. Sorry. So there may be hope that your long missing TB's may show back up.

[Team Kender]

I've just found one travel bug so far. It had not only explicit directions about where it should go, but a nice laminated tag explaining exactly how to log it on the Geocaching website.

Do most bugs tend to have good directions about how to log them?

 

Team Kender - "The Sun is coming up!" "No, the horizon is going down."

[+carleenp]

quote:

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Do most bugs tend to have good directions about how to log them?

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I put laminated tags on all my recently purchased bugs. Most bugs that I have found did not have instructions. I have started contacting the owners of bugs without an instruction tag and offering to make one for them. All but one have taken me up on the offer.

 

[+Team Tecmage]

We have three bugs. One is still in play (been held since December), but the other two are MIA. One was lost with a cache, and the other is listed in a cache, but hasn't been there in months.

 

We have held on to a couple of bugs for a while (over a month) before moving them on, but we do get them moved. Sometimes an email helps.

[+Perrin]

I don't own any TB's, but I've found a fair amount. Found one recently that was trying to get to Disneyland. E-mailed the owner immediately and told them I was planning a trip to southern Oregon in about a month and asked if he would mind if I hung on to it til then.

 

Somewhere in there he decides to change the destination to Yosemite, which has nothing to do with anything really. But seems to want to know if I can get it down there in under a week. Even though I had already told him that southern Oregon was going to take me several weeks to pull off.

 

Anyway, some of you bug owners are a bit demanding at times. I tried to be nice and help it on its way and ...... I'm going to quit griping. Hope all your bugs turn up and prosper.

 

"Sometimes you are a very large fool Perrin Aybara. Quite often in fact." Annoura Sedai (Book Nine of The WoT)

[+Team Jammer]

We have 13 active bugs. When I see a bug in a cache I will look to see what its goal is. If I can help it along I certainly will. After all, I know how exciting it is to see our own bugs move. Recently I had one of the bugs in someones hands for over a month. I sent them an email asking if they had forgotten about it. I got back a reply that they had been going thru chemotherapy and hadn't been feeling well. Boy did I feel like a shmuck. It did get the bug moving thou. I will generally wait a couple of weeks before emailing them. Unfortunately this is just a game that people do in their "spare time" so sometimes it may take them a while to get back out in the field.

 

topdog01

[Dinoprophet]

One of mine was picked up and then wasn't placed for a month or so, even though the cacher had found many caches in the meantime. After that month, I sent a poilte email asking if he still had it. I also clarified its goal, because his log sounded as if he might have misunderstood it. He replied the next day, also politely, even keeping with the bug's theme. It turned out it was in the bottom of his pack and he simply forgot he had had it! It was back in motion a few days later. No harm, no foul. Keep it polite, save the semi-automatic weapons for if they decide to be nasty about it.

 

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

[+Zartimus]

Hehehe. I will be putting laminated tags on all forthcoming bugs, great idea. I'll try and find the nicest way to say 'Don't take this unless you know what a TB is and plan to move it'.

 

My first ever bug was picked up with someone with 10 finds and held onto for 8 months. I think the cacher broke their leg or something. After a few emails and healing time, it did get off again only to be picked up by another newbie with TWO finds and they have has it for 5 months now. Time for another email<grin>.

 

Oh well. No expectations now. Releasing a TB can be like putting a message in a bottle and tossing it in the ocean.

[+Breaktrack]

RATS! Just lost another one in a plundered cache.... that's two now out of eight lost in caches that were plundered or stolen. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to buy some more...lol.

 

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

[+aka Monkey]

A Travel Bug that I went to a lot of trouble to create was picked up by a newbie cacher, who hasn't been to Geocaching.com since then. I sent him an email, and got no response. I have two additional Travel Bug tags, but now I'm hesitant to set them loose.