Strangest Place You Ever Recruited A Cacher

[+Crusso]

Where or how was the strangest way you recruited a new cacher? For example, I work for the TSA at an airport & whenever someone places a GPS unit into a bin for screening (we get more than u'd think!) I mention the geocaching site. I figure if they've spent the money for a unit they're probably looking for other ways to use it!

 

Wherever you go, there you are!

[+pdxmarathonman]

quote:

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Where or how was the strangest way you recruited a new cacher?

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Attmpted to recruit, or successfully recruited?

 

I may have unknowingly recruited a co-worker who overheard my discussions.

 

It took me awhile to figure out why my signature items were appearing on my office chair every morning.

[+Polgara]

Hmmmm....I was playing yahoo pinochle and I got my partner, a (58 yr old woman) and her husband to go geocaching. Pretty cool considering i live on the east coast and she lives in montana!

 

"The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator."

- Louis Pasteur

[+leatherman]

I've recruited two from prison.

One's got over a hundred finds now.

The other has A.D.D. and only made it to two caches.

 

I am the result of genetic manipulation of superior Geocacher DNA. Faster, stronger with superior reasoning and logic.

Mokita!

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I didn't necessarily recruit them...

I placed a cache on the exercise trail at work. So far, 3 cachers have identified themselves as employees of the company. They enjoyed taking a break from work to find a cache they can walk to. (The site is almost 1 mile long by 1/2 mile wide, so it's not like it was hidden at McDonald's or anything - of course, I could always have a good supply of trinkets if I worked there)

 

[+wimseyguy]

I always suspected that this was some sort of strange cult.

 

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes;

Nothing remains quite the same.

Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,

If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

[Cloak_N_Dagger]

I asked a few to join us today. All had positive things to say about it after I explained what Geocaching was.

 

The first one I approached was at the Courthouse. The Commonwealth Attorney (Prosecutor)loved the idea!

 

The other folks I intoduced to the sport were a group of Park Rangers at a local State Park. They were very excited about the idea, and have asked me to help them with some programs at the park ... to introduce campers, visitors and boyscouts to Geocaching!

 

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

Changing some folks mind, is like trying to herd cats.

 

[+Divine]

Well this is not strange in any way I guess, but my father has his 60th birthday in a week and I have a brand new yellow eTrex on my table waiting to get wrapped. Guess I have to give him some suggestions about what he can do with it.

 

Another recruiting situation: Couple of weeks ago I had just hopped into my car and started driving away from the cache site. Soon I noticed a guy walking towards me and looking at something in his hands. I stopped the car and shouted 'Hey, is that a GPS you're carrying?' Amazed, he said yes. Indeed, he had a new eTrex Vista and he told he was searching a triangulation point nearby. He had heard the word 'geocaching', but didn't know about it so I gave him the site address. Maybe we got a new member of him, don't know yet.

 

- All you need is a sick mind and a healthy body. -

[Captain Chaoss]

Ah Ha ! Straight from the womb ! My son (18 months old) is one of my favorite, even if most cantankerous, caching buddies. We have made number of small cache trips, using a jogging stroller or back carrier as needs dictate.

Of course, extra care and attention needs to be paid to temperature, terrain, duration, bugs, etc. We still value our trips when we have time to ourselves, but cacheing with a young one can be quite enjoyable.

[+Ramness]

With this on my back window…

I get asked what Geocaching is quite often, some of the more memorable occasions…

 

We pulled into a restaurant one evening and a Guy that pulled in behind us parked his car beside ours, got out and asked us what Geocaching was. After we chatted about it for a while he got back in his car, and left the direction we had just come from… Who knows how long he had been following us!

 

I had another guy run behind me waving his arms for me to stop one day while I was backing out of a parking space at a boaters supply store. He said he had heard of Geocaching but had never met anyone that actually did and wanted to know more info. Which was fine but he didn’t exactly pick the best way to get my attention!

 

This Isn't rocket science...

[+Zartimus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Crusso:

Where or how was the strangest way you recruited a new cacher? <snip> I figure if they've spent the money for a unit they're probably looking for other ways to use it!

---

 

The urinal of the men's room. The guy thought the GPS was some kind of cool phone. (I was going to seque into some sort of 'way to use his unit' joke - but then remembered that this is a family website...)

[+Divine]

(bump from the past)

 

Last weekend I was staying in a guesthouse-type of a hotel a few hundred kilometers from home. I was visiting the local malt whiskey club on its 5-year anniversary tasting, but of course I bagged coupla local caches while at it. It was the next morning (when my buddies were sleeping their hangover away ), and when I came back from the chilly sunny Sunday weather, there was another guesthouse guest at the shared kitchen. He had just made fresh coffee, and offered some for me too.

 

It appeared that he was from Connecticut, USA on a 2-week working trip in Finland. I asked if he had ever heard of geocaching. He hadn't but he said he has an old GPSr at home, and that his brother has a new one. He sounded really interested (beyond the politeness ) and wrote down the website and promised to check it once he gets back home.

 

So, maybe not the strangest place to recruit anyone, but must be strange in a way to get recruited in foreign land. If the guy ever gets caught to the sport, he probably relates it always first to Finland.

[+TetrAmigos]

I was recently recruited by my own efforts, browsing a webpage. Becuase I have an intesne interest in commercial aviation, I tend to gravitate towads thoise types of websites and such. On one occassion, I happened to trip across a cache page whilst looking for a famous airport spot near LAX, and I've been hooked since.

[OzMeg]

OzGuff here. (Via my daughter's account)

 

I recently rolled my SUV while returning from a successful cache hunt. (Pigpen & Licklog Falls Cache) After all the papers had been signed -- he gave me a $77 ticket for "Losing Control of the Vehicle" -- I noticed that the state trooper who answered my 911 call had a Garmin Legend -- as did I -- and I prodded the conversation towards geocaching. He was interested in the activity for he and his sons. The accident occurred on a March 9 and I have already received an e-mail from him asking for advice about a particular cache.

 

(Now if he could only do something about that ticket...)

Edited March 14, 2005 by OzMeg

[+Jeep_Dog]

I've recruited two from prison.<BR>One's got over a hundred finds now.<BR>The other has A.D.D. and only made it to two caches.

Huh? That's a lot of caches in one prison. Pretty good cache density, but going to prison is definately not on the high-priority list to increase cache counts.

 

I don't WANT to know what crevice or dark spots the micros are hidden!

[+Marcie/Eric]

I was recently recruited by my own efforts, browsing a webpage.....I've been hooked since.

Same here, my hobbies of hunting, bicycling and historical site seeking happened me upong a cache near one of my hunting spots, while looking for a topo map. Thanks yahoo.com

[+mzmtg]

With this on my back window…<BR><IMG SRC="http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/12709_400.JPG"> <BR>

You recruited me with that banner.

 

I saw pics of your X on some web site and decided to check out geocaching.com.

 

[+Lil Elephants]

I was also converted by browsing the web. I was researching a computer problem and one of the blogs that google pointed me at had the persons stats on it. I thought what the heck is that - 118 found, 14 hid? Click, read, phone dad to borrow GPSr, convice wife & kids to go for a hike, all hooked, buy our own GPSr.

[+Team Sand Dollar]

I had some topless hikers help me look for a cache. Does that count.

 

Team Sand Dollar

[+TresOkies]

I tried to recruit this lady who started talking to one day in San Fran. I even offered to let her play with my unit, but then she called her friends on her radio and I ended up explaining the game to the Vice Squad.

[WH]

I often get negative feedback when I offer to let women play with my unit too.

[UKKid89]

I was recruited by a cacher from Germany while I was 400 miles from home for work.

I recruited a sheriff while he was trying to figure out why I was loittering in a church parking lot with my son. (Guess he thought I was a priest.)

Recruited a co-worker when he asked what the heck was I doing on the side of the road looking at my cell phone.

Recruited my sister when I couldn't stay for dinner because my son and I had plans.

 

While the places weren't strange some of the people certainly are.

[+webscouter.]

I looked for a cache during a job interview. I had started looking for it before the interview and couldn't find it. I sent an e-mail to the owner asking for some additional help as I was a long way from home. He called me during the interview. My new boss only caches when he is doing ride alongs with me but one of the salespeople caches now.

[+Ramness]

With this on my back window…<BR><IMG SRC="http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/12709_400.JPG"> <BR>

You recruited me with that banner.

 

I saw pics of your X on some web site and decided to check out geocaching.com.

 

well thats pretty darn cool

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

I've recruited two from prison.<BR>One's got over a hundred finds now.<BR>The other has A.D.D. and only made it to two caches.<BR><BR><IMG SRC="http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/39197_2700.jpg"> <BR>I am the result of genetic manipulation of superior Geocacher DNA. Faster, stronger with superior reasoning and logic.<BR><A HREF="http://www.sigmaxi.org/amsci/articles/95articles/Hunt-full.html" TARGET=_blank>Mokita!</A><BR>

that is just weird I haven't actually recruited anybidy even though I have tried to

[+sbell111]

that is just weird I haven't actually recruited anybidy even though I have tried to

Clearly, you're hanging out in the wrong prisons.

[+ohgr]

While maybe not strange, I've recruited 3 of my fellow I.S. department workers. While none of us has turned into Super Cachers, we all really enjoy it when we can find time to get out and find a few.

 

Ohgr

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

On my way to Reno, NV (from the SF Bay Area) for a weekend of caching and a pizza Event, I picked up a backpacker that was hitchiking along Hwy 80 near Truckee. He wasn't in a hurry so I invited him to the to join us for lunch (which was a free pizza Event) and took him to find the five caches hidden for the gathering, and afterward one more on the way to the truck stop I dropped him at. I don't know if he ever followed up, but it counts in my book.

[Hucklebuck]

I hang around at all the usuals: AA meetings, homeless shelters, Amway meetings, homes for runaways, nazi rallys . Anywhere I spot a longing for acceptence in somebodys eyes I make my move. Usually after a few hours (and a meal, or a beer) the've welcomed Geocaching into their lives and are tranformed forever. Most of them go on to contribute to society by being regular forum posters.

[+Marcie/Eric]

On my way to Reno, NV (from the SF Bay Area) for a weekend of caching and a pizza Event, I picked up a backpacker that was hitchiking along Hwy 80 near Truckee.

You've got big cahones. Picking up hitchhikers in California....

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

On my way to Reno, NV (from the SF Bay Area) for a weekend of caching and a pizza Event, I picked up a backpacker that was hitchiking along Hwy 80 near Truckee.

You've got big cahones. Picking up hitchhikers in California....

Truckee is almost in Nevada, besides I had protection within reach.

 

And on a side note, Welcome to the game.

Edited March 18, 2005 by WRITE SHOP ROBERT

[+Night Stalker]

I had just completed finding a cache in a somewhat disreputable area in Houston, TX when a police officer stopped me wanting to know what I was doing. Since he asked I explained and showed him the actual cache. I can't say for certain that he has become active, but he took down the site URL and asked my what I would suggest for a GPS purchase.

[gridlox]

I was recruited in church!

 

Honestly!

 

My bro-in-law had recived a Magellan Trak Map for Christmas in 2003. A few months later we were sitting in the pew in front of them during morning services and he dropped a note over my shoulder wanting to know if I wanted to go Geacaching after lunch.

 

I scratched a "Uh? OK?" on it and handed it back. (I didn't have anything better to do)

 

Over lunch he told me about finding the site and how it worked and that they'd went on a few hunts the day before and had a great time.

 

So for awhile, I just tagged along for a few of his hunts.

 

The rest is history!!

 

D-man

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

I was recently recruited by my own efforts, browsing a webpage. Becuase I have an intesne interest in commercial aviation, I tend to gravitate towads thoise types of websites and such. On one occassion, I happened to trip across a cache page whilst looking for a famous airport spot near LAX, and I've been hooked since.

that is an interesting way to find a site but even weirder is that you looked into it glad you like geocaching

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

I was recruited in church!

 

Honestly!

 

My bro-in-law had recived a Magellan Trak Map for Christmas in 2003. A few months later we were sitting in the pew in front of them during morning services and he dropped a note over my shoulder wanting to know if I wanted to go Geacaching after lunch.

 

I scratched a "Uh? OK?" on it and handed it back. (I didn't have anything better to do)

 

Over lunch he told me about finding the site and how it worked and that they'd went on a few hunts the day before and had a great time.

 

So for awhile, I just tagged along for a few of his hunts.

 

The rest is history!!

 

D-man

Must have been a boring sermon

[+Wreck Diver]

I think we converted a few muggles at the debut of the Juliett 484 mystery geocache aboard the Soviet guided nuclear missle submarine in Providence, Rhode Island earlier today.

 

That's got to be a first!