Interesting Muggles Encountered

[+The4DeeZ]

We have had a few interesting experiences running into less than sane muggles while caching.

 

A couple of weeks ago we were caching near the beach and as we were getting out of the car a man who was walking by stopped and started staring and smiling at us. He stood there for several minutes as we were trying to get the stroller ready to go. He creeped me out so much I almost loaded everyone back into the car and left. As I was discussing this with my husband, the man finally went on his way and crossed a nearby bridge, so I knew he would be far from us. On our way to the cache there were many normal people around riding their bikes or jogging. But when we came back to our car we noticed a woman parked across the street who was getting out of her car and appeared to be talking to the women in front of us. She started laughing really loudly and continued to for quite some time. Then as she crossed the street and started stretching for her run she started calling us perverts and other interesting names, laughing loudly all the while. We were relieved when she left for her run and started loading up the car. Just as we got the kids buckled into their car seats, the woman was back from her 3 minute run. As we drove away as she got into her car, she turned around, gave an obscene gesture and yelled a few more rude names at us while laughing crazily.

 

The next weekend as we were caching in an urban area very close to our home I was almost assaulted by a young woman who was definately not with it. We didn't even notice her at first, as there were several other people around as well. But when I said something to my husband about when the next trolley was coming, she suddenly got in my face and started acting like she wanted to beat me up! I was really scared because I knew she was crazy, I'm no fighter, and my husband was holding our daughter. I managed to diffuse the situation (probably more luck than anything) by explaining that I was just there with my family and I was simply asking my husband a question. She seemed to accept that and went on to harrass EVERYONE in the area, even scaring my daughter. As we went back to our car, some other people in the area let us know that they had called the police.

 

I knew geocaching would introduce us to a lot of places we haven't been before, but I never thought about running into such crazy or scary people. Are we the only ones who have experiences like this????

[+Team GPSaxophone]

A couple of weeks ago we were caching near the beach and as we were getting out of the car a man who was walking by stopped and started staring and smiling at us. He stood there for several minutes as we were trying to get the stroller ready to go. He creeped me out so much I almost loaded everyone back into the car and left. As I was discussing this with my husband, the man finally went on his way and crossed a nearby bridge, so I knew he would be far from us. <snip>

Maybe you were unknowingly at a gay beach and the woman was being rude because you were exposing your child to that environment

[+Jamie Z]

The strangest muggle encounter from one of my logs:

 

"When I attempted to return the container to the hiding spot, a van pulled up. Two men got out and called to me. I figured it was park rangers or something. Our exchange went like this:

Man: Excuse me.

Jamie: Yes?

Man: Do you know where the NA campout it?

Jamie: The what?

Man: NA. Narcotics Anonymous. There's a group campout this weekend.

Jamie: Uh. No. I don't know anything about that.

 

I decided not the rehide the cache until I had a better opportunity. I waited until the two men preoccupied themselved by looking at the park map, then I ambled over to the hiding spot and quickly returned the cache."

 

And this in a state park.

 

Jamie

Edited January 22, 2004 by Jamie Z

[+The4DeeZ]

Maybe you were unknowingly at a gay beach and the woman was being rude because you were exposing your child to that environment

No, we were at Mission Bay in San Diego, a place were a lot of people ride their bikes and jog, etc. The lady was just crazy. She was yelling at the women walking in front of us too.

[+yumitori]

And this in a state park.

 

Jamie

I don't understand why this bothered you, or why you thought it odd to have happened in a state park.

 

These are people who have freed themselves of drug addiction, or at least are working towards that goal...

[+Firefishe]

And this in a state park.

 

Jamie

I don't understand why this bothered you, or why you thought it odd to have happened in a state park.

 

These are people who have freed themselves of drug addiction, or at least are working towards that goal...

I don't believe he was concerned about the fact about NA meeting in the state park, but rather the way the two men approached him.

 

Sounds like there's a bit more of a "had to have been there and experienced it" dynamics at work here. Ergo, a sudden pull-up of a *van* (large enough to carry "hostages?"), two men get out and, perhaps, *quickly* walk over to where he is and begin a very quick, no-introuductions "interrogation" of where the meeting is being held?

 

I can see a lot of interplay here, and perhaps the above has some significance. If not, please feel free to interpolate.

 

I'm glad to hear everything worked out all right and no one was caused a very nasty inconvenience (harrassed, etc.)

 

Warm regards,

[+Jamie Z]

I don't understand why this bothered you, or why you thought it odd to have happened in a state park.

 

These are people who have freed themselves of drug addiction, or at least are working towards that goal...

That's a good point. Maybe I shouldn't have thought it so weird. It just was strange to see them. There was nobody else around, and it was after dark. They were driving an old beat-up van and the guy that talked to me looked pretty burned out.

 

The "state park" comment was because I was surprised to hear the Narcotics Anonymous was having a campout. Maybe I should join that club.

 

It certainly didn't "bother" me, as you suggested... but I thought it was an unusual encounter--thus the reason for my post.

 

Jamie

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Maybe you were unknowingly at a gay beach and the woman was being rude because you were exposing your child to that environment

No, we were at Mission Bay in San Diego, a place were a lot of people ride their bikes and jog, etc. The lady was just crazy. She was yelling at the women walking in front of us too.

Ah, Mission Bay...that explains it

 

(I've been there, used to go to school at SDSU about 10 minutes away)

[+mrmnjewel]

I live in the suburbs of Atlanta, but work in the city. I do most of my caching in the suburbs, because I am generally more familiar with the geography and also feel a bit safer out of the city. One weekend afternoon after work, though, i had some time to kill and decided to attempt one in some woods behind an elementary school around the corner from my workplace. I began to hike through the woods and encountered a raggedly dressed gentleman carrying 2 plastic grocery bags. He advised me that he had just returned from his grocery shopping and was going home. When he said home, he gestured toward an area off the trail where there appeared to be some sort of a lean-to constructed. I took a glance at his grocery bags and they each appeared to contain a large phone book and nothing more. He had this kind of glazed, "I'm crazy...but harmless" look to them. He tottered off toward his lean-to, and I took my leave of the area. I wasn't really afraid of him, but I didn't want to provoke him into becoming aggressive by staying in what he may perceive to be his "turf." I may return for that cache one day (with at least one other person), but for now am limiting my caching to the suburbs...and there are plenty outside of Atlanta...

[+crzycrzy]

I was out finding Mike's memorial cache late at night when a light appeared

on the southeatern horizon...

It moved closer and closer until it was blinding in the sky over my head.

Suddenly a light beam came down out of the sky and struck me square in the chest knocking me back about 30 feet off of a fairly steep incline.

I got up, and started running like hell.

After I was a quarter of a mile or so away, I looked back and there were these

dog like things chasing me.

I don't know how I thought to do it, but I held up my digital camera and

cracked a shot then was immediately involved in the fight of my life.

Here's the photo.

Scary as hell I tell you.

Don't know if it was a helicopter, a spaceship or what, but I haven't been the same since.

 

Even changed my name to billy bob for awhile.

 

Very unusual.

Edited January 31, 2004 by crzycrzy

[+Sparky-Watts]

I was out finding Mike's memorial cache late at night when a light appeared

on the southeatern horizon...

It moved closer and closer until it was blinding in the sky over my head.

Suddenly a light beam came down out of the sky and struck me square in the chest knocking me back about 30 feet off of a fairly steep incline.

I got up, and started running like hell.

After I was a quarter of a mile or so away, I looked back and there were these

dog like things chasing me.

I don't know how I thought to do it, but I held up my digital camera and

cracked a shot then was immediately involved in the fight of my life.

Here's the photo.

Scary as hell I tell you.

Don't know if it was a helicopter, a spaceship or what, but I haven't been the same since.

 

Even changed my name to billy bob for awhile.

 

Very unusual.

OMG! I had exactly the same experience! I know this sounds weird, but....do you have two little scars on your....um.......well, you know.....and an odd ringing in your ears?

[+Volwrath]

I was out finding Mike's memorial cache late at night when a light appeared

on the southeatern horizon...

It moved closer and closer until it was blinding in the sky over my head.

Suddenly a light beam came down out of the sky and struck me square in the chest knocking me back about 30 feet off of a fairly steep incline.

I got up, and started running like hell.

After I was a quarter of a mile or so away, I looked back and there were these

dog like things chasing me.

I don't know how I thought to do it, but I held up my digital camera and

cracked a shot then was immediately involved in the fight of my life.

Here's the photo.

Scary as hell I tell you.

Don't know if it was a helicopter, a spaceship or what, but I haven't been the same since.

 

Even changed my name to billy bob for awhile.

 

Very unusual.

Dude..Thats a chupacabra...Heard about those on Art Bell

[+KiltCacher]

I was out doing an urban micro. I was just walking down the street, GPSr in hand, when I passed by a homeless guy that I've seen in the area before. The micro happened to be in a park on the river that is very popular with the homeless and the river squatters (floating shanties in the water). I stopped to adjust my (GPSr) unit, when he suddenly approached me and started ranting about his rights and how I was oppressing him. For some reason he thought I was pointing my GPSr at him and it set him off. I have no idea what he thought itmy GPSr was, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I started to walk away, and that ticked him off too! He actually started to chase me. I wasn't close enough to my car, so I turned around and pulled out my mace and pointed it at him. Apparently this was not the first time this had happened to him, because he abruptly stopped, went silent, and headed back the other direction. I still haven't been back for the cache yet.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

Here in Oregon many of the "urban" type caches are hidden close to homeless camps. Some of them appear pretty harmless but interesting. One recognized me from my early morning appearances in McDonalds and came over for a little visit. It was a micro and I explained the game as I was holding it in my hand when he walked up.

 

Nice guy actually. I told him I owed him a coffee.

[+Team GeoCan]

I had to pull one of my more popular caches today, I wouldn't call the reason ahomeless person, because he DOES have a home, It is just that he has parked his home right on top of the cache, and has been there pretty consistantly since before Christmas. Several people ahve missed the easy cache and go, because he-she-it is within feet, of the cache. The Van sits there all the windows covered 0ver, with a running generator on the back bumper.

 

Who knows what evil thing is inside???

 

I don't know, and I just said "Ok, I can just pick it up and drive away..."

 

So I did.

[+SBPhishy]

Man: Do you know where the NA campout it?

Jamie: The what?

Man: NA. Narcotics Anonymous. There's a group campout this weekend.

 

Not to be politically incorrect or uncompassionate (is that a word?) but I worked a coffee booth at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting once.

 

Everyone was really nice and really cool, but MAN CAN THEY DRINK COFFEE.

They were getting like 6 shot mochas, downing them, and coming back for more. It was pretty insane. But, it's definitely better than something else.