Something Funny Happened Coming Home From Vegas

[+crzycrzy]

I was in vegas for a few days on business...

When I was coming home, I pulled over to find a cache...

Instead, I found a dead man.

Read here

What is your most insane story ?

[+New England n00b]

YIKES!

 

WHy did the police take the cache? Was the body at the cache (or near enough to be considered by police), or did you just find the body along the way and when you explained what you were doing, they took it for 'whatever' reason...

[+robert]

based on the logs, either lazyman did it or you're not a very good cacher and searched the wrong area.

 

the craziest thing I've ever had was ... well, nothing. sorry!

[+TEAM 360]

Took: a life.

Left: Jimmy Hoffa.

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

Took: my gambling debt to a loan shark

Left: An empty seat at the blackjack table

[WH]

Maybe you can get that site made into a virtual. You can call it "Gruesome Discovery"

[+Planet]

My craziest story ever is that some geocachers found the remains of my sister's brother in law who had been missing for 12 years, just a few weeks ago. There is a thread on it. I want to know why the people who find dead bodies describe the experience as "fun". And why people feel the need to make jokes about the dead person. Little did those cachers know I'd be reading them and be related.

Fun?

[+SeventhSon]

Did you get to meet Grissom?

 

7

[+bons]

Yes. Fun.

 

Treasure those experiences that are memorable. Years from now this cache and that cache will be long forgotten but the time you found a dead body. You'll be telling that one to your great grandchildren. (Who'll be laughing about your GPS and saying things like "did you carry an AM radio too?").

 

As for why people make jokes, it's because death is painful. And the way you deal with pain is to laugh about it. Look at comedy. It's about pain. The Three Stooges beat the heck out of each other and we laugh. Mel Brooks throws racist behavior at us by the bucket in Blazing Saddles and we laugh. Dead people? Weekend at Bernie's, Club Dread, and Monty Python's "Bring out your dead" bit. All funny. All about death. That's how we deal with it.

 

I'm sorry your sister's brother in law is dead, but at least now the answer is known. His remains have been gathered and placed in a place of rest. If you want to hold a grudge, hold it against those who's actions may have helped end his life, not against those whose actions helped bring the tale to a close after all these years.

Edited March 24, 2004 by bons

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

Well said Bons.

[+Planet]

Bons, I'm not holding a grudge at all. It was suicide. But I can think of a lot of other words to describe it. Creepy, unusual, gruesome, spooky, scary, sad....I just don't see how a dead body, in real life, can be fun. It was someone's child. Even if he/she was 60 years old. That's all.

[dead_white_man]

But I can think of a lot of other words to describe it. Creepy, unusual, gruesome, spooky, scary, sad....

Hmmmm. People around the world pay big money for entertainment that matches that description, and they don't even get to be the hero. They enjoy the excitement... thats all.

[+JMBella]

I have to agree with Planet. What the hell is FUN about finding a dead body? Personally I think I would yack if I found one. That's doesn't sound like fun to me.

[+aka Monkey]

It's human nature... people are curious. It's not often one sees a dead body anymore. Plus, being so unusual, there's a bit of a story to tell, so it raises one's social dynamic. As bad as the term is, it's "bragging rights."

 

People seem to keep forgetting that, despite our giant brains, we're still animals, and we're governed by most of the same rules as animals.

[+JMBella]

It's human nature... people are curious. It's not often one sees a dead body anymore. Plus, being so unusual, there's a bit of a story to tell, so it raises one's social dynamic. As bad as the term is, it's "bragging rights."

 

People seem to keep forgetting that, despite our giant brains, we're still animals, and we're governed by most of the same rules as animals.

I agree with that. Exciting, unusual, we all have that morbid curiosity. Geocaching is fun. Drinking tequila is fun. Find a dead body, not fun.

[+rusty_tlc]

I was in vegas for a few days on business...

When I was coming home, I pulled over to find a cache...

Instead, I found a dead man.

Read here

What is your most insane story ?

Did you violated the rules?

 

I grew up in Las Vegas. We played in the desert the same as kids play in the woods other places.

 

The first rule was:

"Never look inside that roll of carpet."

The second rule was:

"Never try to find the source of that vile smell."

The third rule:

"Don't follow the guys in the black Caddy."

[+Criminal]

The positive to this story is that this can cast a positive light on geocaching. Think about how long the victim might have been out there, months or years, before somebody happened upon it.

 

At least the evidence is fresh, and the chances of the perpetrator being caught go way up.

[+wimseyguy]

I have to agree with Planet. What the hell is FUN about finding a dead body? Personally I think I would yack if I found one. That's doesn't sound like fun to me.

I agree. We parked near a deer carcass dumping ground a few weeks back. I was totally creeped out. There was just a pile of fur and small bones, the ribcage and bigger bones had been pulled away from the road by scavangers to feast on whatever the hunters had left behind.

TN/L-lunch/SL

[+crzycrzy]

I have to say, there was nothing fun happening there.

I almost yacked about 10 times.

The police impounded the cache because someone else had found it the day before.

You are right, I am not much of a geocacher, but I came in from the highway.

Most people familiar with the area would have come from the access road about 500 feet past the fence.

P.S. I hope you don't think that I was poking fun.

It was a freaky experience that I would rather not repeat.

[+Bull Moose]

The positive to this story is that this can cast a positive light on geocaching.

You mean ATV riding?

[+Sparky-Watts]

Bons, I'm not holding a grudge at all. It was suicide. But I can think of a lot of other words to describe it. Creepy, unusual, gruesome, spooky, scary, sad....I just don't see how a dead body, in real life, can be fun. It was someone's child. Even if he/she was 60 years old. That's all.

As a retired paramedic, I've found and seen more dead bodies than I care to remember. But I'll never forget a single one of them...I see them every night when I close my eyes, and they often wake me up screaming from a terrible nightmare. Those that say finding a body would be "fun" just don't know, and their ignorance and human nature makes them say that just to show their machismo in the face of the unknown. As a paramedic, we would joke about it to allay our fears of our own mortality, and as a way of facing up to the problems of life so that we could perform our jobs as expected and required on the next call. It is never fun, it is often an adventure gone sour, but it is always a mother's child, regardless of the who, how, when, and why. My sympathies go out to you and your family, Planet.

[+aka Monkey]

It is never fun, it is often an adventure gone sour, but it is always a mother's child, regardless of the who, how, when, and why.

This coming from the guy with a photo of someone else's face blown off on his webpage.

[+Divine]

It is never fun, it is often an adventure gone sour, but it is always a mother's child, regardless of the who, how, when, and why.

This coming from the guy with a photo of someone else's face blown off on his webpage.

Perhaps it doesn't count to Sparky, because the guy lived.

[+geckoee]

I had to look. I really wish I didn't. I hope that is the most graphic thing I ever see. And my girl friend is going into emergency medicine.

 

Wow, that's far from funny, or fun. More like a reminder that this is reality.

Edited March 24, 2004 by geckoee

[+Sparky-Watts]

It is never fun, it is often an adventure gone sour, but it is always a mother's child, regardless of the who, how, when, and why.

This coming from the guy with a photo of someone else's face blown off on his webpage.

I post that pic there as a reminder not only of what medical personnel see on a day-to-day basis, but also as a reminder to people who think they are invincible. I don't think it's cool.....I think the guy was stupid. As a paramedic, we had a saying: If it weren't for stupid people, we'd be out of a job. Rude? Yes. Honest? You bet your sweet bippy. We also had a tag for those people: Too stupid to die.

[+JeepCachr]

Planet I am sorry for your loss you have my condolences.

 

In crzycrzy defense he didn't actually describe it as being fun in this thread or in his log post.

 

He used the word funny but I don't think he ment humorous-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: humorous

Synonyms: a scream, absurd, amusing, antic, blithe, capricious, clever, comic, comical, diverting, droll, entertaining, facetious, farcical, for grins, gas, gay, gelastic, good-humored, hilarious, humdinger, humorous, hysterical, jocose, jocular, joking, jolly, killing, knee-slapper, laughable, ludicrous, merry, mirthful, playful, priceless, rich, ridiculous, riot, riotous, risible, side-splitting, silly, slapstick, sportive, waggish, whimsical, witty

Concept: humor

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

 

I think he was more going for peculiar-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: peculiar

Synonyms: bizarre, curious, dubious, fantastic, mysterious, odd, perplexing, puzzling, queer, remarkable, strange, suspicious, unusual, weird

Concept: difference

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

Planet I am sorry for your loss you have my condolences.

 

In crzycrzy defense he didn't actually describe it as being fun in this thread or in his log post.

 

He used the word funny but I don't think he ment humorous-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: humorous

Synonyms: a scream, absurd, amusing, antic, blithe, capricious, clever, comic, comical, diverting, droll, entertaining, facetious, farcical, for grins, gas, gay, gelastic, good-humored, hilarious, humdinger, humorous, hysterical, jocose, jocular, joking, jolly, killing, knee-slapper, laughable, ludicrous, merry, mirthful, playful, priceless, rich, ridiculous, riot, riotous, risible, side-splitting, silly, slapstick, sportive, waggish, whimsical, witty

Concept: humor

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

 

I think he was more going for peculiar-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: peculiar

Synonyms: bizarre, curious, dubious, fantastic, mysterious, odd, perplexing, puzzling, queer, remarkable, strange, suspicious, unusual, weird, sparky

Concept: difference

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

[+Sparky-Watts]

Planet I am sorry for your loss you have my condolences.

 

In crzycrzy defense he didn't actually describe it as being fun in this thread or in his log post.

 

He used the word funny but I don't think he ment humorous-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: humorous

Synonyms: a scream, absurd, amusing, antic, blithe, capricious, clever, comic, comical, diverting, droll, entertaining, facetious, farcical, for grins, gas, gay, gelastic, good-humored, hilarious, humdinger, humorous, hysterical, jocose, jocular, joking, jolly, killing, knee-slapper, laughable, ludicrous, merry, mirthful, playful, priceless, rich, ridiculous, riot, riotous, risible, side-splitting, silly, slapstick, sportive, waggish, whimsical, witty

Concept: humor

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

 

I think he was more going for peculiar-

Entry: funny

Function: adjective

Definition: peculiar

Synonyms: bizarre, curious, dubious, fantastic, mysterious, odd, perplexing, puzzling, queer, remarkable, strange, suspicious, unusual, weird, sparky

Concept: difference

Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)

Oh, now that's definitely on-target!

 

Back on topic, (kind of) I agree that crzycrzy was most likely shooting for "unusual" funny, not ha ha funny.

[+CacheCreatures]

Those that say finding a body would be "fun" just don't know, and their ignorance and human nature makes them say that just to show their machismo in the face of the unknown.

 

Here here Sparky. Fear is the gut reaction to the unknown. What separates us from animals is our (sometimes lacking) ability to govern that fear.

[+crzycrzy]

By the way, by ATV, they meant I was in an all terrain vehicle.

(My beloved friend, the Jeep.)

Click here for Jeep

 

Someone brought up an important point in that the press does not know how the man was found.

I think I will issue a press release and let them know how I found the body.

Any opinions ?

[+New England n00b]

I  think I will issue a press release and let them know how I found the body.

Any opinions ?

 

My opinion - call the assigned investigator at the department and ask him what they want released - don't give any info which might compromise the investigation or tip off the perp.

[+crzycrzy]

Great suggestion.

I will do that.

[+DamOTclese]

They should have left the geocache -- at least on the web site. Then if anybody wrote, "Took the monkey keychain and left the dead body" they would know who left it.

[+JMBella]

I agree that crzycrzy was most likely shooting for "unusual" funny, not ha ha funny.

 

I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to ****** amuse you? How am I funny, like a clown? What is so funny about me? What the FUDGE is so funny about me? Tell me. Tell me what's funny!

[+New England n00b]

Is that J is JMBella for... Joe?

[+JMBella]

Is that J in JMBella for... Joe?

Actually it is. Got a problem with that?!

 

[+Divine]

It's the way you talk.

[+New England n00b]

Yeah, well my name is Christopher. Does your mother sew? BAM! Get her to sew DAT!

 

(my my, this is quickly turning into Abject Silliness... must restrain myself)

[+rover-r-us]

only 2 day between the post.that crazy

[ckhd]

LAZYMAN, have the cops called you yet?

[+Team Shibby]

Wow...Planet you have my condolences. I am shocked to read that you knew that person.You've heard that saying....It's a small world and here is the pefect example. Sorry for your loss...

 

Kar of TS!!

[+Renegade Knight]

The more of the world you are out in, the more of the world you see. Geocachers are going to be a known resource for keeping a look out.

 

We are more likely to find homeless encampments, drug farms, body dumps, dump sites, pickle parks, and the like.

 

The closest to this experience I have ever been, and ever want to be was in a trailer park as a kid in Kingman Arizona. Like RustyTLC says, never go find the source of that smell, but we knew the source, someone had been murdered and buried in the back of a trailers yard. The woman had been dug up and a board placed over the hole. We went to see the spot but stopped short of lifting the board to look. It wasn't even tempting.

[+bons]

Sparky. I've seen dead bodies and worse. For example, dead bodies are infinately preferable to dying bodies. Dead bodies move a lot less and tend to make less noise.

 

Looking back on my life, the best parts, the parts I wouldn't give up if I had a choice, were almost always those parts where something had to be overcome. Where being there and getting through it made a difference.

 

Maybe "fun" is the wrong word for it, but I can't think of a better one right now. If you can, let me know and I'll use that instead.

[RandMan]

They should have left the geocache -- at least on the web site. Then if anybody wrote, "Took the monkey keychain and left the dead body" they would know who left it.

They most likely took the cache to check for leads, hoping that a cacher may have seen something unusual.

[+crzycrzy]

Actually, they took the cache because that's the reason I stopped.

Essentially, it was a lead in case I were ever to be suspect, or another cacher who may have signed the log.

At least that's what the detective said.

It's possible that they might have only photographed it.

But they definitely impounded the logbook.

[+RockyRiver]

My craziest story ever is that some geocachers found the remains of my sister's brother in law who had been missing for 12 years, just a few weeks ago.  There is a thread on it.  I want to know why the people who find dead bodies describe the experience as "fun".  And why people feel the need to make jokes about the dead person.  Little did those cachers know I'd be reading them and be related.

Fun?

I think its human nature to make lite of a bad event. This kind of relieves tension and the nervousness that they feel. I am sure that no one would try and hurt someones feelings here about something as serious as death. But the way I look at death is not to be sad, its a home coming to the lord.

One other thing to note is that according to the log, I would hate to be LAZYMAN

right now. I bet he gets a visit from the cops.

Edited March 25, 2004 by RockyRiver

[+crzycrzy]

Actually, the first people to show after I dialed 911 was the fire dept paramedics...

A carry over from my old marine corps day, I was standing with my hands behind my back.

When the FD ambulance approached, the fellow rolled the window down and frantically yelled at me to show him my hands.

(I don't blame him, you never know these days.)

They surveyed the situation, and then called back and let the office know that there was nothing that could be done.

(Evidently they had come in case my prognosis that he had been dead a few days turned out to be wrong.)

Well, half an hour later the LV Metro PD showed up and took a look at he corpse and said to the two FD paramedics.

"I'm so disappointed that you guys couldn't revive him."

The officer mentioned that they often use humour to deal with these situations just to keep their heads together. Not to be disrespectful.

I have to admit, I chuckled for the first time since I arrived.

It helped to make me relax. I was pretty creeped out by it.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Sparky. I've seen dead bodies and worse. For example, dead bodies are infinately preferable to dying bodies. Dead bodies move a lot less and tend to make less noise.

 

Looking back on my life, the best parts, the parts I wouldn't give up if I had a choice, were almost always those parts where something had to be overcome. Where being there and getting through it made a difference.

 

Maybe "fun" is the wrong word for it, but I can't think of a better one right now. If you can, let me know and I'll use that instead.

I don't know the word you're looking for, either, bons. I, too, have watched helplessly as people have died right before my very eyes. The last time was a year ago today when my father died. I held his hand, and was looking right into those wonderfully calming blue eyes that I had loved for so long as he slipped away with the angels. I cannot begin to describe the feelings I had at that very moment. Exhilaration was one. It was very, very different watching him die than any of the others I had seen, obviously because of the personal relationship. I have watched friends die, and strangers, but it never got any easier, and I'll never get over it for as long as I live.

[+Imajika]

I have to agree with Planet. What the hell is FUN about finding a dead body? Personally I think I would yack if I found one. That's doesn't sound like fun to me.

Finding a dead body is NOT "fun". I have a degree in mortuary science and I have been to many many autopsies and cadaver labs. I work in the law enforcement field and I have seen many dead people...some that had just recently died and some that been there for weeks...or even months.

 

I will agree that people are curious about dead people because it is not something most people will never come across.

 

I am kind of 'immune' to emotion when I deal with dead people. I do feel sorry for the friends and family of this person. I feel sorry for the person if they suffered or died in a tragic accident. But if I let emotion take over when I am trying to do my job...well, I wouldn't perform my job very well. I have a need to do my job the best way I possibly can so the people that are left behind can have some closure and get through the grief process. I treat the victim's friends and family with the utmost respect.

 

I would never say that dealing with a dead person is fun. It is not fun at all but it is the job I chose and I do enjoy my job. I don't enjoy it because I get to deal with dead people. I enjoy it because I can help solve a crime and help a family get some closure and try to get their lives back together.

 

Back on topic: I have never found anything weird while caching. Well, I did find an empty homeless camp one time that had weird magazine photos nailed to all the trees in the area. Weird because the pictures were of nothing in particular. It was pictures of soap ads, pictures from decorating magazines and pictures from some baby magazine. It was kind of weird but I kept yelling "hello hello" as I walked through there and no on spoke to me. I found the cache and took the long way back to the car.

[RandMan]

Someone brought up an important point in that the press does not know how the man was found.

I think I will issue a press release and let them know how I found the body.

Any opinions ?

In the past four months, geocachers have discovered three bodies while geocaching. There was Brian - Team A.I. who discovered a woman on Dec 1, 2003 on his way to place a cache. He posted a log in these forums on Dec 1st on this thread.

 

There was the situation on Feb. 28, 2004 where Big BassDrummer found the remains of a man who had been missing for twelve years. This occurred while searching for The Cliffs of Cache.

 

Then we have this latest discovery.

 

Because geocaching takes us to so many out-of-the-way places - and as geocaching grows in the number of cachers, and the number of caches hidden - we are more apt to run into more of these types of strange and horrible experiences. In a way, geocaching is becoming more of a community service! We have our CITO programs across the country; and now in the past four months geocachers have helped by unfortunately discovering the bodies of someones loved ones. These bodies may not have been discovered as recent if it weren't for geocachers. Geocachers have become de facto search teams!

 

A better story to the press would be to include all of the three incidents. Geocaching has proven to be of benefit to our communities.

 

Rand (RandMan)

Edited March 25, 2004 by RandMan