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Just Found A Can Of Food As A Travel Bug!


Sparrowhawk

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Just got a bug out of one of my TB caches which consists of a small can full of lima beans. It was launched by a well-meaning Cub Scout.

 

I've offered to empty it out and turn it into a cool little traveling mini-cache deal, complete with tiny logbook. Maybe that can salvage the situation. We will see what the TB owner says.

 

Hey Groundspeak... now you guys may have to add a rule that you can't have FOOD made into a travel bug!

Never expected THAT I bet...

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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I imagine the size of it would make it difficult to put into many containers, too. It would be cute to take a film canister and make it look like a can of beans by scanning the label and printing it on a sticker or something. That might be an alternative for the owner.

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The geocaching rules specifically state NO FOOD IN A CACHE. That pretty much ends it. I don't think Groundspeak would make a specific exception just for this one TB.

 

If I turn it into a traveling cache, I will clean it out completely with soap, then let it sit with baking soda and water for a few days to reduce the smell to near-zero. Should work pretty well.

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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The geocaching rules specifically state NO FOOD IN A CACHE. That pretty much ends it. I don't think Groundspeak would make a specific exception just for this one TB.

The way I read the FAQ this is a suggestion. I would geuss that it has more to do with candy and gum that is in paper wrappers instead of a sealed can.

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I also think that traveling caches are no longer permitted.

 

I would agree that it probably isn't a big deal to have an unopened can of lima beans traveling. As for rules against food in caches, they are suggestions. There is merit in each of the rules, but they are merely suggestions. After all, how could you possibly enforce the rules in a game like this?

 

Just my 2¢

 

F_M

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Ultimately, it's whatever Groundspeak and Jeremy Irish says. I will go with that.

 

Right now, I am not doing a darn thing until I hear from both TB owner and ESPECIALLY THE official word from Groundspeak.

 

BTW, real traveling caches are banned, but not so with TBs that emulate travel caches just by being able to hold tradable stuff inside 'em as they travel. B)

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I also think that traveling caches are no longer permitted.

 

I would agree that it probably isn't a big deal to have an unopened can of lima beans traveling. As for rules against food in caches, they are suggestions. There is merit in each of the rules, but they are merely suggestions. After all, how could you possibly enforce the rules in a game like this?

 

Just my 2¢

 

F_M

Enforcement is easy when the TB police are around :)

 

Personally I have much less problem with a sealed can of beans (which as has been pointed out will not rot, draw attention from critters, or cause anyone any harm) as I do with the numerous books of matches that some local cacher(s) around here feel are acceptable trade items :)

 

I say put the beans back out. It has a goal and a history, poses no threat to the game or the players, and should not be up to anyone to impede it's progress.

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Food items are discouraged in caches because Animals have better noses that us humans. They can chew through and destroy caches because of food items. Many parks discourage any food being left in the park for reasons of animals and trash.

 

"Bears are opportunistic and will eat almost anything, including human food and trash. They are naturally curious and have a sense of smell that is better than any other animal. Bears can even smell canned food kept inside the trunk of a vehicle."

 

In this case, the Travel bug and the can of beans are owned by the TB owner. The decision as to what to do with the can is between the holder of the TB and the owner of the TB. The official word from Groundspeak is "use common sense".

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Thanks Hydee. :D

 

I think the nicest and most diplomatic thing I can do is just ship the darn thing back to the owner and let them figure out what to do with it.

 

I prefer doing that - now that I had a day to think about it - than grossly modifying the bug on my own as a solution. That could work... :D

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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According to the note from the owner on the TB page, they want it to travel.

 

The FAQ "What shouldn't be in a cache?" says to use common sense in placing items in a cache and food items "shouldn't" be placed in a cache. I have found food items in caches and removed them (candy and gum). I wouldn't call a can a food item, but I wouldn't make a TB like that either. They did, and they want it to travel. If I had found this bug, I would have just placed it.

 

People use ice cream buckets as cache containers, which must smell pretty good to a sweet-hunting animal.

Edited by brad.32
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I think the nicest and most diplomatic thing I can do is just ship the darn thing back to the owner and let them figure out what to do with it.

 

I'd say the nicest thing you could do would be to drop it in a cache, let it travel-

Beyond that, I wouldnt worry about it. Just my .02

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Food is a bad idea TB or not. It's still an interesting dilemma.

 

If I find food in a cache I pull it because it is a bad idea for exactly the reasons Hydee said. When a cache owner places a cache they have an expectation that through the use of that elusive common sense their cache will not be compromised and as a result plundered or destroyed. Nobody has a right to purposely compromise a cache such that it can be destroyed by muggles or animals. Putting food in a cache puts the cache in danger of animals tearing it up. That a TB tag is attached to the food doesn't change that the right thing to do is not put food in a cache. In this case the TB doesn't trump good policy, or the cache owner.

 

Emailing the owner and offering to ship it back for these reasons is the right thing to do. Lets hope the owner wants it back to give it a new life. Otherwise the TB is doomed by to a life of being passed around cache events because nobody can in good faith put food in a cache.

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Turns out the TB owner lives close enough to me that I might be able to deliver it personally this weekend. They've already taken my offer to get it back to them, so it is a decently happy ending, considering.

 

Now I know what to do in the future... my offering to modify it into something else was being a bit overly creative in this case... I was trying too hard.

 

I am glad that a resolution was found that was all-the-way-around respectful to Groundspeak rules, TB, and TB owner in one fell swoop. That works. :o

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk we would agree with you that Ground Speak said that there should be no food placed in caches. But we're still not sure that Ground Speak and the cachers that took part in your forum conversation felt that a can of food would pose a problem. While we do appreciate your generous offer to ship the bug back to us, we don't agree with your decision to pull our bug out of circulation.

 

We have thought about what would be the best step to take next and have decided that we are more interested in our original goal of enjoying watching this bug travel than we are in making a big deal out of whether it's right or wrong to have made a bug out of canned food. In short we are saying "WHAT EVER!!!!!" and will be exchanging the can of food for a non edible plastic bean and sending our bug out again as soon as we can.

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Sparrowhawk we would agree with you that Ground Speak said that there should be no food placed in caches. But we're still not sure that Ground Speak and the cachers that took part in your forum conversation felt that a can of food would pose a problem. While we do appreciate your generous offer to ship the bug back to us, we don't agree with your decision to pull our bug out of circulation.

Team Misguided, a part of the Groundspeak team and the official cache approver for the NorthWest, specifically had emailed me to let me know she saw the discussion and that food - even in cans - was seriously disallowed in caches.

 

So I ultimately got my definitive answer that I needed here. If the TB owner has any questions, they can email Team Misguided.

 

Had she not emailed me, I would still be wondering what the heck to do.

 

The can has been shipped and should be back with the original TB owner by now. Cost me about 6 bucks total, but really worth it to me for answering to the eithical "what is the right thing to do here?" "how best to show respect to both the rules and the bug itself?" questions. I feel better now. :P

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