Avoiding Conspicuous Behavior

1.7k · June 27, 2004

There’s a microcache in my area in a VERY public and heavily trafficked location (in geocaching terms, lots of Muggles) . I have never seen this area when there were less than maybe 30 people within 60 feet. Also, I’ll appear very odd/conspicuous walking around this location looking at a GPS.

How should this situation be handled to avoid drawing a lot of attention to the cache and its location?

June 27, 2004

I do the following:

1. Learn to ignore them and go about your business. <_<

2. Bring some other people with you to act as shields

The bummer of course is having to out wait someone who is hanging out where you know the cache to be.

-Dave

June 27, 2004

If all else fails hold your GPS up to your ear like a cell phone occasionally.

They will think you are pacing and talking <_<

June 27, 2004

Most folks will not pay attention to you. They have stuff to do and staring at a guy who is playing with his "cell phone" is not one of them.

I find that we tend to think everyone is staring at us when actually no one is.

June 27, 2004

I cache with my husband which helps make me less conspicuous (we can wander and chat, hold hands, etc. and just look like we're on a date). Sometimes I take one of my earrings off and put it in my pocket then pretend to look for it. It helps, too...if alone to check your watch and look around every once in awhile if you feel like you're being watched. I find it gives the idea that you're waiting for someone.

2k · June 27, 2004

Could you look for it early in the morning before anyone else is around?

GypsyWagon,

Some great idea's.

24.7k · June 27, 2004

Those caches I tend to just pass on by...

June 27, 2004

what they all said is so true, just relax and go about your business, for the most part, people won't stare at you long enough to think much of it. If they do, you will probably notice it.

I personally scan the situation from a little ways off, to figure who, if anyone, I need to shield my behavior from, to prevent revealing the cache itself. Then I proceed if possible. Other bodies for shielding are a major plus in a busy zone. People are even less likely to look closely at 2 people standing close together. <_<

June 27, 2004

I do the following:

The bummer of course is having to out wait someone who is hanging out where you know the cache to be.

-Dave

Just tell them some little kid went to the bathroom 15 minutes ago on that bench or whatever.... That'll get them off. <_<

Edited June 27, 2004 by vw_ev

June 28, 2004

I think Bilder hit it on the head. Nobody gives a rats behind what you are doing, just go get it.

June 28, 2004

Wonder what the muggles thought of all of us cachers at a meet in Massachusetts today...

June 28, 2004

Use some electrician's tape to tape a pair of headphones to your GPSr. Then with some creative acting on your part, it may look like you are simply searching/switching songs on your new MP3 player.

38.2k · June 28, 2004

If you can grab it quickly, then move away to another spot...perhaps a nearby bench or log, to make your trade. Then replace it when you don't think anybody is looking.

June 28, 2004

Try wearing this outfit and wave your GPSr around like some sort of detection equipment. It should clear out the area pretty quickly! :mad:

June 29, 2004

I've read in the forums that some cachers carry a clipboard with them. They may also wear a shirt or hat with a logo on it, or a hard hat. If you look semi "official" and look like you know what you are doing, most people will assume that you belong there and stay out of your way.

Sort of like the cache placed by Criminal that was mounted in a box in a very public place. He stenciled on the box:

United States Geocache

Site Logging Station

Do Not Disturb

If you look like you belong there on official business, everyone will assume that you are.

Edited to correct the text on the box and add link w/ pic:

Here

Edited June 29, 2004 by 2Est8Attys

June 29, 2004

Just go about your business and look. If anyone asks, tell them you were in the area earlier and you think you lost your keys/cell phone/ring/watch/whatever there. Most people won't offer to help you look. If they do offer, just say no thanks.

2.5k · June 29, 2004

Today I was standing on a trail in a Seattle park. I had been having some trouble finding a cache and was just looking the area over since it had to be close. I had on my olive drab vest with my GPSr hanging on my belt under the vest and right next to my cell phone. I did not have a clipboard or anything else in my hand. A woman walking a pair of dogs comes by and asks me if I work for the park. I guess I looked just official enough with the vest on.

June 29, 2004

It's also helpful to have a dog. I recently found myself walking Lucy for over half an hour in the same small area in a public park. The poor thing got frustrated, but I think it gave me a good "cover" as I tried to find a very challenging cache that was out in the open.

June 29, 2004

Try wearing this outfit and wave your GPSr around like some sort of detection equipment. It should clear out the area pretty quickly!

ROFL OH MY.................................... guess that would do the trick.

now I LOVE that cache description by criminal. WoW great thinking there.

MH

June 29, 2004

Just attend cache events in the rain like the Summer Fun event in Raleigh, NC. When somebody did drive past they stayed away because of the bedraggled appearance of the teams.

June 30, 2004

I often have my kids with me and trying to avoid being conspicuous is not easy. In fact most ignore us as if we are looking for a lost toy, bug or something.

3.3k · July 2, 2004

I pretend to tie my shoes when I'm looking for magnetic micros in parks. I have seriously considered getting an orange vest to look "official" for some caches. Another great time to cache is 0500 to 0630 hours on the weekend. You can tell hikers that your GPS is a telemetry device for tracking animals (Team PerkyPerks trick).

July 2, 2004

Was in a park taking readings for a cache I wanted to place. Some teens came by and wanted to know what the gadget did. So I hatched a story of checking out the GPS signals in the area and measuring how accurate they were.

I also tend to wear my company ID hung from the belt. They can't really read the company name but it seems to lend some officialdom to it. Once walked right through a police action (didn't realize 'til I was half-way through) with only a side glance from the main guards. Probably thought I was the upgraded version of that guy, "Can you hear me now?" :blink:

5.3k · July 3, 2004

It depends on the location. Sometime binouculars work they think your a bird watcher. One time I was trying to nag a cache under a mailbox by a bank window accross from a bus station, I just droped some coins by the mail box and got the cache while picking them up, this has work quite a few times for me around benches and other places. Sometimes you just to go late at night like 2AM.

July 8, 2004

Wear overalls or something. Tell people you work for the local Natural Gas company and that your GPS is a gas sniffer, looking for a gas leak.

July 8, 2004

I often have my kids with me and trying to avoid being conspicuous is not easy. In fact most ignore us as if we are looking for a lost toy, bug or something.

I think having the kids are a plus. They can do stupid things like rolling over rocks, looking under tables, crawling on their hands and knees and it looks normal

July 8, 2004

I'm looking forward to go geocaching in London next week. The two teenagers I bring along are not at all interested, however they will enjoy drawing all attention away from me as they both would love to do some acting in public.

July 8, 2004

Yip the london caches are pretty fun once you get the hang of them, having kids around would he a good way of getting people off hiding places.

Having recently spent 4 weekends in a row in London i have totally desensitised myself to what others think, you just get on it and develop weird and wonderful techiques to aviod attracting attention, the most efictive is prentending you have lost something. Would recommend the Kensington and Hyde Park series as well as the Sherlocks, but that might be a bit much for one day.

Have fun!!

1.2k · July 8, 2004

I've read in the forums that some cachers carry a clipboard with them. They may also wear a shirt or hat with a logo on it, or a hard hat. If you look semi "official" and look like you know what you are doing, most people will assume that you belong there and stay out of your way.

If you do that there's always a danger that you might be mistaken for one of these guys.

July 8, 2004

There’s a microcache in my area in a VERY public and heavily trafficked location (in geocaching terms, lots of Muggles) . I have never seen this area when there were less than maybe 30 people within 60 feet. Also, I’ll appear very odd/conspicuous walking around this location looking at a GPS.

Here is what I use to shag mugglers in high traffic areas. It does work well!

1) http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/log/337fb...623c2fcde64.jpg

2) http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/log/displ...0e2d6fdbb5a.jpg

Edited July 8, 2004 by strikeforce1

July 10, 2004

I'm new to the sport and already/still have a bit of anxiety about looking around for caches in heavily trafficked areas. Not because of being conspicuous, but because I don't want someone whose NOT geocaching to find/loot/vandalize/steal it because of me. I've been near a few now and have just given a cursory look and moved on (feeling like a total loser cuz I couldn't actually spend any time really looking) because of the people around me. Anyone have experiences with people stealing/vandalizing/looting caches?

July 10, 2004

One time I was trying to nag a cache under a mailbox by a bank window accross from a bus station, I just droped some coins by the mail box and got the cache while picking them up, this has work quite a few times for me around benches and other places. Sometimes you just to go late at night like 2AM.

I'm pretty sure that's the same cache where I dropped a couple of letters to "mail" on the ground and snagged the cache (and replaced it) the same way. Santa Rosa, right? -Ken

July 10, 2004

Has anyone thought about simply saying: "hey, I'm geocaching!" Share the fun.

July 10, 2004

Has anyone thought about simply saying: "hey, I'm geocaching!" Share the fun.

Yes! That's what I will do if someone asks.

On the other hand, aren't geocachers playful people? Remember how exciting it was sneaking through the "woods", not being discovered by your mates in different games?

This is the mature way of taking care of the playful me

3.3k · July 10, 2004

While searching for a well hidden micro the other day, the hair on the back of my neck starting rising and I noticed two people about 200 feet away staring at me. I did the right thing and (after signing the log and rehiding the cache) walked up to them and explained what I was doing. They thought I was looking for a "dope stash" . I have a "high and tight" hair cut and I'm the last person on earth thatwould be looking for a "dope stash."

After explaining what I was doing, they looked relieved and somewhat interested in the sport. I did not show them the cache though. They would never find it anyway.

Edited July 10, 2004 by Kit Fox

1.2k · July 10, 2004

I'm looking forward to go geocaching in London next week. The two teenagers I bring along are not at all interested, however they will enjoy drawing all attention away from me as they both would love to do some acting in public.

Get naked, the shy englishmen will look the other way.

July 10, 2004

I'm looking forward to go geocaching in London next week. The two teenagers I bring along are not at all interested, however they will enjoy drawing all attention away from me as they both would love to do some acting in public.

Get naked, the shy englishmen will look the other way.

They might deny me to ever return to London that I love, and will anyone welcome me home??? What if Sweden is my only alternative afterwards??

2.5k · July 12, 2004

I've got to ask...

Since you're saying that there's always people within a few feet of the cache, then why do you need to take your gps? Most micros in high traffic areas if you look at the cache page and read the clue then you'll know exactly what you're going to look for and where - which means no GPSr to look suspicious with. If anyone says anything, you have two choices. Either admit what you're doing or make up a story.

Making up stories is usually easier.

July 12, 2004

Have several cover stories.

One is: I am from the oil company and I am surveying this area for a toxic waste dump.

Another: [flash some 'official' looking ID] Department of Homeland Security. Some suspicious people have been seen in this area carrying GPS devices. I am just checking it out.

:unsure:

2.6k · July 12, 2004

My cover story so far has been "I'm testing one of those satellite navigation thingies." Which is, of course, quite true. I flash 'em the GPS with the map showing, it seems to mollify them. How you'd test a GPS by stumbling around staring at it is anyone's guess.

I think what I'm going to do in future, though, is print out some benchmark locations in the same area as caches. I've got a hunch people who would be annoyed at the idea of skulking strangers hiding tupperware in the vacant lot next door are okay with the idea of lean, sunburned civil servants bravely planting geonautitical doohickies across this great land for our common welfare. After all, it's the gubmint. And me, I'm just a plain citizen whose hobby is scuttling around in the shadow of those who came before, checking to make sure the markers are still there.

Then, if I get stumped on the cache, I can get my serotonin rush by actually finding a benchmark or two.

July 14, 2004

I dunno... I always feel conspicuous, like I'm wandering around in a raincoat and fedora, AKA Humprey Bogart. My wife is better at being unconcerned, but I always feel like I'm doing something illicit.

When I do find the cache, rather than reading the log to see who else has been there I quickly scribble something in the log and quickly re-hide it, even on really remote hides, just in case someone might come along.

Oh well, I guess it just adds to the thrill!

July 14, 2004

The only time I use subterfuge is when I am putting one back into hiding. I have introduced several people to geocaching by explaining what I am looking for, but then, I live in an area that is a pretty friendly place. I have, on a couple of occasions, replaced a cache and then went off a distance to see if anyone rushed in to check it out.

Avoiding Conspicuous Behavior

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