Boobycaches

[+Thot]

At a family get together a few days ago I had occasion to explain geocaching to the group. One family member is a senior Texas DPS Officer (highway patrol and more). Another is a guy who also works in a tough business. They both laughed immediately having had the same thought. They said they’d never do that. Both agreed that, “Sooner or later you’re going to open one of those things that’s been booby trapped and meet a rattlesnake, blow your hand off, get a face full of poison or something similar.”

 

I guess I’d never considered that, but an ammo can certainly provides an opportunity for a malicious person to set a booby trap. Has anybody ever heard of this happening?

Edited July 30, 2004 by Thot

[+Mopar]

Nope. You have a much greater chance of someone boobytrapping a $5 bill on the sidewalk with a tripwire, or a walkman left on a parkbench, or any one of a million other things. If you are serious about hurting people by boobytrapping something, how much fun is it to go out, hunt down a cache, boobytrap it, then wait maybe weeks or months for the next finder? It'd be much more fun to a sicko like that to boobytrap a purse on a bus seat.

[+New England n00b]

And it would be easily tracked back to geocaching.com website. From there, the submitter would be known, the their IP address scoured. And then a visit from Homeland Security. And then a black hole in the ground from which none return.

[+archeangelsk2002]

hello again,

while out with lostfool i came across what was apparently a large cache. after taking my glasses of and looking at this dark grey box attached to a piece of movable concrete, if was dtermined by lostfool that it was not in fact a cache but a very large rat poison container. ITS A GOOD THING LOST FOOL STOPPED ME BEFORE I OPENED IT HUH?

 

regards

archeangelsk2002

[AirborneFO]

I have not heard of it happening but it could, just check the AO out carefulley and the cache it;s self. Good luck.

[+Thot]

Nope. You have a much greater chance of someone boobytrapping a $5 bill on the sidewalk with a tripwire, or a walkman left on a parkbench, or any one of a million other things. If you are serious about hurting people by boobytrapping something, how much fun is it to go out, hunt down a cache, boobytrap it, then wait maybe weeks or months for the next finder? It'd be much more fun to a sicko like that to boobytrap a purse on a bus seat.

Maybe. But, it would be a lot easier to do this in a remote cache without being detected/seen than in a public place.

[+New England n00b]

Nope.  You have a much greater chance of someone boobytrapping a $5 bill on the sidewalk with a tripwire, or a walkman left on a parkbench, or any one of a million other things. If you are serious about hurting people by boobytrapping something, how much fun is it to go out, hunt down a cache, boobytrap it, then wait maybe weeks or months for the next finder? It'd be much more fun to a sicko like that to boobytrap a purse on a bus seat.

Maybe. But, it would be a lot easier to do this in a remote cache without being detected/seen than in a public place.

The risk vs. gain ratio is still too low, I would think. If *I* were a psychopath, I'd want to make as big a splash as I could, or if a terrorist, create as much terror as I could. Some random hikers out in the woods getting hurt? Not terrifying (enough).

[+briansnat]

Lets see. Over 100,000 caches have been placed. Figure conservatively 10 finds per cache, that's about a million finds (and it's probably closer to twice that) without one known instance of a booby trapped cache. I won't say it will never happen, but you're more likely to die in a traffic accident, or injure yourself in a fall on the way to the cache. I think I'll take my chances.

[+Milbank]

Some people worry to much.

 

Many people get killed in cars everyday.

That's not going to keep me from getting in one.

 

Edited to add: so what are you going to do, stop caching?

Edited July 30, 2004 by Milbank

[+Mopar]

Nope.  You have a much greater chance of someone boobytrapping a $5 bill on the sidewalk with a tripwire, or a walkman left on a parkbench, or any one of a million other things. If you are serious about hurting people by boobytrapping something, how much fun is it to go out, hunt down a cache, boobytrap it, then wait maybe weeks or months for the next finder? It'd be much more fun to a sicko like that to boobytrap a purse on a bus seat.

Maybe. But, it would be a lot easier to do this in a remote cache without being detected/seen than in a public place.

The risk vs. gain ratio is still too low, I would think. If *I* were a psychopath, I'd want to make as big a splash as I could, or if a terrorist, create as much terror as I could. Some random hikers out in the woods getting hurt? Not terrifying (enough).

What the not-so-noob said. Anything is possible, but the return on your investment so to speak is way lower then just boobytrapping a laptop bag and leaving it at a train station. Why wait weeks to get one hiker out where nobody can see it when you can blow up 50 people 15 minutes after you drop it. Think about all the boobytraps and terroist attacks worldwide. How often do you see some squirrels in the woods blown up? How often do you see a bomb in a busy marketplace?

 

Sure, anything CAN happen, but just this site alone had over 73,000 cache logs in the last week, and in the 4yrs geocaching has been around, there haven't been any yet.

[+Imajika]

I think you need to quit worrying about your Texas DPS friend's paranoia and go find some caches!

 

I work in law enforcement and I am not scared to cache. Out of 116 finds so far, none have been booby trapped.

 

Statistically, I think you stand a much better chance of getting injured in a car accident or getting hit by lightning. I mean, look at the total amount of registered cachers on this site...take into account the sheer number of caches found by all registered members, and notice that not one has been booby trapped.

[+Thot]

I think you need to quit worrying about your Texas DPS friend's paranoia and go find some caches!

Oh, it hasn't slowed me down. I just wondered if it has ever happened. Somebody seems to think not.

[+Lean Wolf]

And it would be easily tracked back to geocaching.com website.

Well, the thing about Geocaching.com is that anyone can get the coordinates and anyone can find an existing cache. And I don't think a boobytrapper would be so polite as to log it on the internet, do you?

 

Still, I open those plastic boxes with confidence. Keep caching!

[+New England n00b]

And it would be easily tracked back to geocaching.com website.

Well, the thing about Geocaching.com is that anyone can get the coordinates and anyone can find an existing cache. And I don't think a boobytrapper would be so polite as to log it on the internet, do you?

 

Still, I open those plastic boxes with confidence. Keep caching!

Wouldn't really have to. A thorough search of the IP addresses requestign that pagfe would do. Now if it were from a public computer, well... notmuch you can do there. But still an exercise in futility...

[shanni-bugbait-wren]

Hey, you only live once. Why let some paranoid thinking stop you from enjoying what you like. If that was the case, we wouldn't eat or drink anything sold from stores. IE: Mad cow, soda causes cancer, etc... You have a better chance of being in a car accident than a cache blowing up in your face. We're not overseas. LOL.

[+briansnat]

I think you need to quit worrying about your Texas DPS friend's paranoia and go find some caches!

Oh, it hasn't slowed me down. I just wondered if it has ever happened. Somebody seems to think not.

News of a booby trapped cache would quickly make its way to these fourms. In almost 4 years here the closest thing to a booby trapped cache I've heard of is one where a previous finder squirted pepper spray inside. The next finder noticed the distinct smell, but suffered no ill effects.

 

There have been some instances of slimebags using caches as their personal toilet, but no bombs, poison, or rattlesnakes (a rattlesnake would suffocate pretty quickly if placed in a cache anyway).

 

I'm not saying there isn't a nutcase out there who would do something like this, but the effort it would take to booby trap a cache just to harm one person isn't worth it to most miscreants...especially when they may have to wait weeks, or months for gratification. By its very nature, a geocache is not an attractive vehicle for terrorists and other wackos.

Edited July 30, 2004 by briansnat

[+Mopar]

In almost 4 years here the closest thing to a booby trapped cache I've heard of is one where a previous finder squirted pepper spray inside. The next finder noticed the distinct smell, but suffered no ill effects.

Just to clarify:

As I recall, the pepperspray incident turned out that a previous cacher (or the cache owner?) had left a mini-pepper spray in the cache as a trade item. I don't think it was ever determined if someone had sprayed it, or if it had just leaked, possibly due to heat buildup in the ammo can.

[Tahosa and Sons]

But, it would be a lot easier to do this in a remote cache without being detected/seen than in a public place.

My Caches are remote and even a lot of cachers don't go there. So some fool with a penchant for destruction is not going to hike that far.

[+woody_k]

I really wouldn't too much stock in what the Texas DPS, especially when they will stop someone for doing 74 in a 70 zone.

 

I have been a Deputy Sheriff for 18 yrs and had never thought of a cache being booby trapped It's just typical hysteria of cops because they have a us vs them mentality.

 

It's roughly 10% of the population that causes 95% of all calls for service. And more than likely that 10% ain't smart enough to booby trap anything without hurting themselves first. I believe people are generally good and should be treated with respect.

 

I agree with those who have said "why booby trap something when 1 maybe 2 people will get hurt". Terrorist and or idiots want publicity.

 

Ken

[+Renegade Knight]

I'm more likley to have my attitude seriously adjusted by the officer who asked you the question than I'm to have an issue with a cache.

 

Yes it can happen, however the in thing is random sniping in this country. Terrorisits go for numbers, serial killers target people who fit a profile. Kidnappers are interested in money, the kid, or decapitation right now. Kid's blow up mailboxes.

 

One thing you can count on. If it happens the geocaching community would react immediatly to help keep this RASH viable.

[+Criminal]

mmmmmmm boobys

 

I like those...

[+WildGooseChase]

Boobycache...

 

Would that be an event cache held at Hooters?

[+Mopar]

mmmmmmm boobys

 

I like those...

Crim, what took you so long?

[Keystone]

For those of you who are fond of the "report this post" button, I am aware of the potential need to moderate Criminal's post, which has taken this thread off-topic.

 

However, please be advised that I underwent extensive re-education training with Criminal during my recent visit to Washington. As a result, I regret that I am not in a position to take any moderator action at this time.

 

I like girls. I like them a lot.

[+leatherman]

I like warm sweet buns, myself.

[+Renegade Knight]

I like warm sweet buns, myself.

He hasn't posted in awhile. Though I think you just nicknamed him.

[+piper28]

or rattlesnakes (a rattlesnake would suffocate pretty quickly if placed in a cache anyway).

 

Well, while rattlesnakes may not have been used intentionally, they certainly have been known to take up residence around a cache (some of the hiding spots people use are prime spots for a snake to hide). I was reading a series of logs recently that mentioned several people seeing the same snake. I'd be far more concerned about that type of situation than someone intentionally booby trapping a cache.

[+AuntieWeasel]

My father is personally convinced, ever since I explained it to him, that a serial killer is going to use a geocache to lure unsuspecting wimmins into the woods to do Vile Things to them. But, then, he's a pshrink. Sometimes the professionals are less perceptive of reality than the rest of us, because they see such a huge disproportion of weird stuff in the course of their jobs.

 

It is also near impossible to explain to your dad that you are no longer an attractive object, if ever you were, and the sort of serial killer who prefers old ladies is probably not going to lure them with an ammo can in the woods. Now, if I ever see a lace shawl apparently abandoned on a park bench, that'll make me think twice.

 

And, just to keep this off topic, I don't like girls. They smell. And they have cooties.

[+CompuCash]

And, just to keep this off topic, I don't like girls. They smell. And they have cooties.

 

looks like a non-sequitar to me -

 

was gunna skip this topic (again) until I saw it was you - you are always funny or have some off the wall comment to toss in and make me laugh -

 

so the question to your quote is - "Apropos to what?"

 

somehow I don't think you are as old as you put on - hmmm....

[+AuntieWeasel]

Oh, I'm only forty<mumble>. My days of being lured into the woods with the promise of tupperware by saucy lads are well and truly over, anyhow.

 

My Uncle Bill was even worse than my dad. He was a psychiatrist for the state penal system. He believed life was an unending succession of carjacking psychokillers. Went a little mad toward the end, my Uncle. Really, if your job is chatting with guys nicknamed "Mister Slicey" and "the Decapitator," after a couple of decades, you wouldn't leave the house, either.

[vagabond]

 

Hope this works, because this is a real nice pic of a pair of boobies.

 

http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/boobies.html

Edited July 31, 2004 by vagabond

[+phantom4099]

This could become a self-fulfilling myth (some one does it because they hear everyone saying that it mighty happen- or they don't like people saying it will never happen so they do it-there is no limit to some people, and they don’t think rationally like you people would like them too). It kind of like the legend of a woman micro waving her baby, eventually a woman did the exact thing because of the legend (I know this sounds like I making it up).

 

Either way it is not going to stop me from finding them when I get the chance.

 

Wyatt W.

[+IV_Warrior]

Boobycache...

 

Would that be an event cache held at Hooters?

An event cache at Hooters? I'm clearing my schedule, and gassing up the car, someone send me coordinates

 

I like Hooters, a lot

 

Oh, and on-topic, as you can tell in this, and the other threads on this topic that seem to pop up about once a month, it's not likely to happen.

[+EScout]

I agree that the likelyhood is very small, especially compared to the other risks we face very day (California Freeways.)

And this stuff is now used by garderners for holding up their vines:

 

Camo Wire

[+Mopar]

I like Hooters, a lot

We know!

 

 

IV Warrior caching in his favorite shirt.

[+Boo & Kitty]

I agree that the likelyhood is very small, especially compared to the other risks we face very day (California Freeways.)

And this stuff is now used by garderners for holding up their vines:

 

Camo Wire

Speaking of which, here is a cache (now archived) that featured a trip wire!

 

Gibbstown Geocache

 

A press release detailing the events that led up to the cache being archived is included on the cache page for your amusement.

[+The Jester]

... If *I* were a psychopath...

You're not?? Cat, just put down the pencil and back away, just put it down... Good kitty.

 

OT: you probably have a have a higher risk of having a branch fall on you than having a cache in the woods boobytrapped. An urban cache on the other hand... no, chance is still too low.

[+Worf's Pack]

I picked up a decon container yesterday. It was attached to a red wire comming out of a lamppost. I froze then slowly turned the container and realised it was just cliped to it. But alot of things ran thru my head that this thread was pondering. except the later part

which my mind is usually occupied with.