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Gay Cruising Areas


ka3mgh

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Here's a cache in a known gay cruising area: In The Ramble

 

It doesn't appear to be a problem to the 200+ cachers that have visited it.

Hey Dan, I wish I knew you a few years ago, before I unknowingly decided to wander into the Ramble 30 minutes before sunset to explore the wildest section of Central Park.... those guys are really go-getters. I managed to escape the darkened maze of paths OK, but did mention in my log when the cache was later placed, that around sunset wasn't the best time to be there, although I didn't state exactly why, as it wasn't really necessary in my opinion.

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Reeeeaaaally? :( See now I didn't know that. When I found that cache I was alone. I don't remember getting any "friendly" looks. What's up with that? I guess I wasn't wearing enough cologne or something. Maybe I sweat too much, gotta work on that. :D

JM, there's a certain section that's apparently dedicated, if you didn't get any proposals you either missed or, or you're just generally a foul guy all-around :D

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Here's a cache in a known gay cruising area: In The Ramble

 

It doesn't appear to be a problem to the 200+ cachers that have visited it.

Maybe you should read the logs on that cache again then. I added some bold to help you read between the lines.

April 5, 2003 by Mopar (603 found)

Find #167 8:30pm 4/9 tonite

This was number 4 in our night-time Central Park adventure. This makes 3 out of the 4 that Danny found first. To be fair, I didn't have the cache description for this, or I think I would have found it alot sooner myself. My GPSr was putting me about 25ft away from the arch, in an area full of potential hiding spots. If I had seen the sheet, I would have known not to bother looking there. Still dboggny did spot it first. Once you find it, you really CAN see it from 30ft away. Sorry we didn't know that this was not the way it was intended to be hidden, or we would have tried to cover it. As it was, this was a pretty busy area even at this time of night, and we had to wait awhile for the chance to replace it. I also have to admit this was one of the few times tonight I really felt uneasy about some of the other people around, but nothing came of it.Signed the log, and swapped WG$. The adventure for mtn-man, dboggny and mopar continues, on to number five!

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Here's a cache in a known gay cruising area: In The Ramble

 

It doesn't appear to be a problem to the 200+ cachers that have visited it.

Reeeeaaaally? :D See now I didn't know that. When I found that cache I was alone. I don't remember getting any "friendly" looks. What's up with that? I guess I wasn't wearing enough cologne or something. Maybe I sweat too much, gotta work on that. :(

That explains it. When I went to look for that one I saw some guy in panties having a picnic on a rock near where the GPS was pointing me. Since I had my kids with me, I just led them in the other direction and went to go meet dboggny and family near the zoo.

 

I never posted a DNF since I didn't get close enough to look for it, but it didn't occur to me that it was a cruising zone. I was told to expect to see anything in Central Park so I just figured it was the norm.

Hey! Those panties happen to be very comfortable!!! :D

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JM, there's a certain section that's apparently dedicated, if you didn't get any proposals you either missed or, or you're just generally a foul guy all-around

I suspect it's both.

 

I also have to admit this was one of the few times tonight I really felt uneasy about some of the other people around, but nothing came of it.

So you didn't get lucky huh? :(

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if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note.  i live near a large town in michigan where i cannot walk safely through some minority areas, yet the minority people who walk past my house everyday can do it without fear.

My modest proposal:

 

Maybe we could add a "minority" rating to every cache. Then I could avoid the redneck neighborhoods.

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if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note. i live near a large town in michigan where i cannot walk safely through some minority areas, yet the minority people who walk past my house everyday can do it without fear.

So why is it that you feel "uncomfortable" in minority neighborhoods? :blink: Do you also feel uncomfortable when someone from the minority neighborhood walks past your house? With an attitude like that I hardly think they can walk in your neighborhood without fear. Unbelievable.

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Please. I don't doubt for an instant that people would readily complain about a cache hidden in a good, old-fashioned white trailerpark of the sort that makes outsiders feel unwelcome. And not be shy about saying it in the logs (I can hear the pickup truck and country music jokes now). I've certainly expressed annoyance at being sent to caches in upscale neighborhoods, where it looked like I was bumbling around in some rich guy's back yard. There are clannish places everywhere, and I'm not comfortable going to them in pursuance of a hobby, even if it's perfectly legal for me to be there.

 

Public parks, however, are public. I'm not happy about being elbowed out of them.

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if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note

 

How would you convey your point to other cachers?

Could you please post an example of your hypothetical log.

I'll take that challenge.

 

This is a close-knit neighborhood; I don't think they see a lot of strangers here. I got the hairy eyeball once or twice and, I must admit, I felt pretty uncomfortable at times.

 

There! That was neither hard nor pejorative, was it? And the good thing is, you can use it equally in a neighborhood of Portuguese fishermen, Cape Verdean immigrants or transplanted lily-white lawyers from the city. Lots of neighborhoods don't like outsiders, and I don't like to cache in them.

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if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note.  i live near a large town in michigan where i cannot walk safely through some minority areas, yet the minority people who walk past my house everyday can do it without fear.

So why is it that you feel "uncomfortable" in minority neighborhoods? :blink: Do you also feel uncomfortable when someone from the minority neighborhood walks past your house? With an attitude like that I hardly think they can walk in your neighborhood without fear. Unbelievable.

well, maybe it's the fact that when i listen to my police scanner there are several street names in minority neighborhoods that are always mentioned when shots are fired. i have even been warned by minority friends to not be in those areas unless they are with me. i live in a mixed area out in the country where anyone can walk down my street and not have a problem.

Edited by uperdooper
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AuntieWeasel,

 

I agree that the context of your "post" is not offensive.

But its context doesn't convey the specific characteristics of the cache's surrounding population.

Uperdooper stated that it would be minorities that would cause her to feel "uncomfortable".

My question (rephrased) is....How would she point out to other cachers that the cause of her discomfort was due to the fact that the cache resides in a minority neighborhood?

 

Gender correction, sorry.

Edited by splicingdan
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AuntieWeasel,

 

I agree that the context of your "post" is not offensive.

But its context doesn't convey the specific characteristics of the cache's surrounding population.

Uperdooper stated that it would be minorities that would cause of him to feel "uncomfortable".

My question (rephrased) is....How would he point out to other cachers that the cause of his discomfort was due to the fact that the cache resides in a minority neighborhood?

i thought the flamingos would be a dead giveaway, but i am a her.

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He didn't actually say that minority neighborhoods made him feel uncomfortable, he said if he was in a minority neighborhood that made him feel uncomfortable. It's no trivial distinction, not least of which because it means he would only have to get across the "uncomfortable" part, not the "minority" part.

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I am having a lot of trouble locating the post where "Uperdooper stated that it would be minorities that would cause of him to feel 'uncomfortable'." Could you refer me to that post? The closest I could find was this:

 

if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note. i live near a large town in michigan where i cannot walk safely through some minority areas, yet the minority people who walk past my house everyday can do it without fear.

 

There is nothing in this post that is pointed at people rather than neighborhoods. Similarly, my objection is not about gay people or else my sister and I wouldn't be speaking. My objection is to the minority of gay people who have taken over various of our parks, leading, in the extreme case, to criminal behavior such as what occurred during my recent trip through Ohio.

 

Also I would like to second what TiminOhio posted about the Pittsburgh area park where the Magellan Treasure Hunt occurred in 2003. I had the same experience there. At least they kept their hands to themselves. I placed a multicache in this same park but it is well away from the cruising area, by design.

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Oops! Beg pardon. Flamingos or no, I always assume online voices are male until informed otherwise.

Off topic: But now I'm wondering, "AuntieWeasel" are you male or female? :blink:

For the record I'm female... which is good since my kids keep calling me mom.

In other off topic news: I'm loving your Web site... is there anymore besides the coin pages?

Edited by GentleWhisper
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Ha! Now, that would've added some interesting spice to this thread, if I turned out to be an Uncle Weasel posing as an Auntie. But, no.

 

And thank you kindly, but that's all there is so far. I only just started it, using an old URL I had from something else, though I hope to put my TB's and stuff up there soon. Work is really interfering with my leisure lately. I do have a regular site, but it's...not entirely family friendly, so I figured I'd better not put pointers to it on trade items. Not unless you want little Billy making moonshine in the basement :blink:

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<<SNIP>>

Would you post a note if the cache was in a lesbian cruising area?

Would you post a note if the cache was near an "inspiration point"?

Would you post a note if the cache was in a minority neighborhood?

 

I highly doubt it.

<<SNIP>>

Yes I would.

Yes I would.

No, I would not.

 

I think you are misunderstanding the point here. These areas are places that men go to have sex. Not to meet new people. They are there having sex within site of any people passing. On the trails and just off the trails.

 

There are 2 overlooks on the Palisades that have become known cruising zones. There is a parking lot on route 106 above Harriman state park that is also well known. During the day there are men there having sex. I don't care if it's men or women. Having sex in a public place is against the law. This has also forced parents to stop from bringing their children to these places. I have personally seen men cruising at 11am on a Sunday afternoon. This is not an acceptable practice.

 

I have walked through a group of men having sex at least 3 times. In a public park, during the week and in the afternoon. My son was with me one time this happened. This is not a homophobic issue. It is an issue of inappropriate behavior.

Edited by Harrald
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<<SNIP>>

Would you post a note if the cache was in a lesbian cruising area?

Would you post a note if the cache was near an "inspiration point"?

Would you post a note if the cache was in a minority neighborhood?

 

I highly doubt it.

<<SNIP>>

Yes I would.

Yes I would.

No, I would not.

 

I think you are misunderstanding the point here. These areas are places that men go to have sex. Not to meet new people. They are there having sex within site of any people passing. On the trails and just off the trails.

 

There are 2 overlooks on the Palisades that have become known cruising zones. There is a parking lot on route 106 above Harriman state park that is also well known. During the day there are men there having sex. I don't care if it's men or women. Having sex in a public place is against the law. This has also forced parents to stop from bringing their children to these places. I have personally seen men cruising at 11am on a Sunday afternoon. This is not an acceptable practice.

 

I have walked through a group of men having sex at least 3 times. In a public park, during the week and in the afternoon. My son was with me one time this happened. This is not a homophobic issue. It is an issue of inappropriate behavior.

You said that very well, Harrald. Thank you.

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Minority neighborhoods make me feel uncomfortable = Minorities make me feel uncomfortable.

I really don't think it's that simple.

 

If you stand in my front yard, the neighbor on my left is Cape Verdean, the neighbor in front is from Africa, the neighbor to the right of that is some flavor of hispanic, the neighbor directly to the right is Korean, and the neighbors behind...well, it's a rental property, it varies. I'm palest WASP. We all get along famously, say hello, help each other shovel snow and stuff. Strangers wandering through my neighborhood wouldn't attract the slightest notice unless they did something extraordinarily weird.

 

A half mile away is a homogeneously black neighborhood that I feel distinctly uncomfortable in. If a neighborhood is all one type of people, why is it all one type of people? Chances are, because they aren't welcoming of other types. After all, poor people come in all flavors, so do the middle class, and I understand they're making a variety of rich peole these days, too.

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A half mile away is a homogeneously black neighborhood that I feel distinctly uncomfortable in. If a neighborhood is all one type of people, why is it all one type of people? Chances are, because they aren't welcoming of other types.

 

Actually it's the other way around. It's white people who are not welcoming of black people. Ever heard of "white flight"?

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This is not a homophobic issue. It is an issue of inappropriate behavior.

You said that very well, Harrald. Thank you.

I agree - that last line sums it up very well. Doesn't matter what gender these 'cruisers' are or what their sexual orientation is - using a public park to find a random partner and engage in sexual activities is the problem.

 

Actually it's the other way around.  It's white people who are not welcoming of black people.

I'm sure there's occasionally a little 'not welcoming' on both sides. Seems silly to try to place all the blame on any specific group... what did this have to do with the original topic?

 

Racism goes both ways - and sadly, there are people of all races who have problems with others. And I was going to say the same thing about the topic....

 

~Rhubarb

Edited by Pilgrim, Rhubarb, & Sweet Pea
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Actually it's the other way around.  It's white people who are not welcoming of black people. Ever heard of "white flight"?

Not always. Thirty something years ago, my brother was just discharged from the army and was in financial straights. He figured he'd move with his young family into a Housing Project. That's what they're for, right? After several weeks of notes pinned to the door and anything left on the doorstep being set on fire, he moved them out again. I suppose you could call it white flight...

 

How to explain homogenously hispanic neighborhoods, homogenously Portuguese neighborhoods, homogenously Italian neighborhoods, all about at the same economic level? Why aren't they mixing with each other? Not every racial phenomenon has wicked white people at its roots.

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I think that anytime you feel uncomfortable with a cache it is ok to put it in your log. Just be tasteful at how you mention it. There is a big difference between mentioning a possable problem and complianing about it. I'd mention it... it will help others to determine if they want to go find the cache. The truth about illegal activity in an area shouldn't be ignored.

 

As far as "gay cruising" this is not a something we have to be PC about. This is an illegal activity. Rest areas and parks are not places to meet up and have sex... gay or straight. These are areas meant to be enjoyed by the public and there are laws that apply.

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I am not asking this question to debate this particular behavior but asking if the knowledge of this behavior in a cache area would prompt you to post a note to a cache or email the cache owner to see if they are aware of your findings?

I would appreciate someone posting a note to a cache page mentioning that there is often inappropriate behavior occurring near the cache location. [When i say inappropriate, I mean any one having sex with anyone out in a public place.]

 

I cache with my 2 and 3 year old children. That's just not what I want to expose them to while we're on a fun trip to the park. We're not talking about a sticker with a bear drinking bear, or a Bud Light keychain...

 

This is offensive and potentially dangerous, any warning would be appreciated.

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Would you post a note on a cache about it being located in a published gay cruising area?

 

If you're a homophobe or intolerant, then I'm sure you'll find a reason to mention it, or take pictures, or write down license plate numbers.....

 

Yes, I am intolerant. I can't stand it when grown adults think having sex in a public place is perfectly OK. It isn't. I also think that if someone approached me, uninvited, and inquired about sex, I'd call the law and do whatever I could do peacefully to make this public place an undesirable place for these activities to occur.

 

If the person in question assaulted me, they're going to need a good health insurance plan, one that covers advanced stage lead poisoning.

 

Having an open mind doesn't mean letting your brain fall out.

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if i was in a minority neighborhood that i felt uncomfortable in, yes i would post a note.  i live near a large town in michigan where i cannot walk safely through some minority areas, yet the minority people who walk past my house everyday can do it without fear.

So why is it that you feel "uncomfortable" in minority neighborhoods? :blink: Do you also feel uncomfortable when someone from the minority neighborhood walks past your house? With an attitude like that I hardly think they can walk in your neighborhood without fear. Unbelievable.

well, maybe it's the fact that when i listen to my police scanner there are several street names in minority neighborhoods that are always mentioned when shots are fired. i have even been warned by minority friends to not be in those areas unless they are with me. i live in a mixed area out in the country where anyone can walk down my street and not have a problem.

Don't call them minority neighborhoods....call them high crime areas.

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A half mile away is a homogeneously black neighborhood that I feel distinctly uncomfortable in. If a neighborhood is all one type of people, why is it all one type of people? Chances are, because they aren't welcoming of other types.

 

Actually it's the other way around. It's white people who are not welcoming of black people. Ever heard of "white flight"?

Why don't you give us your definition of "white flight".

 

This should be very interesting.

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snip

I also think that if someone approached me, uninvited, and inquired about sex, I'd call the law and do whatever I could do peacefully to make this public place an undesirable place for these activities to occur.

snip

That happens to women all the time in bars. :blink:

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snip

I also think that if someone approached me, uninvited, and inquired about sex, I'd call the law and do whatever I could do peacefully to make this public place an undesirable place for these activities to occur.

snip

That happens to women all the time in bars. :blink:

What's your point?

 

Are you saying geocaching in a public park with my kids is no different than being in a bar?

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I think that lep was saying that the reason the guy attacked him was because he was gay and wanted to sexually assault him.

 

I don't have very much tolerence for this kind of thing, either. One of my very good male friends was sexually assaulted by another male, and when he tried to defend himself, the guy beat him to death with a baseball bat.

I'm sure you aren't saying it, but it almost sounds like a man sexually assulting another man is worse than a man sexually assulting a woman. As far as I am concerend, assault is assault, no matter who is doing it to whom. Gay, straight ot enuch, doesn't matter. Posting a warning that maybe you shouldn't go there because a guy might get assaulted by someone looking for "sex" is probably about like warning women they might get sexually assaulted alone in a park at night.

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We all perceive things differently. What one neighborhood or one behavior conveys to one person will not be the same to another person. There's always some situation that will make each of us uncomfortable at some point. Just post in your logs your experience whether good or bad and let someone else make up their mind whether it's uncomfortable to them or not.

I posted about a cache that made me uncomfortable. The uneasiness was compounded by the fact that I had my daughter with me at the time. A bunch of homeless people hanging around the area of the cache. And in order to get to the area where we needed to approach the cache, we would have had to go right through the middle of them. I decided not to do that cache that day. But there have been other geocachers go right through there without incident and others who have been approached by the homeless people there.

So go ahead and post your thoughts and feelings about a cache location. Some will take your advice and some will not. Either way, it will at least allow people to keep their guard up and watch their surroundings a little more than they normally would.

 

 

(thinking of buying some pepper spray to keep in my backpack)

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Posting a warning that maybe you shouldn't go there because a guy might get assaulted by someone looking for "sex" is probably about like warning women they might get sexually assaulted alone in a park at night.

Hmm... I don't know exactly what you mean... but most women I know would be at least slightly concerned about being sexually assulted when going alone to a park late at night... but most guys I know would not have that same concern.

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Posting a warning that maybe you shouldn't go there  because a guy might get assaulted by someone looking for "sex" is probably about like  warning women they might get  sexually assaulted alone in a park at night.

Hmm... I don't know exactly what you mean... but most women I know would be at least slightly concerned about being sexually assulted when going alone to a park late at night... but most guys I know would not have that same concern.

Then why warn?

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Posting a warning that maybe you shouldn't go there  because a guy might get assaulted by someone looking for "sex" is probably about like  warning women they might get  sexually assaulted alone in a park at night.

Hmm... I don't know exactly what you mean... but most women I know would be at least slightly concerned about being sexually assulted when going alone to a park late at night... but most guys I know would not have that same concern.

Then why warn?

Maybe warn isn't the best use of a word here. Just tell your honest experiences and describe the things you saw and let others make their own decisions. I wouldn't ever tell anyone that they shouldn't go but I'd be sure and let them know what I experienced and what I think in order to protect them or their family. If they still decide to attempt that cache, that's their perogative.

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A half mile away is a homogeneously black neighborhood that I feel distinctly uncomfortable in. If a neighborhood is all one type of people, why is it all one type of people? Chances are, because they aren't welcoming of other types.

 

Actually it's the other way around. It's white people who are not welcoming of black people. Ever heard of "white flight"?

Why don't you give us your definition of "white flight".

 

This should be very interesting.

It's not my definition it's the definition.

 

Here's one:

 

Main Entry: white flight

Function: noun

: the departure of white families usually from urban neighborhoods undergoing racial integration or from cities implementing school desegregation

 

Here's another:

white flight n. The migration of whites to areas or states that are not racially diverse.

 

And you're right, it is very interesting. But like I said, this is not the place to debate this issue.

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Posting a warning that maybe you shouldn't go there  because a guy might get assaulted by someone looking for "sex" is probably about like  warning women they might get  sexually assaulted alone in a park at night.

Hmm... I don't know exactly what you mean... but most women I know would be at least slightly concerned about being sexually assulted when going alone to a park late at night... but most guys I know would not have that same concern.

Then why warn?

Maybe warn isn't the best use of a word here. Just tell your honest experiences and describe the things you saw and let others make their own decisions. I wouldn't ever tell anyone that they shouldn't go but I'd be sure and let them know what I experienced and what I think in order to protect them or their family. If they still decide to attempt that cache, that's their perogative.

Getting back on topic. That was my point. I won't post a warning or note because I suspect or heard an area might be used for illegal behavior but if I see it (God forbid) then that would certainly effect my overall caching experience and would be written in my log.

 

Example:

"On my way back to the parking log I saw two people getting freaky against a tree. Not sure if this is typical of this area but you might want to reconsider bringing the kids."

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Harrald,

 

I don't believe that I misunderstand the point.

The context of this thread is whether or not it's relevant to post a note stating that a cache resides in a gay cruising area.

I used the reference to lesbians and minorities to draw an analogy to point out one's inconsistancies.

Certainly, I don't condone any illegal activities and would take the necessary actions to avoid or remedy such problems.

 

 

Blazerfan said:

 

As far as "gay cruising" this is not a something we have to be PC about. This is an illegal activity

 

Where is gay cruising illegal?

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i thought the flamingos would be a dead giveaway, but i am a her.

Pink Flamingos rule(s)! :blink:

I was wondering when you would show up in this thread! :lol:;)

What brand of hairspray do you use to keep those horns erect? :lol:

 

Back OT although I posted waay back on page one that it wouldn't kep me from seeking a cache I certainly understand that others may be deterred fom looking for this cache. I agree that posting a note to the page is appropriate in tese situations.

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What brand of hairspray do you use to keep those horns erect?  :blink:

Excellent question. Sometimes I use Cry-Baby, but on some occasions Multiple Maniacs or even Female Trouble, but you probably guessed that already.

 

To contribute to the topic too: I pretty much agree about JMBella's example log in their previous post before this one. Gay activity wouldn't stop me from going to search particular cache. Nor would hetero activity either. But maybe there's someone or someone's kid whose eyes can't take that information, so better mention it in the log. I wouldn't talk about warning, though. I mention about all kinds of other unusual things too I happen to see while caching.

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