How Long Have You Had That Travel Bug?

[+Bob Blaylock]

  Every travel bug that I have ever handled is currently listed as being in the possession of the very next person to retrieve it from the cache where I left it.  Part of the perceived fun, in my opinion, of helping a travel bug on its way would be to keep track of its further adventures.  But so far, no fun of that sort.  I've taken four travels bugs, carried each of them hundreds of miles, and dropped each off in a cache.  Shortly thereafter, each one has been taken by someone else, who still has it.

 

  It's too soon to complain about the most recent one.  I just dropped Bearly Legal off less than a week ago, and it was picked up the following day.

 

  Johnathon's USA Geocoin has been in thie hands of Sanruft for over a month now.  Sanruft, it's time to send this bug on its way.

 

  Shrek has been in the hands of ogibendogie since June 20th.  Ogiebendogie, it's time to send Shrek on his way.

 

  And High Flyin' Kiowa has been in the hands of prizman since June 22nd.

[+Larry.s]

I picked one up a week ago today. I really wanted to place it again ASAP but work has kept me busy and it's been raining when I haven't been working. Sometimes real life gets in the way of the best intentions. I will certainly get it dropped within the next two days though. I'm off until Wed evening and the rain shold be gone by tomorrow.

A month does seem to be a bit long to be holding one unless it was picked up on an extended vacation or unknown circumstances popped up.

[WolfWalker]

Hi Bob. I understand the frustration of not seeing bugs move through caches, but sometimes there are reasons for that. Perhaps the bug holder is limited to their caching abilities, i.e., weather not permitting, physical limitations, or prior commitments. I myself have been known to hold bugs when I can't find the time to put them back out, or the bugs have already been in so many local caches I'll often times hold them until I can get out of town to place them in a distant cache. I personally get upset whenever I've held a bug "too" long, but I do want to get the bug back out according to it's mission, not just plop it back within any cache. I do try to keep in touch with the bug owner though, just so that they're aware of the situation, and if they ask me to "just get the bug out" I do as they wish. When I'm not on vacation I may only be able to get out once a month or so caching because I have family commitments. Perhaps a friendly email will get better results than just a general comment in the forums.

 

Happy caching!

WolfWalker & CatDancing (via telephone)

[+Cycling Cacher]

I heartily agree that by taking a TB from a cache, one implicitly agrees to find a new cache for it in a reasonably short period of time. However, I recently came across an exception that had amazing consequences. My family was about to vacation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior, and my zip code search turned up a number of caches to visit - one, right on the lake shore, was particularly appealing. I visited the cache on July 27th and it contained a TB that had been placed there on July 17th. The placer had held the TB since May 1st, and should have relocated it long before my visit. Interestingly, this particular cache was only created on June 6th. When I read the desires of this TB, it wanted to get to San Francisco [where I work!]. Yesterday, I placed it in an SFO East Bay cache within striking distance of its objective. Had the previous holder acted promptly, I would not have been able to help this little TB!

[+baloo&bd]

Another thing to consider is the caches in the geographical area where it is picked up. I don't have that many finds, but have had occasions where it has taken me sometime to find something other than a micro locally. I can't imagine what is is like for those with 1500 or more finds to be able to move it quickly.

[+Nero]

I would have to agree, the goal of a bug or coin is to travel. they should not be taken out oif circulation for more than a month. I could only understand this if its an unusually large item attached to a tag.

 

however being the owner of Johnathon's geocoin mentioned above, i would like to see it move on its way, but i can be patient. maybe this person is on vacation and unable to log it for now.

[+planetrobert]

I could only understand this if its an unusually large item attached to a tag.

a month is a long while although it isn't excessive either. best not to post cachers names in the forums as this could cause them to get iritated with you and take it out on your bug. 2 months, yeah id get worried. 3 months id send an email, 4 months id consider it lost and get over it. hopefully it would reappear.

 

hehe big?

[+Snoogans]

Hi B.B.

 

While I understand (and share) your enthusiasm for TBs, I believe this thread to be in bad form. You presume to to order people to move bugs that ARE NOT EVEN YOURS.

 

You do not even own (or have activated) a single TB as of now.

 

The bugs you mention are owned by Tree Toad, BD Chris, RealOne, & Caughron respectivly.

 

Did they ask you to speak and point the finger of shame on their behalf?

 

I would be highly miffed if you had chosen to point fingers at another user on behalf of one of my 113 travel bugs.

 

Good luck with your OWN travel bugs in the future. Having personal standards is great as long as we do not presume to project them upon others. If you stick to your own standards, you will become well thought of as a TB mover and an example to others.

 

Please remember that a TB has a life of its own. It is unrealistic to expect others to act as you would in their place. It's not even worth the effort to have those feelings about your OWN bugs.

 

[+Sanruft]

   

  Johnathon's USA Geocoin has been in thie hands of Sanruft for over a month now.  Sanruft, it's time to send this bug on its way.

As someone who is a VERY responsible cacher, practicing my CITO duties at every location that requires it and emails anyone who OWNS the travel bug in my possession of my intentions (should I be planning on keeping it longer than usual)...I say mind your own business.

 

I was looking at your profile and noticed that you are not the most popular cacher out there. If you are indeed so unhappy with this game (and as a person in general) perhaps you should ask yourself why you are continuing with this hobby...

 

I have been a positive contributor to this program since the moment I found out about it. I am QUITE sure that you cannot claim the same thing. The fact that your ignorance is posted for everyone to see is evidence of this.

 

Stick to things you KNOW about...

Edited August 10, 2004 by Sanruft

[+Nappy10]

Although I agree holding a travel item in excess of a month is a bit lengthly, one must recognize that not everyone has a "carefree" geocaching life. I would encourage others to think about their commitments before picking up a bug, but things do occur that prevent that. Work, family difficulty, personal issues, time constraints, and money contstraints all dictate a persons ability to preform as a geocacher.

 

A month may seem a world of time to one cacher, but to someone who casually enjoys caching, its not that long. Geocaching is a game and travel bugs have a life of their own.

Edited August 10, 2004 by Nappy10

[+Sanruft]

While I agree that ONE of the goals to a travel bug is to travel, another goal is usually attached to the bug itself. In all cases where the bug is going to be held in excess of one month or more, I ALWAYS give the travel bug owner the opportunity to choose a rapid replacement or closer to the "actual" goal. An example is one I currently have in my possession...It's goal is to travel to England and Germany. It has been around a long time and has never been to either place. It will be up to three months before I will be arriving there, so I emailed the owner with my schedule to give them the opportunity to choose. They were very excited about the fact that it would be arriving in Europe and absolutly wanted me to hang on to it until then. The same thing happened recently with one for New York. By the way, not all travel bug owners respond to the emails.

 

Someone has had mine for almost 6 months, but the person that has it in his possession has asked me for my choice as well. Again, just pointing out that there is more than one goal to most travel bugs.

 

I am more than a casual cacher, but not somebody that caches daily. I have almost 400 caches since first learning of this in October of 2003. I may hit 500 before my first year. Most travel bugs are placed very quickly unless I am going to help achive it's ultimate goal ~ Then it's up to the owner to decide.

 

Caching is very fun if it's taken for what it is...A game.

[+Planet]

I've had a bug on my list for a long time. I rescued it from under a huge planter. it was broken, then I lost it in my house somewhere. I've apologized and let the owner know. They have not gotten back to me. Some day I WILL find it and fix and send it on its way and they will be happy once again.

Edited August 10, 2004 by Planet

[+Eartha]

People,

Don't make me come in here! Let's please keep it civil. A month is not long at all in the grand scheme of things. Cachers pick them up and drop them off when they go caching, and not everyone has the luxury of caching every week. Or even a couple of times a month. Most folks have responsibilities that don't allow them to. I'm sure Bob Blaylock thought he was doing a good thing by bringing it up. Let's not jump on his case. Bob, just have patience, they will move in good time.

 

Please remember the forum guidelines when posting.

Respect: Respect the guidelines for forum usage, and site usage. Respect Groundspeak, its employees, volunteers, yourself, fellow community members, and guests on these boards. Whether a community member has one post or 5,000 posts, they deserve the same respect.

Personal Attacks and Flames will not be tolerated. If you want to praise or criticize, give examples as to why it is good or bad, general attacks on a person or idea will not be tolerated.

 

I will now return you back to our regularly scheduled program.

[+JeePSer]

Bob I find it very interesting that you started a thread about people holding on to TBs too long. The first one you had listed (Bearly Legal) was in your possesion from 7/1/04 to 8/1/04.

 

Reminds me about a story concerning a Goose and a Gander.

[+Bob Blaylock]

I was looking at your profile and noticed that you are not the most popular cacher out there. If you are indeed so unhappy with this game (and as a person in general) perhaps you should ask yourself why you are continuing with this hobby...

• I don't see how you get “popularity” out of my profile, or anyone else's.  That doesn't seem to be one of the listed statistics.
  
• I didn't realize that the point of Geocaching was to become “popular”.
  

[+Bob Blaylock]

Bob I find it very interesting that you started a thread about people holding on to TBs too long. The first one you had listed (Bearly Legal) was in your possesion from 7/1/04 to 8/1/04.

 

Reminds me about a story concerning a Goose and a Gander.

  My gripe is that I want to read about further adventures that these bugs have after I've sent them on my way.  Yes, I did hang on to Bearly Legal for a month, but during that month, I was taking it on the kind of adventures that it was meant — according to my understanding of its owners wishes — to have, and documenting these adventures on this site.

 

  I guess my gripe isn't really so much that these bugs are still in the hands of the same people who've each had them for over a month, but that these bugs aren't having any documented adventures for me to read about.

[+Snoogans]

My gripe is that I want <snip>

  

 

I guess my gripe isn't really so much that these bugs are still in the hands of the same people who've each had them for over a month, but that these bugs aren't having any documented adventures for me to read about.

Why?

 

Why? Why? WHY?????? (Why am I hearing thousands of cuckoo clocks all chiming at once?)

 

Bob, they are NOT YOURS to gripe about. A travel bug is personal property that has been placed in public trust.

 

Are you/can you be CERTAIN that these bugs are not being treated well? Ummmmm, nope.

 

You live in a beautiful place Bob. I know because I was born there while my dad was launching rockets at "Vandyland" back in the 60's.

 

Get in your car and drive down to Jalama Beach, or Surf, or better yet, hike/mountain bike over to Point Sal. (My favorite spot.) Sit and listen to the ocean and clear your head of this nonsense. Travel bugs are only THINGS and not worthy of a negative emotion.

 

Hide a cache on Point Sal, right on the ridge line. People will rave (Trust me on this.) about it and you will have some much needed positive input from geocaching.

 

[+jeeplife]

Some really good points were brought up, but even though they are THINGS, there are also Jeep Travel Bugs. Now these THINGS have the potential (1:4001) to get you a brand new THING that can take you to all sorts of new adventures.

 

Holding on to a Jeep TB is kind of pointless and more annoying for people watching a particular Jeep TB are the "touch and gos" where someone logs that they have placed it in a cache only to post minutes/hours later that the same individual picked it up. Very frustrating if you live locally to the drop off location and are heading out the door only to see the new note that it was recovered by the same person later.

example:

Jeep 4x4 #3850

 

Overall it does boil down to being a game, not worthy of too much emotions (guess the GC logo tattoo is out, maybe I'll stick to the face painting).

 

Happy trails.

[+jeeplife]

oops, my stats were off looks like the 1:4001 chance is wrong. Out of the possible 1200 winning/nominated essays/pictures total you have the potential of getting 1 photo and 1 essay per period for a total of 12 entries (if you got a picture and essay in the top 100 each period.) So theroetically a 12:1200 chance! WOW!

[+Phone guy]

My gripe is that I want <snip>

 

 

I guess my gripe isn't really so much that these bugs are still in the hands of the same people who've each had them for over a month, but that these bugs aren't having any documented adventures for me to read about.

Why?

 

Why? Why? WHY?????? (Why am I hearing thousands of cuckoo clocks all chiming at once?)

 

Bob, they are NOT YOURS to gripe about. A travel bug is personal property that has been placed in public trust.

 

Are you/can you be CERTAIN that these bugs are not being treated well? Ummmmm, nope.

 

You live in a beautiful place Bob. I know because I was born there while my dad was launching rockets at "Vandyland" back in the 60's.

 

Get in your car and drive down to Jalama Beach, or Surf, or better yet, hike/mountain bike over to Point Sal. (My favorite spot.) Sit and listen to the ocean and clear your head of this nonsense. Travel bugs are only THINGS and not worthy of a negative emotion.

 

Hide a cache on Point Sal, right on the ridge line. People will rave (Trust me on this.) about it and you will have some much needed positive input from geocaching.

 

Snoogans, You have an attitude problem! So they want to follow a TB what is it to you?

I will quote you from another post:

 

"Touché and well spoken. You are quite right. (for the most part)

 

I have been in a bit of a mood haven't I? I shall vow to endeavor to persevere.

 

I'm pretty sure I'll go off about this issue again sometime, but I will try to remember your wisdom."

[+Phone guy]

Some really good points were brought up, but even though they are THINGS, there are also Jeep Travel Bugs. Now these THINGS have the potential (1:4001) to get you a brand new THING that can take you to all sorts of new adventures.

 

Holding on to a Jeep TB is kind of pointless and more annoying for people watching a particular Jeep TB are the "touch and gos" where someone logs that they have placed it in a cache only to post minutes/hours later that the same individual picked it up. Very frustrating if you live locally to the drop off location and are heading out the door only to see the new note that it was recovered by the same person later.

example:

Jeep 4x4 #3850

 

Overall it does boil down to being a game, not worthy of too much emotions (guess the GC logo tattoo is out, maybe I'll stick to the face painting).

 

Happy trails.

This link mentions what you are talking about. Some people "drop and retrieve" a TB and it never leaves their hand. I guess it makes them feel better.

Fake numbers

[+Snoogans]

Snoogans, You have an attitude problem!

 

So they want to follow a TB what is it to you?

Hmmmmm.....

 

Average the last few harsh remarks I've made on this subject against the other 2,650+ posts that I have here and your label kinda slides off the container there crusher.

 

It's just a pet peeve to me. I understand it for what it is and I usually don't go there. Sometimes I just don't care how I come off and I hafta speak my mind. I will continue to speak my mind on this issue when I'm compelled to. It's crazyness to try to exercise control over your own bugs much less someone else's. Again, if it was one of my bugs, I'd be miffed.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.