+fly46 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Here's the cache page Anyway, as I was arriving, Facedances was leaving... Got a message when I got home that he saw me carrying my bright yellow GPS, but wasn't sure it was a cacher (umm.. what else would someone be doing in a park with a brand new cache to find) so he didn't say anything... How about "whatcha doin with your GPS" or "I see you have a Garmin, I use a magellan" Then the note went on to say that next time I should wear a GC shirt so he's sure. LOL. Come on Cachers, if you think you've seen another one of us, say hello! Quote Link to comment
+hedberg Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Just a couple of days ago did some Swedish cachers accidently bump into each other. One of them had just logged and were leaving the area when I saw next cacher entering the area. So he went to them and whispered over their shoulder "I know what you are doing" I think they got scared Quote Link to comment
+Spencersb Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 I've only run into another cacher twice. The funny one was a cache about 70 miles from me that sat there with no finders for 4 days, then I beat another guy to it by 5 minutes! The other time, I'm looking around in the park and I see this guy and his little boy headed my way. Great! So i'm trying to look normal (a stretch anytime) until they leave...and the guy walks right up to me! He says "Did you find it?" I almost said "Am I that obvious?" So we chat for a bit, really nice guy, and it turns out we have a scouting connection. I enjoy meeting other cachers, but I kinda feel like, if they are sure enough that I'm geocaching to walk up and ask me, then I must not be as inconspicuous and I'm trying to be. Quote Link to comment
+fly46 Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 and the guy walks right up to me! He says "Did you find it?" I almost said "Am I that obvious?" So we chat for a bit, really nice guy, and it turns out we have a scouting connection. ROTFLMAO. Well, you should have seen me at the cache mentioned above.. I was dressed in bright yellow, and yeah... I was that obvious.... It's like... after a while you just get so frustrated at not being able to find a cache that you don't care who or what is watching anymore. Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Here's the cache page Anyway, as I was arriving, Facedances was leaving... Got a message when I got home that he saw me carrying my bright yellow GPS, but wasn't sure it was a cacher (umm.. what else would someone be doing in a park with a brand new cache to find) so he didn't say anything... How about "whatcha doin with your GPS" or "I see you have a Garmin, I use a magellan" Then the note went on to say that next time I should wear a GC shirt so he's sure. LOL. Come on Cachers, if you think you've seen another one of us, say hello! Didn't you see them in the other caching shirt waving that travel bug at you??? Quote Link to comment
+globalgirl Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Interesting topic - as a noobie, it occurs to me... Might be nice to have a subtle gc gesture, something universal so that we can "test" the waters when we see someone on the trail (i.e. something a tad more discrete than "Did you find it?" Might be something as simple as "Howdy" (though that does run the risk of folks who actually go around saying "howdy" to every blessed person they run into). O.k. so nix the howdy, how 'bout... Perhaps better, a subtle gesture like - rub left elbow, or pull right ear. Yes, yes, I know someone here will no doubt suggest pick one's nose, but - hey, seriously. Wouldn't it be handy if we could all agree on some subtle gesture to recognize non-muggles on the trail? Quote Link to comment
+Sparrowhawk Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 (edited) Might be nice to have a subtle gc gesture, something universal so that we can "test" the waters when we see someone on the trail (i.e. something a tad more discrete than "Did you find it?" Wouldn't it be handy if we could all agree on some subtle gesture to recognize non-muggles on the trail? Hmmmm... I got one! I got one! Take your hand, close all your fingers except index and thumb. Stick out index and thumb as much as possible. Place thumb on cheek, pointing index finger out from underneath chin. Gee, I wonder what THAT looks like! Recently I went to visit another geocacher who didn't know me, and I stood in her doorway grinning and holding my face like that, and she cracked up at the instant fellow-cacher recognition and let me in. Edited August 19, 2004 by Sparrowhawk Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 On the other hand, I've approached people at least three times who were "obviously" looking for a cache -- at least one had a GPS -- and they all turned out to be non-cachers whom I left confused and frightened. Quote Link to comment
+marmetion Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Interesting topic - as a noobie, it occurs to me... Might be nice to have a subtle gc gesture, something universal so that we can "test" the waters when we see someone on the trail (i.e. something a tad more discrete than "Did you find it?" Might be something as simple as "Howdy" (though that does run the risk of folks who actually go around saying "howdy" to every blessed person they run into). O.k. so nix the howdy, how 'bout... Perhaps better, a subtle gesture like - rub left elbow, or pull right ear. Yes, yes, I know someone here will no doubt suggest pick one's nose, but - hey, seriously. Wouldn't it be handy if we could all agree on some subtle gesture to recognize non-muggles on the trail? Now don't get me wrong, but.... If you cant tell the other cacher by..... his/her buddy reading off a paper saying, "but the clue says...." his/her consistant looking at his/her phone, walking a litle bit, then looking at his/her phone again...Without saying "can you here me now?" the same shoe string coming untied every 30 seconds, causing him/her to get down on one knee and retieing it over and over again, while he/her keeps looking under things he/she is carring a big stick, and using it to move bushes, rocks, tree bark, ..... him/her looking at the phone again, but this time talking to themselves saying, "IT has to be RIGHT here" you need to do a little more people watching, and less forum watchin.... but then again you could just do as sparrowhawk said "Take your hand, close all your fingers except index and thumb. Stick out index and thumb as much as possible. Place thumb on cheek, pointing index finger out from underneath chin. " Quote Link to comment
+n5psp Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Had the closest near-meeting back in January when I missed Dreamcacher by maybe 5 minutes at this one . Scroll down to the log for January 29th. Quote Link to comment
+Sputnik 57 Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Might be nice to have a subtle gc gesture, something universal so that we can "test" the waters when we see someone on the trail Don't you think the polite thing to do would be to let globalgirl in on your joke? As similar threads will tell you, it will help you identify the 3 or 4% of cachers that browse the forums regularly, but other people may not get it. Quote Link to comment
+CubDenMom Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Well, I got the not-so-great side of the 'are they a cacher' thing today.. I was hunting a multi, with a very misbehaving GPSr today, and came upon what I thought was going to be the cache site---near a river, in an area with some huge deadfall. As I came around the back of a huge tree, I was someone crouched down in the middle of the deadwood area, appearing to be looking intently down in their lap. Thinking them to be a cacher, I decided to be poilte and wait till I thought they were done finding/logging, then thought I might say Hi. Well, as they started to leave the area (which I might add was a very short distance from the edge of the forest area, by a street), I called out to them "Are you a cacher?". Well, after I established that we indeed had a language barrier, and that he was most likely not a cacher, I said a far off 'have a good day', and walked decidedly further away to wait till he truly left the area, (planning an escape route across the shallow river if need be!). So, I go to what I hoped to be the cache site where he had been crouching, and all I'll say is that he was partaking of a very different 'hobby' in the woods there with some interesting reading material left tucked in a log..... Ugh!!! That GPSr is going on eBay tomorrow! Quote Link to comment
+CubDenMom Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 ...And before anyone thinks I was serious, it was just the excuse I needed to pitch my current GPSr and go for something better--it just makes for a good story on why I'm dumping the non-working one! And on the 'Incidental Meetup" topic, what really got me about today's experience was that twice before I have passed cachers near a cache, and been too shy (?) to speak up, so when I saw that guy near the site, my impulse was to disappear until he was away, but I decided 'no, THIS time I'm saying hello for once!". Ouch... Hehehe Quote Link to comment
+fly46 Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 Might be nice to have a subtle gc gesture, something universal so that we can "test" the waters when we see someone on the trail (i.e. something a tad more discrete than "Did you find it?" Wouldn't it be handy if we could all agree on some subtle gesture to recognize non-muggles on the trail? Hmmmm... I got one! I got one! Take your hand, close all your fingers except index and thumb. Stick out index and thumb as much as possible. Place thumb on cheek, pointing index finger out from underneath chin. Gee, I wonder what THAT looks like! Recently I went to visit another geocacher who didn't know me, and I stood in her doorway grinning and holding my face like that, and she cracked up at the instant fellow-cacher recognition and let me in. Okay, so I'm falling asleep at the computer but just 'had to' check the GC board before I fell asleep on the keyboard and/or drug myself upstairs to bed... Do you know how LONG it took me to figure out what gesture you meant? JEREMY, CHANGE YOUR PIC BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE!!! Quote Link to comment
+DavisFamily Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Recently I ran into 4 fellow cachers hunting for stage 1 of a 2 part. As I walked up, I asked the woman, "Did you lose a film cannister?" She smiled and asked "You too?" I figured if that wasn't what they were doing, she'd just look puzzled but I wouldn't have been too obvious. Quote Link to comment
+Spencersb Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 As I walked up, I asked the woman, "Did you lose a film cannister?" I like this one...subtle...could be appropriate even if they are not geocachers...but if I run into someone who has lost a 50 cal ammo can, and they were NOT geocaching... :blink: Quote Link to comment
+joefrog Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I've snuck up on many a geocacher... some intentionally, some not. I've caught other cachers having a whiz. Caught them searching. Caught them signing. Caught them enough times I've started to have fun with it. If I catch a cacher I know with his hand in the cookie jar, I sneak up behind them and shout "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" A well-thrown rubber snake makes for a pretty good cardiac test, too. Quote Link to comment
+Sparrowhawk Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 (edited) The pic that started it all... Edited August 20, 2004 by Sparrowhawk Quote Link to comment
+yogiabb Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 The few geocachers I've run into (that I could tell anyway) wore the photographers vests with all sorts of stuff hanging off of it, cell phones, digital cameras and such. If you are a nerd its just hard to hide it. Quote Link to comment
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