Getting Permission

[+firebucket53]

Hello all,

I won’t to hide my first cache. The question that I have is do all of you get permission before hiding you cache (in parks, and other public places) if so what would be the best way to get it.

 

Thanks,

[+sept1c_tank]

Geocaching.com says, "By submitting a cache listing, you assure us that you have adequate permission to hide your cache in the selected location."

 

My opinion on acquiring permission was published in the September issue of Today's Cacher.

[+briansnat]

In parks that have policies requiring permission, you should of course obtain it. Permission is also always required when placing caches on private property. Many people feel however that if the park has no geocaching policy, or permission requirement, then you don't need to ask. Some call it the "Frizbee rule". You don't ask permission to play Frizbee, or use the park for any other legal purpose, so why should geocachers have to beg for permssion?

[+firebucket53]

I know you should but the question is DO you get permission

[+sept1c_tank]

I can honestly say that all my caches have been placed with implied permission (the only cache for which I have ever asked permission was denied by the property owner, and not placed). Bad on me?

[+Gaddiel]

I subscribe to briansnat's philosophy on asking permission. Using this philosopy, and for those caches I feel should have permission, I ALWAYS ask.

[+RichardMoore]

I have noticed that there is sometimes confusion between what is public property and what is private with some public access allowed.

Just as an example, I recently searched for a cache that was hidden in a cemetery. Cemeteries are public property, right? Wrong. Some cemeteries (as this one was) are privately owned. I had a long talk with the maintenance people who had found the cache. After they found it they asked the manager about it, and then turned it over to their security people. Permission had not been given to place the cache, and now permission will never be given, even though there are some parts of the cemetery that are not used yet. That is the word that I got from the employees.

There are also some areas that, although the land is owned by the government, are not accessible to the general public. In local parks it may be a maintenance area or some such. One cache that I was at a while back was on township land, but it had a water pumping station and a natural gas line within a few hundred feet of each other on a small bit of land. Because of the security aspect of it, the township trustees did not want people on the land. They had "No Trespassing" signs up, but those had been stolen. That cache has been removed by the cache owner.

Edited November 12, 2004 by RichardMoore

[CoyoteRed]

I know you should but the question is DO you get permission

In many cases, yes.

 

Sometimes that permission is "we don't want to know about it *wink*wink*" because of liablity issues.

 

We've been fortunate that every other time the request had been met with enthusiasm.

 

We do have a couple out without permission, but I know they gotta know they are out there because the grounds crew cleans up around them! Which is too cool.

 

Then there are some out that we have no idea of they are welcome or not. So far, no problems.

[+The Leprechauns]

CR, did you notice that the original poster is an enthusiastic new geocacher in your state of South Carolina?

 

Which leads me to another tip: join your state or local geocaching group and read their forums/website/Yahoo Group. Local permission issues are often discussed there, or you can ask which parks have permission policies.

 

Another alternative is to write to a recognized geocacher in your state -- like CR in South Carolina. They will likely know the permission landscape and will usually be happy to help you. If you are not sure who to write to, look at the caches that are nearby the place where you're thinking of hiding a cache. If 8 out of the nearest 20 caches are owned by GeocacherXYZ, then write an e-mail to GeocacherXYZ to introduce yourself.

[CoyoteRed]

CR, did you notice that the original poster is an enthusiastic new geocacher in your state of South Carolina?

No, I didn't.

[Mvillian]

i would think you would only need permission in a place where you might be asked "why are you here" hurry and hide some