Responsibilities

[Mushtang]

I recently found a cache amidst "No Trespassing" signs and was stopped by an employee of the company who's property the cache was on (after i'd signed it) and was told to leave.

 

I reported this on the cache page and the owner decided instead of archiving it he'd just warn people to hunt on evenings and weekends.

 

Sometimes people amaze me.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

I would think that if a cache owner was aware of a danger or property issue at the time of placing a cache they may be in for more than they bargained for. Intentionally leading someone to tresspass or into a danger that you know about is not only morally abhorant, but also possibly illegal?

 

If someone comes across a sign that says "No Tresspassing" I think what the owner of the land is trying to convey is: Don't Tresspass. Of course, sometimes in public lands, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing! I've placed several caches on the site of an academic institution's grounds. Before I did this, I got written confirmation from the facilities Manager and have kept this written confirmation on file (I also mentioned it to the cache reviewer). This way, if someone is arrested or challenged, I can help them out by providing the auhorization form that was given to me.

 

Although this has been a heated topic and some tit-for-tat stuff has been flying around, I do appreciate the chance to discuss the topic. It has made me decide on a new cache proceedure for all my future caches (and the old ones too).

 

1) I will place my cache and decribe the intended audience in the listing (children, mountain climbers, mountain bikers, etc)

2) I will warn of all dangers I am aware of -- and will not place in an area that can cause harm to others.

3) If I place the cache on private land, I will get permission (IN WRITING) and place a copy of this permission IN THE CACHE. This way, if someone get "caught" they can cite and provide proof that they are permitted to cache in the area. Barring this, they can contact me and I can fax, e-mail, or otherwise provide proof. I will also note that I have obtained this permission in the reviewers notes.

4) If a cache is placed in an area that later proves to be dangerous, environmentally sensitive, or has permission revoked by the land owner, I will archive and move the cache as soon as possible.

 

I think that over-all, adopting policies such as these will help build the hobby and make it acceptable to others. If we abuse the rights and property of others in our hobby, we may find ourselves in danger of becoming outlawed in some areas. Mountain Bikes face similar challenges in gaining access to many back-country trails. I've been blocked from area that I wish to ride through because other bikers have built stunt jumps, log trails, and other man-made objects.

 

As for the Groundspeak crew archiving a cache without the permission of the owner -- I have NO problem with that. The website belongs to Groundspeak and they may be at legal risk themselves if they *promote* tresspass or other illegal activity when they have been made aware of it. If they recieve notice in any way that something *might* be illegal or dangerous, they should err on the side of caution, archive the cache, contact the owner (who should be able to provide written confirmaton of permission) and then re-instate the cache when they are confident that this permission is valid or the danger has been removed. IMHO, of course.

 

All of this could have been avoided from what I see if there was a simple e-mail or paper on file that said "you can place a cache here and people can come visit it at night when the park is closed" the name of the person providing this permission would then act as a first contact if someone disputed the claim. (like the police!)

[+Doggiewoggie]

If your experience was negative, and if you think there are issues with the cache, I don't see why you can't politely point it out in the log. After all, other cachers scrutinize the logs to see whether they're lame or not--and I always appreciate an honest log that will steer me clear of a cache that's not my style. Cache owners should not expect back-pats from everyone, or for every cache they place--because no cache can be all things to all people. Oh, and I don't think Mopar and GeoHo's logs were out of line--they brought up some issues that I would want to know about before attempting that cache... their responsibility isn't to make the hider "feel good", but to accurately log their experience and concerns so the rest of us know what we're getting ourselves into.

[CoyoteRed]

Maybe so, but there is such a thing called, "tact."

 

Besides, considering those who did find it, liked it--or at least they said they liked it.

[+mtn-man]

Oh well. This one continues to stray.

It is now closed.