About Geomugglers

[twillt]

I just started caching a few weeks ago after I got a gps for Christmas and found this web sight. I’ve read some of the faq’s and I’ve got a good understanding of what’s going on. I even know about mugglers. But today I encountered a situation and I just wondered how someone else would have handled it…

 

Today while looking for a cache that was near a public road not far from a residential area, two kids on bicycles happened to notice me and my gps. Being kids (about 8-12yrs old), they came up to me and started with 20 question.. (whatcha doing, what’s that….ect). Here was my dilemma… My first thought was to introduce them to the wonderful world of geocaching. I could have told them how fun it was or tried to explain the since of accomplishment one gets from finding a cache. I could have tried to explain the excitement of opening a large cache to see what’s in it or the beautiful sights that are sometimes seen while look for a cache. I could have told them I was looking for one in the area and then invited them to help me look for it. But then my second thought was that these kids would not appreciate caching and that if I told then I was looking for one in the area, they would probably have waited until I left to come back and look for it themselves. Who knows what they would have done with the cache. So instead, I told them I was just logging in the coordnances on my gps for a survey.

 

I guess my question is this, has anyone had to deal with noncachers asking them a bunch of questions and if so, how did you handle it, what did you say…? Or better yet, does anybody have any good lies they told people when asked what they are doing??

[+briansnat]

I guess my question is this, has anyone had to deal with noncachers asking them a bunch of questions and if so, how did you handle it, what did you say…? Or better yet, does anybody have any good lies they told people when asked what they are doing??

 

If its a dad and his family I may let them in on what I'm doing. A couple of teens on bikes will probably cause me to make something up. Of course all teens aren't up to no good and all familes aren't decent folk, so I just trust my instincts.

 

I recall logging into a cach in a swampy area and being approached by a guy who seemed overly interested in what I was doing. He asked me if I was doing a study. I said "yes I am" and picked up the cache and walked a distance away to wait for him to leave.

 

Instead he followed me and started questioning me about the types of fish and aquatic life in the swamp. I went into a spiel about dissolved oxygen levels and water temperature making the water uninhabitable for piscine life and started going on about tadpoles, types of snakes, frogs etc... using every big, or scientific word I could think of. It had its desired effect, because the guy's eyes started to glaze over and he said "I was just wondering if I should bring my fishing rod here" and beat a hasty retreat. Mission accomplished! Truth is that I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

[gridlox]

Truth is that I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

Shoot!! I'm like that on a normal day!!

 

I've several of these printed and stuck in my backpack for the times that I want to let people know about what GCing is all about.

 

"Let's Go Geocaching!" Brochure

 

Just yank one out and give it to them, while giving them the highlights.

 

When my daughter went back to school after the X-mas break they had to stand and give an oral report in her English class about what they did over the break.

 

Whe she told them she went Geocaching, they all went "Huh?"

 

She came home and told me what had happened and I printed her up a few copies to take back with her the next day to show the class.

 

A couple of days later, a couple of the boys came up to her and told her how cool that was and they were going to get their parents to by a GPSr so they could go out and hunt, too.

 

Now this brings me to a new problem...

When she told me about them telling her that, she asked "Dad, the next time we go, can Ethan go with us?"

She's 13... Asking if a "BOY" can go with us!!!....(And with fluttering eyes at that!!)

"Uh... Uh... We'll... Uh... We'll see!?!"

 

I think that maybe him going is a good idea!!

Anybody know of some deep woods caches in the South!!

Since I've got the GPSr unit, let's see how well he can find his way out!!

 

Seriously, the brochures are a good idea when trying to explain what GCing is about.

We can tell them, but to someone that has no knowledge of the equipment and purpose of the game, it's just all gooble-ly-gook to them.

It gives a visual to the explaination.

 

D-man

[+robert]

You were right to react the way you did. Also take Brian's suggestion--if they're with their parents, go ahead and explain, since like you said, the kids are likely to come back and mess with the cache. Gridlox had a great suggestion too, keeping copies of the brochure in your pack.

 

Looks like you got a lot of great advice in just a few posts.

[Smaug1]

I have to agree. If it's kids or teens without parents, lie. I know what I was like and if you trust them and let them in on it, they will ruin it. I would have done it as a teen, even though I'm a responsible adult now.

 

I have an acquaintance who when confronted by a muggle (not muggler) lifts the GPS up to her ear and pretends it's a cell phone and she's having reception problems!

 

Of course if you're planting a cache, the ammo can is harder to explain than empty hands.

 

That brochure that gridlox linked to is great. I just printed a few copies last night.

[+BilboB]

This is my log for Take it Back

 

July 9, 2004 by BilboB (193 found)

 

The World's Easiest Cache Find Ever Recorded (and funniest).

I work on state Active Duty for the Vermont Army National Guard and sometimes search for caches while in uniform (I just cant help it). Going up to work at Camp Johnson in Colchester on Friday, I figured I would stop by and get a "find" for both the nearby BM and the cache. I drive by it every day, but just couldnt stop for one reason or another. Today was the day though. Not many cars, so I start the walk up the trails to get the BM first. While climbing up, someone was coming down the trail (at about 0800hrs).

 

By the way, I stumbled across the "mother-lode" of off-lable activities further up also.

 

I searched half-heartedly for the BM to no avail, and as I was coming back down, the gentlemen whom I saw earlier (looking just a little scared) was walking briskly back up the trail towards me. "I found something...something military. I dont know what it is, but I did not want to go near it." Dont forget I was in uniform with my GPSr and I knew at once that he found the cache and I would get credit for the easiet find ever recorded. "Show me," I said. He lead me right to it but would not go near it.

 

I couldnt play the game any longer so I explained to him what he found. His look went from frantic to complete embarrassment in about 2 seconds. He actually thought it was a Al-Queda bomb plot and I was in the woods looking to uncover the ammo can. Uh no, sounds good, but not the case. He thanked me for all the hard work we in uniform do, quickly, and I mean quickly left and drove away. I recovered the cache (might want to move it). TNLNSL.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Muggles are best deep fried, with a side of slaw.

[+Renegade Knight]

If I'm busted by adults I'll tell them the truth. I may still leave the area without looking for the cache.

 

If my kid radar has tuned me in to kids approaching I'll flat out leave which saves me the trouble of having to even talk to them. Kids see everthing, including through lies.

[JeepNQuad]

I hate when that happen's! I only tell peaple who I know wont understand me in the first place! lol, they just kinda go ummm and walk away.......

[+Papa Bill]

Muggles are best deep fried, with a side of slaw.

And a cold beer.

[+not2shabby]

The muggle encounter that has happened to me several times is someone stopping to see if I am having trouble. Well, usually I am, but of my own choosing. I am quite sure they think I am up to no good.

[+souperteam]

We went out yesterday and I put S in her Brownie vest and we told a couple of people that we were working on a new Orienteering Try-It. LOL! It worked. Just hope we don't run into some other scouts that ask for more info on the new badge.

[+Thot]

If its a dad and his family I may let them in on what I'm doing. A couple of teens on bikes will probably cause me to make something up. Of course all teens aren't up to no good and all familes aren't decent folk, so I just trust my instincts.

Ditto

[JohnX]

How about:

 

The National Science Foundation reported a radioactive meteorite landed somewhere near here and I am trying to find it before someone picks it up and gets radiation poisoning.

 

This works better if you look like a Mr. Science geek and say it with a straight face. Of couse it's really not fair to scare the Muggles.

[+Sputnik 57]

I hear some cachers where an orange vest and carry a clip board (and maybe even a hard hat). Everyone assumes someone dressed like this is official and knows what they are doing, so they are pretty much left alone.

 

A local cacher claims that he had to light up a big cheroot to clear out a rug-rat infestation at a nearby park before he could search for the cache.

[+Tonsil]

If a muggle sees me I use chloroform, then dump 'em in the nearest fast food playground ball pit.

[+saguaroastro]

I went into a spiel about dissolved oxygen levels and water temperature making the water uninhabitable for piscine life and started going on about tadpoles, types of snakes, frogs etc... using every big, or scientific word I could think of. It had its desired effect, because the guy's eyes started to glaze over and he said "I was just wondering if I should bring my fishing rod here" and beat a hasty retreat. Mission accomplished! Truth is that I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, Baffle them with Bulls___ .

 

Rick

Team SaguaroAstro

[+Night Stalker]

I remember looking for a cache with Renegade Knight. When we arrived at the site there was a gentleman sitting on a log who said a lot of people had looked for this particular cache but he had no idea where it was. While we were talking to him we looked around a bit and noticed that the cache was under the log he was sitting on. This may not have been the easiest find, but it was certainly not the hardest either.