+The Callaway Cadets Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 (edited) I have pretendend that my GPS is a cell phone and walked around looking for the cache saying, "Can you here me now?", "Good." Edited February 25, 2005 by The Callaway Cadets Quote Link to comment
+OzarksJim Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 I do this all the time. It's one of the best ways to fool muggles. If you want to really have some fun, start having a very loud "argument". Quote Link to comment
+Bob Blaylock Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 One time, when my wife and I were out caching, we spotted a couple who we suspected of being cachers as well. What seemed to me to be a “dead givaway” was when the female part of the other couple held an object that was very obviously a GPS up and started talking into it as if it was a cell phone. I suppose this ruse might be useful for fooling muggles who are sufficiently ignorant as to not be able to tell the difference; but to me, and my wife, it was very clearly obvious that the “cell phone” was a GPS. Quote Link to comment
cacheman22 Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 If you want to use the GPS while being watched pretend you are trying to dial a number on the cell phone but you don't have your glasses. Squint your eyes and hold it at arms length. You can then use the handy arrow that points directly to the cache and tells you exactly how far away it is. Quote Link to comment
+Team9/11 Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 That is funy! My first GPS was a cell phone Treo 600 had mapping software! Guess I could have fooled them! Quote Link to comment
+DashHammer Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 One time, when my wife and I were out caching, we spotted a couple who we suspected of being cachers as well. What seemed to me to be a “dead givaway” was when the female part of the other couple held an object that was very obviously a GPS up and started talking into it as if it was a cell phone. I suppose this ruse might be useful for fooling muggles who are sufficiently ignorant as to not be able to tell the difference; but to me, and my wife, it was very clearly obvious that the “cell phone” was a GPS. So true..... I like catching cachers doing this.... click here for a amusing log entry. Alan Quote Link to comment
+Joe Smith Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Often when I am looking for the portable phone in the dark i'll grab the first thing that's on the bedstand. A few weeks ago I picked up the gps the same time whoever called hung up. The result wat about 30 seconds of me telling my gps to speak up Joe Smith Quote Link to comment
+sledgehampster Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Slightly off topic but when in a parking lot looking for a micro try this. Pull up to the site and open the hood like you are having car trouble. This will block people from seeing what you are doing. Grab it, sign it. Fiddle around the engine compartment for a moment (CAREFUL OF THE FAN! ). Shake head, shrug shoulders, close the hood and off you go. Works extremely well when micros are at an auto parts store... Quote Link to comment
+W8TVI Posted February 27, 2005 Share Posted February 27, 2005 My cell phone has a GPS built in... Does that count? Quote Link to comment
+Medic005 Posted February 27, 2005 Share Posted February 27, 2005 Yep, I've pretended that my GPS is a cellphone. It's kind of funny some of the things that we do to hide what wew are really doing..... Quote Link to comment
+BilboB Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Never pretended. Quote Link to comment
silverwolfe Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 out driving around east of Bend (Oregon) last weekend, and saw 2 people, in different areas, walking along with - their cell phone out in front of them??? noooooo .... hee hee hee - it was their GPS..... we knew what theeeey were up tooo..... Quote Link to comment
+Divine Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 It'd be a bit embarrassing, if your real mobile phone rang just when you're pretending to speak in your GPSr. ...uh....hold on, my other phone is ringing... Quote Link to comment
+Couparangus Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 (edited) When I was in London England last summer I thought I might look a bit like a dork walking around with a GPS in my hand looking for the nearest tube station (this works like a champ BTW). Then it dawned on me that Brits are text-message crazy and walk around like zombies pressing buttons on their phones. Edited March 2, 2005 by Couparangus Quote Link to comment
+Divine Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 When I was in London England last summer I thought I might look a bit like a dork walking around with a GPS in my hand looking for the nearest tube station (this works like a champ BTW). Then it dawned on me that Brits are text-message crazy and walk around like zombies pressing buttons on their phones. Are you sure they weren't geocachers dodging muggles? Quote Link to comment
Stony2008 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 eh heh who would do a silly thing like that Quote Link to comment
+The Jester Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 It'd be a bit embarrassing, if your real mobile phone rang just when you're pretending to speak in your GPSr. ...uh....hold on, my other phone is ringing... Not so funny. I saw a guy the other month talking on two cell phones at the same time - one in each ear! I've never pretended my GPSr is cell phone, but I talk into it all the time (not AT it, that's normal cacher behavior) - but then it's a Rino so what else do you expect. Quote Link to comment
+Mickey225 Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Yeah just this past week, while in Vegas I was doing that... So many people around, it was hard not to! But in some of the local parks, I've been known to do it there as well if a jogger comes passing by. Quote Link to comment
+CoolBreeze2513 Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Well I do have to admit that we do that quite frequently. It works versus everyone saying did you lose soemthing? Can I help you find it?.....lol Quote Link to comment
+nitrosheep Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I have never even thought of using the GPS as a "phone" to elude muggles, but that is a great idea and I'll be using it from now on!!! Quote Link to comment
+Metaphor Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 When you get bored of the fake cellphone routine, try the fake digital camera ruse... Quote Link to comment
+nitrosheep Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Hmmm... a digital camera taking pictures of wildlife might be more convincing than talking on your cell phone in the middle of the woods! Quote Link to comment
+LoneHowler Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 most of the time I get a general heading of my GPS hide it in a pocket and only refrance it when I'm close or no ones looking. most of the time people will just look at you funny and keep walking Quote Link to comment
+Team Platypus Love Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I did that once while looking for a cache, felt like a fool doing it though. Next time out, I brought my digi cam along, and just took lots of ‘pictures’ while there were muggles around, and resumed checking my cords once they left. Quote Link to comment
+JEMdrop Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 We used the GPSr as a digital camera recently. The cache was right out in the open and muggles were about, but there are always silly people taking pictures of themselves with the odd tree, sign, statue, etc. So, one of us "posed" while the other "took the picture." After we signed the log we really did take pictures as we put the log back!! Quote Link to comment
+calipidder Posted April 5, 2005 Share Posted April 5, 2005 I've done this many times. I cache before and after work and tend to hit urban caches at busy times. I'll park near a cache and sit on my 'phone' in my car until things clear up and I can make a grab. On the trail, though, never had to do it. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted April 5, 2005 Share Posted April 5, 2005 Don't own a GPS so I have to pretend my cell phone is a GPS when I am geocaching. Quote Link to comment
C & J Priddy Posted April 5, 2005 Share Posted April 5, 2005 If you're getting really close to the cache site, you can use your digital camera to zoom in on the area and scan it while you're standing there waiting for muggles to pass. I like the idea of popping the hood for urban caches. I'll have to remember that one. Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 I only feel strange when it starts talking back. Quote Link to comment
+boomhwr653 Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 I usualy just start talking very loudly to myself. I have even started arguing with myself. This usually chases away any muggles, but I have to leave in a hurry so I don't get a police welfare check. Quote Link to comment
+Joypa Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 My approach is a bit different. If muggles are around, I just hold the old GPS up and walk around like I'm doing something important. Most people figure you are some kind of techno geek doing some incomprehensible field work. Never had a problem using this method. Quote Link to comment
+Quintheeskimo66 Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I've done the GPSr as a cell phone trick. We were at a rest stop and I got out "talking" to my gps like I was getting out of the car to get better reception. I've also walked around with my digital camera taking pictures while holding the GPSr behind it trying o find the cache. And I've pretended my GPSr was a camera on more than one ocasion. But my best trick now for busy areas is my Foretrex gps. It is worn on the wrist, and looks like a really big watch. So In a busy area, I'll look at my "watch" act impatient like I'm waiting for someone, and then pace back and forth a bit. Get another reading from my "watch" and continue to look impatient. If I'm in one spot too long, I might start mumbling something about I wish they would hurry up, and I don't have all day...stuff like that. It's a lot of fun trying to be sneaky. Of course there is a lot to be said for not being sneaky at all. If you look official, and act official (having a clipboard helps) people will leave you alone. Quote Link to comment
t-maxxer Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Hmmm... a digital camera taking pictures of wildlife might be more convincing than talking on your cell phone in the middle of the woods! Yea I agree. Expessially while walking in circles. Quote Link to comment
+fishalott Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Yesterday as we were placing a cache, our 20 month old picked up the GPS and started talking into it, "Hi Dada" etc..., I guess it starts early! Quote Link to comment
+Kite and Hawkeye Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 Once, after a geocaching picnic, we were out searching for a newly-placed cache nearby. There were a couple of people sitting on a bench ahead of us on the trail -- a bench that seemed to be at the first waypoint's coordinates. They looked kinda familiar... and then they started talking on their GPSr as we approached. We were not fooled . Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.