Suspicious device in Allouez park is part of game

[gotta run]

Be sure to read the linked news story that goes with this post as well. Unlike the Allouez incident article (and video), this one does not make geocachers out to be a bunch of terrorists. Unlike using loaded words such as “device,” this story uses neutral terms and refers to the “box” and the “geocache.” It also attempts to balance the “this is stupid” perspective with the “this has a purpose” perspective.

Proof that it can be done!

On the Left Side of the Road...

[seldom|seen]

…then, after you read the full news story, dive into all the comments posted to the news story…

It is interesting because most of the feedback is from outsiders, students and non-geocachers, whom you’d expect to rant mostly about the poor judgment of a teacher who places a geocache on school property or about the obsiquious nature of the cachers who didn’t put a name to what they were doing on front of the school; although there’s plenty of that.

What there seems to be more of is a sense that we are all still recovering from the era of FEAR, where every suspicious activity must be linked to terrorism, pedophilia, or some other bad intent. That our nerves are so frayed we autonomically jump from an action to fear response without taking time to think about the rationale approach to analyzing this suspicious activity in between.

Just like the Allouez incident, common sense got tossed out the window. Part of the problem is that we think we are able as a society to “detect” when the real deal comes our way. That the one time out of ten a suspicious box is blown up, it actually is a bomb. But, as the recent mass shootings and family slaughters show, more often when it happens it just happens – without warning. I still want to know how many REAL bombs the Allouez Bomb Squad, or for the matter all the bomb squads in Wisconsin, have detonated compared to suspected bombs. What’s the ratio? 1:10, 1:100, 1:1000? I just don’t care to live in a society where we are some quick triggered that every little suspicious thing must be handled like a terrorist threat or potential school shooting.

[labrat_wr]

@zuma wrote:

Since this thread got resusciated, I will go ahead an post this news story posted by no less than Jeremy Irish on the same topic. Please note the last sentence, which I think is what most of us have been saying all along:

http://www.examiner.com/x-2614-Denver-Outdoor-Recreation-Examiner~y2009m4d20-Boulder-high-school-evacuated-because-of-geocache

While not 100% on this, I think that most of the school hides do ask that they not be searched for during school hours. (at least the ones I have found)

Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.

[zuma]

@labrat_wr wrote:

@zuma wrote:

Since this thread got resusciated, I will go ahead an post this news story posted by no less than Jeremy Irish on the same topic. Please note the last sentence, which I think is what most of us have been saying all along:

http://www.examiner.com/x-2614-Denver-Outdoor-Recreation-Examiner~y2009m4d20-Boulder-high-school-evacuated-because-of-geocache

While not 100% on this, I think that most of the school hides do ask that they not be searched for during school hours. (at least the ones I have found)

And even if it doesnt say it on the cache page, common sense would suggest not to go onto school grounds hunting caches during school hours. I have a cache to hunt in town, but have not gotten it yet just because I havent been in the area when school is out yet. To me, common sense is that you wait and get any cache to a time when it is not going to cause a problem, whether that means coming back at a different time to a cemetery, a school, or even a busy park. It is all just common sense.

But in this case, the school folks didnt have much common sense either, and that is the whole point. A terrorist strike is not likely to start with a couple of folks poking around a sign in front of the school.

z

[gotta run]

@labrat_wr wrote:

While not 100% on this, I think that most of the school hides do ask that they not be searched for during school hours. (at least the ones I have found)

Yes but how many people pay attention to what’s on the cache page, or how many are simply “waypoint caching” and do no research whatsoever?

I’ve got a cache that’s a four-mile trek and it says so on the cache page…unless you park along the road that’s clearly posted “no parking,” (on both sides of the road, every 10 feet) and climb over the barbed wire fence that is posted “no entry here.” So, when I see an “out caching with” team grab that “easy cache to find” on a “numbers run”…

Alex can attest that even putting 5″ high scrolling red lettering on a cache page does not prevent lazy or careless behavior.

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