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@marc_54140 wrote:
Is it not time to let this topic die a decent death?
No one’s forcing you to read it. Just click “stop watching this topic” at the bottom of this page. Problem solved.
On the Left Side of the Road...On the Left Side of the Road...@3 Hawks wrote:
Why does everybody always have to be a victim? Why is everybody always misunderstood? Why is big brother always out to get us? Why is the other person always at fault in the equation?
Who is paranoid in this picture?
Dude, you have some serious anger management issues. Or something. Chill.
On the Left Side of the Road...@3 Hawks wrote:
What should the media have said? “The container in question turned out to be a game piece in a high tech game called geocaching, so if you run across something while playing in a park or section of woods, don’t worry about a thing. Just go about your daily business and rest assured that anything you or your children find out there will not cause you any harm. Just because it might look like a bomb does not always mean it is a bomb.”
They’re called news “stories” for a reason. They are packaged and written to sell a product–the news and, by connection, advertising.
They (broadcast news) called it a “device,” several times. Is your fridge full of plastic “devices” to hold food? Or do you have “containers?” Words mean things and these were carefully chosen to make a portrayal. Casting geocachers as a bunch of freaks in the woods makes for a better “man bites dog” story.
They also did not characterize the “device” appropriately, according to the cache owner (and my recollection of the cache). The audience was left with the impression this was a pipe bomb with just about everything but wires leading to a Acme Explosives plunger.
The cache owner, tkks, says that wasn’t the case. Tkks was also not quoted in the news story and as far as I know was not approached.
@3 Hawks wrote:
How could we turn this negative exposure into a positive? We can’t expect someone else to do that for us.
Now that actually makes sense. And it would seem to be one of the reasons we have an association.
On the Left Side of the Road...True and recent story…
See a cache pop up in the inbox at about 10pm. It’s only about 7 miles away (that’s very close by our standards) and we have a pretty good idea where it is, so I (Mr. gotta run) decide to take a quick drive to score the FTF.
Well, basically having been just about ready for bed, I have lounge pants and a tshirt on (which actually seem to count as appropriate public attire by today’s standards, but that’s another topic). So I slop on some old shoes, don the nearest coat which happens to be a barn-chore coat, don a ratty looking winter hat, and head out. You get the picture, it’s quite an ensemble.
Get to GZ in the middle of nowhere, reach for the flashlight in my geobackpack…which is still back in the garage. Hmm. Well, I’ll just angle the car toward the obvious and only bush in the area here and use the headlights. Great idea!
Start searching when around the corner comes a big 4×4 truck driven by two of the local…gentlemen…who are somewhat curious as to what I am doing in said bush. I decide honesty is definitely the best policy here, and by now I have found the geocache, which I present to them, explain geocaching, and drop the name of the cache owner who is also a local…
All the while hoping I don’t suddenly start hearing a banjo soundtrack… 😯
Anyhoo, fortunately they decided I was just a harmless idiot….
On the Left Side of the Road...@JimandLinda wrote:
If I’m in a cemetery, I’m doing geneology or getting ideas for a family members headstone(why else would I be taking pictures in a cemetery!)
We believe cemetery hides shouldn’t require stealth, in general. Skulking around a cemetery is cause for trouble. We try to make all our cemetery hides obvious for a relatively experienced geocacher, realizing that perhaps we do not always succeed.
Cemeteries are fortunately the one spot where “plausible deniability” is useful. It’s quite reasonable to be doing research while holding various pieces of paper and/or electronic devices and cameras. It raises less concern than explaining geocaching and is understandable by anyone asking you about it.
@marc_54140 wrote:
I am the one who was taking the photo. The other two are well known (not disreputable) cachers.
So are there disreputable cachers you tour with?
On the Left Side of the Road...Yup, the death of common sense and blaming 9/11 for every loss of liberty. This is why we pat down granny at the airport and my kids had to take their shoes off when they were 3 years old.
Let’s face it folks, the bomb squad was called, the shiny remote controlled robot was brought out, something was going to get blowed up that day, no matter what label was on this suspicious “device.”
The news story itself is a sham, and that is my professional opinion. More than once this was referred to as a “device.” Not a “cache” or “game piece” or even a generic “container.” Word choices mean things and it was a slow news day in a town where, to the best of my recollection, there hasn’t been a big history of bombs blowing up in parks. So let’s sensationalize it. I knew there was a reason I haven’t watched the evening news in at least 10 years.
On the Left Side of the Road...@gotta run wrote:
@seldom|seen wrote:
That looks suspicious. A tryst behind the bushes or Marc relieving himself. Hmmm… I wonder which?
I only see one set of legs, so unless the tryst is with the shrub, I’d go with number 2 (so to speak).
On the Left Side of the Road...@seldom|seen wrote:
That looks suspicious. A tryst behind the bushes or Marc relieving himself. Hmmm… I wonder which?
I only see one set of legs, so unless the tryst is with the shrub, I’d go with number 2.
On the Left Side of the Road...On the Left Side of the Road...We do the “no stealth” approach. Not that we make a big scene (well, unless the kids are along), but acting like you are allowed to be there, which you should be if the rules are followed, is the way to stay out of trouble. If it’s impossible to do that–think “single guy looking under playground equipment”–I come back with the family in tow.
On the Left Side of the Road...Boy I would just love to pour more gas on the fire here by quoting an message I received from someone “in the know,” but I have to respect that person’s wishes. Yes even I have some limits…
On the Left Side of the Road...We’ve thought more about this and there are several upsides. It gives the department another item to list when they justify the equipment which, we are told, was purchased with a $750,000.00 grant that needs to be reported back annually as to how the monies are utilized. It gave them some extra training with some Sunday hours thrown in. And it gave the TV news crews something to fill the evening news with on a boring Sunday–fortunately they were able to get their crews on the scene quick enough to capture the removal of the “device.” A win-win for everyone.
On the Left Side of the Road...@K0rpl wrote:
Thanks Guys for all the Congrats! I didn’t get to do my normal “Memorable” Cache for 3K, but will definetely for the next one!
Thanks all for the Notes of çongrats!
What, ours wasn’t memorable? 🙁
(Just funnin’ with ya…)
On the Left Side of the Road...Sorry ’bout the double-post… 😳 I scrolled down through literaly a dozen different milestone threads but it looks like I should have gone all the way to 14…apparently, lots of folks celebrating milestones ❗
On the Left Side of the Road... -
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