View Full Version : Watched?



Moonsouth
03-11-2010, 08:55 AM
Maybe there is already a thread on this but I cant find it....Does anyone else out there not like to be "watched" while trying to find a cache? Whether it be by the random public or even my wife sitting in the car while I search beside the road...I especially dont like to try to find a cache while others that know where the cache is, are watching me...just makes me feel...uncomfortable...i dont know....anyone else have these feelings?

pm28570
03-11-2010, 09:04 AM
Sort of. I tend to be hyper-aware of muggles and the possible result of the cache being taken. I know of some cachers that will wade into a crowd, make the find and move on without a second thought. I tend to go opposite of that, to the point of passing up a cache if there is even a hint of a non-cacher who may see it. That said, I do enjoy explaining caching to non-caching public.

masterson of the universe
03-11-2010, 09:15 AM
If you don't like being watched while searching, don't hit up
GC229E4 (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1ad7dc81-2f02-4cdb-a51f-48f134e0ab53) during normal business hours. Drwhogrl and I did this one during the day on a Thursday and as we were near ground zero, one employee was entering the nearby business and within seconds, all the employees were glued to the windows watching us search until one came out to assist. He said they were curious as to what the heck people were looking for until he asked. He said now they just watch, laugh, and wait to see if people find it before anyone comes out to offer assistance. Crazy.

Moonsouth
03-11-2010, 09:28 AM
If you don't like being watched while searching, don't hit up
GC229E4 (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1ad7dc81-2f02-4cdb-a51f-48f134e0ab53) during normal business hours. Drwhogrl and I did this one during the day on a Thursday and as we were near ground zero, one employee was entering the nearby business and within seconds, all the employees were glued to the windows watching us search until one came out to assist. He said they were curious as to what the heck people were looking for until he asked. He said now they just watch, laugh, and wait to see if people find it before anyone comes out to offer assistance. Crazy.

HAHA yeah, I have been by here a few times wanting to grab this cache and I havnt due to that fact...I will definitely have to wait till after store hours...

kayaking loon
03-11-2010, 10:24 AM
Maybe there is already a thread on this but I cant find it....Does anyone else out there not like to be "watched" while trying to find a cache? Whether it be by the random public or even my wife sitting in the car while I search beside the road...I especially dont like to try to find a cache while others that know where the cache is, are watching me...just makes me feel...uncomfortable...i dont know....anyone else have these feelings?

I don't like caches where there are other people around. I much prefer woods and wildlife. That said, I do enjoy the very few times I meet another cacher on the trails..

Ekidokai
03-11-2010, 12:03 PM
I don't like people so I agree. I am hyper aware of peoples body language so if I bring one that knows where it is I cheat and can find it right away.

Waterski
03-11-2010, 06:37 PM
I don't like to be watched by muggles, only because I am afraid the cache will be compromised if they get curious and go find it after I leave. That said, if there are people lurking about sometimes I don't attempt. That happened at the Bangor Paul Bunyon park on the weekend. The cache was in sight, but there were so many skateboarders and lurking eyes around it was not a good day to take it out.

rcwhit
03-11-2010, 06:41 PM
I don't like caches where there are other people around. I much prefer woods and wildlife.

I'm with you! I much rather go for a hike on some trail in the woods any day! :p

JustKev
03-11-2010, 09:09 PM
I'm with you! I much rather go for a hike on some trail in the woods any day! :p

We prefer ones that take us to a nice place but we'll grab any that are in an area we're going to be in just for the fun of finding it. Still, all in all we do prefer a trail out in the puckerbrush of Maine over one at the Maine Mall in SoPo.

JustKev
03-11-2010, 09:22 PM
On another note, I don't much care for caching with someone who has already found the cache we're looking for. Makes me feel like I need to rush because I'm holding them up from moving on to a new find somewhere down the trail. Little less enjoyable for me then.

hollora
03-11-2010, 10:39 PM
On another note, I don't much care for caching with someone who has already found the cache we're looking for. Makes me feel like I need to rush because I'm holding them up from moving on to a new find somewhere down the trail. Little less enjoyable for me then.

Gessh, glad some of my caching compadre's don't feel that way! ;) And vica versa - I am ok with them having found ahead too...........;)

firefighterjake
03-12-2010, 09:47 AM
I used to be all stealthy around muggles . . . and then realized that by trying to be secretive it made me look as though I was up to no good.

Now I just act as if I'm wherever I am and go right to the cache and start looking with a purpose . . . it's surprising how many folks will simply ignore you if you act as if what you're doing is normal . . . and if you really want to avoid the questions just bring a clipboard . . . a clipboard is better than a magic invisibility cloak . . . folks see a guy with a clipboard and they figure he's doing something official . . . trust me . . . I know these things . . . I'm with the government . . . and I'm here to help.

OK, that said . . . while I'm no longer shy about looking for caches around muggles I do exercise some commonsense . . . that being if characters seem shady or the type that may decide to trash or take the cache I will err on the side of caution and forego doing the cache . . . but if it appears as though the muggles are fairly normal, everyday people just enjoying the area then I'll go to town . . . and if they ask what I'm doing I'll explain about caching. I have nothing to hide.

pm28570
03-12-2010, 11:46 AM
. . . and if you really want to avoid the questions just bring a clipboard . . . a clipboard is better than a magic invisibility cloak . . . folks see a guy with a clipboard and they figure he's doing something official . . . trust me . . . I know these things . . .

Old FF trick to look busy. Used to use a spray bottle and cloth myself. :rolleyes:

brdad
03-12-2010, 12:22 PM
Or just pretend you're taking a leak, people usually turn around then...

Ekidokai
03-12-2010, 12:38 PM
You would think.

firefighterjake
03-12-2010, 12:39 PM
Or just pretend you're taking a leak, people usually turn around then...

. . . or stare and then start laughing hysterically. ;):D

Ekidokai
03-12-2010, 12:43 PM
Yeah that's embarrassing.

I mean it would be, or I have heard a guy had that problem.

4ccnhikers
03-13-2010, 01:33 AM
I used to be all stealthy around muggles . . . and then realized that by trying to be secretive it made me look as though I was up to no good.

Now I just act as if I'm wherever I am and go right to the cache and start looking with a purpose . . . it's surprising how many folks will simply ignore you if you act as if what you're doing is normal . . . and if you really want to avoid the questions just bring a clipboard . . . a clipboard is better than a magic invisibility cloak . . . folks see a guy with a clipboard and they figure he's doing something official . . .



I agree with both of these points, but the clipboard idea reminded me of an especially funny story.

We were doing the Adventure challenge, which took me 2 weeks to plan, and I had everything organized on a clipboard (we're not paperless). While we were doing EMSDanel's Fish Hatchery Cache in Ellsworth, we happened to take a closer look at the gushing leaks in the wooden water pipe as some muggles happened by. They asked if we were from the water company and were we counting the leaks! We didn't lie, but chuckled all the way back to the car!:D:D

EMSDanel
03-14-2010, 06:52 PM
Jake and I agree on this one. Yesterday I accomanied my "A unit" to the Maine Mall for her to do some shopping which, of course, gave me the opportunity to cache in that area. At one cache behind a large store there is a cache in the skirting of a lamp post and, of course, you need to lift that up to find the cache. However, there was a car parked a few slots away with a driver reading the newspaper. Lacking a more clever way, I parked right next to the cache, got out of my car with a clipboard and removed the cache. I got back into my car, signed the log, and when I went back to replace the cache I pretended to inspect the lamp post, looked up at the lights, made a few notes on the paper on the clipboard and was off. Hopefully, I looked "official" enough because I've never seen so much vehicle traffic behind a big-box store like this one. Other times when I'm out in fields, trails, woods, etc. and I run into someone who inquires what I'm looking for I've told them that I am a surveyor looking for a boundry marker.

Now, I've read posts here before from a couple of people who declare that they pay no attention to muggles and they just do their thing...with the thought that if they do otherwise they will probably be just drawing attention to themselves. Well, everyone has an opinion and mine is this: those people are lazy, just want to sign the log and move on, and don't want to make an extra effort to protect the hide. And they rationalize in their own mind that it's OK to do that. Again, just an opinion, and we all play the sport under our own rules.

But like many of you who have responded to this thread...I too feel uncomfortable looking for a cache if I know I am being watched. The exception is if I'm with another cacher. I was out with TAT one afternoon after a geo-event and we made 6 finds. At each cache if one of us found it we would leave it alone, step aside, and wait until the other found it as well. That way we both truly did "find" each cache. :)

brdad
03-14-2010, 07:44 PM
Now, I've read posts here before from a couple of people who declare that they pay no attention to muggles and they just do their thing...with the thought that if they do otherwise they will probably be just drawing attention to themselves. Well, everyone has an opinion and mine is this: those people are lazy, just want to sign the log and move on, and don't want to make an extra effort to protect the hide. And they rationalize in their own mind that it's OK to do that. Again, just an opinion, and we all play the sport under our own rules.


Hey, I'm one of those lazy people! :p
I guess for me I apply no more "laziness" to my find than I feel the hider has applied to their hide. :D I can rationalize that a lot more than I can rationalizing anyone hiding a wet altoids cache in the guardrail near the sewage drain. Another way to look at is it - if the hider didn't place a cache for any reason other than for me to log a smiley, why should I do any more than it takes to log the smiley?

There are times I will assess the situation and either wait or leave the cache for someone else. Oftentimes after arriving near the location, if there are a lot of muggles and I am convinced the cache has no hide or location value, I'll just drive on.

EMSDanel
03-14-2010, 08:22 PM
"Hey, I'm one of those lazy people! :p
I guess for me I apply no more "laziness" to my find than I feel the hider has applied to their hide. :D I can rationalize that a lot more than I can rationalizing anyone hiding a wet altoids cache in the guardrail near the sewage drain. Another way to look at is it - if the hider didn't place a cache for any reason other than for me to log a smiley, why should I do any more than it takes to log the smiley?"

I rest my case. A perfect example of the laziness I describe and the ability to rationalize it in their own mind. That's my last word on the topic. I refuse to get suckered into a p*****g contest here like I've seen happen before. Experience has shown me that you never need to call anyone a jerk, ever. They make that abundantly clear all by themselves. So have at it, I'm off to other topics.