RE: Interrupting encounters?

Maybe it's just me, but I've got the feeling that I've interrupted more than a few encounters between folks that may be, how shall we say it, trying to be discreet so that other folks may not know what they're up to. You make the call? Am I being paranoid?

Observe:

Homosexual hotspot or just a few men who happen to all be at the same spot at the same time?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...b-8d9be7853f42


A guy and a gal who are dating and just wanted to hang out or two married lovers attemping to meet in an out-of-the-way spot?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...3-2f04a1a24586


A simple case of a couple who are madly in love and not afraid to show their love for each other with passionate kissing in public or a woman meeting her secret lover (and vice versa) in a park?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...0-ec3c199846a6

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

Maybe it's just me, but I've got the feeling that I've interrupted more than a few encounters between folks that may be, how shall we say it, trying to be discreet so that other folks may not know what they're up to. You make the call? Am I being paranoid?

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How come you have all these encounters, Jake? :D :D

the fitz cache eh?? well have you hear the joke about the two gay irish men??? michael fitzpatrick and patrick fitzmichael???:rolleyes:

I don't know what to say J, some people just have a knack for attracting situations like that, i have a knack for attracting danger and cops, you have a knack for attracting.... uhhh... welll...well keep this a family friendly post... :D :D :D

I know the feeling you are talking about.

We have a few caches down here in NY that "gave me that feeling". I left one as a DNF because of the way I felt. Later I found it while I was with a group of cachers and we outnumbered the other cars. Some posts by local cachers alluded to the fact that these rest areas were known to be meeting places for "activities".

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

Maybe it's just me, but I've got the feeling that I've interrupted more than a few encounters between folks that may be, how shall we say it, trying to be discreet so that other folks may not know what they're up to. You make the call? Am I being paranoid?

Observe:

Homosexual hotspot or just a few men who happen to all be at the same spot at the same time?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...b-8d9be7853f42

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wow, i'm glad you wrote that. when i did this cache, it was raining and there were 2 cars - one empty and one with 2 people in it. i couldn't see who was in it, but then, i didn't really look. there was no one on the trail, but i also saw the lawn chair and mattress. when i got back to my car, the other cars were gone. i've been past this rest area several times since and there have been a lot of cars there. your experience reminded me of when i did "the 'ol swimmin' hole". that guy looking for fiddleheads reallyreallyreally scared me.

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Originally Posted by becket

that guy looking for fiddleheads reallyreallyreally scared me.

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LOL! Yup - gotta watch out for those "fiddleheaders". I wonder what someone from "away" would think about "fiddleheaders"? :p :p

(Personally, I can't stand the things, so I'm NOT a "fiddleheader". :p :p

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

LOL! Yup - gotta watch out for those "fiddleheaders". I wonder what someone from "away" would think about "fiddleheaders"? :p :p

(Personally, I can't stand the things, so I'm NOT a "fiddleheader". :p :p

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i should have put a link to my log for that cache. (i'm not that computer clever!) the guy was scary! (oh, and you probably couldn't pay me to eat a fiddlehead - which i told him!)

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Originally Posted by becket

i should have put a link to my log for that cache. (i'm not that computer clever!) the guy was scary! (oh, and you probably couldn't pay me to eat a fiddlehead - which i told him!)

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cmon now! ya gotta share the story for those of us that havent heard it! :D

well, here's my log for the cache. i don't think it really shows how scared i was! but, it hasn't seemed to stop me from caching alone.

" May 2 by <A style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline" name=15036599>becket (413 found)
well, this was an adventure. when i got there, there was a car in the parking lot. there were some people walking around, 2 guys and a woman, so i just stayed by my car. they went off in a different direction so i headed to find the cache. i had just gotten there, when one of the guys appeared about 20' from me. a lot of stuff went through my head, including all those(very loud)voices telling me i should not cache alone. he started to walk towards me and asked me about fiddleheads. i pointed in another direction and said "i bet they are over there!" luckily, he left. i found the cache quickly and headed back to my car. the other car was gone. this all took less than 5 minutes, but they were kinda scary! this was an easy find for me - and i really liked it! the container is cool! the hide is even cooler! thanks! tnlnsl "

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

How come you have all these encounters, Jake? :D :D

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Hmmm, maybe my word choice with "encounters" wasn't the best choice? I'm happily married to Heidi and have been since August 31, 1996 . . . as for folks with alternative "partners" -- not my thing, "not that there's anything wrong with that." :D

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

Hmmm, maybe my word choice with "encounters" wasn't the best choice? I'm happily married to Heidi and have been since August 31, 1996 . . . as for folks with alternative "partners" -- not my thing, "not that there's anything wrong with that." :D

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uh huh.... so you have no issues with that sort of thing.... yet you keep having these coincidental "encounters"....

Sounds like Geocaching.com is going to have to come up with some new hazards icons... :eek:

Hmmm . . . guess I should listen to my little voice more often. I sent an e-mail to a veteran firefighter in Ellsworth along with my log from the Fitz Cache in Ellsworth and a simple question as to whether I was nuts or not. Here's his reply.

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Both rest areas in Ellsworth are known for homosexual activity. DOT hasn't opened the Bangor Road area and I believe has plans to remove it, I thought that was also the plan for the Bucksport Road one as well but I see they have opened it again. Local law enforcement is aware of the issue but hasn't been able to stop it. I used to exercise the apparatus and use that area for a turn around, it was a great place to "test" the air horn or siren.
I would suggest posting that info on the geocaching web site. I haven't heard of any unwanted advances from the "users" but I agree it's not a place for families.

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I'm not saying folks shouldn't do this cache and I am not saying anything illegal is going on and I certainly wouldn't take a moral stand on same sex or even opposite sex "relationships" . . . I did think this was something useful to know though.

I was telling about my experience this past weekend with a colleague who lives in Orland and as soon as I mentioned this rest stop he grimaced . . . apparently he knew that this cache is known for its certain activitity.

I then learned of a new spot near Bangor that is a "hotspot" which I had not heard of . . . again at a south-bound rest stop with a cache. I did this one before however and never noticed anything askew. There are two other caches in Bangor that have caches located nearby "hotspots", but again I did these without any problems . . . I suspect the time of day and week may be an influencing factor as to whether the person seeking or hiding the cache realizes that something may be "going on" in the area.

Well, this tops my 2 full moons in one day story. Same thing, only we saw....well, pretty much everything. Cloths on the car, a full moon in motion etc. We parked as far away from them as possible and went on with the cache...they were clearly not interested in us. (The second full moon was a real moon, like, y'know, in space nothing scary about that!)
BTW, this happened in New Brunswick on my brothers VERY FIRST CACHE!

I was walking back out after having done one of the Augusta caches down in the trails behind the Civic Center and I came up behind a couple of people in their late 30s or early 40s. She kept grabbing his butt so after the 4th or 5th time I coughed so they would know they weren't alone. LOL

Mental note . . . never pair up with Laughing Terry and We3Beans . . . the things we might see together would probably be quite scary. :D :eek:

hehehehe....
And to think that I missed it.So Jake....


I read your post on GC.com giggle giggle. Was the cache worth it??:D :p

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

Hmmm . . . guess I should listen to my little voice more often. I sent an e-mail to a veteran firefighter in Ellsworth along with my log from the Fitz Cache in Ellsworth and a simple question as to whether I was nuts or not. Here's his reply.

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Both rest areas in Ellsworth are known for homosexual activity. DOT hasn't opened the Bangor Road area and I believe has plans to remove it, I thought that was also the plan for the Bucksport Road one as well but I see they have opened it again. Local law enforcement is aware of the issue but hasn't been able to stop it. I used to exercise the apparatus and use that area for a turn around, it was a great place to "test" the air horn or siren.
I would suggest posting that info on the geocaching web site. I haven't heard of any unwanted advances from the "users" but I agree it's not a place for families.

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I'm not saying folks shouldn't do this cache and I am not saying anything illegal is going on and I certainly wouldn't take a moral stand on same sex or even opposite sex "relationships" . . . I did think this was something useful to know though.

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Yoiks!! We're coming to Maine camping this summer, starting with Patten's Pond in Ellsworth. Which areas should I be avoiding?

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Originally Posted by Zonker&co

Yoiks!! We're coming to Maine camping this summer, starting with Patten's Pond in Ellsworth. Which areas should I be avoiding?

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:D :D :D :D I think Jake said it best but I bet you would be safe in the Old Town area.:D :D :D :D

We dont have places like that here

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Originally Posted by dave1976

:D :D :D :D I think Jake said it best but I bet you would be safe in the Old Town area.:D :D :D :D

We dont have places like that here

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Suuuuuurrrrrrrrrrre you don't! LOL

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Originally Posted by Beach Comber

Suuuuuurrrrrrrrrrre you don't! LOL

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Sheesh! Beachie, you have such nice SANDY beaches down there, I'm sure you're no stranger to "encounters" on the beach... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I do a lot of beach combing in the winter - I've always chosen to believe people were just trying to keep warm - LOL

Glad you caught it when you did . . . the hider for some reason deleted the log . . . actually both logs.

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Originally Posted by dave1976

hehehehe....
And to think that I missed it.So Jake....


I read your post on GC.com giggle giggle. Was the cache worth it??:D :p

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Jake, you weren't imagining things. I just posted my log entry, and observed the same stuff. I saw that your logs were gone, does the poster expect you to not get credit for a find, even if something sketchy happened???
If my post gets erased, I'm emailing the owner to put it back.:mad:

wow, i can't believe the owner deleted your posts! i'm glad you posted again

i hope gpsfun's post for the fitz cache doesn't get deleted! :eek:

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Originally Posted by becket

i hope gpsfun's post for the fitz cache doesn't get deleted! :eek:

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I'm thinking that if you delete a post from the guy that approved your cache, he will delete your cache:D

I think what GPSFUN posted was more than appropriate, people should be aware that, that may not be a safe place for kids (or adults even)

I've been to Vaughn Woods (aka Hobbitland) in Hallowell a couple of times (there are at least 2 caches there that I'm aware of), and have walked around corners to the shagrin of a few couples. Glad I wasn't alone {with a CACHING partner, not a romantic partner!}, would have been more awkward....I've heard this is an area of interest to nature lovers, and lovers-out-in-nature.....

And what's up with the deleted logs? Not cool.....family-friendly does NOT mean going to a cache and meeting up with a couple trying to CREATE a family (or narrowly avoiding doing so -- whatever the case may be!). If an area is a "hotspot," people should know. Of course, if there's a cache out there with Lover's Lane in the title, that MIGHT be a clue. *smirk*

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Originally Posted by Sudonim

Jake, you weren't imagining things. I just posted my log entry, and observed the same stuff. I saw that your logs were gone, does the poster expect you to not get credit for a find, even if something sketchy happened???
If my post gets erased, I'm emailing the owner to put it back.:mad:

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I noticed your log shortly after noticing that my own had been deleted.

I was going to repost my original log, but I decided to simply post a log that my original log was deleted for some reason and leave it at that (so I could at least get credit), but . . .

I then contacted gpsfun and shared with him my logs, an e-mail from another cacher and referred him to your post. As you can see he has posted a message . . . which he says cannot be deleted.

Once again I have no problems with heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals or whatever . . . I just expressed my feelings, what happened and urged folks to exercise some caution. After doing some more investigating I found out from more than one local that the area is known as a meeting place. I posted a second log mentioning this, but added a tagline that most likely this place would be fine at certain times of the day and week (just Saturday evening on a warm day in May isn't one of them.)

Incidentally, one or two other geocachers also said my feelings were right on . . . they were also apparently deleted by the cache owner.

I was feeling a little disappointed (besides I had to work hard to get that find -- I have a Magellan), but this morning I'm feeling as though I've been at least vindicated in my thoughts.

Who knows . . . I may edit my post and put in my original log.

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Originally Posted by becket

wow, i can't believe the owner deleted your posts! i'm glad you posted again

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Well I wanted to get credit for the find at least . . . I just wish the owner had exercised the same sense of decency that I did for them by e-mailing them that I was putting a follow-up note on the page.

In the short time I've been geocaching I've only asked (key word being "asked" not "deleted" or "modified") one post when I asked a cacher if they would mind altering their log to remove a "spoiler" which they did so with no problems.

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Originally Posted by becket

i hope gpsfun's post for the fitz cache doesn't get deleted! :eek:

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He sent me an e-mail explaining what he did . . . and he did a few other things behind the scenes and also said my feelings were justified . . . and he added that the owners cannot delete his log.

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

I think what GPSFUN posted was more than appropriate, people should be aware that, that may not be a safe place for kids (or adults even)

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I agree . . . I also thought he worded it very well.

Again, I suspect that the people who frequent these places are probably harmless (especially if a group of cachers show up or even a family), but I also feel as though geocachers should be made aware of a possible place where they may not feel comfortable as I was when I made the find.

Now there is also a "hangout" at the reststop on I-95 south in Hampden (just learned of this the other day) . . . but when I did this cache last year I never noticed anything out of the ordinary, was never approached, the cache was not in the woods, etc. and I did not feel any concern.

Final thought . . . just echoing here . . . I suspect that at many times this cache will be fine to do . . . maybe evenings aren't the best time of day to do them.

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

After doing some more investigating I found out from more than one local that the area is known as a meeting place. I posted a second log mentioning this, but added a tagline that most likely this place would be fine at certain times of the day and week (just Saturday evening on a warm day in May isn't one of them.)

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well, a tuesday afternoon 1600-ish in the rain in may isn't one of them either. like i said, i was surprised that the owner deleted your post. i didn't see anything wrong with it. if people are going to be following cachers around (see sudonim's post for the cache) then cachers should be aware of that. i think gpsfun's post was really good - and i am glad that it cannot be deleted! i'm also glad that you got in touch with him about all of this. (and that you got your smiley!)

i was telling the secretary at work about all of this and she had heard of the activities at this rest stop. she told me that thompson island (headed to bar harbor) is another "hotspot" (although the term she used was more colorful!) she said she pulled in there late one afternoon with her parking lights on and apparently that is a signal that the driver is "looking for action." she had no idea, until her friends told her that was why guys started driving up beside her car!

i just noticed that the cache that was on thompson island is gone. i remember the controversy when the cache was placed. most of the island is part of acadia nat'l park.

aha, THAT expains that funny feeling I had when i did that Thompson Island cache. it was raining that day and I showed up with lights ablazing and kept getting these funny looks, like "what are you doing here?" Of course, I headed off to the bathroom then out into the woods so I only must have added to the suspicion. But I was purposeful that day, so no one bothered me (that was during the capture the flag game). Y'know my nephew calls his football coach Captain Obvious, I must be Captain Oblivious. :-)