Time to Spring Clean AWOL TBs from cache listings

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 07 September 06 10:59 am

I recently revisited a local cache to drop off a couple of TBs I had been holding for a bit too long

The cache page indicated that 5 other TBs were in residence

I was disappointed to find only one other TB present

Owners of caches where TBs are listed as being present, but have actually gone AWOL can easily Mark the TB as Missing by visiting the TB's page and clicking a button

I know of many caches where TBs are listed, but have long since disappeared

Let's do some Spring Cleaning and clean up the cache pages of AWOL TBs

Bundyrumandcoke · Post by **Bundyrumandcoke** » 07 September 06 3:50 pm

On the other hand, About a month ago, I sought and found a cache that was marked as having a TB. It wasnt there. On checking the logbook, I found the TB was retrieved in August 2005. No online log existed for this day, or by the cachers name for this cache. So I looked up the T B, contacted the owner, and gave them all the info I could. Then nothing. But, this morning I got an email from the owner, saying they had tracked down the last known cacher to have the TB, and yes, they still had it. Their GPS had been stolen, and they had lost interest of caching, and had forgotten they had it. They are going to release it into a cache in Canada, where they actually live. So it has been found after over a year lost in the wilderness.

A good result.

Cheers
David

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 07 September 06 4:01 pm

One of the TBs I recently dropped off had been in the hands of someone who lost interest after finding a handful of caches for nearly a year.

They were kind enough to post it to me after I emailed them asking after the TB

A lot AWOL TBs are probably in the hands of newbies or cachers that have forgotten (or don't know how) to log them and may reappear in due course

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 07 September 06 4:45 pm

There's probably a lot of them in the bottom of backpacks of slack buggers like me...

Knowing that I am slack, I don't usually pick up TBs, but occasionally I rescue one from an unloved cache, planning to return it to the mainstream. I think I've got three of them at the moment that I really must re-place.. (hangs head in shame)

Maybe a better plan for a spring-clean would be a search of backpacks, jacket pockets and gloveboxes for forgotten TBs!

djcache · Post by **djcache** » 07 September 06 7:33 pm

This is an ongoing problem.

Missing in action
Released into Event cache - History, Mystery, High Country by the Biggles Bears but never claimed by whoever took it at the event.

This problem occurs for two reasons in my opinion.

1. Lack of integration between the cache page and TB pages for TB's within the cache. If the cache page also included the ability to log the TB's in that cache from the log page rather than having to go off to the TB pages to do it.

2. Because of the need for TB number and the fact that the cache bag or whatever the cacher carries is often in the car or at home when the cacher gets around to logging their days or previous days caches (... surely they wouldn't do it at work the next day would they Rhino???) they don't have the details to log the TB when they log the cache. Then they forget until they find it in the bag a month later.

I think it would improve things a lot if the TB pages were more integrated with the cache log pages for the cache the TB is in.

DJ

Aushiker · Post by **Aushiker** » 09 September 06 5:58 pm

Hi

I have a another suggestion. If you can't do the right thing leave the bug/coin behind in the cache. Nothing else to it as far as I can see.

Andrew

andiamo · Post by **andiamo** » 18 September 06 3:25 pm

Hi there

We visited 2 caches yesterday both of which had TBs MIA. What is the protocol in this circumstance. Should we send a PM to the last logged visitor or notify the owner of the TB that it was missing?

Thanks

Damo. · Post by **Damo.** » 18 September 06 7:24 pm

andiamo wrote:Hi there

We visited 2 caches yesterday both of which had TBs MIA. What is the protocol in this circumstance. Should we send a PM to the last logged visitor or notify the owner of the TB that it was missing?

Thanks

Mention it in your log on the cache page. The cache owner may then choose to "remove" it from the cache.
If it was dropped off a long time ago and has been missing for a while you could message the owner.

andiamo · Post by **andiamo** » 18 September 06 9:59 pm

Thanks - I had mentioned it in the log pages, but wasn't sure if I should do any follow-up.