aka GeoWorms
"My bug hasn't moved in two months!"
"AbsentCacher has had my TB RapidFire for three weeks!"
"Someone visited my cache and took three TB's and left a broken McToy!"
Do any of these complaints sound familiar?
Travel Bugs add a great deal fun to geocaching by opening a whole new dimension in the game. But since not everyone enjoys TB's in the same way, they can cause frustration and misunderstandings. This month's article lays out some basic TB etiquette in the hopes of enhancing everyone's enjoyment.
The only "Official" TB etiquette is listed on the GC.com Travel Bug FAQ page.
Use the Golden Rule when you find a Travel Bug. Most owners would rather see their travel bugs do a lot of traveling, so try not to hold on to a travel bug for too long. If you plan on holding onto the bug for more than 2 weeks, make sure to send a courtesy email to the owner letting them know.
However there are several common scenarios that recur often enough to warrant discussion.
Problem:"The Ignored Goal"
- I DNF on everything but micros.
- I forgot to write down the tracking number.
- I need this figure to complete my collection.
- What’s a travel bug?
- My child won’t give it back.
- I am soooo into virtuals right now!
- I’m saving it for a 5/5.
- That jacket is still at the cleaner’s.
- I’m building a hotel.
- Too busy ranting in the forums.
Solution:"Know thy bug"
If you see there are TB's in a cache you will be hunting, take a minute to read the bug's goal by visiting its page. Reading recent logs will also help--a goal which can be accomplished in your area may have already been done by another cacher. When caching on vacation try not to bring TB's back with you (temping as it is!) unless you know you aren't interfering with the bug's goal.
Problem:"TB Held Hostage"
We would all love to cache every day, and do all the interesting and witty things racing through our heads. However, most of us never get around to it for various reasons. This includes helping TB's along. Often we pick-up TB's meaning to place them later the same day, then find only micros. Our next trip may not be for a few weeks. Or maybe we really like the TB and want to put it in a special cache (holding onto a bug does not always mean indifference).
Solution:"Communication"
As mentioned above, if you will be holding onto a bug for more than two weeks, you should email the owner as a courtesy. You should also be prompt about logging the bug out of the cache, so that future finders know not to expect it there. As an owner, you can't do much more than relax and wait for the person to place your bug. A prodding email to the holder is acceptable after a few weeks, but rarely helpful.
Problem:"Trade Inequity"
You really like Travel Bugs and take them every time you see them. "Hey, the owner wants them to travel, so I take them even if I don't have anything to trade." Although you want to move the bugs along, many other cachers want to find and move those bugs too. Many cachers will preferentially hunt caches with TB's in them over other caches of comparable (or even greater) terrain and/or difficulty.
Solution:"Always Trade Up"
There is no firm rule here, but most cachers view TB's as a trade item, governed by the "Golden Rules" of trading:
- Take something from the cache.
- Leave something in the cache.
Most "problems" can be avoided by taking an extra minute to consider how your actions will affect the people around you--geocaching's a lot like life in that way.
Happy Caching.