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Arcticabn
Past MnGCA Board
Joined: 30 Nov 2003
Posts: 1846
Location: Lakeville, MN
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 Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:15 pm Post subject: Police: Geocaching Device Causes Bomb Scare In Cannon Falls |
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Found today:
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A three-block section of a bike trail was closed Monday morning in Cannon Falls, Minn., after a geocaching object found near the trail was thought to be a pipe bomb, police said.
Police responded to the scene after receiving a call about a suspicious object. Police said the object was wrapped in duct tape and that a “wire or fuse” was sticking out of it. When the Bloomington Police Bomb Squad inspected the object, however, they found it was not a bomb but a geocaching device.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure-hunting game played by people with GPS devices throughout the world, according to geocaching.com. The object of the game is to find the cache and then sign the logbook to show other geocachers that one has found the location. Some geocachers leave items near the cache for others to have. Police said an overturned bowl was found by the cache, but it is not known if it had anything to do with geocacher generosity.
Police said no criminal intent was apparent in the object, for all that was found inside was a log of people who had visited.
While geocaching may be a harmless activity, police said problems arise when others aren’t aware of what the devices are or what the activity is. Other law enforcement agencies throughout the country have responded to suspicious objects reports and found them to be connected with geocaching, police said.
The bike trail was closed for an hour and 45 minutes. |
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: Police: Geocaching Device Causes Bomb Scare In Cannon Fa |
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| Arcticabn wrote: |
Found today:
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A three-block section of a bike trail was closed Monday morning in Cannon Falls, Minn., after a geocaching object found near the trail was thought to be a pipe bomb, police said.
Police responded to the scene after receiving a call about a suspicious object. Police said the object was wrapped in duct tape and that a “wire or fuse” was sticking out of it. When the Bloomington Police Bomb Squad inspected the object, however, they found it was not a bomb but a geocaching device.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure-hunting game played by people with GPS devices throughout the world, according to geocaching.com. The object of the game is to find the cache and then sign the logbook to show other geocachers that one has found the location. Some geocachers leave items near the cache for others to have. Police said an overturned bowl was found by the cache, but it is not known if it had anything to do with geocacher generosity.
Police said no criminal intent was apparent in the object, for all that was found inside was a log of people who had visited.
While geocaching may be a harmless activity, police said problems arise when others aren’t aware of what the devices are or what the activity is. Other law enforcement agencies throughout the country have responded to suspicious objects reports and found them to be connected with geocaching, police said.
The bike trail was closed for an hour and 45 minutes. |
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Thank God it wasn't my cache this time.
I know bike trails are good places to hide bombs..  |
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Rustynails
Geocacher
Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 661
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| What cache is it ? |
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tonkaMN
MnGCA Board
Joined: 10 Jun 2009
Posts: 540
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| oops! I guess I should take the duct tape and wires off all my caches! |
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Ok, here's a question.. if this article was NOT your cache, but you know that you do own other geocaches duct taped with a wire (as a hanger), what do you do? Archive or let em be? |
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Pear Head
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 04 Apr 2004
Posts: 5594
Location: north of Duluth
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| bflentje wrote: |
| Ok, here's a question.. if this article was NOT your cache, but you know that you do own other geocaches duct taped with a wire (as a hanger), what do you do? Archive or let em be? |
I'd start by making sure that they're properly labeled.
I can easily see duct tape and wires - a wire to hold it on the tree, held on the container with some duct tape for instance. I think I'd suggest at that point that it get labeled for sure though. For someone that knows nothing of geocaching, finding a pipe in the woods with duct tape and wire sticking out of it will surely warrant a call to law enforcement.
The key is to get law enforcement to check if it's a cache if they're in doubt first, but we all know that will never happen (no news coverage).
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Rustynails wrote: |
| What cache is it ? |
I do not know for certain. But based on the number of times I've been down this trail and knowing about every cache on the trail, I am guessing it is Weird or What?. |
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Pear Head wrote: |
| The key is to get law enforcement to check if it's a cache if they're in doubt first, but we all know that will never happen (no news coverage). |
Wait.. is that like.. open the coffin first BEFORE we call the cadaver dogs and the medical examiner??  er, I mean, |
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Pear Head
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 04 Apr 2004
Posts: 5594
Location: north of Duluth
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| bflentje wrote: |
| Pear Head wrote: |
| The key is to get law enforcement to check if it's a cache if they're in doubt first, but we all know that will never happen (no news coverage). |
Wait.. is that like.. open the coffin first BEFORE we call the cadaver dogs and the medical examiner?? er, I mean, |
I'm surprised that it took you 4 posts in this thread to get here. 
Something like that, yes.
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Pear Head wrote: |
| bflentje wrote: |
| Pear Head wrote: |
| The key is to get law enforcement to check if it's a cache if they're in doubt first, but we all know that will never happen (no news coverage). |
Wait.. is that like.. open the coffin first BEFORE we call the cadaver dogs and the medical examiner?? er, I mean, |
I'm surprised that it took you 4 posts in this thread to get here.
Something like that, yes. |
Give me a break. I was trying to give TWS time to chime in first. He must be sleeping on the job tonight.  |
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Arcticabn
Past MnGCA Board
Joined: 30 Nov 2003
Posts: 1846
Location: Lakeville, MN
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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Yea and "IF" I'm a mad bomber, I'll just label the bomb "Official Geocache" so that it can stay there undisturbed until it detonates.
Actually, I thought that the new piece was written pretty well. It was factual, the cops were respectful of the fact that geocaching is know and understood and that there was no criminal intent. The reporter didn't try to make any judgements here at all.
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Airborne All the Way! |
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Pear Head
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 04 Apr 2004
Posts: 5594
Location: north of Duluth
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Arcticabn wrote: |
| Yea and "IF" I'm a mad bomber, I'll just label the bomb "Official Geocache" so that it can stay there undisturbed until it detonates. |
At least it alerts law enforcement to what it could be - starts them on a verifiable path.
Granted, properly done, a bomb can be made to look like a lot of legitimate things.
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Father-of-five
Geocacher
Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Interestingly similar story at "A GeoCache Recycling Story" cache GC2DDEN.
Not that I would know for sure mind you, but I have to wonder if the Bloomington Bomb Squad was given some sort of "heads up" by one of their dispatchers who could be a geocacher on what they should expect???
It just all seems so eerily familiar!! (wink) |
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timewellspent
Geocacher
Joined: 19 Mar 2008
Posts: 659
Location: Chanhassen, MN
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| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| bflentje wrote: |
| Pear Head wrote: |
| bflentje wrote: |
| Pear Head wrote: |
| The key is to get law enforcement to check if it's a cache if they're in doubt first, but we all know that will never happen (no news coverage). |
Wait.. is that like.. open the coffin first BEFORE we call the cadaver dogs and the medical examiner?? er, I mean, |
I'm surprised that it took you 4 posts in this thread to get here.
Something like that, yes. |
Give me a break. I was trying to give TWS time to chime in first. He must be sleeping on the job tonight. |
Nope, not sleeping, just need to change my puzzle cache once again. It's based on the number of times you bring up the subject. I don't think I will ever get the cache published thou, since the "data" keeps changing...  |
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bflentje
Geocacher
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 3652
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| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| timewellspent wrote: |
| Nope, not sleeping, just need to change my puzzle cache once again. It's based on the number of times you bring up the subject. I don't think I will ever get the cache published thou, since the "data" keeps changing... |
Pearhead is in first place for posts. I've got to something to catch up. Glad I can assist in your puzzle along the way. |
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