Geocaching is a popular "treasure-hunting"
activity using a smart phone or a GPS devices to locate a
"geo-cache"; a small container containing different trinkets. There are
those out there that are not familiar with Geocaching. Those people are referred to as "muggles". Our job as a Geocacher is to not let the muggles discover the cache along with you!
Here are some steps you can take to deal with the muggles
along the way.
1 Identify the “muggles”.
There are three basic types of muggles, and some pose more of a threat than
others. They are as follows.
The
Oblivious Muggle: Muggles that are just going about their daily
life and will pay you and the Geocache no attention.
The
Lingerer: This muggle is going about their daily life and doesn't
care about Geocaching, but they will linger in the spot right near the Geocache
for long periods of time.
The
Semi-Curious Muggle: Muggles whose curiosity is aroused when they
see you Geocaching. Be prepared for them to come over and ask you what you're
doing.
The
Whistle Blower: These are the most dangerous type of muggles,
as they will come over and pester you about what you're doing or call the
police on you because of your 'suspicious' actions. They may also come over and
attempt to find the Geocache after you've left.
2 Try
not to draw attention to yourself. Avoid suspicious actions,
such as constantly looking over your shoulder, or huddling over your GPS in
heavily populated areas. These actions will draw attention to yourself, and a
muggle is bound to either call the police or ask you what you're doing.
3 Come
back later. If there are too many people around, or
there are a few "lingerers" in the area, leave and come back later.
Go get a coffee or go home for a couple hours, and then come back at a time
where the area would be less populated so you can search for the Geocache then.
4 Make
Geocaching look as natural as possible. If you need to dig around
in the dirt, drop something and dig through the dirt to pick it up. If a muggle
is approaching, put your GPS to your ear and pretend that it's a cell phone.
5 Be
prepared to answer their questions. If a muggle comes over and
asks you what you're doing, just admit that you're Geocaching. If they're
interested, explain to them what Geocaching is, and tell them to look up the
Geocaching.com website online.
Let us strive to keep Geocaching fun for everyone.