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Geocaching Shuts Down British Town

Posted by samzenpus on from the everyone-panic dept.

DaveAtWorkAnnoyingly writes "Many geocachers will be thinking twice when planting their treasure in an urban space as one geocacher found out in England after the police cordoned off the center of a small West Yorkshire town and the Bomb Squad was called in. From the article: 'It was a normal busy Friday morning in the small West Yorkshire market town of Wetherby when someone working in a café spotted a man acting a bit suspiciously on the street. He appeared to have a small plastic box in his hand and after fiddling with the container he bent down and hid it under a flower box standing on the pavement. He then walked off, talking to somebody on his phone.'"

9 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. Honestly... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People need to lighten up. This is getting out of hand.

    1. Re:Honestly... by DrXym · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sleepy English towns and villages can be like this, more so in Scotland and Wales

      The UK is no stranger to bombing campaigns from the IRA, muslim extremists and even the odd loony. It is highly predictable that if you bury a suspicious package in a high street someone is going to ring the police. Not everyone is aware of some esoteric nerd pasttime that involves such acts.

      If you really must bury something somewhere like that, go get a policeman you doing it, preferably with a sheet of paper that explains its legalities. Better yet, don't do it in the middle of a high street and find somewhere more rural to do it.

  2. Muggles by daitengu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Often times caches specifically state "DO NOT SEARCH IN VIEW OF MUGGLES". "Muggles" being those unfamiliar with geocaching. This is a perfect reason why to heed those words.

    no, honestly, this is dumb. the terrorists have won.

    1. Re:Muggles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The terrorists always win. The thing people don't seem to really understand is who the terrorists are.

    2. Re:Muggles by mabinogi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It didn't, and the police even said they have no real problem with it, but would appreciate being told about caches in urban areas so as to avoid this sort of misunderstanding in the future.

      --
      Advanced users are users too!
    3. Re:Muggles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So all I need to do is tell the cops there is a cache somewhere and they'll ignore my bomb?

      Sweet.

  3. It's all about goals by Sarten-X · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Isn't this the very goal of terrorism? To disrupt our daily activities with irrational fear?

    --
    You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    1. Re:It's all about goals by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think those in power view it as a positive side effect. ;)

  4. Re:Idiot cafe worker by Minwee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Really? A bomb... that's a danger to people on the street... yet small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand? Is shrapnel really considered a terrorist threat nowadays?

    They're called "Hand Grenades" for a reason, you know. It's because they can fit in the palm of one's hand. And they have a long history of being a danger to people.

    Or did he think its antimatter explosion would eradicate the entire city block?

    No, but he probably thought that a modern anti-personnel grenade was capable of throwing fragments over two hundred meters away. That makes for an area about _five_ city blocks long that could get quite uncomfortable for passers-by, with a "what's left of you will wish you were dead" zone about a third of a city block across at the centre. The real thing is nothing at all like Counter-Strike.

    But, you know what? You're right. I'm just being silly. After all, nobody ever sets off bombs in England, so I'm sure there's no reason for anyone to worry about anything. Ever.