When we see people with the tell tale signs of LBing (compass, papers, look of well being) we will ask them if they are LetterBoxing. If they are not, then we will take a moment to explain the hobby, if they seem interested.

Most of those we meet with the above characteristics turn out to be Letter Boxers.

Bob & Carolyn
Voyageur
----- Original Message -----
From: moofie
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 10:19 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Meeting other letterboxers


we have an etiquette question. we approached the location of a letterbox
today and encountered two people walking towards us carrying a piece of
paper and a camera. our first thought was that they were fellow
letterboxers.
we debated what to do. should we ask if they were letterboxers, should we
act like we were just wandering through and pass up the chance to exchange
stamps in order to protect the location? turns out they werent letterboxers
because we were the first to stamp in the book.

what have some of you done in the past? what if they werent letterboxers?
did you explain what letterboxing was or just excuse yourself?


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OR........ You can pull a quote from the Leapin' Lizards' script and
say "Are you looking for the same thing we are?" While Kate and I
were checking up on our Herrick Lake box today, they surprised us
with just this greeting. If we weren't stunned into stupefication,
we might have shot back a snappy response of some sort, but oh well.
It struck me as a very good way of breaking the ice without having
the preamble of explaining what letterboxing is, where it came from,
and why on God's green earth you do it. Depending on the degree of
curiosity on the face of the individual, you could take a deep breath
and follow up with the preamble, or you could just say "Sorry. Never
mind." There's also a wide variety of off-putting crackpot comments
at your disposal, too, if you're so inclined.

Anyway...we'd never met fellow LBers before (since there are probably
about 5 of them in IL), and so it was a pleasant surprize to meet
someone else with this mania. Nice folks.

--Melinda (of Melinda & Kate)


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, wrote:
> When we see people with the tell tale signs of LBing (compass,
papers, look of well being) we will ask them if they are
LetterBoxing. If they are not, then we will take a moment to explain
the hobby, if they seem interested.
>
> Most of those we meet with the above characteristics turn out to be
Letter Boxers.
>
> Bob & Carolyn
> Voyageur
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: moofie
> To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 10:19 PM
> Subject: [LbNA] Meeting other letterboxers
>
>
> we have an etiquette question. we approached the location of a
letterbox
> today and encountered two people walking towards us carrying a
piece of
> paper and a camera. our first thought was that they were fellow
> letterboxers.
> we debated what to do. should we ask if they were letterboxers,
should we
> act like we were just wandering through and pass up the chance to
exchange
> stamps in order to protect the location? turns out they werent
letterboxers
> because we were the first to stamp in the book.
>
> what have some of you done in the past? what if they werent
letterboxers?
> did you explain what letterboxing was or just excuse yourself?
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

That's so funny, because this JUST happened to me today! Was out letterboxing on the other side of the state, papers and compass in hand, muttering about my, I believe the words were, "Mule headed husband who doesn't listen to me about clues even though I'm always right" (he'd insisted a trail we needed to take wasn't the right one), and I passed a man going the way I'd come from. He asked me if I was looking for something, and I, still in the heat of a one-sided conversation with my husband, and not wanting to reveal a letterbox to someone who wasn't looking for it, said, "No, no thanks."

Turns out that very nice man was the owner of the box we were looking for! We met up with him again, and exchanged stamps. Now that I know the secret phrase, (and I do like "Are you looking for what I'm looking for?") I'll be able to answer (and ask) correctly!

-Delirium, who as a result of the meeting got to exchange stamps with the first person not related to her by blood or marriage



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Or you could try asking people if they like boxing. That can be taken in a sports-type of way. I suppose you could ask someone if they like boxers but that could get you slapped or sued. ; )
___________________________
Eric Polk
----- Original Message -----
From: moonsunmagik
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 6:58 PM
Subject: Re: [LbNA] Meeting other letterboxers


OR........ You can pull a quote from the Leapin' Lizards' script and
say "Are you looking for the same thing we are?"

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]