Hitchhikers at gatherings & other thoughts

From: Silent Doug (silentdoug@letterboxing.info) | Date: 2004-01-05 14:19:56 UTC-05:00

Just Beth wrote:
>The origional intent of
>the HH exchange was sort of like a grab bag. You bring a HH, toss it in a
>basket and take another in exchange to hide where ever your letterboxing
>travels bring you.

I'm generally against event box proliferation and promiscuous hitchhiker
stamping, but I think the idea of having a hitchhiker hostel at gatherings
is great. The problem is that most people don't understand how a hostel
works -- or they choose to disregard the instructions. In a hitchhiker
hostel, you can only exchange a hitchhiker you've brought with you for
another. If you don't leave one, you can't take one. When hitchhikers are
in a box or laid out on a picnic table at a gathering along with the event
stamps, it's easy for people to get confused.

I think that a good way to approach it is to hide a hitchhiker hostel
somewhere nearby just for the day, and then distribute clues to it (along
with the explanation of a hitchhiker hostel). The planter of the hostel
just needs one HH to seed the box (make one if you don't have one, or just
ask Amanda from Seattle to send you one ).

And here's a thought about event stamp proliferation: there's no reason
that the gathering's organizers can't hide some of the special stamps that
have been getting mailed around to various events. A letterbox is a
letterbox, whether it's permanent, private or only hidden for a single day.
You don't have to create elaborate clues -- try writing a clue in a single
sentence or as a haiku or some other minimalist form. It takes a bit of
additional planning and effort, but I think it would make it a lot more fun
for everyone.

|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
Silent Doug, P37 F249 E08 X40
silentdoug@letterboxing.info
http://www.letterboxing.info

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Re: Hitchhikers at gatherings & other thoughts

From: jedaryn02 (jedaryn02@yahoo.com) | Date: 2004-01-06 05:34:36 UTC

sweetness

Thanks Silent Doug for your thoughts on that. Since we're gathering
at my place this weekend, you've given me some great ideas. All
righty!!! I've got the event stamps & a bunch of hitchhikers and
will try to be creative with them. Thanks for the ideas. =-) I had
been stamping all those hitchhikers in my book at events, but just
only counting the one I exchanged. So now it'll be even more fun,
well hopefully. =-)

A-Bear and so excited about Saturday =-)

Re: [LbNA] Hitchhikers at gatherings & other thoughts

From: Rayvenhaus (rayvenhaus@myndworx.com) | Date: 2004-01-06 08:16:10 UTC-08:00

I defiantly agree with the Hitchhiker 'Etiquette' that has been circulating
around concerning gatherings and such.....

Personally, I think part of the problem that causes these
'misunderstandings' is the 'No Rules' concept of Letterboxing as a whole.
I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying that without, at least,
accepted guidelines, people can not really be faulted for doing what they
do. How can you chastise a person for bringing 25 boxes to an event and
causing a feeding frenzy by doing so? How can you chastise someone for
bringing a bunch of hitchhikers to a gathering and passing them out to
others to plant? How can you chastise anyone for anything is people are not
taught this hobby, but beaten over the head with the 'Stoopid' club when
they do something against 'Accepted practices'? What is common accepted
practices now a days was not common accepted practices 4 years ago.

I think, personally, (And this is my opinion and we all what know opinions
are like right? Everyone's got one and they usually stink.) that we need to
have a little more control and a lot less flying off the handle.

I personally love the idea of a Hostel at an event for Hitchhikers and I
think it should be handled by someone at the event. A 'deck clerk' if you
will. Just like the boxes at an event. I, myself, prefer to have them
hidden, much like we did at Fright Fest '03 and not spread all over a table
to everyone to just stamp into, unless they are traveling event stamps, or
other special stamps.

But, as I always say, these are just my opinions and not meant as a 'You
Must Do It This Way!' (grin)

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A Letterboxing Upcoming Events Calendar is available at
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"We leave nothing but an image to mark our passage...."
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Re: [LbNA] Hitchhikers at gatherings & other thoughts

From: (HANNAHKAT@aol.com) | Date: 2004-01-06 12:12:49 UTC-05:00

I love the idea of a hostel.

It would save so much time...the last few events we've been to, we have
literally spent hours exchanging and stamping in to everything on a table, and then
never get to go out and find the local boxes!

-Kim

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Re: [LbNA] Hitchhikers at gatherings & other thoughts

From: bdloving (bruce@lovingscents.com) | Date: 2004-01-06 21:38:20 UTC

OOh, OOh, 'I defiantly agree '

I like that. Reminds me of the 3-Stooges line:
'I will fight to the last drop of his blood'

LOL