BEWARE ??? Really??

2 messages in this thread | Started on 2007-05-20

Re: BEWARE ??? Really??

From: hillsga2000 (mshills1@wi.rr.com) | Date: 2007-05-20 04:39:16 UTC

Are you really serious? You actually think that people who take the
time and effort to carve the stamp, write the clues, etc. are actually
trying to lure you into the woods so they can break into your car? I
am sorry that this happened to you but it could have happened to you
anywhere.

I had no idea when I introduced my family to Letterboxing 3 years ago
that it was a Gateway hobby into crime! I mean really!

As far as the clues, Trust me, to not be able to find a box on the
first try is not unusual - especially if you are new at it. We are
not new at it anymore, but you did not see us wandering the woods (on
deer trails no less - let's not go there - apparently we cannot follow
actual directions or something this year). I take my children and my
husband with me always. Seriously, I have 1 box we attempted 3 times
before we found it and another we attempted 4 times. So a first time
failure is nothing to be ashamed of.

I have to say this: years ago, I worked for a Target, in a very nice
neighborhood and we had a rash of car break-ins in one section of the
parking lot. Do you think that Target published their ad to lure
these poor unsuspecting victims into the store so that an employee
could go out and break into the cars (and no, it was not an employee
that was eventually caught). My car was broken into when we were
traveling. We were in a nice hotel in a nice area when it happened.
The criminal was a local druggie looking for things to pawn from
peoples cars (we found this out when they caught the guy with our
stuff). We were only 1,000 miles from home when it happened.
Seriously, crime happens everywhere.

I am sorry that the car break in happened and that you did not find
the box, but please do not make unwarranted accusations against people
who have a much better reputation than you think....

The CatHerders (who will attempt to be lost in the woods this weekend
- wait, I mean find letterboxes.

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "sixpoppers" wrote:
>
> My sisters, my son and I have been very excited to get started with
> letterboxing.
>
> We decided to go on our first hunt last night.
>
> We printed out clues for a letterbox near us in a forest preserve in
> Orland Park, IL.
>
> First of all, we spent about 45 minutes searching since the
> directions became quite vague once we were in the forest. We gave
> up, very disheartened, finding nothing.
>
> The worst part was when we returned to my car in the parking lot.
> It had been vandalized - a window had been shattered and my purse
> stolen with all my credit cards and drivers license.
>
> I had just bought this car on Tuesday. How devastating.
>
> My husband feels that this could have been a set up. Get people to
> go deep into the forest on a search for nothing while they break
> into your car.
>
> I am really sad about the car, the theft, the vandalism AND that
> letterboxing turns out to be a very high risk activity. I guess we
> won't be doing this again.
>
> K.
>

Re: BEWARE ??? Really??

From: ogoshi63 (ogoshi63@yahoo.com) | Date: 2007-05-21 01:59:29 UTC

- I think a fisher cat in Chester, MA published clues to a letterbox
I looked for just to see a human jump into the brook to avoid him on
the trail. But could have just been me. Sorry I couldn't resist
that one. Other than the fisher cat making me walk in the brook as
he commandeered the trail for himself it was a beautiful hike.

-- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "hillsga2000"
wrote:
>
> Are you really serious? You actually think that people who take
the
> time and effort to carve the stamp, write the clues, etc. are
actually
> trying to lure you into the woods so they can break into your
car? I
> am sorry that this happened to you but it could have happened to
you
> anywhere.
>
> I had no idea when I introduced my family to Letterboxing 3 years
ago
> that it was a Gateway hobby into crime! I mean really!
>
> As far as the clues, Trust me, to not be able to find a box on the
> first try is not unusual - especially if you are new at it. We are
> not new at it anymore, but you did not see us wandering the woods
(on
> deer trails no less - let's not go there - apparently we cannot
follow
> actual directions or something this year). I take my children and
my
> husband with me always. Seriously, I have 1 box we attempted 3
times
> before we found it and another we attempted 4 times. So a first
time
> failure is nothing to be ashamed of.
>
> I have to say this: years ago, I worked for a Target, in a very
nice
> neighborhood and we had a rash of car break-ins in one section of
the
> parking lot. Do you think that Target published their ad to lure
> these poor unsuspecting victims into the store so that an employee
> could go out and break into the cars (and no, it was not an
employee
> that was eventually caught). My car was broken into when we were
> traveling. We were in a nice hotel in a nice area when it
happened.
> The criminal was a local druggie looking for things to pawn from
> peoples cars (we found this out when they caught the guy with our
> stuff). We were only 1,000 miles from home when it happened.
> Seriously, crime happens everywhere.
>
> I am sorry that the car break in happened and that you did not find
> the box, but please do not make unwarranted accusations against
people
> who have a much better reputation than you think....
>
> The CatHerders (who will attempt to be lost in the woods this
weekend
> - wait, I mean find letterboxes.
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "sixpoppers"
wrote:
> >
> > My sisters, my son and I have been very excited to get started
with
> > letterboxing.
> >
> > We decided to go on our first hunt last night.
> >
> > We printed out clues for a letterbox near us in a forest
preserve in
> > Orland Park, IL.
> >
> > First of all, we spent about 45 minutes searching since the
> > directions became quite vague once we were in the forest. We
gave
> > up, very disheartened, finding nothing.
> >
> > The worst part was when we returned to my car in the parking
lot.
> > It had been vandalized - a window had been shattered and my
purse
> > stolen with all my credit cards and drivers license.
> >
> > I had just bought this car on Tuesday. How devastating.
> >
> > My husband feels that this could have been a set up. Get people
to
> > go deep into the forest on a search for nothing while they break
> > into your car.
> >
> > I am really sad about the car, the theft, the vandalism AND that
> > letterboxing turns out to be a very high risk activity. I guess
we
> > won't be doing this again.
> >
> > K.
> >
>