Hey
Today we did a drive by, we were by the two trunked tree, had the box in our hands, in the car. We were just packing it back up and getting ready to put it back and we saw a car drive in to the other side of the lot. We watched for a second, could see the paper in hand, figured it to be a boxer. They drove around back behind where we were parked. We sat there and panicked...what do we do....Finally my husband put the box back and went over to the car and asked which way was north. And she knew the answer!! So we laughed and she drove her car next to ours, and we did an exchange....hi BibliochickMS!!

My question is ....what were we supposed to have done...it was kind of silly to hide the box right in front of her, but to sit there with it didnt seem right either. I could have handed it right to her, but that would have been lame. I didnt really want to drive off with it and come back later....

Were we supposed to drive somewhere else to do the stamping in? I thought the point of the driveby was that you could do it right there in the car.

So what would the experts have done in this situation?

Crazyoli

I think you guys did the right thing. Chances are small that someone else is going to drive up to a literal drive-by at exactly the same time you do. I do not think it is necessary to drive away when the box is that close to the parking space--in fact, I think your car is a good way to cover up your activities from noxers driving by the area. So, I say you did a good job! Fun to have the exchange too. :-)

Happy New Year,
Amyrica

I agree with Amyrica, I think you did great. The ONLY thing I might have done differently, depending on the situation of course, would be to talk to the other driver first--before replacing the box. That way, if they were not a letterboxer, you could just wait them out, and then hide the box after they were out of sight.

NOT that I claim to be an expert. Just by saying that, you've made it very hard for anyone to answer your question--who wants that kind of responsibility? :-)

Pied Piper

Oh man! I've forgotten what the right answer to the question "Which way is north?" though I remember those posts.

I'm just gonna point upwards and do something like a penguin walk and hope that works... I think I'm supposed to do arm farts to something too...

I'll fake it if this issue ever comes up. Sounds like ya'll did fine to me..
preboxed

I'm just happy that I knew the right answer when asked. :) I think we handled the situation just fine and I was excited to meet another letterboxer in the field.

We've run into boxers twice now. Once, we pulled up and parked right beside them on a drive-by ( YankeeChiK and family! ). And the other time, I had the box, but noticed a couple go to the hinding spot and look around. I walked over and told them that I might have something they needed ( hello Cap'n K and Long Limbs McL! ), and they followed me over to were I was stamping in so we could do an exchange, and they could have the box.

There really isn't anything else you can do, can you? I mean, you are both in the same place, looking for the same thing. I know that it might take some of the excitement of the actual find out of it by being handed a box, but that is replaced by the excitement of getting to meet a fellow LBer!!

I probably freaked Capn'K and Long Limbs out by walking up to them while they were looking, but I didn't want them to think that the box was missing by waiting them out. And like you said, it would have been silly to replant it right in front of them!

Glad you got an exchange!!! Those are sooo fun!!!

moonshowr

I think the replies so far have been right on... but I'd like to add that if you 'just hand them the box' you should stick around until they are finished and replace it yourself. If they don't physically see where exactly the box came from, how are they supposed to properly replace it?

It is very exciting to meet someone on the trail. I was out last week with Maiden and as we sat (several yards away from the location) this family walked up with a piece of paper... headed to the exact spot. We called over, 'We think we have what you're looking for!" and of course they were letterboxers. They were so new (geocachers trying something new) that they didn't even have trail names or sig stamps yet, but it was still nice to meet them!

~HP~

I agree with asking the secret "which way is north?" question. After i had found out they were fellow letterboxers i would ask them if they want to come back in 10 minutes to "find" the box and have that element of fun. If they said "yes we want to find the box", then send them away or have them close their eyes, no peeking! Or i would ask them, "do you want to stand around with newfound friends and talk about all of our adventures letterboxing and get the letterbox literally handed to you?"

I got really frustrated recently when a Ren friend gave the right answer to Which way is North but then had no clue what letterboxing was.

Apparently, the boxing Rennies at the Fair have been observed publically trading this quip and it's been picked up as an in-joke sorta thing among the Ren folk.

Arg!

so... which way is north? what's the answer. I'm new here to letterboxing and have no clue what you are talking about. help please???

I believe the correct answer is "Up" though I think I'll say "That's the direction the Great Green Tortuga flies in the summer." Ought to be obvious to anyone who knows AQ... ;-)

Plus I won't be confused with those Rennfest people... *snicker*

Knit Wit

Ok I have to ask...who are "those Rennfest people?"

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so... which way is north? what's the answer. I'm new here to letterboxing and have no clue what you are talking about. help please???

I believe the generally accepted answer is to point straight up (because on a map, north is up). Although there was talk about waddling like a penguin, flapping your arms and making armpit noises.....

TG

Renaissance Faire. Also big letterboxing event. The one I know of is in Bristol, WI, but I'm sure there are others.

http://www.renfaire.com/

S

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If they don't physically see where exactly the box came from, how are they supposed to properly replace it?

Good point. I wonder sometimes how many letterboxers (and geocachers) fail to understand this concept and just put the box back somewhere -- or worse, decide they don't even want to go back into the brush and just toss it from the trail. The original hiding location is lost forever, at least until the owner gets back there to check on it.

You did the right thing in my book. What else can be done?

**etiquette** I think what you did was great, ask CapeCodLetterboxer about which way is north???