Skip to Content
Register · Login
About Theme

A Letterboxing Community

Atlas Quest
Search Edit Search

Read Thread: safety concern

Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129379 by Kirbert
Sep 14, 2007 11:48am
Thread (disabled) Board
Kirbert,

I think the thing here is that the general public already associates PVC with pipebombs, and they do not associate sandwich containers with bombs. Agreed, one could make a bomb out of anything, but the conception is what's important. I know you already changed your site and it's a moot point, but if I were to accidentally find capped pvc, I'd worry a lot more than if I ran into a sealed L'n'L.

- Yuk
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129380 by Mr Yuk
Sep 14, 2007 11:58am
Thread (disabled) Board
if I were to accidentally find capped pvc, I'd worry a lot more than if I ran into a sealed L'n'L.


I've always put a label of some kind on the inside of my boxes, so that it can be read from the outside. With people paranoia that the way it is, I've put a label under the top lid and on each vertical side.

Up until now, I haven't "artificially camouflaged" my containers, relying instead on "natural camouflage." But for the next set of six, I spray-painted them matte black with the Krylon Fusion. Not wanting to eliminate the easy-ID labels, I printed new ones with white letters on a black background and masked off each little section. Now I have black boxes with black labels.

Hmm... should I amend "This is not an explosive device!" to "This is a letterbox, this is not trash, this is not a geocache"?

*S
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129377 by Kirbert
Sep 14, 2007 12:34pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Read my lips: Any container used for letterboxing can by mistaken for an explosive device. If you want to avoid using things that are potentially problematic for the letterboxing community, stick with PLB's. Oh, excuse me, somebody will probably think you're mailing bombs around.


Fair enough, but you have not addressed the concern that a real bomb could be mistaken for a letterbox. We are not talking hypothetically here. I am personally familiar with this bomb design. I became familiar with this in mountain biking circles where we had to become familiar with typical backwoods defense practices used by marajuana growers in remote areas. I never expected to actually run into this sort of thing, and was surprised both times that I did. While we never saw any pipe bombs, we were warned that they were being used. I would not want to be affiliated with propagating an idea that may put other people at risk unnecessarily. Yes, there is inherent risk in any activity, including letterboxing. Insisting that because there is already SOME risk that we should be willing to accept other, unnecessary risk, is foolish at the least.

You jested that terrorists could start placing bombs in Lock&Locks. If there were a real world case of that I expect that many people would approach this hobby differently and adjust as necessary.

Sunnyside Seeker
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129393 by sunnyside seeker
Sep 14, 2007 12:58pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Fair enough, but you have not addressed the concern that a real bomb could be mistaken for a letterbox.


Ah, yes, that's true. I guess there are two possibilities here:

1) You follow the clues to the hiding place, and the clues tell you that the container is a section of PVC pipe. You find a section of PVC pipe with "letterbox" written on the side in the hiding place, try to open it, and get your head blown off. That means that either the planter is a terrorist, or a terrorist looked up all the letterboxes that mention that they are in sections of PVC pipe and is out there systematically replacing each one with a pipe bomb. A possibility, I suppose -- but of course he could just as easily be replacing other letterboxes with pipe bombs, or installing pipe bombs inside letterboxes.

2) You are in the woods and stumble upon what looks like a pipe bomb, but it's nowhere near where the clues are telling you the letterbox is. I'd probably be cautious, especially if there are wires attached or marijuana plants nearby. But whether or not letterboxers use PVC pipe for containers shouldn't make any difference there, you should be cautious in such situations anyway.

I don't use PVC for containers myself, and I don't necessarily suggest that anyone should. The reason it's mentioned on my site is to clarify that, if you do use PVC for a container, you should arrange it so that it can be opened easily. I've found several -- mainly geocaches, but a couple of letterboxes too -- that were really difficult to get open. But other than the difficulty of opening, I haven't had any concerns with them.
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129393 by sunnyside seeker
Sep 14, 2007 1:01pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I am personally familiar with this bomb design. I became familiar with this in mountain biking circles where we had to become familiar with typical backwoods defense practices used by marajuana growers in remote areas.


Y'know, it might not be a bad idea to post those backwoods defense practices in the wiki. If the knowledge helps mountain bikers, it should help letterboxers.
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129402 by Kirbert
Sep 14, 2007 2:11pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I don't use PVC for containers myself, and I don't necessarily suggest that anyone should.


Then, you should not have a problem with removing any mention of PVC containers from your site. There are so many other viable alternatives that removing PVC would not affect the quality of the rest of your site in the least bit.

Quote I haven't had any concerns with them.


I think you have heard today from a fair number of folks who do.

Many people recognize your experience, and I believe you are relatively well-respected in this community. I can personally attest to your carving ability. It looks to me like you are placing your good reputation in jeopardy.
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129264 by Wandering Pirate
Sep 15, 2007 12:40am
Thread (disabled) Board
Well, I am glad that I took time to read this post. Now I know so if I see something like that I will not go near it.

Thank you
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129379 by Kirbert
Sep 17, 2007 6:11am
Thread (disabled) Board
Throw me back a couple centuries, I think I have witnessed a true witch trial!!

I will file this memory with the idea of having to take my shoes off everytime I go to the airport even though I have red hair and white freckled skin, I may 'look like' one of the hijackers from the news. You never know, I may be a terrorist with my nail clippers floating around the bottom of my designer purse which I would never want blown up over the vast deserts of Texas. Even though I have reveled in the thought of jabbing the file part of the clippers into the guy next to me that always seems to get drunk during the flight and thinks I want to listen to his garbled nonsense.

I honestly hope no one makes a bomb out of any food container or this whole hobby will become extinct.

CP
Re: safety concern
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #129264 by Wandering Pirate
May 8, 2022 11:05am
Thread (disabled) Board
Dear wandering pirate,

I am new to LB and I thank you for this info. it is now 15 years past your post date and I am reading all the know how's and what to do's for LB.

Thank you,
LetterBoxHunter2018