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Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13900 by Doctroid
Jan 1, 2006 6:51pm
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Well, I've only found one, but it had some great hitchhikers by Mumma and Bunny Boy and Cape Cod Letterboxer and I really wanted the images. I stamped all of them in my logbook but didn't stamp in their logs except the one I took and the hostel log.

I didn't really think I was technically supposed to stamp the other HHs in my log, but I figured I'd never see them again and I wanted the images. I was surprised to discover that a bunch of people had logged into the HH I took even though it had never left the hostel.

So, in short, I don't think it matters either way.
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13901 by ArchimedesScrew
Jan 1, 2006 7:49pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I have also only found one Hostel (however, I have just planted my own first one), but I don't have any problems with stamping into all the HH's in it when I do. After all, they're placed in the box, just as a normal HH is...and it is indeed still a normal letterbox...

I figure, though, as long as you exchange at least one HH (or in my case, usually several), why shouldn't you be allowed to stamp into them? After all, you did find them!

As for my own Hostel...I don't mind if all who visit stamp into all the HH's...but I do seriously want people to bring their own HH's to change it up, and PLEASE, people, when you do, take the ones that have been their the longest out FIRST!

-Celtic Quinn
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13902 by Celtic Quinn
Jan 2, 2006 6:44am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote As for my own Hostel...I don't mind if all who visit stamp into all the HH's...but I do seriously want people to bring their own HH's to change it up, and PLEASE, people, when you do, take the ones that have been their the longest out FIRST!



CQ, I think you should be happy if people just bring in new HH's. I don't think it's realistic to ask people to take the oldest residing hitchhikers first. First of all, there's really no way of knowing how long one has been in there unless everyone logs a date when they sign in. Secondly, some HH's just don't appeal to some people...they are too large for them to hide again, or it's a HH from their area and they are trying to "mix it up a little", etc. Or Sometimes a certain image will just appeal to me. So just be happy if they keep bringing in HH's. They'll move, believe me.

Lock Wench
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13901 by ArchimedesScrew
Jan 2, 2006 12:00pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I didn't really think I was technically supposed to stamp the other HHs in my log, but I figured I'd never see them again and I wanted the images.


In my opinion, that's a good idea, but I don't know that there is any rule on it.

I have a hostel and really enjoy it. When visiting a hostel, I think that you can take as many images as you like and put them in your logbook. After all, you did find them. However, I prefer that people only stamp into the hitchhikers that they take. If you do not take it with you it is better (in my opinion) not to stamp into it. HH's are made to travel and if they stay at the hostel and the logbooks fill up there it doesn't get a chance to travel around collecting stamps from all over.

By doing it this way, the visitor of the hostel always has one book to stamp into (the hostel log that stays at the hostel) and they can stamp as many images as they want into their logbook. They take a HH only if they leave one and the one that they take should have their stamp as well as the one they place that it was at and the new place it goes to (like any normal HH).

I find that people just take the HH's that they want and do not pay any attention to which has been there longest. That's fine with me. Whenever I'm going somewhere, I visit my hostel (as part of maintenance) and put a new HH in it and then take out the oldest one myself and make sure that the oldest one travels out somewhere else. This way my "guests" to the hostel and pick any HH they like in exchange for the one that they left and then I take responsibility as part of maintaining my hostel to make sure that no HH gets "stuck" at the hostel.
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13900 by Doctroid
Jan 2, 2006 12:02pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I have a HHH here in PNW - love it! So fun to check in on it and see who has been there and all the different HHs that have been left and taken! Also, the location of my hostel is a driveby, so it is nice to be able to sit in your vehicle and take your time to figure out what needs to be stamped, etc.

Here's my rules, if it helps:

Rule #1: to take a HH, you must leave a HH. (However, I am thinking about encouraging taking the 'extras', if there is more than the minimum, even if you don't have one to leave. Just to facilitate more movement of the HHs.)

When you visit, you, obviously, get the HHH stamp image (it's a find) and stamp your sig stamp in the HHH logbook. Also, stamp in the HHH logbook the HHs you are leaving. (be sure to stamp the HHH stamp into the HHs you are leaving, so the person picking them up doesn't have to do it!)

You only stamp your sig stamp in the HHs you are taking - this is so the logbooks for the HHs don't get full of sig stamps when they are not moving. The fun of HHs is that they get stamped from all different places. :-)

You, obviously, stamp your sig stamp in the HHs you are leaving.

No HH stamps in other HHs logbooks.

You are free to take stamp images of any or all the HHs in the hostel, if you wish. I like to collect them on a special page in my log just for my HHH. Just for fun!

As a courtesy, when you stamp in the HH logbooks, that you only take up one page or less. Most HH logbooks are on the smaller side, and it is just polite to leave plenty of room for as many stamps as possible.

Different "rules" apply to each hostel, I am sure. It is definitely helpful if the planter makes their rules clear in the clues and maybe even in the hostel, just as a helpful reminder.

Does all that make sense?? :-)

See you on the trail,
SHH
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13919 by The Wolf Family
Jan 2, 2006 12:18pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote However, I prefer that people only stamp into the hitchhikers that they take. If you do not take it with you it is better (in my opinion) not to stamp into it. HH's are made to travel and if they stay at the hostel and the logbooks fill up there it doesn't get a chance to travel around collecting stamps from all over.


That's actually the way I like it, too. Keeping the logbooks relatively empty. However, I do feel bad for those people that like to track the travels of their HH's closely, and when they're updated that we 'found' the HH, but the logbook doesn't have our stamp...on the other hand, it's not that big a deal.

Quote I find that people just take the HH's that they want and do not pay any attention to which has been there longest. That's fine with me. Whenever I'm going somewhere, I visit my hostel (as part of maintenance) and put a new HH in it and then take out the oldest one myself and make sure that the oldest one travels out somewhere else. This way my "guests" to the hostel and pick any HH they like in exchange for the one that they left and then I take responsibility as part of maintaining my hostel to make sure that no HH gets "stuck" at the hostel.


This is true. I do plan on regularly checking the Hostel anyway, so I should be able to do this as well...but, it's still nice if those who drop by help too.
I've asked that for people that drop/add HH's, to please write the date that they drop them in and the date that they remove them, so that others can know which have been there the longest. I would hate for someone's HH to be 'stuck' in my hostel just because everyone that passes by happens to like all the others more....and I'd hate even more if the entire logbook was filled up with people stamping into it while it was there without taking it! :(

-Celtic Quinn
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13900 by Doctroid
Jan 2, 2006 3:17pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I would take stamps from all the HHs present, but only stamp into the HH(s) I was taking with me, and of course only take one if I was leaving one.

I also have a ton of sig stamps to deal with so the fewer logbooks I have to stamp the better!

Knit Wit
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13909 by Lock Wench
Jan 2, 2006 3:47pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote CQ, I think you should be happy if people just bring in new HH's. I don't think it's realistic to ask people to take the oldest residing hitchhikers first. First of all, there's really no way of knowing how long one has been in there unless everyone logs a date when they sign in.


Actually, our hostel has spaces so you can write the date a stamp came in and when it leaves. I got the idea from someone else's hostel pages (can't remember whose now). Plus, even without that, people usually DO log the date they put an HH in, just like you do when you log into any other LB, so you'd definitely know which ones are older ones.

Quote Secondly, some HH's just don't appeal to some people...they are too large for them to hide again, or it's a HH from their area and they are trying to "mix it up a little", etc. Or Sometimes a certain image will just appeal to me.


This is true. We've seen that happen in our hostel...some poor HH languishs in the box for ages while niftier looking ones keep moving. So, I do like CQ's idea of asking folks to take the oldest ones first to help them move. The way I figure, it's like anything else...some folks will actually do it and some won't, but at least SOMETHING will happen! :-)

The s & H
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13929 by Sprite and Highlander
Jan 2, 2006 3:53pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Actually, our hostel has spaces so you can write the date a stamp came in and when it leaves. I got the idea from someone else's hostel pages (can't remember whose now). Plus, even without that, people usually DO log the date they put an HH in, just like you do when you log into any other LB, so you'd definitely know which ones are older ones.


Yep, that's how I modeled my HHH logbook, after yours. I thought it was a good way to do that.

And I agree, some people will do it, some won't. Oh well. :D

-Celtic Quinn
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #13919 by The Wolf Family
Jan 29, 2006 3:53am
Thread (disabled) Board
I am under the firm belief that one should only log into the HHH logbook and log the HH that you take and leave...having visited my first HHH yesterday, I was getting real fidgetty being in one spot for so long( and I blame this on the secrecy thing and the fact that being mortarred in Iraq happened when you stopped in the wrong area too long)...happy hunting

and as far as maintenance goes...does mailing HH count as a move? I mean from one boxer to another, or is this more of a postal thing?
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #15522 by keepersofthelight04
Jan 29, 2006 5:17am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I am under the firm belief that one should only log into the HHH logbook and log the HH that you take and leave


This is true. However you have the option to stamp the other HHs in your log. But in order to take one, you HAVE to leave a new one.

Quote and as far as maintenance goes...does mailing HH count as a move? I mean from one boxer to another, or is this more of a postal thing?


As far as I know, traditional HHs move from box to box in a physical manner. i.e. on the letterboxer themself. Its all about the goal of how far they will get etc... I did run across a postal HH. It was specifically requested that its' travel remain through the mail.

The Gamecock
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #15522 by keepersofthelight04
Jan 29, 2006 9:05am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote does mailing HH count as a move? I mean from one boxer to another, or is this more of a postal thing?


A lot of people do, I think, but traditionally, that hasn't been the case. I don't count hitchhiker finds unless I find the hitchhiker in a traditional letterbox.

-- Ryan
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #15522 by keepersofthelight04
Jan 29, 2006 10:48am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote does mailing HH count as a move? I mean from one boxer to another


Personally I think mailing is fine. You're still surprized to find it. I wouldn't mind if one of ours gets mailed because then it'll probably travel farther than it would have otherwise, and finding one in the mail (such as with a postal 'box) is a lot of fun because then we see a lot of stamps we've never seen before. But really I think it's up to you.
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #15542 by Green Tortuga
Jan 29, 2006 12:08pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I don't count hitchhiker finds unless I find the hitchhiker in a traditional letterbox.


Since HH's don't count in the "F" count anyway, I don't see the difference in how you find them for counting them. Perhaps I'm missing something here?

I've never gotten any in the mail but I have mailed a few to keep them moving. I've seen them on Wanda and Pete's list as logged as found with the indication "USPS" for the find location.
Re: Hostels
Board: Hitchhikers, Cooties, and Fleas
Reply to: #15558 by The Wolf Family
Jan 29, 2006 12:22pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Since HH's don't count in the "F" count anyway, I don't see the difference in how you find them for counting them. Perhaps I'm missing something here?


Ah, that's the difference between how AQ counts finds and how I count finds. I don't have a programmatic way of determining if someone found a box in a traditional letterbox or if they're handed off, on the table at a gathering, and so forth, so I set up AQ not to count any hitchhiker as part of a person's official F-count.

AQ isn't the perfect counter for keeping track of finds, but at least one thing can be said for it--it's consistent! =)

-- Ryan