I love HHs, don't get me wrong, but there is a down side to planting them.

There was a couple hitchhikers I had on hand for a little over a week and was hoping to find a box to plant one in. Yesterday, I finally found some boxes out of state and actually out of the country and my first find of the day was great for this first hitchhiker, which was what I was hoping for.

The box looked large enough and so after stamping the stamp in the hh logbook, etc. placed everything back in and rearranged it so everything would fit. The lid looked sealed. Flipped it over and nothing was falling out. Good, but looking at the plastic (this was more like normal tupperware, it was not a lock n lock), I noticed on one corner of the lid while sealed (nothing was exposed!) was not down to the plastic rim.

My mind raced with, "what to do, what to do" I already stamped the logbook. Couldn't push it down more. Flipped the box over again. Nothing fell out and the corner didn't become loose. It was still closed. My companion with me said, "Oh it's good enough." It bothered me though. So I emptied out all my inks out of the storage bag that held them and slipped the letterbox into a plastic bag. Placed the box with new storage bag back under the log it was under and placed a large stick in front of it.

When I got home yesterday afternoon/evening. I left the owner of the box a message, telling them what I did. After doing that, I noticed that the planter hasn't logged in here since October and does not live anywhere near that box either.

I learned my lesson. When I found a box large enough for the next hitchhiker, I first rearranged everything to make sure it fit before stamping anything.

So I emptied out all my inks out of the storage bag that held them and slipped the letterbox into a plastic bag.

I understand you were trying to help, and I applaud you for that, but you should never put a letterbox inside a plastic bag. Bags can get holes in them very easily, which would allow water to become trapped inside the bag. If the box isn't sealed completely, that water could then get into the box and ruin the logbook. There's even a Q/A in the Help section about this very thing.

TG

you should never put a letterbox inside a plastic bag.

This would be true for long term use but in this case it was a one time deal because of the HH. The box should reseal properly after the HH is removed.

Shiloh

This would be true for long term use but in this case it was a one time deal because of the HH. The box should reseal properly after the HH is removed.

But how is the next finder of that box going to know to remove the bag since the HH isn't in there any longer? Most people will replace the bag, thinking that is the way the planter wanted it to be. So you still have the bag problem.

FG

Hindsight is 20/20, of course. Probably the best way to have handled this was to take the hitchhiker back out, and move it to another box. In a way, this is just what someone else would be doing, and you can log on AQ both for the box that wasn't big enough, and for the box it actually ends up in. AQ will only count that as one hitchhiker find.

Doing this, I figure that the hitchhiker just spent some time over tea with the first box, and then realized it had an appointment with the second box, so it left when you did.

To get things back to the way they should be, perhaps you could find someone who lives in the area and hasn't yet found the box so that they could take the hitchhiker out when they find it and then close the box up properly and remove the bag.

It's good you shared your problem on the boards--hopefully others will be able to learn from your experience. Thanks for 'fessing up--sometimes we all need a refresher course in how to do things.

What a well written response! Kudos on your polite teaching!
Grumpy Grinch

but you should never put a letterbox inside a plastic bag. Bags can get holes in them very easily, which would allow water to become trapped inside the bag. If the box isn't sealed completely

There are some boxes around here that are enclosed in plastic bags or are just plastic bags (with camo duct tape around them). The box itself is pretty much sealed. There is an inch of plastic that tucks under the lid and then the lid meets with a rim or edge and one corner is only about half an inch down on the plastic to the rim, the rest meets it.

To get things back to the way they should be, perhaps you could find someone who lives in the area and hasn't yet found the box so that they could take the hitchhiker out when they find it and then close the box up properly and remove the bag.

Is there a Canada board? I didn't notice one in the board listings.

Is there a Canada board? I didn't notice one in the board listings.

Yes there's a Canada board and an Ontario board. I see that it may be a St Thomas box. Contact Big Blue Team - they are active boxers in the area and will probably be happy to go retrieve the hitchhiker.

Lone R