Re: [Az-Geocaching] Re: What we place in Urban Caches

yes it was a really nice knife,
----- Original Message -----
From: RAND HARDIN
To: AZ-Geocaching
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 6:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Re: What we place in Urban Caches


I'm wondering why, if this woman is so worried about her 10 year old son, is she allowing him to wander around parks without her! After all! he could fall off some playground equipment, step on a piece of glass, find a poisonous critter, or get hit by a car on the way home!

We do need to use common sense in what we place in caches, but most of these little pocket knives are no sharper than most everyday items that many children come in contact with. I think she just wanted an excuse to keep the knife!

Rand
(RandMan)

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: ken@highpointer.com
    Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 5:56 PM
    To: Listserv@azgeocaching.com
    Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Re: What we place in Urban Caches

    Subject: [Az-Geocaching] What we place in Urban Caches
    Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com

    I just received an email from a non geocacher that her 10 year old son found in the park.  She wrote "my 10 yr old son has found your cashe and brought it home to me.  sorry to have messed up your game.  your log  book, a pencil, 2 cards, a
    keychain and a small pocket knife are inside.  I will return your cashe to the park, but not sure of the actual location, not to mention... I really don't feel right about leaving a knife in the park for a kid  to find. (justaMy opinion) so... took knife, left peace of mind.   12/09/02  good hunting."

    What is this parent so paranoid about?  I remember back when I was a Cub Scout, and only 8 years old (I'm not ancien! t - I'm in my 30's now so I was a Cub Scout in the liberal 1970's), I wore my Cub Scout uniform to school with a pocket knife attached to the belt.  One of the activities that we did as Cub Scouts was whittling with the pocket knife.  And this was when I was 10 years of age or younger.

    Therefore, I cannot see how a small pocket knife in a cache should cause any problems whatsoever.  Perhaps the parents should just show their kids how to properly use a knife. That's what parents and other adults did with me when I was that kid's age.  A small pocketknife, used properly, is a very useful tool and is considered an essential piece of equipment for hikers, campers and other outdoors people.  (For example, see the list of 10 essentials of things to take on a hike by the Colorado Mountain Club - pocket knife is #8).

    I'm not a parent, but I have two young nephews and a niece scheduled to be born later this week, and I wouldn't hesitate to give any of them a small pocket knife as a gift - and I don't believe that their parents (two are my brother's kids, one is my sister's) would be opposed in any way.  (I'm suspicious of the parenting skills of that mother who confiscated the cache, but that's just my opinion).

    Ken (a.k.a. Highpointer)