Cache is not as the posted coordinates! The
posted coordinates bring you to a pay phone, which you can use
to help you with this cache. There is nothing special about
this cache. It doesn't bring you to a nice area, or something
that will make you say wow. It's all about the puzzle, and to
see how comfortable you are calling strangers and asking for
help.
How nice can you be to a stranger? You better be - because
you're going to need a stranger's help to find this cache.
To find this cache, all you have to do is call 518-584-9603.
This calls a phone in a phone booth at a truck stop somewhere in
the state (location is not important.) You can do so from the
posted coordinates, or wherever you have a phone. Once you convince
whoever might answer that you're not a nut - even though you are -
you have to get them to answer the following questions:
- What's the number of the highway this is near? Write this out
repeatedly until you have 10 digits (for example, if the highway
number was 57, then write 5757575757.)
- What exit is the truck stop off of? Write this out as above
until you have 10 digits.
- How many big picture windows are there? Again, write this out
repeatedly until you have 10 digits (make sure it's not the number
of window "panes" - a picture window can be composed of many panes
- if the number you get is a multiple of 12, then divide it by 12
to get the "real" number)
- Inside the phone booth in the corner about 15 inches above the
phone there is a brass tag with some writing and two big letters.
Convert the two big letters to numbers (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc ...) and
repeat until you have 9 digits (for example, if the letters were
MA, write 131131131.)
- How many phone booths are there in a row? Write this out until
you have 10 digits.
- What is the phone number of the phone booth next to this one?
(this time you already have 10 digits!)
Now, add all these numbers up.
To get the final coordinates, use the formula:
North = your sum - 21355353480
West = your sum - 21351933331
At least you don't have to dress like a pirate.
There's a story to this cache. Back in December when I hid
Find the fruitcake I had intended on making it "Phone a
muggle". I hid the cache, and then was on the search for a pay
phone. Well news to me - pretty much all the payphones in Rochester
don't accept incoming calls! I went to a couple malls &
shopping plazas, and I ended up finding a phone (at these posted
coordinate) that "barely" rang. It was so soft I didn't think it
would work. I put a small magnetic tag on the phone and went back
home to contemplate if I should submit it. I didn't, but Peppermill
noticed I dropped a bug in a cache called "Phone a muggle", and
immediately knew what it was about. I told Pep there was a problem
with the phone I found and that was it. A few days later, Pep calls
me and said they found my magnetic tag! What are the chances they
checked the one payphone in Rochester I put the tag on? I think I'm
being stalked. Well months later, I finally have a friend out of
town tell me they found a phone that rings, so I send them back to
the phone to gather information. And here we are.
I can't take credit for this idea. I saw it in the forums some
time back, and I'll update this page when/if I find the cache that
inspired it.