Twitter idiots start leaving hidden beer, weed around Vancouver

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      It appears that the latest ridiculous overblown social media trend is people hiding things of value in public spaces, then sending cryptic tweets as to the object's location. 

      It's like geocaching for people who don't know how to operate a GPS or like going for walks or using their brain. All you have to do is look at a Twitter account, recognize a place in a picture, and then rush there as soon as humanly possible in a greed-fuelled frenzy.

      It all started with the San Francisco-based Hidden Cash, which deposited money in envelopes around the city.

      The account's popularity led to scenes like this:

      "Let's dig up a park for the promise of money!"
      John Genovese/Twitter

      Dozens upon dozens of copycats sprung up in response, including our own @HiddenCashVancouver.

      Not content to let the money do all the humanitarian work, @HiddenBeer and @HiddenWeedYVR have starting leaving booze and pot laying around Vancouver.

      And this is where I predictably get angry about the social irresponsibility of it all.

      I hope someone checked these kids' IDs.
      Justine Mora/Twitter

      Have you ever seen a Black Friday stampede? That's what people will do for low prices on consumer goods. 

      Now, think about what people will do for mere chance at getting free stuff (see above park-digging-up photo).

      By hiding these things around town, you are not creating a fun surprise for someone. You are causing a potential panic as avaricious motherfuckers storm an area for "treasure".

      Also, leaving weed and beer laying around where any child could find it is pretty much the stupidest, most irresponsible thing I could imagine. Not to mention that possession of marijuana without a license is still illegal in Canada and leaving it laying around could be considered trafficking.

      I'm sure the people behind these accounts have nothing but the best intentions. But this is a trend that needs to stop before someone gets hurt.

      Comments

      26 Comments

      Chris T.

      Jun 6, 2014 at 1:42pm

      All true. While anything that spreads on social media is almost destined to have the expected, generic copycats...this is among the most stale of all of them. The viral appeal of these kinds of accounts will be gone by the end of the month.

      Remember...it's social media in 2014. The attention span of 98% of the people using it has pretty much sunk to zero.

      Dave

      Jun 6, 2014 at 1:46pm

      If leaving weed and beer laying around is the stupidest, most irresponsible thing you can imagine, might I humbly suggest that you strongly lack imagination?

      vc

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:01pm

      "Also, leaving weed and beer laying around where any child could find it is pretty much the stupidest, most irresponsible thing I could imagine."

      Your hyperbole aside, apparently this point is not obvious to many. It was suggested to me on Twitter today that little kids "don't have Twitter" and "presumably aren't wandering alone DT".

      officer bong hoots

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:07pm

      free chronic never hurt anyone

      Steve

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:28pm

      This is the worst blog posting ever. I understand the marijuana concern but clearly the free beer guys are doing things properly. I don't know who's running your Twitter account but the way they've been tweeting and based on this post, I think I'll get my news elsewhere now.

      Jay

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:29pm

      +1 for the never-before-seen phrase "avaricious motherfuckers"

      John Commenter

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:31pm

      Haha the straight was founded in the 60s by people FAR more lunatic-ish than these two twitter accounts. They used to have recipies for drug blends and invitations to LSD parties in The Straight....the newspaper you now work for. Your job literally was created by bigger idiots than these guys. LOL. My has society gone square.

      Icebox

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:35pm

      "Unresponsibility"? I find your use of the English language the most IRresponsible thing I could imagine.

      Miranda Nelson

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:38pm

      Thanks for the catch. It's very unresponsible of me not to use spell-check :)

      @HiddenCashYVR

      Jun 6, 2014 at 2:58pm

      You make some good points, but there are bigger differences than just what's being left around for people to find. Anything that's wrong, bad and/or illegal will be (appropriately) shut down in due course.

      I take a bit of exception about being lumped in with other, less responsible people. I had no idea this would blow up as big as it did, but having done so, I’m trying to manage it as responsibly as I can. I’ve made it a point not to leave envelopes where it’ll cause a stampede. Indeed, the hunts are mostly for people who are around and in the area, not to jump in their cars from 30 minutes away and screech to the treasure hunt.

      You’ll notice the envelope I hid at Deer Lake was on concrete and I specifically told people not to trample the grass; it wasnt on or near the grass. It would be the height of irresponsibility to hide something anywhere that’d cause damage in the search. “This $100 is buried in a flower bed in QE Park!” – wouldn’t that be a good one.

      No, the only grass near my recent envelope was on abandoned Arbutus Corridor rail lines next to a Big Brothers clothes drop-box, which I was delighted to see was taken advantage by a few of the treasure hunters.

      This logic of “here’s a thing”→”here’s one or two examples of this thing being bad”→”all of these things are bad” – is flawed. And I have no idea how long people will be interested in this. I’ll keep doing it as long as they are. And when it’s time to move on, we’ll all move on.