Questions about caving from the general public

[yrammy]

Picked this post up from Cavers of Facebook from Tsrak Elkcubra and it has sparked some interesting replies.

Hello cavers! I'm compiling a list of 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQs) that non-cavers ask us about caves and caving. I was wondering if any of you would be so kind to share some of the FAQs you get from the public? Feel free to post them in the comments. Thanks!

[Duncan Price]

Hello cavers! I'm compiling a list of 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQs) that non-cavers ask us about caves and caving. I was wondering if any of you would be so kind to share some of the FAQs you get from the public? Feel free to post them in the comments. Thanks!

My favourite question usually follows on with the opener:

"How long are you going to be down the cave?"

"About xx hours..."

"Won't it be dark when you get out?"

...duh...

[Cap'n Chris]

By far the most common is "are there any tight squeezes" followed by "is it dark".

[yrammy]

Duncan, when I was at Matlcok College we went caving and someones landlady was our 'call out' . We here horrendously late out of Nettle. He ran off to the pub to phone the landlady who said she did not call the resuce as it was dark and we would not still be underground.........

[AliRoll]

My favourite was....
"So does your club fix the holes in roads or something?"
 

[Tribal Chestnut]

‘Have you ever got stuck?’
‘Do you get stuck much?’
‘Aren’t you a bit old?’ (40)
‘What about spiders?’
‘Can I come?’

[alanw]

My favourite was....
"So does your club fix the holes in roads or something?"

They must have been listening to "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue"

https://wylie.me.uk/tmp.M5OWo8tX55/2014/ISIHAC-BPC2.mp3

The Bradford Potholing Club is one of the most active in Yorkshire. Funded by the
city council the skilled Bradford Potholers go out at night looking for any
road surfaces that have become too smooth and dig holes in them

[David Rose]

Aren't you a bit old (59)?

Aren't you a bit big? (My friends know the answer to that - I have been to the bottom of Hammer Pot, but couldn't manage Quaking's crux)

Is there enough oxygen down there?

[Hunter]

One of my favourites asked of a caving friend....

‘How many miles of undiscovered passage are there then?’

Answered....’dunno mate, they haven’t been found yet!’

[Tripod]

I have had the "dark" questions, including "how can you go caving at night--------- ", How can you go caving at night - how do you find your way out?" Surprisingly, these can come from intelligent people. Maybe some people think that Dr Who and other television programmes with underground scene but no light sources are real?
A lot of people diagnose themselves as "Claustrophobic" at the mention of caving, as in "I couldn't do that. I am ------ ". Fortunately for them this self-diagnosis comes nowhere near the life-changing illness they claim to have.

[Laurie]

A lot of people diagnose themselves as "Claustrophobic" at the mention of caving, as in "I couldn't do that. I am ------ "

I'd love a quid for every time I've heard that.   

[Pegasus]

There's that old chestnut of ...'Why?'

Don't know what they're missing

[Mark Wright]

How many miles of unexplored passages are there? was a regular question when I worked at Speedwell Cavern in the 80's.

Mark

[PeteHall]

Where I work, there are four cavers (out of about 100 in the office, which seems a decent proportion). Most people react as Pegasus has suggested, with the classic "Why?"

But others have asked "Can I come?"

We've now got three new recruits, while everyone else still thinks we're mad! 

[David Rose]

My pressing question is directed at Pegasus. Could you ride a horse down there?

[braveduck]

Telephone call one Christmas Eve, spoken in very broken English.
"Can we book for the Gaping Gill Winch  tomorrow please ?"

My attempts to get a team to erect the  winch proved futile ! 
 

[Mark Wright]

There's that old chestnut of ...'Why?'

I often ask myself that.

Mark

[ZombieCake]

When I say I go caving people think I'm mad.  I'm sure it's just the caving they're talking about...  Most conversations seem to revolve about getting stuck, more psychologically than physically.

[kay]

I like to question people about why they say "Ooh, I could never do that". It usually comes down to one or more of claustrophobia/darkness/roof falling in/getting lost. Somehow telling them they're more likely to get cut off by rising water doesn't seem very helpful ;-)

[Pegasus]

I like to question people about why they say "Ooh, I could never do that".

I agree, Kay.

I was interviewed last year by Christine Grosart of Wet Wellies.  Here are a couple of my answers:

Q: Do you think there are any barriers to people who might want to have a go at caving? What are they and what can the caving community do to help?

I see the main barrier is people thinking they don’t want to have a go in the first place!  How many times have people said to you ‘I get claustrophobic’??  It’s such a fabulous sport, however time and again the image the main media portray is mud, tight squeezes etc – this is a part of caving however so is Main Drain in Easegill for example – wonderful.   Non cavers have an image of caving as dangerous so Health & Safety concerns must surely stop some folks from promoting the sport due to their preconceptions.

Q: What advice would you give to somebody who wanted to have a go at caving but was a bit nervous and unsure if they would like it?   Go – try it, what have you got to lose??  Why do you feel nervous, is it because what others have told you about caving?  Well why not find out what caving’s like for yourself!

 

[kay]

I like to question people about why they say "Ooh, I could never do that".

I agree, Kay.

I was interviewed last year by Christine Grosart of Wet Wellies.  Here are a couple of my answers:

Q: Do you think there are any barriers to people who might want to have a go at caving? What are they and what can the caving community do to help?

I see the main barrier is people thinking they don’t want to have a go in the first place!  How many times have people said to you ‘I get claustrophobic’??  It’s such a fabulous sport, however time and again the image the main media portray is mud, tight squeezes etc – this is a part of caving however so is Main Drain in Easegill for example – wonderful. 

Unfortunately Main Drain isn't doing itself any favours by its name. I suspect many listeners immediately thought of what lies under the manhole cover in their garden ;-)

[mrodoc]

I have always thought it is why many people  regard miners as heroes. So many people dislike the idea of being in dark confined spaces they think it requires a special kind of  person to go underground.  But then, perhaps we are special