2009-06-22 33 -84

Graticule

About

Expedition

NWoodruff

I followed my eTrex to the spot that is the Coca Cola plant. I drove down the street next to the plant till I found the nearest point reachable without being on the plant property. I then looked for a way into the fenced in area. As I drove down the street to the side of the building, I noticed that if I turn on the road that passes in front of the building there was a way to drive in.

I drove up to the gate and the call box has instructions to call the guard shack for after 5pm access. It was around 7:30pm. I pressed the buttons for the guard shack and it kind of made a buzzing noise for about 10 seconds. I think that they were kind of surprised that someone had actually used that function because the person answering gave a somewhat surprised question "Hello?"

I asked if this was the guard shack and they said that it was. I told them who I was, what Geohashing was and that I wanted access to the east side of the building. The guard informed me that he couldn't allow me access to the property but that he was going to call someone and that I should sit there and call back the guard shack in 2 minutes or so.

So, I sat. Then all of a sudden someone pulled up behind me and started honking. I motioned that I needed to back up out of the single entry gate to let me in. I don't think he understood because he started honking again. I got out of my truck and went to the window of his car to explain myself.

He said that he would let me in to go talk to the guard shack myself. Permission Granted... Some what.

I'm now in the gate. The guy behind me pulls in to the employee parking which is to the west of the building. I pull into the most east parking lot that I could hoping that I could get closer to the spot than standing on the street. No luck. I got to with in 450 feet. There are two areas to this building an employee area and then a truck shipping and receiving area. I was in the employee area and I needed to get to the trucking area.

I walk west in the direction that the employee let me in. I show him the Google map and the point I wanted to get to. I also showed him the Ambassador Geohash .png. He says that he will take me to the guard shack. I walk to the guard shack and start to explain myself and geohash. I show the guard the map and Ambassador page. He says that he only has access to the employee area and that I would need to go out and then around to the trucking area.

Close but not there yet. So I leave and drive back out to the street from the front of the building and then back around to the street on the east side of the building. There is a place to park that is real near the hash point. I get out and take a few picture. I then get out and walk to the gate where they let the trucks in.

I use the call box to call the guard shack and re-explain myself because it is a different guard shack that is for the trucking part. I again explain myself and what I want. The guard said that he would let me in the gate and come meet me. Permission Granted Again!!.... Some what...

The truck gate opens and I walk in. The gate then closes behind me and I stand there waiting. A guard starts to walk up. I explain myself and show him the google map. I had left the Ambassador .png print out at the other guard shack. I point to the spot on the top of the building and then show him my GPS.

He says that he isn't busy and will walk me over there. The entrance to the building closest to the hash point is into a very large meeting room. From the outside of the building there was 36 feet to go to the hash point. At the far end of the meeting room there is a door that leads to a long hall way.

As I enter the building. I point to the door and say we probably need to go that direction. Almost to the door to the long hall way, I look at the eTrex and it is displaying the "Are you inside" question on the screen. I tell the guard that I need to walk back to the windows for the eTrex to reacquire the satellites. I walk back about 10 feet and wait for a signal. I pull out my camera to take a picture of the eTrex because I know that I am less than 20 feet to the hash point which is within the 10 meters.

As soon as I pull out my camera, the guard says "Whoa... You can't take any pictures." Less than a second after that, a senior guard walks in the meeting area and starts to question me being there. He tells me that I am trespassing and that I have no reason to be on the property. I tried to explain that I was let on the property from the guard shacks. He told me that I was trespassing and to take me out of the building and wait out side that he was going to call the Atlanta Police.

I explained that I was sorry that I thought I explained myself and I was not there to cause harm. I walked out of the building with the guy from the guard shack and waited. I was VERY nervous and tried to say that I was sorry. I waited an agonizing 5 minutes or more.

The senior guard then came back out and said the the guy to walk me to the truck gate and escort me off the property. The senior guard then told me that if I was to ever come back on the property that he would have me arrested.

I walked to the truck gate without saying a word. We waited for over 2 minutes for the truck gate to open. The guy from the guard shack never said a word.

I walked back to my truck and left for Norcross.

Gallery

Photo Gallery
In the employee parking area, walking to the guard shack.
Leaving the employee area to drive back over to the trucking area.
Outside the trucking area as close as I could get to the hash point without being on the property.
The hash point is about 30 feet inside that door.
Gate opening. Permission Granted!! Well sort of. You can see my truck parked on the side walk about 100 feet up the road.
Inside the gate waiting for the guy from the guard shack to show up.