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UER Forum > Archived UE Tutorials, Lessons, and Useful Info > Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List (Viewed 4630 times)
Buffalonian 


Location: Buffalo, NY




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Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
< on 5/4/2011 4:37 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
So, let's get this straight .... you are all here for one simple common interest, UE. Whether your a community n00b or seasoned spelunker, you are here for a common thread of interest (with many sub-interests).

I recently read a Past,Present, and Future "short" of urban exploration and what its roots are in and where it's going. I almost feel like this is a community that mimics my own background in information technology and the underbelly riffs of hackers/crackers/phreakers (which many urban explorers oddly enuf exist in both realms). An example get together that is more mainstream might be DEFCON that is held every year for the past decade or so

What I am doing with this particular post is try and assemble a TOP-10 life skills/ you've gained from being an urban explorer? Naturally, we learn a lot from day one, then tappers off to more detailed lessons.

Post your top-3 lessons learned, and at the end of all this we'll put together a master list.

Mine (off the top part of my head) are as follows:

1. Always be aware of your surroundings
2. Be adventurous, but don't be stupid
3. Keep taking pictures no matter what ***

*** Probably not generic enough, but it's more a spiritual gratification from photography than exploring, but exploration keeps me going in photography. They feed off each other.

4. (Supplemental) Never forget your goddamn flash light. Even if you are in the Artic Circle on the first day of a 120 day of complete 24-hour sunshine. **

** Just look at 127 Hours (the movie)

My dad once gave me sound advice: If you are doing something that doesn't give you back something in return, then you shouldn't necessarily be doing it in the first place. So, that's the real question I'm trying to solve right now and hopefully you guys can offer some insight to me and the rest of us.

Thanks!

[last edit 5/4/2011 4:44 PM by Buffalonian - edited 2 times]

I cream, you cream, we all cream for .. white spooge.
yokes 


Location: Toronto
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 1 on 5/4/2011 5:05 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
5) The Northeast section does not suffer fools. Serious business.

"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel
etchleon 


Location: toronto today...
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 2 on 5/4/2011 5:10 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
6) know thy advanced level first aid and have provisions to deal with moderate injuries, it saves you calling the paramedics, and with them the police...you can go to the emerg room after you exit to have it treated proper and make up a story that wont get you caught.

petticat 


Location: Milwaukee, WI
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 3 on 5/4/2011 5:22 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
i totally read that as "never forget your fleshlight", and laughed. google it, NSFW.

I think the stereotypical "keep calm and carry on" can apply to many UE situations

We're all just trapped between the stippled earth and the stubbled sky.
Captain_Slow 

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 4 on 5/4/2011 5:23 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
7) ALWAYS carry cigarettes, even if you don't smoke, for they are the currency of the underworld.

8) Don't be a tool to the cops, no matter how big of a tough-guy-ghetto-gangbanger image you are trying to maintain.

9) DON'T TALK TO THE MEDIA; EVER.

10) Avoid dogs. I had a bad experience.

Buffalonian 


Location: Buffalo, NY




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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 5 on 5/4/2011 5:43 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Captain_Slow
7) ALWAYS carry cigarettes, even if you don't smoke, for they are the currency of the underworld.

8) Don't be a tool to the cops, no matter how big of a tough-guy-ghetto-gangbanger image you are trying to maintain.

9) DON'T TALK TO THE MEDIA; EVER.

10) Avoid dogs. I had a bad experience.


#10. Maybe that's why you used the name buttram? *poke* .. no seriously .. *poke*

I cream, you cream, we all cream for .. white spooge.
Captain_Slow 

The infamous Buttram Manfist


Location: Dallas, Tx
Gender: Male


Obviously capable of mediocre things.

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 6 on 5/4/2011 5:44 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Buffalonian


#10. Maybe that's why you used the name buttram? *poke* .. no seriously .. *poke*


ಠ_ಠ


lawls
[last edit 5/4/2011 5:44 PM by Captain_Slow - edited 1 times]

hydrotherapy 

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 7 on 5/4/2011 6:17 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
11. Don't proofread. Ever.

Get down, girl, go 'head, get down.
Boogie 


Location: Torotno, Ontario




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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 8 on 5/4/2011 6:22 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Paranoia is your worst enemy...other than the factors that lead to that paranoia :/

phrenzee 


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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 9 on 5/4/2011 7:57 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
12) If you bring nothing else, bring toilet paper.
13) Bring WetNaps to prevent the need for rewiping.

[last edit 5/5/2011 2:37 AM by phrenzee - edited 1 times]

WarBird69 


Location: Eastern TN
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 10 on 5/4/2011 9:32 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
15. Be constantly aware of your ingress and egress points.

16. Be able to develop alternate ingress/egress points on the fly. It may come in handy, or save your life.

When twilight draws near, when you are pushed to the very limits of your soul, when it seems that all you have left are the dead remnants of the fabric of your life:
-- BELIEVE
Loki 


Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 11 on 5/4/2011 11:14 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
##) The consequences of not following the rules are not as serious as the people in charge would have you believe.

Looking at some of the responses I think people may be mis-reading the OP, I think he's looking for life skills gained for UE, not UE skills.

Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank
Steed 


Location: Edmonton/Seoul
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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 12 on 5/4/2011 11:26 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Not really a skill but I've developed an innate understanding of urban development and history, to the point where I can school just about anybody who's lived in this city their entire life. Also very good for scouting out pretty well anything, from public toilets to Internet cafes to love motels.

Posted by petticat
i totally read that as "never forget your fleshlight", and laughed. google it, NSFW.



Don't worry, it's 2011; we all know what a fleshlight is.

Captain_Slow 

The infamous Buttram Manfist


Location: Dallas, Tx
Gender: Male


Obviously capable of mediocre things.

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 13 on 5/4/2011 11:47 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Loki
##) The consequences of not following the rules are not as serious as the people in charge would have you believe.

Looking at some of the responses I think people may be mis-reading the OP, I think he's looking for life skills gained for UE, not UE skills.


Every time I go into that one closet nobody has been in in a few months I feel like a total badass and I'm compelled to grab my camera and post on the internets?

Buffalonian 


Location: Buffalo, NY




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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 14 on 5/5/2011 12:06 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Steed
Don't worry, it's 2011; we all know what a fleshlight is.


What's a fleshlight? jk. jk.



I love the build your own examples, though. Through I have to say .. that picture is just creepy in SOOO many ways if you look at it long enough.
[last edit 5/5/2011 12:10 AM by Buffalonian - edited 2 times]

I cream, you cream, we all cream for .. white spooge.
sandy frank 


Location: Indiana-ish
Gender: Male


Why doesn't Johnny care...?

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 15 on 5/5/2011 12:21 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
!!) A new-found or expanded respect for history.
$@) Trusting and exercising your senses.
?#) A boost in confidence that you are capable of doing things you may have not previously thought you were capable of.
%@) Food for our inquisitive natures.

Expanding on the computer related side of things, it doesn't surprise me that this hobby is appealing to those of us who enjoy watching source code compile.

Posted by Captain_Slow

10) Avoid dogs. I had a bad experience.


Ok, yes. On top of that, though, is bacon. Remember your bacon.
The dog who bites you in the calf might become your buddy the next time you see him/her if they are appeased with bacon.

I made very good friends with a good 'ol girl with that tactic. Many hugs ensued.

I've no sense, I lick electric fence; I put barbed wire in my pants and do a Celtic dance.
- My Canon 300D is beat to hell, a bit finicky, and a 'lil loose, much like everything else I own...
http://www.youtube...atch?v=IvN10-n1NBc
sandy frank 


Location: Indiana-ish
Gender: Male


Why doesn't Johnny care...?

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 16 on 5/5/2011 12:23 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Buffalonian


What's a fleshlight? jk. jk.

http://farm2.stati...691_87a29f3a43.jpg

I love the build your own examples, though. Through I have to say .. that picture is just creepy in SOOO many ways if you look at it long enough.


The man in the poster has some nice... flippers.

I've no sense, I lick electric fence; I put barbed wire in my pants and do a Celtic dance.
- My Canon 300D is beat to hell, a bit finicky, and a 'lil loose, much like everything else I own...
http://www.youtube...atch?v=IvN10-n1NBc
Tom133t 






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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 17 on 5/5/2011 1:15 AM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount from exploring, and I've only been really serious about it for a few months now. It it true that UE does, in many ways, overlap with the ideals and motivations of the hacker community - I'm not by any means a great hacker, but I do dabble in it. I've learned from both that you need to just go and do it. For the most part, the law is an arbitrary force which only exists under certain conditions, and in certain places. Once you realize that your local police force is just as incompetent of an authority figure as your second-grade teacher was, side-stepping the rules is very easy.

I've also learned a lot about teamwork and resource management, which are things which sometimes don't apply as much to hacking.

In many ways, I feel like I've gained a rare esoteric knowledge of the way that things work, from computers to drains to people, and these understandings fuel each other in such a way that I feel more aware of all the places around me.

The physical challenges of urbex have made me far more confident in myself - the realization that you are underground alone, a mile from sunlight, forces you to make rational decisions and to become a more competent person.

WarBird69 


Location: Eastern TN
Gender: Male


Atomic Bird of War

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 18 on 5/5/2011 1:59 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Loki
Looking at some of the responses I think people may be mis-reading the OP, I think he's looking for life skills gained for UE, not UE skills.


My responses apply to all situations. Know your way in, know your way out if shit hits the fan. Maybe it is just me having a military background, but whenever I enter any location I'm noticing how I'm getting in, and where my nearest exits are in case of an emergency. If my original ingress point becomes blocked, I've probably already noticed a secondary egress point some time during my scan.

Example: enter wal-mart through front doors. Nearest exits would be the front doors. Walking toward the back of the store, nearest exits are probably into the employee only areas like the back dock or whatever. Or maybe lawn and garden, auto center, etc. Fire and/or explosion happens at front of store, blocking that exit. I already know where the nearest exit is based on my constant observation of the world around me. I can immediately be heading that way while chaos erupts around me.

I do the same thing in hotels "ok where are the nearest stairs", restaurants "ok we're sitting next to a window..could always break it to get out, or go into the nearby kitchen"...etc

Situational awareness FTW.
[last edit 5/5/2011 1:59 AM by WarBird69 - edited 1 times]

When twilight draws near, when you are pushed to the very limits of your soul, when it seems that all you have left are the dead remnants of the fabric of your life:
-- BELIEVE
Steed 


Location: Edmonton/Seoul
Gender: Male


Your Friendly Neighbourhood Race Traitor

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Re: Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List
<Reply # 19 on 5/5/2011 2:12 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Oh yeah, I've also become decently well-versed on Korean shamanistic mask dances.

A few weeks ago I even met a Korean girl named Seonbi, which is the name of one of the masks I use. I gave her a lot of trivia on her own name--its origins (which she knew), the corresponding mask, the mask's role in dances, and its relation to other masks.

UER Forum > Archived UE Tutorials, Lessons, and Useful Info > Urban Exploration: Assembling a Top-10 UE Life Skills/Lessons List (Viewed 4630 times)
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