The other night I hopped over the fence of my first security-guarded construction site. When I checked, the guard (or at least a guard) was in his car, reading with the interior light on, on the opposite side of the building. However, he (or another guard) soon discovered me in the parkade.

He was puzzled and annoyed, and took a disapproving paternal attitude towards my hobby. "You don't seem like a troublemaker. But you are young, and have much life ahead of you to live, and you must live honorably. If you get in trouble with the police, that could make your future very difficult." I explained that this was a risk I was willing to take, and that I hoped my harmless exploring wasn't too inherently dishonorable. He wanted to know (inevitably) how I'd gotten in, so I walked him back to the low part of the fence, then apologized again, hopped back over it, waved, and went away. He watched me, scowling, till I was out of sight.

So exploration isn't quite a victimless crime. Charming and disarming as I tried to be, that security guard's night probably wasn't exactly improved by our encounter. Whether or not he was technically breaking the rules by letting me go, he must have felt a little put-upon. He wouldn't engage in small talk with me, because, as he pointed out, his job was to keep people off the site at night, so I wasn't letting him do his job.

I like to think, though, that I am perhaps doing some small good. I am perhaps planting the seed of the idea that not everyone who hops fences at night is a troublemaker. And perhaps, for every vulnerable point of entry that I am forced to divulge, I am also making a little point of entry in the hearts of security guards all over town.

Posted by billgeorge And perhaps, for every vulnerable point of entry that I am forced to divulge, I am also making a little point of entry in the hearts of security guards all over town.

Hahaha this may be the best UE line I've ever heard.

Who defines what is honorable?

On another note ...
Lazy criminals make lazy cops.
You're sharpening him.

Posted by billgeorge He wouldn't engage in small talk with me, because, as he pointed out, his job was to keep people off the site at night, so I wasn't letting him do his job.

On the contrary, you were forcing him to actually do his job.

I hear a lot of urbexers say things like "we're preserving these buildings through photography" or that they're "teaching people to appreciate these structures" But really we aren't serving any greater good. I just do it because I love exploring, finding interesting things, and taking cool pictures, and I'm sure that's the same reason for almost everyone on here. But are we doing something immoral that should be frowned upon? I don't think so. As long as we refrain from vandalism, (including B&E), then we aren't doing anyone any harm, and the only people we're putting at a slight risk are ourselves. And I don't really think disturbing that security guard counts him as a "victim" haha, if I were a security guard I'd be happy to run into a harmless explorer every now and then, or I'd go insane from the boredom of my job.

Who knows? Maybe since he found you and chased you off, he will be commended for having been alert and so forth. Lots of security guards doze on the job, especially late at night. As far as letting you go, he might not have been authorized to detain you in the first place, in which case, getting you to leave is probably the best outcome he could hope for.

As far as the hobby itself being honorable, I don't know about that. But I believe that we as explorers generally do develop our own codes of honor as to how we should conduct ourselves. Some of my rules are:

*I won't carry weapons of any kind.

*I won't damage any property (though I admit I have knocked already broken glass shards from a window frame before. I don't consider this vandalism but I'm sure the cops would disagree.)

*I won't take any risks that my exploring partners at the time disagree with. If such a disagreement exists, I just make plans to return another time.

*I won't ever leave an injured teammate behind, even if it means getting arrested. I also won't abandon a teammate if they are attacked, if there is anything I can do to help them (this part is still just theoretical, since it hasn't happened yet and I haven't been put to the test.)

*I will always call the police if I find someone in distress, a dead body (God forbid,) or some kind of super unsafe situation (not sure exactly what would qualify, but it would have to be something really serious.) I won't necessarily use my own phone or give my name to the operator, however.

*I will do the best I can to avoid frightening homeless squatters, and will also do my best to avoid exposing them or their encampments. I feel that their need to find safe shelter trumps my "need" to go exploring.

I'm sure most of us would agree with many of these rules, and people probably have several more that I have not listed. In the end, I believe that we as explorers can be honorable in the way we carry ourselves, but I can't really see a situation where it would apply to the hobby as a whole.

Posted by TunnelRunner33 *I won't carry weapons of any kind.

I would agree with all of your rules except this one. I don't bring guns or anything, but I do usually bring a small pocket knife (Benchmade Triage 915 for you knife fans out there). It's an unassuming bright orange knife with a sheep's foot blade (no point) and I only have it with me for emergency purposes. I think it's perfectly justifiable, but I'm sure a police officer would think differently. That being said, I like to have it on me just in case my life one day depends on it.

I also won't bring any form of drug with me and never go drunk. I like to break one law at a time, but that's just a personal rule.

That's a really dumb rule.

Posted by TunnelRunner33 *I won't carry weapons of any kind.

First of all, the security guard is under no obligation to detain you. It's not like they get paid a bounty for every whippersnapper they bring in. It was likely his call to let you go because you're harmless. It's a huge waste of resources to throw the book at everyone who doesn't deserve it.

Also, getting in trouble with the law is hardly a dishonourable thing. History (even modern history) is filled with people who've had trouble with the cops for noble reasons. I'm not saying we're as noble as pro-democracy protesters or civil rights activists, just trying to invalidate the line of thinking that criminal charges mean bad person.

Posted by DevilC That's a really dumb rule.

Yeah, I guess we all just have to decide what we are comfortable with. That is a personal rule, I don't go inspecting the pockets of my companions to see what they are carrying or anything like that. For myself, I just think a weapon is an unnecessary item 99% of the time, and could lead to me getting into more trouble if I am caught while carrying it. I'd hate for some dickwad cop to try and say I was committing a burglary or was planning on robbing people. For that other 1% of the time, I'm content to just take my chances. Nobody ever said that this was an entirely safe hobby.

Plus, in a pinch, there are usually plenty of bricks, pipes, and other improvised weapons at pretty much every abandonment I have ever been to. If it really came down to it, I could use something like that. But again, I'll probably never need to.

Meh who gives a fuck

The Honorable and Righteous Society of North American Urban Explorers gives a fuck.
A big fat fuck.
That's who.

Posted by yokes Meh who gives a fuck

Posted by DevilC That's a really dumb rule.

Disagree. Had a buddy of mine get into way more trouble than he should have for this. Then again, that could also just be because of where I live.

Posted by TunnelRunner33 *I won't take any risks that my exploring partners at the time disagree with. If such a disagreement exists, I just make plans to return another time.

This is a strong rule with me. I get very protective over the people I take exploring because even if they beg me to go, I still feel fully responsible if anything would happen to them. I'd rather something happen to me then it happen to one of my friends.

As for the honorable part, I feel it is to a certain degree. We easily make our way into places others would struggle to get into. We have all the potential to cause great harm to the structure if we so desired. However we don't and only enter as a hobby and to take pictures. That is what sets us apart from everyday criminals and I wish the authorities would see it from that point of view more, rather then, you aren't supposed to be here, here's a fine.

I don't think there's anything inherently honorable or dishonorable about urban exploration. Like someone said earlier, most of us do it simply because we enjoy it. It's a fun way to escape from real life for a little while. Anything dishonorable (tagging, breaking stuff, etc.) isn't UE, it's just vandalism. As far as the authorities, I agree that it seems like some of them don't understand that it isn't our intention to cause harm. They simply see someone breaking the law and the reason or harmlessness isn't important to them.

I've taken a very honorable shit in an abandoned toilet once.

Posted by DevilC The Honorable and Righteous Society of North American Urban Explorers gives a fuck. A big fat fuck. That's who.

I was really hoping that was a hyperlink

Posted by fiftyone_eggs I was really hoping that was a hyperlink

That makes two of us.




Also, I explore with a pocket knife that has a straight and serrated edge, along with a glass breaker and seatbelt ripper. I think the need for such a tool is regional, though. I find my knife useful for the tool aspect, not for the breaking and entering or even fighting someone/something aspect.

Posted by Astro Also, I explore with a pocket knife that has a straight and serrated edge, along with a glass breaker and seatbelt ripper. I think the need for such a tool is regional, though. I find my knife useful for the tool aspect, not for the breaking and entering or even fighting someone/something aspect.

I carry one of those too. Also a maglite because it's a damn good flashlight, and might give me a fighting chance if I run into somebody questionable in the hood.

Posted by billgeorge So exploration isn't quite a victimless crime. Charming and disarming as I tried to be, that security guard's night probably wasn't exactly improved by our encounter. Whether or not he was technically breaking the rules by letting me go, he must have felt a little put-upon. He wouldn't engage in small talk with me, because, as he pointed out, his job was to keep people off the site at night, so I wasn't letting him do his job.

I wouldn't consider making someone do their job as what categorizes urban exploring as a crime.

Posted by billgeorge that security guard's night probably wasn't exactly improved by our encounter

You'd be surprised.