During an explore late last year, my group and I came across some hazards at a well-known site. Obviously such things are to be expected in this hobby, but the specific circumstances of one in particular raised some concern.

As I said, this site is common knowledge, and relatively safe. On this day, however, we were exploring a group of buildings on the site that don't seem to be as well-known, as they're behind a large building that blocks the view of them. My group only realized they were there on Google Earth. Anyway, unlike the rest of the site, these buildings are almost completely untouched by vandals, but in much worse general disrepair.

This is what worried me most:

deathtrap by dizzle229, on Flickr

It may not look like much, but there's a large piece of plywood directly in front of it. Anyone not paying attention might easily round the corner and have a bad time, in a place where just such a person might come through.

For a while we debated marking it somehow, but in the end we just left it as "if they're not paying attention, it's their problem." We moved the plywood so it would be somewhat more obvious, but that's it. Still, it raised some questions I hadn't really thought of before now. Have you left warnings? If so, how? Should warnings be left, or does it detract from the experience of exploring? Have you come across any warnings?

I've seen warnings in drains. There is one guy that will go through the drains and with one colour chalk there is a lot of misdirection and in another colour chalk there is the real directions on navigating it.

As far as buildings go...you're in an abandoned building that no longer abides or applies to safety rules, you should ALWAYS be prepared for there to be something unexpected. The "It's their problem" attitude is the wrong one to have, but ultimately if someone is in a building that is decaying then they should anticipate there to be large amounts of the unexpected.

There have been many occasions in my exploring career when either my foot or the foot of a companion found it's way through the floor. Really, I think certain warnings could be a dangerous distraction more than they would be to help anyone.

In an abandoned building, ever step you take should be light and with caution. It's only obvious.

Hmm, tough call.

I would agree that the idea of 'It's they're problem' has some drawbacks, but marking a warning also has some issues.

My best guess would either mark it somehow as warning (It'd be interesting if there were an Urbex symbol system, kinda like what Hobos used in the depression), or position something in the path so the next person will have to move it and hopefully realize the danger ahead while doing so.

"No officer, I seriously only had this can of spray-paint to mark dangerous areas for other explorers"

Nice of you to be thinking of others though!

Anyone doing this hobby should be cognizant of the hazards involved and be mindful of them.

I'll leave warnings about alarms, that's about it.

Cannot tell you how many abandoned mines I have been in that have warnings for "Bad Air" pointing down a shaft or "Exit" with an arrow pointing to the exit.

I don't know if it was ethical or not, but the only time I ever used a can of permanent spraypaint was deep in a tunnel complex that had automated gates that could pass over 1,100g/s stormwater. The area in question required a roped rappel to descend and not not have an above water exit (you would not have known that from the point of rappel). Since I had not seen any tags for pretty much the whole explore I am under the assumption that not many people either cared to explore the particular facility or were just not as stupid as I to have tried it anyways. I am sure a maintenance worker got a kick out of my warning though. I doubt it significantly hurt anything, but you never know if they beefed up security afterwords.

When I did drains alot I sometimes carried the washable paint to mark which way I had come. Just a simple arrow slightly above the normal water flow line or something. I doubt an officer would have cared about my intentions, but of course the trick is to not get caught in the first place

The building that I and my friend have been to on several occasions now was somewhat "vandalized" with thermal paper strewn all over and a little bit of grafetti and a couple of holes in walls.

We decided to "clean up" the thermal paper, and I left a single piece dangling in plain view. On it I wrote, "Exploring is cool, vandalism not so much."

On our return visit yesterday, we found the place had been re-entered, and my "warning" had been neatly moved over a couple of inches but otherwise left intact.

Weird.

I think if you're going in these places you should be looking out and cautious of the dangers. I've always wondered if any careless vandals have gotten themselves hurt trying to focus just on their "art". I think marking tunnels seems reasonable though just so you don't get lost.

I think its a nice idea of paper, but practically paint is the only way I can see you doing it effectively, and that's not a good call

Posted by Harvestman http://i197.photob...rd999/IMG_1075.jpg

You gotta watch out for Bobby Traps, man! That guy'll mess you up somthin fierce!

I've left warnings about unstable floors - in one case: a hole hidden by carpet I almost fell through. No sense in letting other people get hurt and/or the building sealed up because of the next idiot not paying attention.

Posted by ForgottenRails I think its a nice idea of paper, but practically paint is the only way I can see you doing it effectively, and that's not a good call

Solid paint markers; they'll mark on literally any surface: wet, dry, oily, you name it - just keep them in a baggie or something so the rest of your stuff doesn't get marked-up after using it. AP was selling them for 75-cents a few months back.

Haha "hobo marker"

Those seem like a viable solution. But if you get caught, as said earlier, won't help the 'just exploring' argument.

^They're less-likely to get you into trouble if caught; better than carrying a can of spraypaint, at least.

Posted by ForgottenRails Haha "hobo marker" Those seem like a viable solution. But if you get caught, as said earlier, won't help the 'just exploring' argument.

Nice avatar! I totally read your post in H. John Benjamin's voice

whenever I know of structural trouble on a location that I have been to I post it on the location page in the DB and in associated forums. I have fallen through a floor and fell about 15 feet to the floor below; it was not fun.

Don't go around painting, writing or otherwise marking up the places you go whether it's for warnings to others or whatever. This is a dangerous hobby, we all know this. If someone is in a rotting building and isn't testing every step they take, shame on them, a warning on the wall won't help this person anyway.

Bad air in the underground might be an exception, just maybe, depending on where it is, how many people go there, etc. But then you never know who wrote it, how long ago, what's changed etc. Do you heed the warning and turn back? I'm very against writing warnings anywhere, but especially in active infrastructure. If some noob wanders into a drain/sewer or somewhere else and thinks, oh, it stinks, must be bad air and then proceeds to write "bad air" on the wall, this is stupidity. That is just one of many examples of how writing warnings is a bad idea and leads down the wrong path.

Always watch what you are doing, where you put your feet, what's at eye level etc. If you are hardcore into mines, you're probably already carrying a multigas detector and checking O2, CO, etc.

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I can appreciate the points made about how everyone in an old building should be paying attention for this kind of thing. I also agree that it would be foolish to leave a permanent record that you've been there or to do anything that could be considered vandalism, especially if it's an active building.

For vacant sites the hobo markers seem like a good solution, though unless I'm wrong they still seem relatively permanent and could be blamed for vandalism. I noticed in a "what to bring with you" thread that many people suggest bringing Duct Tape along. While it won't last forever perhaps writing "No Step" in duct tape on a door that opens to a drop off would be sensible? Of course each site and danger is unique so there is no one size fits all.