From some post I've been reading, and a few personal stories told by friends that have been in the field much longer than I, I get mixed replies on how you should approach. Some say you greet them and group up, some say you avoid them. I also heard that you deliberately hide from them and get out of dodge immediately? I was wondering what you Old Guard have to say, and maybe some personal stories you might have on the subject.

Maintain contact and observe from the shadows until you get bored.
There are countless threads on UER that are searchable and viewable to you. Reading some of them will give you a better understanding of the culture and different views here.

Posted by blackhawk Maintain contact and observe from the shadows until you get bored. There are countless threads on UER that are searchable and viewable to you. Reading some of them will give you a better understanding of the culture and different views here.

Probably coming off as a spammer, huh?

Posted by Zulu Probably coming off as a spammer, huh?

Ummm, no. That's not what they do here.

If you're here long enough you'll see the same topics come up, over and over.
If there's an active thread about what you're posting, read it then post in it if you want. The Rookies section is dedicated to the new, novice explorers/members. Posting in your local area as you have done is also a good way to make others here aware of you and to meet people in your area.
Best to feel this site out before jumping in too deep.

Like anything in life appearance matters. I second Blackhawk on this one. Check them out if you can and if they look like reasonable, responsible explorers shout out to them. Say something like, "Hey! Fellow explorer here!"

Remember that they are probably afraid of running into other people as well. If they look like they are irresponsible, like tagging, breaking things etc. it's probably best to just slip away. If the cops do come you don't want ANY part of that.

The rule of thumb is that it's always best to be polite and respectful to ANYONE you meet while exploring - even if they are assholes. Do that and you can never go wrong.

It might sound like an overly simplistic point, but if you see them using a camera you are pretty sure they are exploring too. Scrappers and other trouble makers don't always look like meth-heads, but you generally don't see them busting out the Canons or Nikons.

Abby

In almost every case that I've encountered someone I immediately approach after I find out they're not a cop. Although I live in a relatively tame area for the most part I've had good experiences all around.

I've met an infamous terrible tagger, he turned out to be a great guy and pretty friendly, he just has a different view on how he treats abandoned places. Met a schizophrenic homeless guy with a kitten and for the most part he was friendly as well.

It all depends. If they look like crackheads or metal thieves, I'll usually just split unless I'm with a decent sized group. With explorers, I used to approach everyone. Ever since I wound up approaching a police officer I need to be really confident before approaching. When I run into kids, I usually like to make noises and slam doors and shit to scare them. Nothing better than watching a bunch of destructive little assholes fleeing a site screaming in disbelief.

If they looked scary to me, if I was alone and it was a group of guys, or any situation that made me feel unsafe I would try to leave without being noticed.

If they didn't look scary (regardless of methhead/scrapper/explorer) I usually approach them openly and say Hi. I try not to startle people. I'm a nervous talker so I usually chat and tell them "I'm sorry, I'm here taking pictures, I hope that's okay." that way they feel like they are in control of the situation instead of being defensive/worried I will call the police. I'm not in an area that has gangs really so being friendly has always worked well for me.

Like someone else said, this depends on whether or not I'm alone, what part of town I'm in (what town I'm in), what vibe I get from them, etc. So far, I'm happy to report that every encounter I can think of (except one involving police) has been a positive one. A few of them I've even maintained contact with - I even had a chance to learn a lot from a couple run-ins with young taggers, one such encounter was only a couple weeks ago. I even took photos of their graffiti and sent it to them later (it wasn't exactly a super secret location or free of graffiti). I occasionally see and chat with them on facebook or various places of common interest. Even though our primary motives are different and I could only trust them to a certain point, it's sometimes interesting to see things from another perspective - even if it sometimes conflicts with my personal feelings on vandalism. Simply put, I learned a lot and enjoyed their company, but I kept my conversation somewhat censured. In return for my photos, I was provided with the security of not being alone in a strange town and building, at night, which was quite welcomed! There were also a couple free beers tossed in my direction and it was altogether a pleasant encounter...

Posted by EsseXploreR ...When I run into kids, I usually like to make noises and slam doors and shit to scare them. Nothing better than watching a bunch of destructive little assholes fleeing a site screaming in disbelief.

hahaha, this is one of my favorite pastimes. It works beautifully and always lifts my spirits.

Posted by EsseXploreR Nothing better than watching a bunch of destructive little assholes fleeing a site screaming in disbelief.

Ghosts are real

Is the answer to this question any different than the answer to "What do you do when you see other possible swingers?"

Not for me.

I hope I don't give into old habits. As a hiker/woodsman, I always stop and greet people, hell even offer them something to eat/drink. I gotta say, it'll be hilariously embarrassing approaching other explorers in that manner

A friend and I accidentally scared the shit out of another pair of urbexers. They were moving more silently than we were (to say the least). Eventually we bumped into them outside, they quickly related a story about hearing some creepy noises - footsteps, voices, creaking, etc. It wasn't until later that we realized that we were the ones making those noises.

Another time we heard footsteps, but the source of those footsteps wouldn't answer when we called out. Sticking around seemed like a bad idea.


In general, I'll assess if they look like urbexers. If they are I'll try to meet them so we don't scare the shit out of each other.

I'm more ballsy when I see people. Since I ALWAYS explore with other people, I have the confidence to go up to strangers and possible explorers and greet them. Nothing bad has happened so far, besides a crackhead trying to run me over with an SUV (that was kind of my fault though). As long as you are polite and try to defuse any bad situation you get in, you should walk in and out scot free

Posted by Dee Ashley hahaha, this is one of my favorite pastimes. It works beautifully and always lifts my spirits.

Oh yes, it always brings about a laugh. In recent times it was actually the best thing about the Overbrook Hospital near me. One time we saw a couple walking along the street, who seemed to want to keep their distance. When the dude got closer, I banged against the window I was looking through. He froze, looked up, and was staring at the window I was now hiding right next to. After a few seconds, I brought my hand around and smacked it against the window, hard. This time I kept my hand there. Took him all of a quarter second to nope the fuck out and they both walked away. Eventually they realized we were just fucking with them, and they continued to shoot around.

Another time, when I was alone, I saw a group of younger kids walking around the outside, being very obvious. When they had their backs to me I shut a window, which banged fairly loudly. They jumped, a few of the younger guys started whimpering, but the girl they were following didn't want to leave. So I continued to follow them around from inside, when eventually they were in the courtyard of another building. I shook some glass out of a broken window they were walking towards. This made them all take off. But I give them credit, because a short time later I found them outside an open window, trying to figure out if they could maneuver themselves into it. While they were discussing who would go first, I stepped in front of the window, and casually said "You guys are gonna get arrested walking around so blatantly". I got a few screams and they all looked like they were about to shit themselves. Once I stopped laughing I ended up offering to show them an open door so they wouldn't have to climb through the window. Ended up being a pretty cool group of kids.

That's by far one of my favorite memories from the place. I just went by the other day and they've begun to abate and empty everything in preparation for demolition. Gonna be a sad day when it's gone.

Posted by EsseXploreR Oh yes, it always brings about a laugh. In recent times it was actually the best thing about the Overbrook Hospital near me. One time we saw a couple walking along the street, who seemed to want to keep their distance. When the dude got closer, I banged against the window I was looking through. He froze, looked up, and was staring at the window I was now hiding right next to. After a few seconds, I brought my hand around and smacked it against the window, hard. This time I kept my hand there. Took him all of a quarter second to nope the fuck out and they both walked away. Eventually they realized we were just fucking with them, and they continued to shoot around. Another time, when I was alone, I saw a group of younger kids walking around the outside, being very obvious. When they had their backs to me I shut a window, which banged fairly loudly. They jumped, a few of the younger guys started whimpering, but the girl they were following didn't want to leave. So I continued to follow them around from inside, when eventually they were in the courtyard of another building. I shook some glass out of a broken window they were walking towards. This made them all take off. But I give them credit, because a short time later I found them outside an open window, trying to figure out if they could maneuver themselves into it. While they were discussing who would go first, I stepped in front of the window, and casually said "You guys are gonna get arrested walking around so blatantly". I got a few screams and they all looked like they were about to shit themselves. Once I stopped laughing I ended up offering to show them an open door so they wouldn't have to climb through the window. Ended up being a pretty cool group of kids. That's by far one of my favorite memories from the place. I just went by the other day and they've begun to abate and empty everything in preparation for demolition. Gonna be a sad day when it's gone.

Tourists are always fun to play with. Many times I'll stay in the shadows and watch. Had people pass close enough to touch... (sarah McC...)*snicker*
Scaring off the kiddies is a public service we owe to the community

Exploring ain't a social event but occasionally I will greet someone I meet if they are pro shooters or they pop up. However, people are trouble...

Posted by MutantMandias Is the answer to this question any different than the answer to "What do you do when you see other possible swingers?" Not for me.

"swinger explorers"... i like this idea...

I would be very concerned if I found another explorer in the out-of-the-way places I go. I would have to befriend them in awkward and uncomfortable ways to establish dominance.

There might be a specific dance involved as well to further this dominance. Something akin to a mix of the running man and violent seizure.