From what I've seen so far, most of the times urban explorers are let off with warnings, or in some cases a ticket or fee. What I'm wondering is; has anyone had to face any very drastic or severe punishments? And what I mean by this is actually having to spend time in a cell or jail or the like, or really needing to pay a huge sum of money, even.

ask some people that got busted in PA at a gathering

It very much depends on where you explore. Some cops know what urban exploration is and just try to scare you or are actually interested in exploration. But they usually have more important stuff to worry about than some weirdos who enjoy abandoned places. Other cops in your average upper class, stuck up, don’t know how to stay in their own business neighborhoods have nothing better to do than make a big deal out of exploring (read you’re going to spend at least a night in jail and look at some charges).

Infiltration is a whole other beast that most everyone involved is less chill about, especially in *more interesting* locations.

TLDR: yes people spend time in jail but it really, really depends on where and what they’re caught exploring.

Yes

Ever hear of the London Consolidation Crew?

Posted by Aran Ever hear of the London Consolidation Crew?

Definitely one of the more infamous stories. One of my friends was associated with them but never part of their actual group so wasn't affected by the aftermath.

So, Not by the cops but some weirdo from the dunkin next door to where me and a buddy were exploring someone came over and told us that if the owner caught us on the property, it would be a $3 million dollar cost pending a federal lawsuit. I dont know how true this would be but im not taking any chances

I had to spend a small amount of time in a cell. That was because of some fucked up cops lying on their reports to teach us a lesson. I've also been caught in a school in Detroit which has landed others in a cell, but the cops were cool with us and let us go without trouble.

You honestly can never be sure how it's going to go.

This is pretty mild, but at my high school, I managed to get the elevator code to the top utility floor and was like, one of maybe eight people in the entire school that knew it. Even the teachers and office workers had no idea what it was. And some dude caught me up there for the first time after being up there like, a dozen times. All the circuit breakers, boiler equipment and literally all the schools systems. I faced some expulsion but they realized I hadn't vandalized or stolen anything and let me go after having the elevator company hardwire a new code in.

Had my five seconds of being "that one guy that was caught on the fourth floor" which people didn't even know existed lol

No police were involved or anything though, just got suspended for like a week.

Posted by Aran Ever hear of the London Consolidation Crew?

Nope. Tell me!

Posted by EsseXploreR I had to spend a small amount of time in a cell. That was because of some fucked up cops lying on their reports to teach us a lesson. I've also been caught in a school in Detroit which has landed others in a cell, but the cops were cool with us and let us go without trouble. You honestly can never be sure how it's going to go.

I didn't know that about the school we were caught in! Probably helped that I was British, just think of the paperwork.

Posted by Kabes Nope. Tell me!

They were a group of explorers who in the mid-2010s were getting up to all sorts of no good in high profile locations in and around London (UK not Canada) - the disused underground stations, other parts of the underground, the mail rail, rooftops etc. Basically trying to rinse as much out of the city as possible. Eventually the authorities got wind of what they were up to after they were caught in the mail rail system having taken one of the trains for a ride and derailing it after being spotted, causing a not insignificant amount of damage to it in the process.

There was a massive blow up of the group, they were all banned from contacting each other or associating with each other, a few of them got hauled before the courts and were handed some pretty severe punishments as all their recorded exploits were used against them.

At least that's as much as I can remember of how it went down, it was near a decade ago now though.

Posted by Aran Ever hear of the London Consolidation Crew?

Pretty new to the community here. What was that all about?

Posted by Selintor Pretty new to the community here. What was that all about?

See my post above yours.

Posted by MrBungle This is pretty mild, but at my high school, I managed to get the elevator code to the top utility floor and was like, one of maybe eight people in the entire school that knew it. Even the teachers and office workers had no idea what it was. And some dude caught me up there for the first time after being up there like, a dozen times. All the circuit breakers, boiler equipment and literally all the schools systems. I faced some expulsion but they realized I hadn't vandalized or stolen anything and let me go after having the elevator company hardwire a new code in. Had my five seconds of being "that one guy that was caught on the fourth floor" which people didn't even know existed lol No police were involved or anything though, just got suspended for like a week.

That's a sick story. Interestingly my school also has a utility fourth floor that nobody really knows exists, and I'm pretty sure that the elevator goes up to it. It would be interesting to get up there but the school has plastered cameras on every square inch of property, and the elevator is locked unless you get a key to open it.

Posted by mookster See my post above yours.

Ah didn't see that. Thanks!

If I recall, at least a few members were caught trying to leave the country and their plane was boarded by Interpol on the tarmac.

One of the members of the London Consolidation Crew was an academic anthropologist by the name of Bradley Garret, who joined the LCC specifically to study them for his doctoral thesis. He not only published the full, unredacted exploits in his thesis when applying for his PhD, he wrote a tell-all book on the LCC. Both documents were published and released to the public shortly before the LCC was dismantled, and Bradley Garret's work was a key piece of evidence in the investigation and resulting convictions.

As a result of these events, the wider urbex community became even more distrustful of researchers and journalist. To this day, many veteran explorers are extremely wary of the spotlight, and most refuse to talk to the media- which lets the wannabe influencers set the public narrative, but that's its own can of worms.

Ohhhh okay that was the Bradley Garrat thing. Dudes Ted talk was decent at least.

Posted by Selintor That's a sick story. Interestingly my school also has a utility fourth floor that nobody really knows exists, and I'm pretty sure that the elevator goes up to it. It would be interesting to get up there but the school has plastered cameras on every square inch of property, and the elevator is locked unless you get a key to open it.

So, I think our school has one too but it would be a 3rd story instead of 2nd. Many janitors are on the elevator rather than the stairs to the science loft so that might be a reason. Also, in order to use the elevators we need a key or have to request access from the office.

Posted by Aran If I recall, at least a few members were caught trying to leave the country and their plane was boarded by Interpol on the tarmac. One of the members of the London Consolidation Crew was an academic anthropologist by the name of Bradley Garret, who joined the LCC specifically to study them for his doctoral thesis. He not only published the full, unredacted exploits in his thesis when applying for his PhD, he wrote a tell-all book on the LCC. Both documents were published and released to the public shortly before the LCC was dismantled, and Bradley Garret's work was a key piece of evidence in the investigation and resulting convictions. As a result of these events, the wider urbex community became even more distrustful of researchers and journalist. To this day, many veteran explorers are extremely wary of the spotlight, and most refuse to talk to the media- which lets the wannabe influencers set the public narrative, but that's its own can of worms.

Looking at the shitfest that is the state of UE in 'current year' I long for the days when Bradley Garrett was considered the most major of all exploring dumbasses.