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Stowmontgomery
  
location:
Binghamton, NY
Stow Montgomery in the Pavillion, then kill him in the Pagoda
 |  |  |  |  | Your Take ... on taking things?
< on 6/13/2006 3:24 PM >
|  | | | So when we go urban exploring to places chock full of stuff, we tend to take "artifacts." And we often refer to our exploring more as "urban Archaeology". As a history/archaeology majour, i find all of this stuff terribly exciting and the prospect of unearthing some small forgotten object from the dust and rubble and trying to figure out its former use is really fun. Still, while looking at some other posts on here, I have gotten the impression that it is really against urban exploration ethics to take things. my philosophy is that if no one cares about these places, and that they are abandoned for a reason, why should anyone mind if we took stuff and actually put it to good use. (Use = art or even functionalities)
so what's youre opinion on this stuff?
"Discovery is a painful and arduous thing," said the young boy.
"What did you say?" responded the man.
"I said, 'It's my birthday, and I want you to sing.' " |
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0U812
location:
Lubbock, TX
Gender: Female
Texploration
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 1 on 6/13/2006 3:29 PM >
| | | | I've only took things from places that I know were being torn down and had permission. Otherwise I leave things as is otherwise no one else will get to see them. But that's just me.
I figured out what's wrong with life:
It's other people. |
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CowboyPenner
  
location:
Durham Region or anywhere that I might end up while travelling
Gender: Male
URBEXMobile
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 2 on 6/13/2006 3:30 PM >
| | | | I'm in complete agreement with you. I'd rather save something than see it bulldozed. If you can use it for the purpose of learning or teaching I'm all for the collection of artifacts.
I don't think the idealogy of "take only photographs and leave only footprints" is taken so literally by most people.
[last edit 6/13/2006 3:41 PM by CowboyPenner - edited 3 times]
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Stowmontgomery
location:
Binghamton, NY
Stow Montgomery in the Pavillion, then kill him in the Pagoda
| | | | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 3 on 6/13/2006 3:45 PM >
| | | | yeah that was the quote that i read and wasnt too enthused by. I mean if people are allowed to dig up sacred graves in the name of history, why shouldn't i have the right to take some random doo hickey from a factory no one will ever use again
"Discovery is a painful and arduous thing," said the young boy.
"What did you say?" responded the man.
"I said, 'It's my birthday, and I want you to sing.' " |
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Jonsered
 
location:
Back in New Mexico where I belong
Gender: Male
Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........
| |  | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 4 on 6/13/2006 3:45 PM >
| | | | Unless everyone is exhausted by the interminable ethics threads, you should have your infidel soul roasted in Hell in half a day. You chose one of the hottest of the hot topics, and you have chosen.....poorly.
This thread may help, but you better put on your +6 Dwarf Armor quick!
http://www.uer.ca/...d=20857&currpage=1
I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.
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Mickael
  
Moderator
location:
Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 5 on 6/13/2006 5:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by Stowmontgomery
my philosophy is that if no one cares about these places, and that they are abandoned for a reason, why should anyone mind if we took stuff and actually put it to good use.
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How can you know if I care or not ?
Need forum-related help / Besoin d'aide reliée au forum ? Contact a moderator |
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Yehoshua
location:
Ontario
Gender: Male
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 6 on 6/13/2006 5:31 PM >
| | | | There's a grey line.
There are shotgun casings at a local murderhouse that I don't take, because other explorers deserve the thrill of seeing the spent cartidge thingies on the floor...but at one abandoned place, I did cut off a bit of the police barrier tape and stick it in my camera bag as a souveneir.
*shrugs*
Our Citizen.
Our Justice.
Bring Omar Khadr back to Canada. |
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natxtron
location:
memphis
urbanesquelation
| |  | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 7 on 6/13/2006 6:41 PM >
| | | |
dam, i wish people would research subjects before posting new threads... on subjects that have been over cooked.
it's all about personal ethics. everyone knows the motto but so many people seem to view "small and unnoticeable" objects as souvenirs. simply be respectful of the next explorer who may find that refrigerator magnet or nametag (etc.) to be highly interesting. if it is worth taking, then it is probably worth leaving for others to see. of course who's to say that someone else won't grab it. taking a photo of a souvenir may not be as cool as having the actual thing, but you will still have the memory of it. if i took something from all these places, my house would be a pile of doo-hickies and i would no longer remember where each thing came from. i find more enjoyment in the experience than the ownership.
don't forget, in some places the laws for taking anything, no matter how small, will punish you for theft. in tennessee for instance, taking even a penny is felony theft. that's a hefty fine for something cool and too much of a risk for me.
on the other hand, i understand why someone would want such an item. in a sense it is the immediate proof that... you were there. it can have a truly deep personal meaning as well as being artistically useful. taking objects for the sake of ebay would be unexcusable. i have known others to keep small objects. i don't condone it myself, but i'm not going to burn anyone or disown my friends for doing so. it is a personal choice. but a choice that others may argue vehemently for or against.
[edit: spelleeng]
[last edit 6/13/2006 6:45 PM by natxtron - edited 1 times]
Are you now, or have you ever been? |
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snsabnorm
location:
Nova Scotia
Gender: Male
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 8 on 6/13/2006 7:01 PM >
| | | | I agree that if it is never going to be used again and no one is going to miss it, than taking it isn't a big deal, especially if you live in a small town where there isn't really anyone else that will enjoy it. Everyone from where I am from is stupid and would just wreck the place anyways.
--snsabnorm-- |
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JavaDog
location:
Buffalo, NY
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 9 on 6/13/2006 7:11 PM >
| | | | Stop huuuuurting UER
/Jon Stewart
[last edit 6/13/2006 7:11 PM by JavaDog - edited 1 times]
"...believe me therein upon mine honour, for you will thereby feel in your nockhole a most wonderful pleasure, both in regard of the softness of the said down and of the temporate heat of the goose, which is easily communicated to the bum-gut..." |
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natxtron
location:
memphis
urbanesquelation
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 10 on 6/13/2006 7:30 PM >
| | | | i must add that taking old documents or photos from a site might be considered ethical if the purpose is to donate them to a historical preservation society. i have carefully removed invaluable photos from a building that was being demolished in order to save them. i gave them to the memphis historical society. they are now on file at the public library where any explorer can go and research, something i highly recommend.
most historical societies have specific rules about what they will and will not accept as preservable information. check with your local organization.
medical records is another big deal. it is the building owner's responsibility to remove personal records from a site and they can be punished for not doing so. this is a very sticky subject, as it can bring media attention to an abandoned site if not handled carefully. a good example is an abandoned va hospital in memphis that had medical files left behind. the files were reported to local authorities by my friends. the story hit the newspapers and within weeks, every one and their mother was going to the site to get their kicks.
Are you now, or have you ever been? |
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Stowmontgomery
location:
Binghamton, NY
Stow Montgomery in the Pavillion, then kill him in the Pagoda
| | | | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 11 on 6/13/2006 9:03 PM >
| | | | yeah i like your idea of donating things to local historical societies. I have actually done research on sites at the library before hand and found the photos quite helpful...as for what i take, its been small things and i would never think of selling it on ebay. i go in to all the places with a perspective that this is a site that people havent been to in years and im looking to find things to preserve the memory of its former glory...or lack there of. my town isnt too big so i doubt im taking away from any asthetic properties of the place because from what ive gathered, we're the only explorers within miles of this town.
"Discovery is a painful and arduous thing," said the young boy.
"What did you say?" responded the man.
"I said, 'It's my birthday, and I want you to sing.' " |
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vividserenity
location:
My Mind
Gender: Female
As long as routine dictates the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul won't emerge
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 12 on 6/14/2006 4:28 PM >
| | | | i'm not one for pushing my opinions on people so i'm not going to be the "morality police" and critisize others for taking stuff... however, me personally, i prefer not to take things.
A.) most likely something from an abondoned place would only clutter up my room, take up more space, and collect dust.
B.) if i find it that cool i can always just take a picture of it
C.) i want to leave it there so that other explorers can have the opportunity of finding it
that's basically my take. but i'm all about the philosophy of "as long as you're not hurting anything/anyone else, then whatever floats your boat.. it's your life."
"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates
"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order." -Carl G. Jung
--- http://www.last.fm/user/vividserenity --- http://sw1ssfish.deviantart.com/ --- |
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Mr.Coffee
location:
Coming to a theatre near you!
Gender: Male
Everyone agrees, I'm Rad.
| | | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 13 on 6/14/2006 4:36 PM >
| | | | the facts of the matter are:
1) Urban Explorers are not thieves.
2) People who take things are.
you can justify it however you wish, but taking something that is not yours, and that you do not have permission to take, is theft. I have, in the past, taken things from sites(a sign). that makes me a thief. I don't do that any more, but I don't for one second pretend about what I did.
Coming To a Theatre Near You!
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vividserenity
location:
My Mind
Gender: Female
As long as routine dictates the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul won't emerge
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 14 on 6/14/2006 4:43 PM >
| | | | Posted by Mr.Coffee
the facts of the matter are:
1) Urban Explorers are not thieves.
2) People who take things are.
you can justify it however you wish, but taking something that is not yours, and that you do not have permission to take, is theft. I have, in the past, taken things from sites(a sign). that makes me a thief. I don't do that any more, but I don't for one second pretend about what I did.
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that's a good point, and kind of puts a different angle of it for me. because suppose someone decided to take something and then had a run-in with the cops? not only would they be in trouble for tresspassing but also stealing. good point mr.coffee.
but i still stick with my boat-floating philosophy.. if people want to heighten their odds of getting in trouble.. so be it.
"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates
"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order." -Carl G. Jung
--- http://www.last.fm/user/vividserenity --- http://sw1ssfish.deviantart.com/ --- |
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Mr.Coffee
location:
Coming to a theatre near you!
Gender: Male
Everyone agrees, I'm Rad.
| | | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 15 on 6/14/2006 5:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by vividserenity
but i still stick with my boat-floating philosophy.. if people want to heighten their odds of getting in trouble.. so be it.
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That's fine, it doesn't bother me so long as people are clear as to what they are doing. I was young(er) and stupid(er) once, so I can't be too hard on people that are going through that phase of life. However, it's something one would want to clear with the rest of the group before going. If one person takes something then every person in the group is a thief in the eyes of the police/security/property owner.
Coming To a Theatre Near You!
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Free Baller
location:
New Jerssey
Gender: Male
I have a friend in Jesus. Seriously, Jesus ate my friend. It was horrible.
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 16 on 6/14/2006 9:35 PM >
| | | | My friend likes to collect old soda cans. I perfer keys or bones.
Trying to win hearts and minds, but willing to splatter them if neccesary.
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maypost
location:
North, South, East, West, all around... then down to the underground
Gender: Male
Exploring if for n00bz0rz
| | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 17 on 6/14/2006 10:06 PM >
| | | | Ethics Ethics Ethics.
News flash!
The core of this thing of ours is based on breaking the law. If you see a key or something and want to take it, take it. I don't think it is "wrong" to do so. I personally choose not to take things from abandonments but I see absolutely nothing wrong with someone else taking a keepsake from a location.
Exploring is like tattoos... They stopped being cool in 2005
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blackhawk
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
location:
Mission Control
UER newbie
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 18 on 6/14/2006 11:36 PM >
| | | | Posted by maypost
Ethics Ethics Ethics.
News flash!
The core of this thing of ours is based on breaking the law. If you see a key or something and want to take it, take it. I don't think it is "wrong" to do so. I personally choose not to take things from abandonments but I see absolutely nothing wrong with someone else taking a keepsake from a location.
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Yeap, until your heading out, and you get tagged. Instead of a warning, or a small trespassing fine you get a nice theft charge instead. Trinkets ain't worth that kind of trouble. Pics only.
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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blackhawk
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
location:
Mission Control
UER newbie
| | | Re: Your Take ... on taking things?
<Reply # 19 on 6/14/2006 11:49 PM >
| | | | Posted by Jonsered
Unless everyone is exhausted by the interminable ethics threads, you should have your infidel soul roasted in Hell in half a day. You chose one of the hottest of the hot topics, and you have chosen.....poorly.
This thread may help, but you better put on your +6 Dwarf Armor quick!
http://www.uer.ca/...d=20857&currpage=1
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So does that type armour good against smart bombs?
This is an old topic, but it's good to remind yourself of what can go wrong. I am a firm believer in not doing two things wrong at the same time. Taking things is generally a bad habit at best, criminal at worst, something that complicates matters when things go wrong. I little while back following this rule saved my ass from a trip to the hurt locker. Damn that thing is deep!
Pics only, something everyone can enjoy.
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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Ethics