I've read a little bit about people lying to cops about why they're on private property.

I'm interested if anyone has any good lies they've told cops and gotten away with, the crazier the better!

"I'm a journalist/photographer and I got permission by the owner of this property"

"My friends and I were playing baseball and we're looking for the ball we hit over the fence"

"This isn't McDonalds??"

Not to be a fapper, but tell the truth typically I am just taking photos and say yes sir and no mam or whatever. Their job is ridiculous.

I've used the "I'm looking for my dog" line a few times. Results have been mixed.

I just tell the truth - "I'm a curious guy that nerds out on decay and I take pictures". A white haired dude not carrying burgle tools, spray paint, dope, booze, etc., generally gets the "get the hell out of here man - you know better - don't come back". In all cases where I was approached by the property owners themselves, I respect the latter and do not return. In the case of private security, I have on several occasions got the "I'll be back through in a couple of hours - I'd suggest you not be here".

I think once I tried to convince a cop that I entered a subway vent and climbed down because I was trying to get home across a field. Didn't exactly work, but I didn't suffer any consequences for that.

Usually it's not cops I have to lie to.

My go-to excuses are always:
-I'm here looking for stray cats that need help
-I need to find a washroom

Posted by Kabes "I'm a journalist/photographer and I got permission by the owner of this property" "My friends and I were playing baseball and we're looking for the ball we hit over the fence" "This isn't McDonalds??"

I personally haven't had any verbal encounters with police quite yet, but I'm definitely ready to engage in bullshittery.
I can imagine how funny it must be to get caught trespassing, pull an excuse out of your ass and have it work (especially with your buddies as witnesses)

Posted by dundertits Not to be a fapper, but tell the truth typically I am just taking photos and say yes sir and no mam or whatever. Their job is ridiculous.

This.

The only time I've ever told an untruth to a police officer was when we were being questioned as to how we got into a particular building - now the way we got in was through a hole in a board at the back but the front door was able to be opened normally from the inside - we said we had met a couple of other people there who had let us in the front door. We had come out of the front door once we realised there was a bunch of police and some pissed off locals waiting for us outside, so were able to demonstrate the fact it didn't open once we were outside.

The police were great in that instance, the locals were mightily annoyed that they let us go on our merry way.

I go to a university and make sure to bring my ID on a lanyard. I've found that police and locals alike go easier on students "researching" for an architecture project or something of the like. It's usually just the "ok you can't do that get out of here kid."

I once told some cops who had me dead to rights that I was climbing through the window of an abandoned convent to get pictures for my family's photo album because my great uncle was a monk there decades ago- fortunately the cops didn't notice the discrepancy with my fictitious uncle being a monk at a convent. Granted, I'm not sure they believed me either, but a simultaneous multi-car pileup and a bar brawl across town had them busy enough that they just let me go with a warning and a stern promise to arrest me if they ever caught me trespassing in their city again.

To be honest with you I've only had that one issue where I got arrested for exploring a storm drain with a lot of people but I didn't say much to the police because I didn't think it made sense on why we were arrested. I don't usually get caught popping manhole covers and where I do it, I think a lot of people are used to seeing people like myself popping manhole covers and being in forbidden places (LOL).

One time I was exploring a huge office building that I had been to several times with some friends which I usually parked several blocks away down the street.

On this particular occasion I was feeling lazy and brazen, and decided to drive straight up the parking garage ramp and pick the lock to the gate, and then drive our cars into the garage and locked the gate behind us.

Went through the regular POE, but upon leaving decided to go out through the door directly accessing the parking garage on the 3rd level where we parked.

Upon opening the door, it set off a very loud alarm which spooked my friends and they rushed to get in their cars and wait for me to pick the lock to get back out of the garage.

Literally while I'm picking the lock, a police cruiser pulls up to the other side of the gate. I quickly ditch the tools as the two officers stepped out. Instead of running, I wave and smile at the two officers on the other side of the gate and say "evening officers!"

Officer said "Everything okay here sir?"

"yeah just accidentally set off the alarm, we'll get it shut off here in a second!"

Given their relaxed demeanor, I assumed that they assumed I was the building owner or caretaker. They said have a good day, and got back in their cruiser and drove away!

Lesson of the story, be cool and collected, and let your demeanor create the pretext.

Posted by AdventureDan One time I was exploring a huge office building that I had been to several times with some friends which I usually parked several blocks away down the street. On this particular occasion I was feeling lazy and brazen, and decided to drive straight up the parking garage ramp and pick the lock to the gate, and then drive our cars into the garage and locked the gate behind us. Went through the regular POE, but upon leaving decided to go out through the door directly accessing the parking garage on the 3rd level where we parked. Upon opening the door, it set off a very loud alarm which spooked my friends and they rushed to get in their cars and wait for me to pick the lock to get back out of the garage. Literally while I'm picking the lock, a police cruiser pulls up to the other side of the gate. I quickly ditch the tools as the two officers stepped out. Instead of running, I wave and smile at the two officers on the other side of the gate and say "evening officers!" Officer said "Everything okay here sir?" "yeah just accidentally set off the alarm, we'll get it shut off here in a second!" Given their relaxed demeanor, I assumed that they assumed I was the building owner or caretaker. They said have a good day, and got back in their cruiser and drove away! Lesson of the story, be cool and collected, and let your demeanor create the pretext.

Bahahahaha This story is great !!

Posted by AdventureDan One time I was exploring a huge office building that I had been to several times with some friends which I usually parked several blocks away down the street. On this particular occasion I was feeling lazy and brazen, and decided to drive straight up the parking garage ramp and pick the lock to the gate, and then drive our cars into the garage and locked the gate behind us. Went through the regular POE, but upon leaving decided to go out through the door directly accessing the parking garage on the 3rd level where we parked. Upon opening the door, it set off a very loud alarm which spooked my friends and they rushed to get in their cars and wait for me to pick the lock to get back out of the garage. Literally while I'm picking the lock, a police cruiser pulls up to the other side of the gate. I quickly ditch the tools as the two officers stepped out. Instead of running, I wave and smile at the two officers on the other side of the gate and say "evening officers!" Officer said "Everything okay here sir?" "yeah just accidentally set off the alarm, we'll get it shut off here in a second!" Given their relaxed demeanor, I assumed that they assumed I was the building owner or caretaker. They said have a good day, and got back in their cruiser and drove away! Lesson of the story, be cool and collected, and let your demeanor create the pretext.

This reminds of Trailer Park Boys so much XD
I wonder if this was a one-off thing or if you could replicate it by coming back in work attire, since it seems like a worse-case scenario to have a cruiser pull up while you're picking the lock to a building

Posted by Zwizz I wonder if this was a one-off thing or if you could replicate it by coming back in work attire, since it seems like a worse-case scenario to have a cruiser pull up while you're picking the lock to a building

I do a lot of active buildings for rooftopping, so i can say that your demeanor is the most important thing to whether or not an interaction goes south. I've convinced building security that i was allowed to be on a roof after getting caught and they left us to continue taking photos.

however on the driving a vehicle into a gate and locking it behind you it's a double edged sword. it increases your likeliness of being assumed that you're supposed to be there by a ton, but on the off chance that they decide to be nosy, or you're talking to the actual caretaker or owner, then there's no chance to just ditch and run because now they have your license plate. I would only do this in locations i'm very familiar with and know it's unlikely anyone directly associated with the property would show up.

It does work pretty well with service roads accessed by multiple agencies. if you find a gate with several locks daisy chained on it, then there's less likelihood of one of those parties showing up and knowing the vehicle of every other person with access.

Act stupid or lost.

Never had to deal with cops, personally. I have worn a plain white hard hat and carried a clipboard a few times when I could not pull off a covert entrance, figured that would keep people from making a phone call if I looked somewhat "official" in what I was doing!

Haven't dealt with the police yet, however, one lesson I've learned is that if you look like you are filming/have a camera on a gimble/have a GoPro mounted on you, security is actually less likely to engage in conversation, as they don't want to be in the video/recorded/go viral for the interaction.

Posted by Zer0FOX Haven't dealt with the police yet, however, one lesson I've learned is that if you look like you are filming/have a camera on a gimble/have a GoPro mounted on you, security is actually less likely to engage in conversation, as they don't want to be in the video/recorded/go viral for the interaction.

That has certainly not been my experience. Having a camera of any kind out makes it more likely for people to confront me.