Hey guys! I'm relatively new to this, so please excuse my ignorance. I made an account here a few years back after exploring an abandoned house. Now, thanks to some awesome friends, I have a new and better site (with pics of course), but there were some things I wanted to ask more experienced members about.
I'm a natural explorer and love doing it, but the constant worry of being caught has been a pretty severe hindrance to the fun. While checking out this most recent site, some park rangers pulled up and asked us if we'd been trespassing. Luckily they didn't seem interested in an interrogation, but if they'd asked to check our cameras we'd have been pretty screwed. To get to the point, my questions are as follows:
(New York, for reference.)
A. Can park rangers search our cameras?
B. If we're caught, what happens next?
C. Any tips to minimize the risk?
D. Am I allowed to post pics of the exterior or refer to the place by name? I read the rules today and didn't see anything about it, but I could swear I remember something about not identifying sites back in 2010.
Sorry if I'm being an idiot, and thanks in advance for any answers.
A) When you are on private property, the property owner sets the rules about the taking of photographs or videos. If you disobey property owners' rules, they can order you off their property (and have you arrested for trespassing if you do not comply). Police should not order you to stop taking pictures or video. Under no circumstances should they demand that you delete your photographs or video. Police officers may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations. In general, a court will trust an officer's judgment about what is "interfering" more than yours. So if an officer orders you to stand back, do so. If the officer says he/she will arrest you if you continue to use your camera, in most circumstances it is better to put the camera away and call the ACLU for help, rather than risking arrest. Police officers may not generally confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant. If you are arrested, the contents of your phone may be scrutinized by the police, although their constitutional power to do so remains unsettled. In addition, it is possible that courts may approve the seizure of a camera in some circumstances if police have a reasonable, good-faith belief that it contains evidence of a crime by someone other than the police themselves (it is unsettled whether they still need a warrant to view them).
B )
C) Blend in. Dont be loud.
D) You can, but it is HEAVILY frowned upon; even more so if you say the name/entry information. Exteriors are usually fine, some people dont like it when others post pictures with building names or ID. It isnt technically against the rules, but you wont be making friends here doing it that way. If people are interested in finding the spot they can research it themselves or PM you about it. Just keep in mind that not only explorers use this site. Law enforcement, property owners, security personnel, etc will all have access to parts of UER and the easier it is for them to find info on how to secure their property or bust the kids they saw there last weekend, the harder our hobby becomes.
[last edit 7/1/2014 7:10 PM by Send4Help - edited 1 times] The Durango '95 purred away a real horrowshow - a nice, warm vibraty feeling all through your guttiwuts. And soon it was trees and dark, my brothers, with real country dark.
Switch out your camera card. Once you exit the abandonment replace it with a different one and hide the one with your interior pics on it. Then take some exteriors on the new card. Just a little something I do just in case.
Closer than you think~ When you dig up the past, you tend to get dirty.
They can't search your camera without a warrant. That's personal property.
[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on' [22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
Thanks for the help, all of you. The location in question is pretty safe, the risk comes entirely from whether or not cameras are searched in a place we're allowed to be. The legal knowledge, combined with the card trick, are a MAJOR help.
Also, in regards to police searching your cell phone, SCOTUS just ruled that they need a warrant. So there's that bit of security - just be sure you don't unintentionally give your consent to search it without a warrant. I've run into quite a few cops that use some really manipulative word play. http://www.cnn.com...court-cell-phones/
Posted by RebelDead Switch out your camera card. Once you exit the abandonment replace it with a different one and hide the one with your interior pics on it. Then take some exteriors on the new card. Just a little something I do just in case.
For male explorers, have self nudes on the backup card. Most cops will hurriedly send you on your way while the rest of them will be very friendly towards you.
Ethics
