Posted by blackhawk Small steps at a time. Anyone who never feels fear is a fool. Fear is your friend, listen to it but temper it with sound reasoning and judgement. If something seems like a bad idea, it probably is. Learn and respect your limits. Never be afraid to bug out if the situation appears to be going above the level you're capable of handling saftly. I stopped a climb a couple years ago because of a sketchy 5 foot section of a ladder half way up; no regrets. Every time I climb I feel fear to some degree and make sure I don't screw up. First time I free climbed over 20 feet I was 6 yo and it was the same then as it is now over half a century later. Never think that anyone can save you from yourself. You have to make yourself fully accountable for your actions be it alone or with a group. Make no mistake, falls and structural collapse are the biggest risks you face. Exploring solo teaches you self reliance, forces you to think and act soundly. It is a valuable skill worth learning. It's your big brain that makes you formidable ... if you use it. |
Posted by Ruzzeh While yes, I am afraid of structural failures, I'm actually more scared of the people that I might stumble upon by myself. I work very closely with the psychiatric population, and even in a controlled environment violence is very common. I've been close to having my lights knocked out many times in that context. Now an abandoned building by myself? No way I could defend myself. |
Posted by Snowball1143 I’ve noticed that out of all urban explorers, very few are females. Most of the community is made up of males and finding a girl who enjoys this is rare. Any thoughts on this topic? |
Posted by taragon we are definitely out there for sure, but it is still is dominated by men. I feel similarly about finding other trans n queer folks to explore with. I have a few queer friends that I explore with, but I'm always trying to find more lgbtq & specifically trans explorers. It's just nice to have people similar to me and totally understand my own experience and identity. Still working on that. |
Posted by Steed this dispute and I didn't want this to turn into a debate over transgenderism. Ironically she unintentionally changed a lot of my outdated ideas on trans people. |
Posted by taragon Yeah that sounds like she was just not really respecting any exploring ethics (whatever that means) at all. |
Posted by Aran ShotgunMario wrote a really good guide to exploring ethics and what that means. |
Posted by taragon I can't actually see that with that link bc I'm not a part of that group. |
Posted by inloc Not to derail too much... The title is "Foundation Concepts of Good Exploring Habits". Some changes have been made (I'm not sure by who) since that one was posted publicly, but that should at least get you started. |
Posted by blackcawkbreath See them, hear them, smell them (cigs, sometimes aftershave,soap etc) before they do you. The less people, the easier it is the conceal and management yourself. 3 big guys against a bad guy with a .45 are 3 dead guys. I avoid the homeless and -their- homes; respect. Most times there will be no one in most locations, after doing this hundreds of times it's the way it works out. You are your own worst enemy especially if you are distracted and not watching every step you take. Taking that last step into oblivion is all too easy to do. Many here, myself included have come very close to doing it or have done it. No one here that I know of has ever been injured by assault while sploring. Rule #1 - People are trouble, avoid contact whenever possible. This is something you need to work out yourself, whichever way you best can. Keep cell phones muted and noise to a minimum including talking. No smoking; you can smell it a block downwind. This becomes much harder as group size increases. The more people, the easier it is to spot you all and the more of a threat you appear to be to others. Being perceived as a threat can have very bad consequences for you... and cause you to lose opportunities. |
Posted by taragon we are definitely out there for sure, but it is still is dominated by men. I feel similarly about finding other trans n queer folks to explore with. I have a few queer friends that I explore with, but I'm always trying to find more lgbtq & specifically trans explorers. It's just nice to have people similar to me and totally understand my own experience and identity. Still working on that. |
Posted by Radio2600 Some folks even think I might be a cereal killer. Better check your corn flakes. |
Posted by Radio2600 Lot's a women out there in the world of exploring. They tend to steer clear of me though. I'm often mistaken for being like Charles Manson's crazy brother. Some folks even think I might be a cereal killer. Better check your corn flakes. |
Posted by Aran Oh god oh fuck he's in the Cap'n Crunch somebody help m- |
Posted by taragon we are definitely out there for sure, but it is still is dominated by men. I feel similarly about finding other trans n queer folks to explore with. I have a few queer friends that I explore with, but I'm always trying to find more lgbtq & specifically trans explorers. It's just nice to have people similar to me and totally understand my own experience and identity. Still working on that. |
Posted by s0phie i'm a trans girl, a lesbian, and do urbex! i agree on it being nice to explore with people that have some shared base of understanding. it's actually kinda funny to me because most of the people i know that are into urbex are trans/queer in some way. my girlfriend and i are both super into urbex and work on research a lot together, and at least two other trans people i know on my campus have at least a passing interest. i'm always a bit worried about doing stuff out because i feel slightly more scared getting caught by LEOs or property owners (or nosy Karens) as a trans girl, but it's not the worst thing ever. the urbex community seems overall pretty welcoming too which is nice. it's also cool that queer people are carving out some space in the community, esp younger ones, bc i feel like (at least the people i know) aren't doing it for flashy photos for insta or w/e |
Posted by OpenHouse Is it bold of me too assume you listen to Sophie Xeon? |
I think it's important to feel comfortable doing things you like, so it's awesome you have likeminded people to share the hobby with. It's shitty you have to experience a little extra worry... hopefully that eases :] |
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