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UER Mobile > Rookie Forum > Obnoxious new explorers (Viewed 15522 times)

post by kidchaos23   |  | 
Obnoxious new explorers
< on 2/20/2020 2:49 AM >

I've been exploring for a while, but this is probably a rookie question so I'm sticking it in the rookie forum.

There are some baby explorers in my region who are super obnoxious. One tried to reach out to me as a woman who also explores, and I was really excited about it! Then she blasted one of my favorite locations on every site she could (I didn't take her there or anything, she did this on her own). I told her it wasn't a good idea because it gets these places shut down, trashed, burned down, etc. But she didn't change it. She still does this. I deleted her because it just seemed like a lot to deal with. She does a lot of things FOR THE LIKES AND VIEWS CLICK SUBSCRIBE.

Also, while I really don't have anything against graffiti (which is a position not everyone shares, I know), a bunch of them are leaving sloppy tags of their Instagram accounts. Like, idk, maybe this is a personal pet peeve, but if you're gonna tag something, at least make it good? Make it art? Try, even a little?

Is there...anything I can do about this? Without being a bastard?

I try to be friendly and welcoming, and I know people are free and are going to do whatever. But I also really want to protect these places.

Is there even a point to worrying about this?




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post by android_eyez   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 1 on 2/20/2020 3:35 AM >

A friendly-ish warning is def the proper course of action, and if they don't listen, then fuck em. 😂

This next bit might be a tad controversial, but the person I learned from taught me thusly; Don't leave your spots with any way for someone like this to easily get in. Seal it back up the best you can. Go out of your way if you have to. I've been to lots of places where entry is obvious, but also plenty where it took knowing exactly where the one unlocked door or window is.




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post by Urban Downfall   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 2 on 2/20/2020 4:38 AM >

Posted by kidchaos23

Is there even a point to worrying about this?



With the new crowd, i'd say no.

You can try but you will most likely discover pretty fast that they don't give a damn because one: they don't do this hobby for the good reason and two: they probably just don't undestand at all the concept of it.

Most of today explorers do it because it give them exposure and validation. It could be anything else but it just happened that they chooosed this one, cause you know, it's edgy, fire and dope, too.


Try your best, but don't kill yourself in the process.

Cheers!


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post by Aran   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 3 on 2/20/2020 6:05 AM >

Posted by ClementRSedona

Try your best, but don't kill yourself in the process.

Cheers!


Amen. You can try to educate them and explain the preservationist ethics that guide many members of this community, but in the end some won't listen. The days when there was one united urbex community are gone, and won't be coming back.

Instead there's functionally two main communities operating in the same spheres- the preservationist urbex community and the Instagram urbex community.

The preservationist community tends to be smaller and closer knit, with a heavy focus on secrecy, history and ethics. Meanwhile, the Instagram community tends to be larger and more diffuse, focusing on seeking fame and fortune through monetized videos and Instagram sponsorships.

Most explorers can be sorted into one of these two groups, and the extremes of either mindset are incompatible with one another. Even among the moderates such as the Youtuber who censors location information or the preservationist explorer who paints concrete drains, their general mindset tends to fall into one of the two sides.

You just gotta pick a philosophy and stick to it. You can't change how other explorers act, but you can choose what you share and who you share it with. Sometimes that's all you can do.


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post by stealthwraith   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 4 on 2/20/2020 6:49 AM >

The ones seeking fame won’t really change no matter what they’re told in my experience. They also will leave the “game” relatively fast. Faster if starved of what they want most - likes, clicks, updoots, whatever internet points they’re praying will equal dollars somehow. The close knit secretive groups just keep doing their own thing.


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post by EsseXploreR   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 5 on 2/20/2020 10:13 AM >

Its happened here in New Jersey too. I have kept dozens of spots off the radar around here for years but the New Jersey instagram crowd is so toxic. There are maybe a half dozen decent explorers in the state out of the dozens that do this now. I've tried to explain why they shouldn't act the way they do and they tell me I'm "trolling" or "owning spots". The NJ scene has sunk to the levels of Chicago and Philly which is tragic considering we used to be a pretty good region for this.


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post by Adv.Pack   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 6 on 2/20/2020 1:30 PM >

Everyone so far has really good advice but I'd just like to add... Dont let this bother you so much. Just do your thing and have fun. Stay ahead of the game and always move on to the next adventure. Dont get attached to locations because shit will always change for the worse. Took me a long time to fully understand this.


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post by AdventureDan   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 7 on 2/20/2020 2:20 PM >

Posted by android_eyez

This next bit might be a tad controversial, but the person I learned from taught me thusly; Don't leave your spots with any way for someone like this to easily get in. Seal it back up the best you can. Go out of your way if you have to. I've been to lots of places where entry is obvious, but also plenty where it took knowing exactly where the one unlocked door or window is.



I once bought a piece of heavy duty plywood and bolts to cover a broken window on a door to an otherwise sealed tight building lol also replaced door hinges when scrappers cut them off with a sawzall to get in...

Also I always re-lock doors when leaving. I've decoded locks and made my own keys to doors before. If I trust you I'll gladly lend or make you a copy of the key. If you don't have the key, and you pick your way in, then you deserved it.

Of course this only really works on very physically secure locations, usually active ones.

[last edit 2/20/2020 2:26 PM by AdventureDan - edited 1 times]

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post by android_eyez   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 8 on 2/20/2020 3:14 PM >

Posted by AdventureDan


I once bought a piece of heavy duty plywood and bolts to cover a broken window on a door to an otherwise sealed tight building lol also replaced door hinges when scrappers cut them off with a sawzall to get in...


Ha, good to know I'm not the only one. : ) My mentor had me changing locks and repairing smashed latch guards at a point when I just wanted to GTFO of a spot. I definitely understand the importance of it now and although it probably didn't save anything indefinitely, maybe it prolonged their life a little bit.


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post by blackhawk   |  | This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.

Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 9 on 2/20/2020 3:40 PM >

Posted by android_eyez


Ha, good to know I'm not the only one. : ) My mentor had me changing locks and repairing smashed latch guards at a point when I just wanted to GTFO of a spot. I definitely understand the importance of it now and although it probably didn't save anything indefinitely, maybe it prolonged their life a little bit.


It's not your property... really you should not alter it in any way.
Bringing tools to a site is a bad plan.
Doing so increases your exposure and liability both criminal and civil.

The best thing you can do is reported arsonists, scrappers and vandals asap.
Get them busted.
Even if you're trespassing cops will ignore that if you're reporting a felony crime and aren't actively involved.




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post by AdventureDan   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 10 on 2/20/2020 3:45 PM >

Posted by blackhawk


It's not your property... really you should not alter it in any way.



It's not your property... stay out.

Oh wait. You do.

Posted by android_eyez
My mentor had me changing locks


I will say however it's generally not a good idea to actually *change* the lock. This means the property owners key won't work, which could worst case alert them to your actions and make them angry, and best case, they think the lock is simply broken and have to hire a locksmith/ cut the lock off, and your lock becomes pointless anyhow.

Be surreptitious. Best that no one knows the better that you were even there.

Edit: lol kept mistyping the quotation infos

[last edit 2/20/2020 3:56 PM by AdventureDan - edited 4 times]

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post by blackhawk   |  | This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.

Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 11 on 2/20/2020 4:10 PM >

Posted by AdventureDan


It's not your property... stay out.

Oh wait. You do.





Trespassing many times isn't a crime unless you commit another one while trespassing.
Your not born with knowledge or wisdom, you learn it... or not.


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post by android_eyez   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 12 on 2/20/2020 4:36 PM >

Good points fellas, def aware that tools = big trouble. I think in that instance we may have even procured everything to seal it back up on-site. Nevertheless, good advice worth pointing out. 👍


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post by AdventureDan   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 13 on 2/20/2020 4:47 PM >

Posted by blackhawk


Trespassing many times isn't a crime unless you commit another one while trespassing.
Your not born with knowledge or wisdom, you learn it... or not.


apparently you aren't well versed in your local trespass laws blackhawk. Many states lack a "simple" trespass law, and the charge defaults to criminal trespass regardless of what you are doing there.

While it is true that in states that have simple trespass laws, having tools on your person certainly won't help your case, and probably elevate your charge to criminal, the same is true anywhere.

Just don't be an idiot.

I think it's better to inform new members of the risks and consequences and let them decide what level of risk they are willing to take, rather than just straight out telling them what they should or should not be doing.

UER has a long history of "altering" locations for the better, some wonderful UER sanctioned meet ups have been made possible thanks to extensive effort on the part of members here. To say otherwise is pretty disrespectful to the people that put in that work (thinking of UrbexMalt in particular.)

There's a huge difference between smashing windows and crow-barring doors, and fixing lock latches.

Again, I re-iterate: Just don't be stupid. Only take the risks you are willing to deal with the consequences of.


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post by blackhawk   |  | This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.

Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 14 on 2/20/2020 4:48 PM >

Posted by android_eyez
Good points fellas, def aware that tools = big trouble. I think in that instance we may have even procured everything to seal it back up on-site. Nevertheless, good advice worth pointing out. 👍


Noise is your enemy... that's how I spotted the scrapper at Pennhurst.
Maintain noise discipline at all times.


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post by Deconstrukt   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 15 on 2/20/2020 5:59 PM >

Posted by AdventureDan

UER has a long history of "altering" locations for the better, some wonderful UER sanctioned meet ups have been made possible thanks to extensive effort on the part of members here. To say otherwise is pretty disrespectful to the people that put in that work (thinking of UrbexMalt in particular.)

There's a huge difference between smashing windows and crow-barring doors, and fixing lock latches.


^^THIS. Altering a building with the goal to make it more secure and less of a liability for injuries is far from vandalism. UrbexMalt team is actually doing the owner a huge favor by sealing POEs and preventing young kids, vandals and scrappers of going inside and creating more damage.




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post by blackhawk   |  | This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.

Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 16 on 2/20/2020 6:28 PM >


^Scrappers tend to have plenty of tools...


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post by Big Poppa   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 17 on 2/21/2020 3:12 AM >

Posted by Adv.Pack
Everyone so far has really good advice but I'd just like to add... Dont let this bother you so much. Just do your thing and have fun. Stay ahead of the game and always move on to the next adventure. Dont get attached to locations because shit will always change for the worse. Took me a long time to fully understand this.


This is good advice. These places are fleeting and ultimately we have very little control over what happens to them. Enjoy them while you can


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post by Aran   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 18 on 2/21/2020 4:23 PM >

Posted by Big Poppa


This is good advice. These places are fleeting and ultimately we have very little control over what happens to them. Enjoy them while you can


Despite the sense of possessiveness we feel for these places, like you said ultimately we have almost no control over their eventual fate. City governments, land developers, and demolition crews will do what they do and we can't change that- and outside a few economically devastated cities like Detroit and Gary, that change is inevitable. Most of the places we explore are by their nature temporary.

The only real control we have over them is through controlling information about their existence, and yet we have little control over that too because their existence is a matter of public record for the most part. By maintaining the secrecy we do, all we succeed in doing is delaying the inevitable.

That's not to say there isn't value in that, and just because something is fleeting makes it no less important. But we have to keep in mind that no matter how much we care for these places, at the end of the day we are mere visitors.


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post by randomesquephoto   |  | 
Re: Obnoxious new explorers
<Reply # 19 on 2/21/2020 5:28 PM >

Posted by blackhawk


Noise is your enemy... that's how I spotted the scrapper at Pennhurst.
Maintain noise discipline at all times.


Haha. The infamous penhurst scrapper.

[last edit 2/22/2020 3:21 AM by randomesquephoto - edited 1 times]

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