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 plexiglas
    
Location: SF Bay Area, California
Gender: Female
 |  | Exploring alone
< on 9/2/2007 1:54 AM >
|  | | | I know that there is another thread about this floating around on the Rookie Forum right now that is similar, but I wanted to make a more specific one because I still have some unanswered questions:
So I know that a lot of people on this board have strong opinions on either side about the subject, especially since it can oftentimes be difficult to find others to explore with. I was just curious how many of you on here go alone (especially other females) and how frequently. The topic concerns me because I am kind of petite and do not carry a knife or anything like that, in fact there are places that I just will not go alone at all (i.e. tunnels, very remote urban areas) because I do have SOME common sense (sometimes). Anyways I was wondering what kinds of experiences you have had exploring alone, good or bad, and if there are things that I should take into consideration that I am possibly too much of a rookie to know about?
[last edit 9/2/2007 1:57 AM by plexiglas - edited 1 times]
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person
 
Location: cincinnati
Gender: Male
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 1 on 9/2/2007 2:24 AM >
| | | | Being a reasonable sized dude with some ass-kicking skills, I've been known to explore alone in somewhat sketchy areas. Never ran into any problems doing this. You being a small lady, however, YMMV.
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Poisonne
Location: The Wilds of Bowmanville, Canada.
Gender: Female
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 2 on 9/2/2007 2:50 AM >
| | | | I'm also quite petite (5'3", somewhere around 100 lbs) and after scouting out some places around a couple of towns, I wouldn't hit anywhere without bringing someone larger than I. (Even though I do have some basic ass-kicking skills under my belt from fencing and self-defense training.)
There was one incident that was /quite/ funny that happened to me, where, as my friend and I were emerging from an alleyway, a half a dozen construction workers happened to enter it, and started whistling and the usual construction worker style comments. I mean, nothing bad happened, but it kind of drove the point home about how sneaking around back where there aren't large crowds of people can have some unsavoury results.
Even in the rural locations I usually do at the moment, I bring a buddy and we bring some sort of large stick in case of animals/crazy farmers/zombies/etc.
So yes, I think in our cases especially, the buddy system is golden. ^^;
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Bander87
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 3 on 9/2/2007 3:37 AM >
| | | | It's all about location... and maybe times.
But I think it's a lot more fun to share the experience with someone else, like a roller coaster.
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jon_k
Location: North Richland Hills (Fort Worth) TX
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 4 on 9/2/2007 3:39 AM >
| | | | I would never, ever, ever /ever/ explore alone.
People who are homeless, hoodlums, and other questionable people are the most likely people you will meet while doing UE. In abandoned areas this is probably the only type of people you will meet (except for a security guard.) You could get raped, robbed, beaten, who knows what else. I'm 22, 5 11 and a pretty big guy -- but I still rather not take someone alone if it came down to it -- so I never travel alone.
Not even considering nasty people you might encounter -- the environment itself can be a danger. Some of these buildings are not structurally sound. Some hazards you might run in to include:
* A roof collapse, pinning you down
* On a second floor a floor collapse, not good.
* Wooden stairs or ladders or other objects might not be sturdy and could break taking you down with it.
There's just a million environmental things that make the environment hazardous. Should you get hurt, trapped, or incapacitated it is very important you have a buddy along to bring you to safety (or in worst case, alert authorities.)
I don't want to sound like I'm being paranoid -- but there is some risk in UE and you want to be safe. You need to have someone who can watch your back and help if things go wrong. It's really not worth risking personal safety to see some cool things.
Here's an example. Me and a friend went in to an abandoned meat packing plant in Downtown Fort Worth. There was a large ramp that went down to a basement level. The wood was all rotted and it was the only way to get down to the bottom level. I nearly lost balance and had I lost balance, fallen, or mistepped on the wrong part of the wood (had to balance on the support beam for the ramp.) it would have surely broken and I'd have fallen 10 feet down to the basement floor. Who knows what dangerous sharp objects could have been under the ramp in the basement. All it could take is a bad step and poof. I wouldn't go alone after that experience.
Some people here seem to go alone and even condone it, others don't and would NEVER suggest it. It's better to be safe than sorry though. Besides, it can be much more fun with company.
[last edit 9/2/2007 3:48 AM by jon_k - edited 7 times]
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plexiglas
Location: SF Bay Area, California
Gender: Female
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 5 on 9/2/2007 4:45 AM >
| | | | Is it usually very difficult to tell if wood is rotten? Seems like it would be pretty obvious but then I am still beginning.
And it is usually difficult for me to find people who: A.) are interested/adventurous enough & B.) are available at the same times that I am, especially since I am kind of a loner/introvert-type and often prefer the solitude anyways. I agree that it is about location, and I guess should be taken on a case by case basis. I'm just curious if there is anyone on this board who has been in serious trouble while exploring alone and who was unable to get help 'cause all I've seen are precautions.
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bluegrassishh
Location: western mass
Gender: Female
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 6 on 9/2/2007 5:40 AM >
| | | | NO.
I usually go with owmisshateful, but a little while ago we went with distinked to a virgin hospital in the middle of the ghetto. We encountered signs that a homeless heroin junkie lived in the second room closest to our entry point (luckily he/she wasn't home when we went in). All was as usual, til we were on maybe the third floor, we heard loud banging noises coming from down the stairs, and the sound of sneakers on broken tile. This couldn't have been the junkie, because we moved stuff against a door after entering to keep the junkie OUT of the part of the hospital we were in, and there's no way they could have moved it from the other side of the door. Couldn't have been cops, by law they have to announce their presence. We decided to get the hell out, that we didn't want to confront whoever was making those noises. We went to a stairwell, only to hear noises coming from down those stairs. Ran to another stairwell, same thing. Finally got down the stairs and out an emergency exit, after unscrewing some bolts the previous owners/city/whatever had put in the door to keep people out.
Even worse, the emergency exit said "Fire Exit Only - Alarm Will Sound," and not more than 2 minutes after getting out, fire trucks pulled up! (They were actually for the house next to the hospital, which had a grease fire or something)
Point is, if there weren't three of us exploring that place, I would've freaked out and not been able to think clearly enough to find another way out.
Not only that, I'm a 17 year old girl with an ample bosom, and no desire to be raped.
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Shawn W.
 
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Gender: Male
Optimistic Pessimist
| | |  | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 7 on 9/2/2007 7:35 AM >
| | | | I'll scout a place by myself, and if it's a strictly outdoor location, I'd consider checking it out alone, but I'm going to either bring someone with me or tag along with someone if it involves going inside anywhere, if only for company.
[last edit 9/2/2007 7:35 AM by Shawn W. - edited 1 times]
What is a rebel? A man who says no. - Albert Camus |
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blackhawk
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Mission Control
UER newbie
| | | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 8 on 9/2/2007 7:37 AM >
| | | | Posted by whiteonwhite
Is it usually very difficult to tell if wood is rotten? Seems like it would be pretty obvious but then I am still beginning.
And it is usually difficult for me to find people who: A.) are interested/adventurous enough & B.) are available at the same times that I am, especially since I am kind of a loner/introvert-type and often prefer the solitude anyways. I agree that it is about location, and I guess should be taken on a case by case basis. I'm just curious if there is anyone on this board who has been in serious trouble while exploring alone and who was unable to get help 'cause all I've seen are precautions.
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Spongy feel, sagging floor boards, anywhere there's obvious water damage.
Once the roof, the rest goes quick.
Beware of anything heavy, or supporting you that's anchored into concrete, or block. Fasteners corrode; trust nothing.
There's no safety in numbers, if your number is up.
Don't bring a pal, when you needed a gun...
Invisibility is your best ally, one person is almost always best.
Noise is kept to a minimum, and there's no chatter.
In real practice most times having more people is just a liability.
If you prefer to go alone, do so, as many here do as well.
What you do need is common sense.
I'll take a quart of water over a cell phone any day.
Always bring water.
Think before you do, if you don't feel safe, stop and bug out.
Happy hunting
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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rainman8889
Location: H.T.S.F.C. Time to gain and a time to lose.
Bye for now.
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 9 on 9/2/2007 12:17 PM >
| | | | Posted by jon_k
I would never, ever, ever /ever/ explore alone.
...
Some people here seem to go alone and even condone it, others don't and would NEVER suggest it. It's better to be safe than sorry though. Besides, it can be much more fun with company.
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As mentioned above, same here.
Always good to have a reliable buddy with you and as mentioned: Much more fun with company and what you may miss in regards to interesting features, your buddy may see them and point them out to you.
Just be damned sure you can trust your buddy though.
My 2 cents worth.
[last edit 9/2/2007 12:18 PM by rainman8889 - edited 1 times]
Gone for a while. Be back when I'm back. |
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femaledragonx
Location: Detroit & Everywhere Else I can dream up to go to
The singularity is near
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 10 on 9/2/2007 3:48 PM >
| | | | i explore alone around 50% of the time, sometimes i go through phases where i explore alone a lot more than that.
there are however certain places i will not go alone, specifically if i know a homeless person lives in the place and i am unsure of their temperament. ex patients and drug addicts are not what i want to face alone in a building while carrying an expensive rig. i am a believer in "crazy trumps everything" as i see first hand how strong psych patients can be when agitated. the same can be seen with people on pcp.
also beware of scrappers. some are nice and some very not nice. they stand to get into a lot of legal trouble, so they may be very defensive.
and of course, don't forget about collapses. keep an eye out for signs of collapsed floors.
when i am exploring a new place alone and i am not sure if there is someone inside, i bring a big mag lite for my weapon (can't get arrested for carrying a mag lite) and i stay light on my feet and keep my gear away until i have scouted everything. i tuck my hair behind my ears so i can hear someone approaching and i avoid having my back against a doorway or hall for long so no one can sneak up.
another suggestion: have one or two friends aware that you are exploring alone. designate an amount of time between text messages before they should be worried. i try to check in every 1.5 hrs to 2.5 hrs. if more time than that has gone by, and the text friend has not heard from me, they know something has gone wrong.
and by the way, much of this advice is good even when you have a buddy with you. i can attest to the fact that one can end up in a serious situation alone, after friends are so spooked they leave you behind and drive to another state!
just watch your back. (and it wouldn't hurt to learn some basics in martial arts. like how to release from a strangle hold or block a knife stab)
"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~Annie Dillard |
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MHInc
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 11 on 9/2/2007 4:36 PM >
| | | | I have explored alone. But only in either places I have already been in. Or places that I am sure about, that are safe and squatter and crack head free.
No matter what, there are always hidden dangers. I don't recommend it. You never know what can happen, and if you don't have someone with you, it could be dangerous.
MH Inc. Photography Canada
http://www.mhinccanada.com
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HIM193
Location: Bumblefuck, PA
Gender: Male
"I like turtles"
| | | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 12 on 9/2/2007 5:59 PM >
| | | | I'm about half and half. For example, yesterday i explored alone, but last monday i went with another person. I've been in many different situations alone, but the creepiest was hearing someone moving on the roof of a building, and when retreating down into the tunnels of said building hearing multiple sets of feet moving around on the floor above. Cops? homeless? who knows, it was a remote location, and it could've been anyone. I never feel entirely secure alone, but i'm 6'2", 230 pounds, and i carry a 4 cell steel maglite that'll fuck someone up pretty quick.
When i go with others, i only will go with 2 to 3 other people. Fortunately the people i explore with in this area are very good about stealth, and are willing to drop out at a moments notice if something doesn't feel right. I've been through some close calls with them, and i wouldn't go with anyone else.
[last edit 9/2/2007 6:00 PM by HIM193 - edited 1 times]
Monolith |
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rushf1
Location: San Joaquin Valley, CA
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 13 on 9/2/2007 9:32 PM >
| | | | I wouldn't go alone for the reasons specified. At best you'll run across something unpleasant (security guard(s), the cops, mad property owners, druggies, etc.) and obviously we know what's worse. I did some UE stuff back in the teenage years of the 80's, and I was a lot braver (stupid, maybe?) than I am now. Plus, consider that even if you have a cell phone, a lot of areas are out of range, and help would have a hard time finding you, especially if you've hiked for quite a distance.
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Poisonne
Location: The Wilds of Bowmanville, Canada.
Gender: Female
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 14 on 9/2/2007 9:42 PM >
| | | | Posted by HIM193
When i go with others, i only will go with 2 to 3 other people. Fortunately the people i explore with in this area are very good about stealth, and are willing to drop out at a moments notice if something doesn't feel right. I've been through some close calls with them, and i wouldn't go with anyone else.
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Very good point about that. There have been times when I've gone alone because my usual company is rather all-or-nothing, and not particularly worried about being caught.
However, again with the caution -- the times I have gone alone it's been to places I've already been to (though I didn't spend such an extensive amount of time there as I did when I did it alone), so I knew that the floors could basically hold me, and that they were well and truly deserted. If you're absolutely certain that a location's safe, then going alone can be very relaxing.
I recommend a maglite as well, by the way. If for no other reason than it makes a satisfying sound when you hit it against the palm of your hand. =P
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SeraphZero
Location: Norfolk, Va
Gender: Male
Hack art photographer, at your service.
| | | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 15 on 9/6/2007 12:40 AM >
| | | | Personally, I prefer to go it alone, at least the first time. There's something sacred in exploring by yourself, and allows me to focus on keeping myself out of harm's way without having to worry about the safety of another person. I'm 5'9", 180 lbs, have some minor hand-to-hand combat experience, and tend to favor boots and black clothing. I do just fine by myself.
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. |
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metersea
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 16 on 9/6/2007 5:02 AM >
| | | | Posted by jon_k
People who are homeless, hoodlums, and other questionable people are the most likely people you will meet while doing UE.... You could get raped, robbed, beaten, who knows what else....Besides, it can be much more fun with company.
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There were a few places in Kentucky that I would have explored alone, but I always feel more comfortable with at least one buddy. I felt comfortable enough to scout alone numerous times in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
After recently moving to Houston, and being a petite female, I will neither scout on foot nor explore alone. Sometimes it is quite tempting, but there are too many sketchy looking types roaming the streets. Squatters are also seem to live in some of the most interesting looking buildings that I have seen so far.
While attempting a certain abandoned factory with with some friends, two of us were stopped and questioned by the police while still scouting the exterior from the sidewalk. The cop told us that they (and the EMS) lack the necessary insurance coverage to enter and 'retrieve our bodies' in the case of an emergency.
I am not sure what kind of city you are thinking about exploring, but use caution! I know it might sound stupid, but, in the end, you will have to trust your own gut feelings.
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brandnewteeth
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Gender: Male
Carry the torch that's never lit.
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 17 on 9/6/2007 7:29 AM >
| | | | Posted by whiteonwhite
..Explroing alone.. |
Is one of the few joys in life.
mutantMandias: You're everywhere. You're the wind. You're the air. You're the bnt. brandnewteeth is like the Cyrus of Marietta gangs. CAN YOU DIG IT?
dsankt: BNT rocks shiny penny loafers. I heard he explores in them cos it puts a spring in his step for the laddies.
Contagion: I still think BrandNewTeeth is a prick, no matter what. Bitch ate all of my thanksgiving leftovers! |
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NoSuchPerson
 
Stop, or I'll ask you again!
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 18 on 9/6/2007 8:47 AM >
| | | | It's a mixed feeling for some explorers.
Personally, I will explore alone should the opportunity present itself. For example, last year I was walking down Yonge Street when I came across an opportunity to check out an under-construction building. Of course I took it because I may not get it again.
That said, any time I DO plan on exploring alone, I make CERTAIN I bring a cellphone, and at the very least tell someone else where I'm going and that I'll call them by a certain time.
Some buildings I don't have a problem doing alone. The Brickworks for example, I know inside and out like the back of my hand and have no problem doing alone. I know all the possible exit points, including two that are always there and can never be closed/blocked. I'm also confident that I can hold my own should a situation arise. I'm not especially worried about police/security, and a certain amount of tactical communication is often enough to get out of any situation with homeless persons.
That said, it's entirely a person's own choice if they are going to go at it alone or not. Just make sure you are aware of the dangers and have gone the extra step to ensure you are safe. Never let your guard down becuase there isn't anybody there to back you up if you do.
Unit calling radio say again? |
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Deuterium
Location: PNW
Gender: Male
| | Re: Exploring alone
<Reply # 19 on 9/6/2007 10:43 AM >
| | | | Posted by person
Being a reasonable sized dude with some ass-kicking skills, I've been known to explore alone in somewhat sketchy areas. Never ran into any problems doing this. You being a small lady, however, YMMV.
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I really don't think it offers you much protection.
In 2005, there were 16692 homicides in the US. 68% were inflicted by firearms. (USDOJ data)
If you get held at a gun point, you're pretty much screwed regardless of size.
[last edit 9/6/2007 10:44 AM by Deuterium - edited 1 times]
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