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 PattyBadFingers
Location: Portland Maine
Criminal
 |  |  | Second UE, No Alarm
< on 8/2/2009 5:56 AM >
|  | | | So after my epic failure at the bingo hall, me and my friend decided to go and try our luck UEing again. This time we figured my old Elementary School would be the perfect place for our second go.
The elementary school is gone now, we got in there the day before they started tearing down walls. The inside of the school is pretty gone though. But it still served as a pretty good location for rookies like me and my partner.
We first went in a Sunday night around 9;00pm with a fire escape ladder hoping to test out the ladder (it didn't work very well on the school). I look one picture that you can actually see, the other ones are too dark (I used my Blackberry's camera). On my way out the back door, I ran into a local with a flashlight who shined his light in my face and demanded to know what I was doing at the school. I told him I was once a student and I was just saying a final good bye to the elementary school, which in a way I was. except I would return the next day, and that would be my final good bye.
The next day came and we decided to go during the day this time. All the locks on the doors had been removed and swung right open. Not to mention that the wall to the furnace room had been completely removed and anyone could walk right in.
Parking was simple, on the street outside the gates.
We entered the building, taking pictures as I went. We stopped in all the rooms, I took extra time on the ones that had been my class rooms.
The gym served as a command center for the demolition team. There was papers and spray paint and even a nice saw worth about $500.00, which I restrained myself from taking and selling because I was UEing, not B&Eing.
The best part was in the furnace room where a convenient ladder near the boiler let directly to the roof where I got a few god shots of the side of the school, and the long roof.
After that we saw a patrol car drive by and we hustled out of there.
I do have to admit, I took something, I noticed a notebook in one to the classrooms and I opened it and started to read it. Sure enough it was one of my teachers old notebooks. I remembered learning about some of the stuff in the pages (early U.S. history). I couldn't help but take it. It was just going to be destroyed anyway, so I took it. I know I shouldn't have, but it was kind of sentimental to me.
Anyway...
I found some old posters from a long time ago, this one looks like it was around 9-11, but I can't be sure of that.
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This is the only half decent photo of the school at night, just some weird writing. On another wall it said "repent, the end is nigh!" or some bullshit like that.
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My UEing partner wore flip flops, not the best choice when you're trying to find a place to go pee.
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Good thing there was a dirty puddle right there.
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This was the special ed room, don't know if the cups were from the immigration offices, construction workers, or the school.
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They took off all the doors and the lighting you're seeing is from sky lights on the ceiling in the main hallway.
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That's next to the main entrance, probably mild asbestos, the school is pretty old.
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That's taken from the highest point on the school, the main entrance to the right. The skylights map out the main hallway.
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There was no electricity in the building. I don't know what happened here...
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This was done by the workers, not the kids. And that's me in the bottom left.
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Somebody had fun with those letters on the billboard.
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The painting on the walls has been there forever, the windows, the construction guys must of done that.
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Throwing sinks?
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Photo opportunity, having some fun in the boys bathroom.
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Old School, School clock, haha.
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An incinerator? It's just a chimney with a spot to burn things at the bottom.
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This is the cool ladder, the incinerator is to the right at the bottom of the ladder. The area north of the ladder is the demolished wall.
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That roofing is unstable, we didn't go over there.
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That wraps up my second UE, hopefully I did a better job on this one than I did on the first.
It's not easy being cheesy. |
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Link338
   
Location: Amarillo, TX
Gender: Male
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 1 on 8/2/2009 7:02 PM >
| | | | Excellent. Looks like you had a good time. The photos give a good idea of what you saw.
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N1Hawk
Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 2 on 8/2/2009 8:05 PM >
| | | | Nice work and nice pictures. This is a good second attempt this time with no Alarms going off  Very well done man! Welcome to Urban Exploration!!!
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hairmetal1990
 
Location: Wisconsin USA
Gender: Male
roflcopter
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 3 on 8/2/2009 11:42 PM >
| | | | i'll prolly get yelled at for this, but imo, when a building is going to be or is being demolished, i generally take one or 2 items as "artifacts". ethics is a hot point on here, and alot of people have differing opinions.
get the wunderwaffle!!!!! |
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mrvander
 
Location: Cedar Rapids/Spirit Lake, IA
Gender: Male
Brick by Brick
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 4 on 8/3/2009 3:13 AM >
| | | | Excellent. Nice location, nice photos, nice job coming around.
Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say... |
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IDChris
Location: Southern Idaho Wasteland
Gender: Male
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 5 on 8/3/2009 4:34 PM >
| | | | Posted by hairmetal1990
i'll prolly get yelled at for this, but imo, when a building is going to be or is being demolished, i generally take one or 2 items as "artifacts". ethics is a hot point on here, and alot of people have differing opinions.
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Just ask permission from the demolition contractor. They retain all salvage rights per their contract, unless noted otherwise. Almost all won't give a crap if you want a light fixture, piece of loose furniture, or that cool fallout shelter sign. Due to liability and insurance concerns, they may have to remove it for you, but you can usually have one of the employees do it for you. You may have to bribe some money, a lunch, or some beer.
Even if the building is being torn down the next day, it's still stealing if you don't ask. Sometimes salvage crews wait to remove stuff the morning of demolition.
We demolished a building and per our contract, we had certain items to salvage and deliver to the owner, including some fancy light fixtures. They all got ripped off after we had a notice to proceed. We planned to pull them the day before demo.
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hairmetal1990
Location: Wisconsin USA
Gender: Male
roflcopter
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 6 on 8/3/2009 7:28 PM >
| | | | Posted by IDChris
Just ask permission from the demolition contractor. They retain all salvage rights per their contract, unless noted otherwise. Almost all won't give a crap if you want a light fixture, piece of loose furniture, or that cool fallout shelter sign. Due to liability and insurance concerns, they may have to remove it for you, but you can usually have one of the employees do it for you. You may have to bribe some money, a lunch, or some beer.
Even if the building is being torn down the next day, it's still stealing if you don't ask. Sometimes salvage crews wait to remove stuff the morning of demolition.
We demolished a building and per our contract, we had certain items to salvage and deliver to the owner, including some fancy light fixtures. They all got ripped off after we had a notice to proceed. We planned to pull them the day before demo.
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i have to agree with that, getting permission (if possible) is the best way to go
get the wunderwaffle!!!!! |
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DJ Craig
  
Moderator
Location: Johnson City, TN
Gender: Male
Break the Silence
| |  | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 7 on 8/3/2009 10:30 PM >
| | | | I've always thought it would be an incredibly bizarre experience to UE a high school, middle school or elementary school that I once attended. One of my elementary schools in SW VA might soon be abandoned too!
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Suess |
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PattyBadFingers
Location: Portland Maine
Criminal
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 8 on 8/3/2009 11:09 PM >
| | | | To be honest, it was strange.
I knew my way around the school, but it was also very foreign do to the debris and demolition.
But it was a great way for me to see the school out. I have so many good memories from that place, and for me to document and share it with everyone else was cool too.
I did always want to go into the girls bathroom to see what it would be like, but that was the only door that was still locked and the windows not smashed out, so I guess I never will know...
It's not easy being cheesy. |
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Neptune
Location: Maine
Gender: Female
The Albino Explorer
| | | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 9 on 8/4/2009 3:26 AM >
| | | | Excellent job! I'm only jealous I wasn't able to get in there before demo. I think if you're going to take something small like a notebook it's cool, not like anybody is going to miss it. Like someone else said, with bigger items it's always best to ask, but again, it was a notebook so whatevah'.
BTW had that bathroom shot not been taken with a blackberry it would have been an epic photo.
UE Magazine: http://www.uemag.c...home1/about-3.html
http://www.flickr....s/smsailorneptune/ http://smsailorneptune.deviantart.com/ |
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PattyBadFingers
Location: Portland Maine
Criminal
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 10 on 8/4/2009 7:47 AM >
| | | | yeah, I like that one.
There was another shot much like the shot of the long hallway, only my UE partner was running his hand along the wall as he walked. It looked very cool, but it was to fuzzy and not worth uploading...
It's not easy being cheesy. |
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Sceptic
Location: In the Dreams of a City that Never Sleeps
Gender: Male
120
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 11 on 8/5/2009 11:57 PM >
| | | | Nice,, much better exploration than your first! Congrats and Welcome!
"Instinctive forces influence the activity of consciousness. Whether that influence is for better or for worse depends upon the actual contents of the unconscious." |
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geoff5093
Location: New Hampshire
Gender: Male
| | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 12 on 8/19/2009 8:40 PM >
| | | | Posted by DJ Craig
I've always thought it would be an incredibly bizarre experience to UE a high school, middle school or elementary school that I once attended. One of my elementary schools in SW VA might soon be abandoned too!
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Same here, I think it would be awesome if one of my schools became abandoned, although there isn't much chance of that happening soon 
Glad you had fun, and those are some cool pictures!
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PattyBadFingers
Location: Portland Maine
Criminal
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 13 on 8/20/2009 3:21 AM >
| | | | Forgot one.
This was the cool picture I was talking about.
It's not easy being cheesy. |
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Majickal
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Gender: Male
<3 Home Depot
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 14 on 8/20/2009 6:32 AM >
| | | | Awesome, it looks like you are really taking to Exploring as a hobby. A couple things I will point out though, from experience, even if the parking arrangements directly on site seem accommodating, do your best to park a few blocks away and walk to the site. A few guys walking down the street is a lot less conspicuous than a car parked outside of an inactive or abandoned structure. I am also compelled to voice my opinion regarding your souvenir. Even if something has great sentimental value, the importance of not removing any object from the premises is very important. There are several reasons for this, so feel free to choose whichever one compels you to leave things be the most: Whether you stole something worth $.01 or $1,000.00, if caught, you will face the same charges regardless. Second, it isn't only about maintaining the quality of the site for others to enjoy (although that is very important), it is primarily about the ethical code every explorer should follow. There is no reason to compromise ethics on our part, especially for self satisfaction, even if the item we desire has great sentimental value. I'm sorry to lecture you, but these are all things I have learned after a great deal of time spent on this hobby and helping others learn to enjoy it.
I'm glad for you that your 2nd experience was a good one, and you took some awesome pictures to document your memories and experiences in that location. Perhaps in the future if you desire something for its sentimental value, perhaps several snapshots of the item in an original context (the one that makes you desire the item in the first place) would suffice.
And don't feel bad about it either way. I still have a single piano key from the very first abandoned building I ever explored.
Good luck in your future exploring endeavors and welcome to the community!
EDITS: Corrected grammar and clarified reason for edits.
[last edit 8/20/2009 6:33 AM by Majickal - edited 2 times]
This is the sig |
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Yankee Traveler
Location: Greenfield, MA
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 15 on 8/20/2009 1:16 PM >
| | | | Posted by Majickal
...Whether you stole something worth $.01 or $1,000.00, if caught, you will face the same charges regardless.
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Actually not true, at least in Massachusetts. Anything valued less than $250.00 is a misdemeanor, anything over is a felony. Big difference.
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Majickal
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Gender: Male
<3 Home Depot
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 16 on 8/20/2009 10:36 PM >
| | | | Posted by Yankee Traveler
Actually not true, at least in Massachusetts. Anything valued less than $250.00 is a misdemeanor, anything over is a felony. Big difference.
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You're absolutely right, my mistake. Depending on your state or municipality the charges might be much less severe, but remember, we operate under a code of ethics, not under the law! ;)
This is the sig |
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Shutter
Location: Raleigh NC
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 17 on 8/20/2009 10:55 PM >
| | | | Posted by Yankee Traveler
Actually not true, at least in Massachusetts. Anything valued less than $250.00 is a misdemeanor, anything over is a felony. Big difference.
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Also, if the item is under say $10 the judge would laugh the charges out of court. I know that if you pocket less than $20 from most department stores from where I come from they don't call the cops, they just tell you not to come to the store again.
In this case (unless you are stealing large fixtures) stealing only lowers your credibility and increases your chances of being charged with trespassing/B&E.
I wont talk about ethics because it doesn't need to be. He stated the building was being torn down. Therefore the statement to leave it for others to see is invalid. The building isn't even there anymore.
Back on topic though, sounds like you had a good time. Schools can be inherently creepy, I can't imagine going to one of my own.
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Neptune
Location: Maine
Gender: Female
The Albino Explorer
| | | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 18 on 8/21/2009 4:02 AM >
| | | | Posted by Majickal
I am also compelled to voice my opinion regarding your souvenir. Even if something has great sentimental value, the importance of not removing any object from the premises is very important. There are several reasons for this, so feel free to choose whichever one compels you to leave things be the most: Whether you stole something worth $.01 or $1,000.00, if caught, you will face the same charges regardless. Second, it isn't only about maintaining the quality of the site for others to enjoy (although that is very important), it is primarily about the ethical code every explorer should follow. There is no reason to compromise ethics on our part, especially for self satisfaction, even if the item we desire has great sentimental value. I'm sorry to lecture you, but these are all things I have learned after a great deal of time spent on this hobby and helping others learn to enjoy it.
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The building was torn down literally hours after he explored it. I think in this case he was justified in taking the notebook.
UE Magazine: http://www.uemag.c...home1/about-3.html
http://www.flickr....s/smsailorneptune/ http://smsailorneptune.deviantart.com/ |
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PattyBadFingers
Location: Portland Maine
Criminal
| | | Re: Second UE, No Alarm
<Reply # 19 on 8/22/2009 6:52 AM >
| | | | Yeah, if it was anything else I would have left it. Even if I was an experienced explorer, and had been doing this for years and I completely understood the entire ethics subject, I would have still taken the notebook because it really meant a lot to me.
That school was a great school and I have nothing but good memories from there. But I do completely understand the issue on ethics.
And like Neptune said, the building's wall were being torn down in less then 24 hours, so I really felt the need to take it.
Also, even if the police were to hypothetically confront me about me being there and saw the notebook, I feel like if I explained to them why I was there and why the notebook was important to me, they would let me walk away with the notebook. The Police in my city are not as hard as in most major cities. When I was younger I tried to steal well over $100.00 dollars worth of DVD's and Video Games from a CD store and the police officer told me not to go into the store for a year. He even convinced the store clerk not to push charges even though he clearly stated it was store policy to press charges every time no matter what the scenario.
I guess when it comes to police it really comes down to who you get caught by. If you are committing a victimless crime (like trespassing in a pre demolished vacant school) and an experienced veteran officer confronts you, he probably won't want to even bother with the police report and paper work affiliated with the arrest if it comes to that. Especially if you explain what you were doing there and make him understand you don't think you're above the law, you're just having fun and doing a hobby you enjoy.
It's not easy being cheesy. |
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