14 replies to this topic

[leftandforgotten]

Title says it all.

I'll be honest here, I've been caught about 13-15 times. It's either been security, owners, or the police.... When security or owners have caught me, after I explain, they seem nicer to me, and some have even given me a tour, or shown me history of these places.

But the police, heh, they always think you are up to no good....

Now one event sticks with me, and I'd say now it was the oddest thing. I was scouting this old building, used to have offices and stuff in it. I did my normal walk around, looking for no trespassing signs and what not, heck not even the windows were boarded up, and half were missing... My entry point was a back window that had an AC unit under it. To make a long story short, I'm just completing my self guided tour and taking pictures, and I hear movement and whispers. So I look out the front window from the top, @_@ OMG 5 police cars.. So I quickly walk out into the hall... and.... You know it... "FREEZE!"
grrr.. I do the normal turn around with hands up. They didn't even ask any question until we were out of the building, nor did they put me in hand cuffs.. So I am now getting asked questions:
Police: What are you doing here?
Me: Taking pictures for History Preservation.
Police: Anyone else with you?
Me: Nope
Police: What ya got in the bag?
Me: My equipment.
Police: I'm gonna have to search it.
Me: If you must.
Police: You don't have anything in here that can stab me, or anything Illegal?
Me: Nope.

So at that time, he proceeded to go threw my bag, in the process, dropping one of my cameras, which did piss me off. I gave him the stink eye. lol

Police: Well, do you know why we are here?
Me: Not a clue.
Police: A few passerby's said they saw someone snooping around here.
Me: Oh? I'm not snooping around, just taking pictures.
Police: Well your trespassing.
Me: Well I honestly don't see how, there are no signs saying not too.
Police: Well you are, get your stuff and get out of here and don't come back.
Me: Yep, you read my mind.

So at that point, I packed up and walked off. But I did return, to find a double gated fence with barb wire with signs saying "Trespassers will be prosecuted". So that ends my story. Gotta love the police sometimes.

Edited by leftandforgotten, 02 October 2011 - 07:55 PM.

[abandonedfreak]

I've been caught three times, the first luckily I was outside the house at Hippy Camp and a lady stopped out front and told me that the owner did NOT like people on his property even though he didn't have it posted. The second time freaked me the most. We were goin through an old warehouse type place in Pittsburgh and something didn't feel right about it. Especially when I glanced out a window and saw this truck sitting on the road and the guy talking on a cell, I told the others but they paid no attention so I went back to shooting when I heard someone in the building. I told the others and once again I was ignored. Well not even a minute after I said that the door slams open and this guy that looked like Hulk Hogan yells, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" we all were stunned and a moment later an entry door opens and this guy that looked like Joe Pesci steps inside. Well Hulk pulls out his cell after Bandit meekly says "takin pictures" followed by me with "Its a hobby" and Derail ending the sentence with, "We're photographers" Hulk yells, "You expect me to believe that? Well lets see if the fuckin cops believe you" He then dials and all I could think is, "We'll be lucky if we only get arrested, they are gonna give us a serious ass whoopin. I was dumbfounded when Bandit nearly slams his camera in Hulk's face and pleas, "Look, we are just takin pictures" I held my breath waiting for Hulk to pummel poor Bandit when he slowly snaps the phone shut, and gets this defeated look on his face and merely mutters, "Why?" I take a breath and keep my eyes on Pesci as I offer up, "We are amateur photographers, its what we do" Hulk then proceeds to ask how the place got so vandalized if we are only taking pictures, and Derail answers with "It wasn't us, we swear" And I volunteer to let them search my backpack. Hulk then asks how we got in to which I tell him it was the same door he used to come in, and when Bandit asked if we could please leave he just shakes his head and says "Get the fuck out" We didn't need told twice, as soon as Pesci moved we cleared that stairwell from the second floor in like three steps. The third was at Beth Steel, and we just chatted with the guy and when we told him we were taking pics he was very interested in what we saw inside and thought it was cool.

[Chaindrive]

In the Pittsburgh Crew's favorite town, we were exploring some apartments above one of the banks and we met a fellow urbex, who was scoping things out before hauling his gear over to take pics. He lives one town over. He said that, at least in that area, if the places aren't armed with dynamite to blow up intruders or the like, everyone, including the cops was cool.

One of the Pittsburgh Crew told me as I was standing by the tracks that if I saw the police to run.

Keep in mind I have been sploring longer than my other crewmates have been alive. I just looked at him and said, "WTF, I'm an elderly lady with a camera in my purse. DO I LOOK LIKE I'M GONNA HURT ANYTHING?!?!?!"

In the same town, af and I talked to a guy sitting on his porch before going across the street one house down from him and opening the door and going in. We wanted to see inside because it's part of a tax sale, and we're interested in maybe acquiring it to restore. The guy on his porch did nothing but watch us go in.

That's how threatening we look.

[Chaindrive]

And, might I add, since we explored the town for 3 days we became know entities and people recognized us and chatted with us. A constable riding around with his neighborhood watch friend stopped their car and turned it off in the middle of the street to talk to us (we had just come out of an abandoned hospital)to see what we were taking pics of (they were really interested). We talked to them and they told us that next to the place across the street from the hospital there had been a house torn down and it was discovered the house was built on an Indian Burial Ground and there were archeologists there excavating it. We saw the little flags in the ground and the plastic sheets on the ground under canopies, but we didn't get to talk to them. The guys in the car also gave us other places to see.

When we had lunch at our normal diner our last day there one of the regulars that sits outside asked if we were still taking pics and talked to us.

[DeadTrish]

Knocks on wood... Still winning this battle

[leftandforgotten]

Glad some of ya ain't been caught as much as me

Most the ones I talk to, do get interested in it. I've had a few ask if I'd be willing to print the pictures out for them, I have a few times, but don't make a habbit out of it. I've done little tricks here and there to get into a few places. Funny how a yellow hard hat, bright orange reflective vest with the words "Contractor" on it seems to make people think your looking at the land/building. They ask, you work for yourself.

I'm planning a trip to Dead Man's Bridge, and Dead Man's Overpass soon, So I should have a few pics to show, that is unless I get ran off by these so called gangs and junk.

[NeverForgotten]

InsulinGuy and I were at Forest Haven in August with another photographer. We were there 5 hours. Only saw one car in a strange place. Not any security SUV's. We were leaving and just had to get that one last shot in front of the main building, but we were not on the main road. I had my gear in the side road and a SUV comes flying out behind the tailers and starts asking us questions and being nasty. We were almost to the path out of there. We make our way to the path and our other friend left his bag in the main building. He goes back to get in and InsulinGuy goes after him. I kept on going. InsulinGuy comes flying up the path and scared the shit out of me. I am a woman alone in the woods in a not so nice area. He says. Go Go Go. , there are more cars. We get out out the road and are not on their property anymore. There were two more cars to the left and another SUV comes up and again , gives us a hard time. We ran to the car and there was another truck in the parking lot. Our friend finally shows up and yells to us to just go. We called him and another SUV yelled at thim also. 6 cars just for us three pathatic photographers. Guess they were bored!
I have been there four times and this was the first time I ever saw anyone other than scrappers and other explorers. I am DONE with that place! It has great shots and tons of buildings, but I do not need a Laurel Cop taking me in. I use to live in that town and they are Nasty!

Out of 150 trips, that is the only encounter I have had with nasty security.

I have talked to the Dunbar Security at Henryton, because they are super dumb rent-a-cops. They do not want to be bothered! Just wave and go on with them.......harmless .....

[abandonedfreak]

leftandforgotten, on 03 October 2011 - 10:32 AM, said:

Glad some of ya ain't been caught as much as me

Most the ones I talk to, do get interested in it. I've had a few ask if I'd be willing to print the pictures out for them, I have a few times, but don't make a habbit out of it. I've done little tricks here and there to get into a few places. Funny how a yellow hard hat, bright orange reflective vest with the words "Contractor" on it seems to make people think your looking at the land/building. They ask, you work for yourself.

I'm planning a trip to Dead Man's Bridge, and Dead Man's Overpass soon, So I should have a few pics to show, that is unless I get ran off by these so called gangs and junk.

That's why when a few passerby's noticed us going up into the set of apartments, I told our companion on Chain and I's trip that instead of freaking out just act like we are supposed to be there with cameras going into that building. How many people actually give a thought to someone that seems to be going about his business doing his job? At most we mighta got a "Oh look, it seems someone is finally looking to do something with the old bank, wonder if they are with BARC" thought as the person went by, I had a couple stop me and when I told them I photograph old buildings, they would point out or tell of other places.

[Abandonednj]

I have gotten caught twice. I wasn't charged either time. The first time i got caught was the first day of last summer. after hearing about a hospital complex nearby with "mad abandoned buildings". we went, found ONE abandoned doctors house which apparently had motion sensors or something because after 5 minutes the cops were on the scene. They busted our balls, told us never to come back, blah, blah, blah.

The second time i got caught was at the Essex County Jail Annex. My friend is a nichtaphopic, and insisted on leaving his flashlight on while in plain view of the outside, and apparently the security guard. He called the cops, who were actually really cool about the whole thing.

Ironically, a year later i was given permission to explore the aforementioned jail by the owner, to document the final days of the 1873 brownstone structure.

[Radical Ed]

I've only gotten "caught" once.
I climbed through the broken window of a long-abandoned church in West Philly and a few minutes later, the Philadelphia Police had me exit through the same window. It turns out the owner of the abandoned church was standing on the sidewalk near where I climbed in, talking to a friend about how someone broke that same window the night before. Although he was stunned beyond comprehension that someone would pull over, exit their car, and climb through that window, he was actually proud that I was taking photos of his property and told the police he wasn't going to press charges. Unfortunately, by this time the police had patted me down and found a half ounce of weed, but even still, they let me go with a warning and dumped the weed on the sidewalk.
Needless to say, I went back to my supplier, re-upped, and continued the day's trespassing with virtually no sidetracking.
Oh, and I still have the photos, lol!

[BenEllard]

Radical Ed, on 02 December 2011 - 10:28 PM, said:

I've only gotten "caught" once.
I climbed through the broken window of a long-abandoned church in West Philly and a few minutes later, the Philadelphia Police had me exit through the same window. It turns out the owner of the abandoned church was standing on the sidewalk near where I climbed in, talking to a friend about how someone broke that same window the night before. Although he was stunned beyond comprehension that someone would pull over, exit their car, and climb through that window, he was actually proud that I was taking photos of his property and told the police he wasn't going to press charges. Unfortunately, by this time the police had patted me down and found a half ounce of weed, but even still, they let me go with a warning and dumped the weed on the sidewalk.
Needless to say, I went back to my supplier, re-upped, and continued the day's trespassing with virtually no sidetracking.
Oh, and I still have the photos, lol!

Still my favorite "caught" story. Love it, Ed. I've only been caught once At Marlboro State; but security just ran me out. Got sort of caught at Hudson; security must have seen me get out of my car and set out toward the complex. He was sitting in his pickup waiting for me, but I never actually set foot on the property. So I wasn't too worried when he followed me and made a big show of writing down my license plate number and making a call -- presumably to the police, the FBI, or maybe the Pentagon.

[Chaindrive]

This is where it pays to be an elderly lady.

[Marcel]

So far so good! I haven't got caught yet but of course now that I say that............

[Fancy Dan]

I've been found three times, and caught (arrested) once. I'll write more about this after I get off work.

[Urban_Explorer]

I've been arrested once by police & was charged and got spotted by security once out of the 54 places (and counting) I've explored.