Never On Your Own!

[Jamie of Hackney]

This is my first day on the site and something caught my eye:

"Never ever EVER EVER go into abandoned and dangerous places on your own, always go in a group of at least 2, and preferably more."

That's extremely good advice, which over the past five years I've never followed. Not because I'm some sort of moody loner, but because I simply cannot find anybody who wants to join me. Everyone I've asked think it's ridiculous/silly/dangerous/a waste of time.

So...

1. How do you get people to explore derelict buildings with you?

2. Do members on this site ever meet up? (I think you do) If so, I'm in Hackney, North-East London and itching to explore derelict buildings. There are lots of them around here (though that amount is gradually diminishing) but there are some I just don't want to risk going into myself.

I'm a bit cowardly (exploring buildings is absolutely the bravest thing I do) but I'm sure I'd feel a lot more confident if it wasn't just me on my lonesome.

 

[krela]

1) Bug and whine and moan at your friends until they can't take anymore and go with you to shut you up. Always works for me!

2) Yes, lots of people here are friends through visiting various places together, depending on how mobile you are they might even show you around a few places!

I would say 3 people is ideal, 2 is fine because at least someone else can phone the ambulance when you're unconcious after falling through that floor but if there's 3 then you can help get each other out of sticky situations.

Any more than 4 is just asking to get caught really.

 

[Jamie of Hackney]

1) Bug and whine and moan at your friends until they can't take anymore and go with you to shut you up. Always works for me!

Not for me. First they just continually changed the subject, then they got rude and then they just ignored me. Beside, I've a feeling if I did take them, they'd bug, whine and moan at me so much that we wouldn't even go anywhere.

2) Yes, lots of people here are friends through visiting various places together, depending on how mobile you are they might even show you around a few places!

Sounds great. If anybody in North-East London is reading this and fancies a bit of company, just let me know! I'll even bring sandwiches.

Sorry if I sound a bit odd, but this is the first time I've actually communicated with other people who have this interest. For quite some time I thought it was just me that did this sort of thing. I'm very happy it isn't.

 

[krela]

Heh if you hunt around there are quite a few different forums covering different aspects of dereliction.

It's a shame none of your friends are interested, I'm sure there must be a lot of london folk around who are though.

 

[Jamie of Hackney]

Heh if you hunt around there are quite a few different forums covering different aspects of dereliction.

I think it stands as a testament to my stupidity that it took me this long to put a serious effort into finding one. Well, one that's anywhere near as good as this one (I found two a while back. They were deserted as the buildings they were supposed to be about).

I've looked at a few today, but this is the only one I've joined.

 

[Simon]

Hi Jamie,

Either your friends will get it straight away or they never will. Even if you persuade them to go with you, they'll either get bored or scared and will ruin your trip.

Anyway, tempt us with some interesting locations I'm sure you'll have several volunteers immediately.

Welcome to the list.

All the best,
Simon

 

[sheep2405]

It depends on how far you want to travel as well, I think apart from Norman who is semi over my side of the bridge, there is no one else that want to do Urbex in Wales. I have met some really good people on here and have done some exploring with them and now trust them enough to let them crash at mine if we are doing a lot of stuff, so it does take time but it does happen and you will meet fun and intresting people to do stuff with.

S

 

[stoop-master]

Just explore on your own, it's scarier so therefore better!!!

Do it!!!

 

[Lone Explorer]

& now in English

prefer UE on my oun. I was looking at going to a tunnel today with a mate, He said he could pop along with me but we didn't go as he blow out at the end of day. Wast of a day off

I don't mind meeting other UE but don't like big numbers. STOPPING about a site isn't for me.

so It's best to relie<? on myself as plans don't go adrift.

Buildings have no prob going by myself.

As this was my 1st tunnel I was hope for a mate to come along.

 

[sam]

I tend to go out alone quite a lot, and follow the no more than a pair rule at other times. exploring on your own can be tricky since there's no one there for a second opinion (gwan gwan gwan gwan...) when you could do with it, but if you manage to make a success of a trip on your own, the feeling of satisfaction is 1000fold what you would have got dragging a not very enthusiastic mate along. or worse, someone who says, this ain't very good, and wants to rush it or leave. or even worse, three people turn up ('mind if i bring my mate?') and you end up in a crowd crashing about.

i say keep doing what you do and post piccies up. people will certainly be interested, then go back with someone who you'd enjoy a trip with, not necessarily randomly anyone.

randomly sam

 

[krela]

The reason I put that up there is for the sake of the safety of clueless n00bs who might go wandering into places on their own and promptly fall through a floor and do themselves an injury.

If you were to seriously hurt yourself there would be no-one there to help you out, call an ambulance or whatever.

There's also the fact that many derelict buildings have homeless / alcoholic / pikey residents that wouldn't think twice about liberating your nice torch and camera to pay for their next fix / drink / caravan.

I know the majority of people know what they're doing and make their own decisions which is cool, but I wouldn't want some newbie to fall foul of something because they hadn't made an educated decision.

 

[sheep2405]

I completely agree with Krela, but there are some really nice tramps out there that live in these building that on a very rare occasion might give you a guided tour, and show you the safe and not so safe bits.

S

 

[sam]

I completely agree with Krela, but there are some really nice tramps out there that live in these building that on a very rare occasion might give you a guided tour, and show you the safe and not so safe bits.

S

is this something that's happened to you once? i've never ever had a guided tour from a tramp?

sam

 

[norman]

is this something that's happened to you

Yep, twice actually [same place, same tramp]

 

[Pennywise]

I suppose you could always share your butties with them...

D.

 

[Lone Explorer]

If you were to seriously hurt yourself there would be no-one there to help you out, call an ambulance or whatever.

Could alway tell at mate. "Im going to a site I'll call you at X time to say I left the site & I well and safe"

Just remember to call them

 

[Jamie of Hackney]

The reason I put that up there is for the sake of the safety of clueless n00bs who might go wandering into places on their own and promptly fall through a floor and do themselves an injury.

This may actually be one of the few things I am not a 'clueless n00b' at but I thought it was pretty good advice anyway.

Also, I've been contacted by somebody who has offered to take me to a site that a. I'd love to visit and b. from what research I've done, would be very difficult to reach without access to a car (which I don't have). So I'm glad I started this thread anyway.

There's also the fact that many derelict buildings have homeless / alcoholic / pikey residents that wouldn't think twice about liberating your nice torch and camera to pay for their next fix / drink / caravan.

I was investigating a derelict house in Dalston a couple of weeks back when a squatter (either drunk or on drunks) suddenly appear - and, in exchange for me listening to how the police burnt down his last squat (so he said), he showed me the way into another house. He was pretty nice, though I'm glad I was still outside when we happened to meet.

 

[James Hall]

How do you get people to explore derelict buildings with you?

I don't, not any more anyway.

I find exploring on my own gives a lot more freedom to go where I want and do what I want and it means I don't have to mess around with waiting till the other person isn't busy.
I know it's safer to go in a pair, but there again, I'm not stupid, I carry a rudimentary first aid kit and a phone and I avoid major risks, so I figure I'll probably be fine.

Mind you it's a matter of personal preference really, I've never been a huge fan of teamwork.

 

[Pennywise]

This may actually be one of the few things I am not a 'clueless n00b' at but I thought it was pretty good advice anyway.

Also, I've been contacted by somebody who has offered to take me to a site that a. I'd love to visit and b. from what research I've done, would be very difficult to reach without access to a car (which I don't have). So I'm glad I started this thread anyway.


I was investigating a derelict house in Dalston a couple of weeks back when a squatter (either drunk or on drunks) suddenly appear - and, in exchange for me listening to how the police burnt down his last squat (so he said), he showed me the way into another house. He was pretty nice, though I'm glad I was still outside when we happened to meet.

I'd rather not bump into people... Last person I jumped into was a pair of farmers with a big dog, who wanted to know why we had parked in front of North Wales Hospital, and come off the grounds .

D.

 

[Jamie of Hackney]

I'd rather not bump into people... Last person I jumped into was a pair of farmers with a big dog, who wanted to know why we had parked in front of North Wales Hospital, and come off the grounds .

D.

I wouldn't be very happy if you tried to jump into me either.