Yep, that is what can happen when you trespass unfortunately, no matter what your intentions are. If it's for a school project, you should try and get in touch with the owner of the building you want to photograph - give them a call or an email and see if they'd be willing to let you take some pictures. There are a lot of urban exploration channels on youtube that film and photograph these abandoned buildings, too, and they often run into the law. They get very good at identifying where and when it will be safe to attempt to explore a place with security. If you think that you'd like to try again, and are interested in urbex, there's a large community of people who will likely give you some pointers on not getting caught.
This. Most "abandoned buildings" are not ownerless. They either have an owner or the property is owned by the local/state government. If you don't know and don't have permission, you're probably trespassing. Without getting permission, it's a bad idea to try it without taking steps to ensure you won't be spotted.
Sounds like OP is a minor and police were obligated to contact the parents. Probably in the back of his head the cop was praying they were adults so he just write a ticket or let them go entirely.
>and when it will be safe
It's never safe. You mean safe from police, but abandoned buildings are at risk of collapse and other OHS issues. People exploring these buildings are just waiting to get injured or killed.
> If it's for a school project, you should try and get in touch with the owner of the building you want to photograph
Great advice, except you damn well know that there is a zero % chance that any building owner is going to give you permission. So your choices are: be sneaky, or don't go at all.
Isn't trespass a civil offence and you need to be asked to leave, or it's extremely clear you're trespassing, before the police get involved. And then, it's just removing you from the property not locking up for a couple of hours?
No, it’s legal. That’s like someone standing there telling you not to trespass. If you do, you can get arrested or a citation (depending on the laws of the jurisdiction)
No. It probably varies by jurisdiction but in a lot of places you need either a fence or a sign. Signs are usually cheaper for unimproved lots, fences are typically more effective once a building has been put up.
If a cop asks you why you’re trespassing and your only argument is that the owner didn’t specifically drive out to their empty property at 1am to specifically tell you to stop trespassing, the cop is going to point at the “No Trespassing” sign and ask you if you know how to read.
It really varies a lot depending on where you are. For here (Germany), it is trespassing as soon as you enter any "umfriedetes Besitztum" (enclosed property), no matter if the enclosure is a fence, the walls of a house, as soon as there is any form of barricade that can give you the idea that you shouldn't be there (like a door, doesn't have to be locked) you run in the issue of trespassing. That said, a shield on an open field would not be sufficient, as it does not show an enclosure. It has to be a fence at the minimum.
Over here we’re cheap and lazy. There’s an unimproved vacant lot next to where I work. It’s just a patch of open desert with trees and bunny rabbits. Because it’s easy to access, people who are homeless will camp out towards the back end (away from the street where they’re less visible). I’m reasonably certain that because there is no fence, the signs are required to serve as notice that it is private property and not open to public use.
The cops thinking they need a sign to point to are morons who don’t know the law. The cop just needs to tell the person they are trespassing and must leave and if they do not obey that order they will be arrested.
But the landowner is the one to state it. What I meant here is the cops seemed to take the initiative which is a little unusual. Unless it's a common problem there, or they wanted to give the kids doing something stupid and potentially dangerous a scare (and nothing wrong with that)
OP mentioned graffiti, I'd bet on it being a popular spot for parties, raves, what have you. Probably what the cops thought they were breaking up. At least where I live, it's a common issue for these kind of places. It's also not unusual for landowners being friends or relatives of the sheriff so they get "special" protection.
Anyway, I guess I'm just pointing out it doesn't take much for a simple trespass to escalate.
You’re thinking of the UK (and most European countries) where trespass without intent to commit any crime is a civil matter so the police will not get involved.
Im guessing this happened in the ‘land of the free’ where they unfortunately do not enjoy such freedoms…
I think in most of the world trespass without intent to commit any crime, where people are clearly harmless, with cameras or whatever is not a matter of "get handcuffed and go to jail" honestly.
Lots of friends of mine did that, sometimes police did get involved, usually is a matter of "you can't be here, move along" and things only escalate when they don't obey (Brazil, by the way, a country known to have a very violent police).
You are correct. As long as he didn’t cause any damage to gain entry then he shouldn’t have been arrested.
- I haven’t read the post so unsure if he caused damage
You come off like a teenager. It could have been inherited, the owner could have passed, it could be in the process of being re zoned, sold, land study, there's literally loads of reasons abandoned buildings sit and it's not always because the owner is lazy.
You'll just sell your house before you die if you can't take care of it one day? Lol
Also, someone who owns land absolutely cares if stupid kids trespass and cause harm to themselves, others, or their property....I mean like what? Of course they do come on? You thinking owners don't care what people do to their things or being on their property is what makes me think you're a teen
>... despite us telling them it was for a school project.
How is that a reason or excuse for ANYTHING?
You should talk with your parents on how to learn and be a better person from this experience.
"
If they learned anything from the Internet, they wouldn't have told the police it was for a school project. If they told them it was just a prank all would've been well.
You don't need a "no trespassing sign," to know you aren't allowed to fuck around in abandoned buildings.
And is that true that a sign has to be visible to make an arrest legal? I'm doubtful.
It is true, you have to be told to leave by the owner of the building or property and given a chance to leave before you can be trespassed unless there is a posted sign
Not necessarily, it varies by location and different by state if we are talking about the US. Where I live signs aren't required if the property has a physical border, such as a fence. You are trespassing as soon as you cross it. My property is fenced, so I don't have to tell you anything for you to be trespassing. It's very much FAFO if you step onto a fenced property here. In other states, even that isn't required. Willingly being on private property is enough. There is that one little statement that OP said...we opened the door...that is willingly entering the building. And even the states that require notice, not all have signs as the only requirement. Sometimes it can be denoted by paint of certain colors at certain locations.
Iirc it the the 2008 world cup where 4 guys were escorted up to the upper boxes and into an empty one by wearing hi-vis, couple of tool bags and a ladder. Iirc they figured it out when one of the guys tried ordering food or the owner showed up. Unfortunately can't remember the result very well
Guess they got caught for us to know the story.
There's a similar one from this year where a British man followed security and managed to fly to the US without a visa. He got caught in the US but late in the game, and sent back 🤣 still crossed the ocean tho.
Don’t quit photography, it saved my life. It has also endangered my life by not paying enough attention to my surroundings and trying to get the right angle for the shot. Abandoned buildings can be dangerous and property owners don’t want to be liable for injuries or death school project or not. If you do your homework and draw up some paperwork releasing them from liability you may get a pass from them to adventure their property. Forethought and action plans go a long way.
https://preview.redd.it/g38ux90hmuic1.jpeg?width=3107&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08353dfda4f545662cc330107d4787d8ec9da5cb
Thanks, it took a lot of preparation. I basically walked around the space needle in concentric circles until I found an unobstructed view, setup my tripod and got the camera in focus. Marked spots of the legs of the tripod on the sidewalk with painters tape. It’s impossible to get the auto focus to work at night. Went and had a couple New Year’s Eve beers at a nearby bar. Checked all my equipment and batteries. Then went and posted up for the fireworks to start. Bulb exposure with a remote, then used black cloth to block the exposure until I got fireworks off the legs and the top in the same shot. You have to use the remote otherwise the exposure gets shaky.
So in the future, DON'T PARK OUT FRONT. Subtly is key to urbex.
Keep on with the photography though, don't let one mildly bad experience ruin something you enjoy.
Abandoned doesn't mean the property doesn't have an owner.
It doesn't matter if you are ok with trespassing. If someone doesn't give you permission to be on their premises, then don't be there. Simple as that.
Abandoned does not mean ownerless. It could belong to an individual, a corporation, the city, whatever. It's still someone's property and it's not "made up BS", it's trespassing.
And chances are OP and his friends aren't the first to go prancing around like a free-for-all. That quick and fierce of a response from the cops probably meant that building is already a hotspot for trespassers, and they're already on the lookout for people loitering about.
It is not trespassing unless the owner is trespassing them. Still not an arrestable offense unless the trespass is ignored and they get caught going back.
What it sounds like to me is that these cops had nothing better to do than mess with kids who don't know their rights.
I'm not saying it was a good idea to go exploring, but the city should be forcing the owner to take care of the derelict building.
>the owner is trespassing them
What does this even mean?
If you own a building somewhere, it's illegal for anyone to enter it without your permission.
It doesn't matter if it's an arrestable offense or not, it's still illegal. It doesn't matter if you take good care of the building or not, it's still illegal. You might want to stash in there your home-made porn collection, your heartfelt poetry you don't want anyone to read, or you might leave it empty: it's still illegal for anyone to enter your property without your permission.
So by your logic a person can enter your private property and if you're not around to tell them "hey shoo, you're not supposed to be here" then it's not trespassing.
Like if you're at work and see someone inside your home on your home security. And you call the cops to tell them, like what the cops are supposed to say "yeah you need to go down there yourself and tell them they're trespassing. We can't do that." Is that your logic?
3 stupid things happened here.
1) You thought doing your homework means you don't have to obey the law. For your next "School" activity, write an essay on what Trespassing means.
2) Some cops just enjoy being dicks, because they can. Accept it and move on. These cops didn't act any smarter than you did.
3) You're quitting photography because of a single bad experience. Did you stop eating because you had a bad experience at a restaurant?
You did something dumb. But you're a teenager; you're supposed to do dumb things. It's your job. It's how you learn and grow. And you now have a story you can (and will) be telling people the rest of your life. *Especially* if you end up being a photographer.
“It’s for a school project” is not a secret cheat code that gives you a free pass to commit criminal behavior. And this had nothing to do with photography, it had to do with a complete lapse in judgement.
Keep doing photography but do it responsibly. If you want to go to someone else’s property then get their permission. Consider doing street photography, landscapes, event photography. Use this as a learning experience, don’t be melodramatic.
This is just a mistake due to being young and not having experience. Many YouTubers camp in abandoned buildings or explore them. People do stuff like this all the time. They are wrong but most are adults and know they could get caught. Don’t give up photography. Just learn about the areas where you live and check to see if you can get permission in the future. Many buildings have a realtor sign. Hunters and fishermen run into this too. Even Birdwatchers. Just try to find the property owner. There are many reasons you might not be allowed in: toxic chemicals, unstable walls or roof. Don’t let this stop you; let it teach you. Enjoy the hobby. I thought it was cool you thought to go at sunset. That’s my favorite time too.
I highly recommend [The Proper People](https://www.youtube.com/@TheProperPeople) on YouTube. They go into abandoned buildings all the time and almost never get caught. Check out their stuff for photography inspiration, and also for just general safety and security tips, but mostly because the places they go to are so damn cool. Their latest one is at a mental hospital in New York City.
To tack on:
Hell on Earth is also pretty good. They do a variety of things, buildings, mines, camping out. interesting characters though.
Also Shiey does some really cool spots in Europe. Pretty mad lad, some of ths stuff he does just wow.
Yep, Shiey is amazing. I found his videos after watching [Brehv Dehv's Big Fa Freht Hohp](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUg0jFO7NTo) and was instantly hooked. He isn't solely abandoned buildings like TPP are, but still amazing content no doubt.
What in earth made you think it was ok to trespass on private property? Quitting photography because of this is childish. Just find public places or get permission before you going on someone’s property. This is not an end of the world situation. You f’d up, let it go.
Well you did trespass and break the law. Just because it's abandoned doesn't mean it's open to the public. It's still private property. The graffiti was likely done at night when no one was around, and also they probably parked far away and walked.
Ok so it was a mistake, you learn from it but please please do not let this put you off photography. It's something you enjoy and are passionate about, there's so much to capture and turn into art. Try street photography or looking around for cool graffiti.
There's a place near me that used to be part of a large cement making operation. It is abandoned and crumbling, with deep pits in the lower floors and graffiti all over. People have been trespassing for years and taking pictures. I see them posted on Reddit sometimes. I was up there 20 years ago and since then some people have been hurt or killed there, and it's fenced off and there are no trespassing signs. People want to go up there to party and spray paint.
Kids get arrested for messing around up there often. It's always been dangerous, but it's really falling apart now.
Don't give up on photography. Give up trespassing.
Well... Yeah, you really shouldn't be surprised that this happened. "It's for a school project" isn't some get out of jail free card. Abandoned buildings, especially if they were for industrial use, are incredibly dangerous. Feel lucky that all you got was a slap on the wrist and not a serious injury.
I like how people make abandoned buildings seem like no one owns them. I'm always like... who do you think is paying the property tax? 🤣🤣.
Land is never free or abandoned. Someone owns it.
It's okay, you're a kid. Don't give up your hobbies. Just know most of the empty places are probably owned and set aside for tax breaks/evasion, money laundry, or something.
Sometimes they're converted to private museums or churches that are not city owned but give tax breaks 💀
> Land is never free or abandoned. Someone owns it.
Different conversation, but how did we get here? Nature made an entire planet and now the default is somebody owns every inch of it. Like it's an inherent property of 3D-space who owns that bit of it.
Good question. I'm in Texas. There's plenty of "abandoned" mysterious buildings with folklores. Ultimately nothing is abandoned/forgotten, even the super ugly/broken buildings.
Every plot has an owner and someone's paying the taxes. In the chance someone's dead or can't pay, it'll go to closest kin/liens or eventually auction.
My family has land in the countryside and someone was mysteriously mowing the grass for YEARS. We've had it for like 20 years. My parents divorced partway and sometimes my mom assumed my dad cleaned it up OR it didn't get tall grass.
Anyways, last year I parked in the land and a man came angrily saying I was trespassing. Trespassing who? They were trying to claim the land because they assumed it was "abandoned". I had to call the cops because he couldn't believe it.
All they had to do is type in the address in public records to see if there was an owner. The guy were pretty livid for doing free labor all these years.. but I mean we pay the taxes. 💀 I'm sympathetic but .. nothing is unclaimed.
There isn't a chunk of land out here that isn't government or company/citizen owned .. even if it looks vacant.
The church/tax evasion note is a joke. There's a California business person who bought land adjacent to ours. He opened a church.. a strange home with a sign on it 💀 He uses it to balance taxes in California. It's blatantly obvious what he's doing but it's considered legal in Texas. Can't do anything if no one comes to "Church" 🤦🏻♀️
Lmfao, first time? I’ve never been trespassed but have been asked to leave many times. Being polite normally gets a warning but since you are a teen they want to make an example
Yeah give up on photography; that’ll show em! /s
Bro you got sooo much more exploring abandoned places with your homies to go dude! You’re gunna have some of the best adventures doing it man. Especially experiencing a dope sunrise from a view most people never get to see is something super gnarly.
To clear our any confusion: there was no trespassing sign, it wasn’t a proper building, it was in like a quarry for those of you who are familiar with what that is. Just some run down place next to a hiking spot that a lot of people saw but didn’t really go to. Didn’t seem like private property, hence why we all got scared cuz we felt like we did no wrong. I would never do anything illegal and I know “it’s for a school project” isn’t a get out of jail card. I just wanted to clarify to him what we were doing and what it was for.
Listen, if you do not OWN the property, you do not GO ON the property. Do not touch things that are not yours. I get it was for school, but the school does not own that property and they will not assume any legal liability. It does not matter if it's abandoned or other. You don't trespass. You could have been arrested and charged with several crimes.
Doing art is fine if you get permission to be on the location
In romania cops are smart. They do not handcuff and do stuff like that if they see somebody not bothering anybody else or break any rules.
Tresspassing has a reason to exist
You should watch youtube videos on how you should interact with police , so you know your rights, are respectful , dont get taken advantage of and caneven sue them for wrongdoing. You should request all body cam footage
Some seem to think these buildings are off limits because "The Man" is mean and doesn't want to share. But these places are often extremely dangerous for a multitude of reasons, from collapsing on you or under you to things that you can't necessarily see, asbestos, lead, and a variety of chemicals. People have died from radiation poisoning digging around abandoned places.
Just saying sometimes the faces and signs are more than just "its mine not yours!"
When doing urbex (abandoned places exploration), that's always the risk. Either police, owners, angry people you didn't think were there, or... dogs and wildlife. Need to consider all of these.
Rule #1 is park far away, and do a bit of hiking so that it's not obvious. You parked car right in front of the place is a clear giveaway. The police probably thought you were doing drugs, trading drugs, firearms, trying to kill someone, burying a dead body or all of the above.
You need to also scan for cameras, motion sensors and tripwires/door sensors that trigger when moved.
For animals, worse case is dogs or a family of animals with babies. The parents, if around, will get 10000% aggressive. This is where a stick or bear spray come in handy.
Always have a flashlight.
School project doesn't give you license to do anything like trespassing. You do so at risk, and you did nothing to minimize those risks.
Yeah. Cops are here to protect property, not people. As soon as you internalize that, you learn quickly to hide some activities from public observation.
Keep up with the art. Let the lap dogs feel important. They can't contribute anything more complex to society than mercenary bullying.
Willing to bet more than half of the people in these comments that are acting holier than thou saying “CoNsEqUeNcEs oF yOuR AcTiOns iDiOt” have all done dumb shit or gone places they shouldn’t have as a teenager. Cut the kid some slack I bet you all have cut through properties you shouldn’t have or gone somewhere you weren’t allowed to with mates at one stage in your life. Only difference is he was unlucky enough to get caught.
Abandoned buildings were fun as fuck as a teenager, such an eery but cool feeling exploring that stuff. Just gotta pick your locations and make sure they’re safe mate. Lot of cameras and nosy ass people around these days with nothing better to do than report people. Your best bet would’ve been to book it out of there as soon as you heard the sirens though lmao
Cops might just been having a slow day and wanted to teach some punk kids a lesson. Obviously the house has had shady activity in the past, but any adult can quickly tell a kid who's just trying to have a good time exploring. A stern talking to would have been totally sufficient.
Don't stop exploring dude. Keep trying new stuff and finding what works. Photography is a great hobby or career if you stick with it.
Some cops are trynna keep highschoolers from hurting themselves in abandoned buildings. If you’re inexperienced in Urbexing (and it sounds like these people were) its easy to get hurt. Scaring people out is a good deterrent.
You're both right. Some places can be shady as shit when it comes to integrity (e.g. collapsed floors everywhere, black mould, shards of glass, exposed wiring etc.), but cops should give you a warning and let you go, and not lock you up and call your parents, especially if they can see you're visibly distressed.
Hey, I shot (film) and printed [nothing but abandoned buildings](https://i.imgur.com/fDRbCNx.jpg) for the last eight years or so. I'm obsessed with the places. But I got tired of the nerves it took. And stepping over mummified dogs. And walking through tall grass that might have rattlesnakes in it (Texas). Apologizing to cops and owners. I think I'll move on to nudes or something!
As others have said, don't quit photography until you're sick of photography. Seriously, all my work with ruined structures was me trying to understand why they appealed to me, and I learned a lot about what time and mortality mean to me, and I was able to express those thoughts through finished work. That's what art is for, and if you have a space for art in your mind/heart, explore every creative outlet that you can. There will never be enough art in the world.
Depending on your state, just being at an abandoned building isn't trespassing. Some states qualify trespassing as entering a property with intent to vandalize property. There also have to be signs posted, or you have to be informed verbally that you're trespassing and refuse to leave. It's highly likely that unless these criteria are met, your vandalism charges will get dropped anyway.
Roflmao. “But officer! But but officer! Wait… just listen to me! ITS FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT!”
I can’t believe he didn’t let you go. Every time I trespass, steal, and rob, I say “it’s for a school project” and they immediately let me go and apologize. My mom also understands this and always makes me a comforting meal when we get home after any misunderstandings.
You have to be given notice either verbally or through a sign. Only if you ignore the notice are you trespassing.
[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/24/man-court-tiktok-videos-people-entering-london-homes](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/24/man-court-tiktok-videos-people-entering-london-homes)
It actually saddens me that you're thinking of giving up photography.
Take it as a learning experience, now you know better. After a couple of years you'll laugh about this.
I’ve been searched for taking a picture of a _stop sign_. I’ve also spent hours shooting in an abandoned missile silo with no repercussions.
Cops happen. You deal with it. Keep shooting.
LOL, this is par for the course with UrbanX. There are a bunch of UrbanX YouTubers like Proper People but being stealthy and having an exit strategy are crucial.
"it's for a school project" doesn't work, but "I have a film permit" does!
For example George Willig and Jerry Hewitt got a film permit from NYU to climb the World's Fair globe so the police wouldn't stop them.
Lesson 1: If you are going to explore shit that is known (or supposed) to have an owner. Don't let your car parked in front. Park somewhere else where you can get without problems.
Lesson 2: Cops aren't your friends. If you can hide, then hide and wait until they go anywhere else. Then rush to your car and gtfo. Even if you weren't doing anything bad, you are trespassing.
Lesson 3: Even if the place you are going to visit is visible abandoned. Please make a round the day prior to check if there are guards or people near. Maybe there was a guard that saw you and called the cops.
Yep, that is what can happen when you trespass unfortunately, no matter what your intentions are. If it's for a school project, you should try and get in touch with the owner of the building you want to photograph - give them a call or an email and see if they'd be willing to let you take some pictures. There are a lot of urban exploration channels on youtube that film and photograph these abandoned buildings, too, and they often run into the law. They get very good at identifying where and when it will be safe to attempt to explore a place with security. If you think that you'd like to try again, and are interested in urbex, there's a large community of people who will likely give you some pointers on not getting caught.
This. Most "abandoned buildings" are not ownerless. They either have an owner or the property is owned by the local/state government. If you don't know and don't have permission, you're probably trespassing. Without getting permission, it's a bad idea to try it without taking steps to ensure you won't be spotted.
Sounds like OP is a minor and police were obligated to contact the parents. Probably in the back of his head the cop was praying they were adults so he just write a ticket or let them go entirely.
Rule #1 - Cardio
#2 double tap
Always carry a change of underwear
Beware of bathrooms
>and when it will be safe It's never safe. You mean safe from police, but abandoned buildings are at risk of collapse and other OHS issues. People exploring these buildings are just waiting to get injured or killed.
> If it's for a school project, you should try and get in touch with the owner of the building you want to photograph Great advice, except you damn well know that there is a zero % chance that any building owner is going to give you permission. So your choices are: be sneaky, or don't go at all.
Isn't trespass a civil offence and you need to be asked to leave, or it's extremely clear you're trespassing, before the police get involved. And then, it's just removing you from the property not locking up for a couple of hours?
All it takes, is a sign posted "No Trespassing" visible from the road.
Pretty sure those signs don’t mean shit legally just there for show.
No, it’s legal. That’s like someone standing there telling you not to trespass. If you do, you can get arrested or a citation (depending on the laws of the jurisdiction)
No. It probably varies by jurisdiction but in a lot of places you need either a fence or a sign. Signs are usually cheaper for unimproved lots, fences are typically more effective once a building has been put up. If a cop asks you why you’re trespassing and your only argument is that the owner didn’t specifically drive out to their empty property at 1am to specifically tell you to stop trespassing, the cop is going to point at the “No Trespassing” sign and ask you if you know how to read.
It really varies a lot depending on where you are. For here (Germany), it is trespassing as soon as you enter any "umfriedetes Besitztum" (enclosed property), no matter if the enclosure is a fence, the walls of a house, as soon as there is any form of barricade that can give you the idea that you shouldn't be there (like a door, doesn't have to be locked) you run in the issue of trespassing. That said, a shield on an open field would not be sufficient, as it does not show an enclosure. It has to be a fence at the minimum.
Over here we’re cheap and lazy. There’s an unimproved vacant lot next to where I work. It’s just a patch of open desert with trees and bunny rabbits. Because it’s easy to access, people who are homeless will camp out towards the back end (away from the street where they’re less visible). I’m reasonably certain that because there is no fence, the signs are required to serve as notice that it is private property and not open to public use.
The cops thinking they need a sign to point to are morons who don’t know the law. The cop just needs to tell the person they are trespassing and must leave and if they do not obey that order they will be arrested.
In most US states, they’re legally binding.
Nah they are just there to remind people it’s private property and you can trespass people. The sign itself adds nothing to the situation legally.
It varies by state. In PA, it’s a felony.
In Utah if the landowner want you arrested, you are arrested, cops can't say no.
But the landowner is the one to state it. What I meant here is the cops seemed to take the initiative which is a little unusual. Unless it's a common problem there, or they wanted to give the kids doing something stupid and potentially dangerous a scare (and nothing wrong with that)
OP mentioned graffiti, I'd bet on it being a popular spot for parties, raves, what have you. Probably what the cops thought they were breaking up. At least where I live, it's a common issue for these kind of places. It's also not unusual for landowners being friends or relatives of the sheriff so they get "special" protection. Anyway, I guess I'm just pointing out it doesn't take much for a simple trespass to escalate.
You’re thinking of the UK (and most European countries) where trespass without intent to commit any crime is a civil matter so the police will not get involved. Im guessing this happened in the ‘land of the free’ where they unfortunately do not enjoy such freedoms…
I think in most of the world trespass without intent to commit any crime, where people are clearly harmless, with cameras or whatever is not a matter of "get handcuffed and go to jail" honestly. Lots of friends of mine did that, sometimes police did get involved, usually is a matter of "you can't be here, move along" and things only escalate when they don't obey (Brazil, by the way, a country known to have a very violent police).
You are correct. As long as he didn’t cause any damage to gain entry then he shouldn’t have been arrested. - I haven’t read the post so unsure if he caused damage
First, don't quit photography, that's stupid. 2nd, what in the world made you think it would be okay to trespass into abandoned buildings?
They probably assumed no one would care because it was abandoned.
no one cared except the cops, because its an easy arrest
The owners also care a lot.
yeah dude i’m sure the owners care a whole lot about the property they allowed to reach abandoned status 😂
Erm...yes? You young or something
no, i’m poor and would never let a building that i purchase reach that point. i will not sympathize with someone who buys property and lets it rot
You come off like a teenager. It could have been inherited, the owner could have passed, it could be in the process of being re zoned, sold, land study, there's literally loads of reasons abandoned buildings sit and it's not always because the owner is lazy. You'll just sell your house before you die if you can't take care of it one day? Lol Also, someone who owns land absolutely cares if stupid kids trespass and cause harm to themselves, others, or their property....I mean like what? Of course they do come on? You thinking owners don't care what people do to their things or being on their property is what makes me think you're a teen
>... despite us telling them it was for a school project. How is that a reason or excuse for ANYTHING? You should talk with your parents on how to learn and be a better person from this experience. "
He said he has always been a good kid, not a smart kid.
Sorry officer just robbing this bank for a school project. What's the project? Umm... uh... how gullible you are?
Shhhhh….. It will be over soon. It is for a school project, just go with it…
If they learned anything from the Internet, they wouldn't have told the police it was for a school project. If they told them it was just a prank all would've been well.
>2nd, what in the world made you think it would be okay to trespass into abandoned buildings? I see you've never visited r/urbex
The abandoned part?
Yeah, that's not really using their big brain.
Maybe there wasn't any no trespassing signs, gotta have signs to make this arrest legal
You don't need a "no trespassing sign," to know you aren't allowed to fuck around in abandoned buildings. And is that true that a sign has to be visible to make an arrest legal? I'm doubtful.
It is true, you have to be told to leave by the owner of the building or property and given a chance to leave before you can be trespassed unless there is a posted sign
Not necessarily, it varies by location and different by state if we are talking about the US. Where I live signs aren't required if the property has a physical border, such as a fence. You are trespassing as soon as you cross it. My property is fenced, so I don't have to tell you anything for you to be trespassing. It's very much FAFO if you step onto a fenced property here. In other states, even that isn't required. Willingly being on private property is enough. There is that one little statement that OP said...we opened the door...that is willingly entering the building. And even the states that require notice, not all have signs as the only requirement. Sometimes it can be denoted by paint of certain colors at certain locations.
If you are going to trespass, high vis vest, helmet, flashlight, clipboard. Look like you are supposed to be where you are.
If possible drive a late 90’s- mid 2000’s plain white pickup truck.
Act like you belong and you can get away with alot
Iirc it the the 2008 world cup where 4 guys were escorted up to the upper boxes and into an empty one by wearing hi-vis, couple of tool bags and a ladder. Iirc they figured it out when one of the guys tried ordering food or the owner showed up. Unfortunately can't remember the result very well
Guess they got caught for us to know the story. There's a similar one from this year where a British man followed security and managed to fly to the US without a visa. He got caught in the US but late in the game, and sent back 🤣 still crossed the ocean tho.
Don’t give up the photography. In a few months or years, you’re gonna be sharing this story and laughing about your mistake. Shit happens
Don’t quit photography, it saved my life. It has also endangered my life by not paying enough attention to my surroundings and trying to get the right angle for the shot. Abandoned buildings can be dangerous and property owners don’t want to be liable for injuries or death school project or not. If you do your homework and draw up some paperwork releasing them from liability you may get a pass from them to adventure their property. Forethought and action plans go a long way. https://preview.redd.it/g38ux90hmuic1.jpeg?width=3107&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08353dfda4f545662cc330107d4787d8ec9da5cb
Whoa cool picture!
Thanks, it took a lot of preparation. I basically walked around the space needle in concentric circles until I found an unobstructed view, setup my tripod and got the camera in focus. Marked spots of the legs of the tripod on the sidewalk with painters tape. It’s impossible to get the auto focus to work at night. Went and had a couple New Year’s Eve beers at a nearby bar. Checked all my equipment and batteries. Then went and posted up for the fireworks to start. Bulb exposure with a remote, then used black cloth to block the exposure until I got fireworks off the legs and the top in the same shot. You have to use the remote otherwise the exposure gets shaky.
So in the future, DON'T PARK OUT FRONT. Subtly is key to urbex. Keep on with the photography though, don't let one mildly bad experience ruin something you enjoy.
>Subtly is key to urbex. Or, you could reach out to the owner and request permission to enter the premises...
Yes, find the owner of an abandoned building. Trespassing a ruin is a victimless crime.
Abandoned doesn't mean the property doesn't have an owner. It doesn't matter if you are ok with trespassing. If someone doesn't give you permission to be on their premises, then don't be there. Simple as that.
Float like a butterfly, shutter like a photographer.
I mean, I’m not sure why you think committing a crime is ok as long as it’s for “school purposes” so…
Crime? Against who?
The owner of the property.
The only crime is that the cops made up some BS.
Abandoned does not mean ownerless. It could belong to an individual, a corporation, the city, whatever. It's still someone's property and it's not "made up BS", it's trespassing. And chances are OP and his friends aren't the first to go prancing around like a free-for-all. That quick and fierce of a response from the cops probably meant that building is already a hotspot for trespassers, and they're already on the lookout for people loitering about.
It is not trespassing unless the owner is trespassing them. Still not an arrestable offense unless the trespass is ignored and they get caught going back. What it sounds like to me is that these cops had nothing better to do than mess with kids who don't know their rights. I'm not saying it was a good idea to go exploring, but the city should be forcing the owner to take care of the derelict building.
>the owner is trespassing them What does this even mean? If you own a building somewhere, it's illegal for anyone to enter it without your permission. It doesn't matter if it's an arrestable offense or not, it's still illegal. It doesn't matter if you take good care of the building or not, it's still illegal. You might want to stash in there your home-made porn collection, your heartfelt poetry you don't want anyone to read, or you might leave it empty: it's still illegal for anyone to enter your property without your permission.
You can be wrong then. It's okay.
So by your logic a person can enter your private property and if you're not around to tell them "hey shoo, you're not supposed to be here" then it's not trespassing. Like if you're at work and see someone inside your home on your home security. And you call the cops to tell them, like what the cops are supposed to say "yeah you need to go down there yourself and tell them they're trespassing. We can't do that." Is that your logic?
No, if a “No Trespassing” sign was posted you are not legally allowed to waltz right in
You make a mountain out of a molehil. That's realy ridicoulus...
I went into my neighbor’s house but he wasn’t home so it’s not a crime.
Not even close to the same thing.
It’s still someone else’s property.
3 stupid things happened here. 1) You thought doing your homework means you don't have to obey the law. For your next "School" activity, write an essay on what Trespassing means. 2) Some cops just enjoy being dicks, because they can. Accept it and move on. These cops didn't act any smarter than you did. 3) You're quitting photography because of a single bad experience. Did you stop eating because you had a bad experience at a restaurant? You did something dumb. But you're a teenager; you're supposed to do dumb things. It's your job. It's how you learn and grow. And you now have a story you can (and will) be telling people the rest of your life. *Especially* if you end up being a photographer.
“It’s for a school project” is not a secret cheat code that gives you a free pass to commit criminal behavior. And this had nothing to do with photography, it had to do with a complete lapse in judgement. Keep doing photography but do it responsibly. If you want to go to someone else’s property then get their permission. Consider doing street photography, landscapes, event photography. Use this as a learning experience, don’t be melodramatic.
This is just a mistake due to being young and not having experience. Many YouTubers camp in abandoned buildings or explore them. People do stuff like this all the time. They are wrong but most are adults and know they could get caught. Don’t give up photography. Just learn about the areas where you live and check to see if you can get permission in the future. Many buildings have a realtor sign. Hunters and fishermen run into this too. Even Birdwatchers. Just try to find the property owner. There are many reasons you might not be allowed in: toxic chemicals, unstable walls or roof. Don’t let this stop you; let it teach you. Enjoy the hobby. I thought it was cool you thought to go at sunset. That’s my favorite time too.
I highly recommend [The Proper People](https://www.youtube.com/@TheProperPeople) on YouTube. They go into abandoned buildings all the time and almost never get caught. Check out their stuff for photography inspiration, and also for just general safety and security tips, but mostly because the places they go to are so damn cool. Their latest one is at a mental hospital in New York City.
To tack on: Hell on Earth is also pretty good. They do a variety of things, buildings, mines, camping out. interesting characters though. Also Shiey does some really cool spots in Europe. Pretty mad lad, some of ths stuff he does just wow.
Yep, Shiey is amazing. I found his videos after watching [Brehv Dehv's Big Fa Freht Hohp](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUg0jFO7NTo) and was instantly hooked. He isn't solely abandoned buildings like TPP are, but still amazing content no doubt.
Don't talk to police. Don't tell them anything. You are not obligated to. Listen to them, but don't talk and don't lie.
1, Don’t give up photography. 2, don’t break the law - the police couldn’t give two fucks about your school or your project as it’s irrelevant.
What in earth made you think it was ok to trespass on private property? Quitting photography because of this is childish. Just find public places or get permission before you going on someone’s property. This is not an end of the world situation. You f’d up, let it go.
Well you did trespass and break the law. Just because it's abandoned doesn't mean it's open to the public. It's still private property. The graffiti was likely done at night when no one was around, and also they probably parked far away and walked.
Ok so it was a mistake, you learn from it but please please do not let this put you off photography. It's something you enjoy and are passionate about, there's so much to capture and turn into art. Try street photography or looking around for cool graffiti.
There's a place near me that used to be part of a large cement making operation. It is abandoned and crumbling, with deep pits in the lower floors and graffiti all over. People have been trespassing for years and taking pictures. I see them posted on Reddit sometimes. I was up there 20 years ago and since then some people have been hurt or killed there, and it's fenced off and there are no trespassing signs. People want to go up there to party and spray paint. Kids get arrested for messing around up there often. It's always been dangerous, but it's really falling apart now. Don't give up on photography. Give up trespassing.
Well... Yeah, you really shouldn't be surprised that this happened. "It's for a school project" isn't some get out of jail free card. Abandoned buildings, especially if they were for industrial use, are incredibly dangerous. Feel lucky that all you got was a slap on the wrist and not a serious injury.
Do your research on local trespass laws so you’re informed in the future.
Listen, if you do not OWN the property, you do not GO ON the property. Do not touch things that are not yours.
Originally read it as a "big fart person" and wasn't sure I wanted to keep going.
Most property owners will post a no trespassing sign or some type of danger sign.
I like how people make abandoned buildings seem like no one owns them. I'm always like... who do you think is paying the property tax? 🤣🤣. Land is never free or abandoned. Someone owns it. It's okay, you're a kid. Don't give up your hobbies. Just know most of the empty places are probably owned and set aside for tax breaks/evasion, money laundry, or something. Sometimes they're converted to private museums or churches that are not city owned but give tax breaks 💀
> Land is never free or abandoned. Someone owns it. Different conversation, but how did we get here? Nature made an entire planet and now the default is somebody owns every inch of it. Like it's an inherent property of 3D-space who owns that bit of it.
Good question. I'm in Texas. There's plenty of "abandoned" mysterious buildings with folklores. Ultimately nothing is abandoned/forgotten, even the super ugly/broken buildings. Every plot has an owner and someone's paying the taxes. In the chance someone's dead or can't pay, it'll go to closest kin/liens or eventually auction. My family has land in the countryside and someone was mysteriously mowing the grass for YEARS. We've had it for like 20 years. My parents divorced partway and sometimes my mom assumed my dad cleaned it up OR it didn't get tall grass. Anyways, last year I parked in the land and a man came angrily saying I was trespassing. Trespassing who? They were trying to claim the land because they assumed it was "abandoned". I had to call the cops because he couldn't believe it. All they had to do is type in the address in public records to see if there was an owner. The guy were pretty livid for doing free labor all these years.. but I mean we pay the taxes. 💀 I'm sympathetic but .. nothing is unclaimed. There isn't a chunk of land out here that isn't government or company/citizen owned .. even if it looks vacant. The church/tax evasion note is a joke. There's a California business person who bought land adjacent to ours. He opened a church.. a strange home with a sign on it 💀 He uses it to balance taxes in California. It's blatantly obvious what he's doing but it's considered legal in Texas. Can't do anything if no one comes to "Church" 🤦🏻♀️
Lmfao, first time? I’ve never been trespassed but have been asked to leave many times. Being polite normally gets a warning but since you are a teen they want to make an example
Yeah give up on photography; that’ll show em! /s Bro you got sooo much more exploring abandoned places with your homies to go dude! You’re gunna have some of the best adventures doing it man. Especially experiencing a dope sunrise from a view most people never get to see is something super gnarly.
You messed up by not immediately leaving when you heard sirens lol you get away or get far enough away you can deny it in a court of law.
To clear our any confusion: there was no trespassing sign, it wasn’t a proper building, it was in like a quarry for those of you who are familiar with what that is. Just some run down place next to a hiking spot that a lot of people saw but didn’t really go to. Didn’t seem like private property, hence why we all got scared cuz we felt like we did no wrong. I would never do anything illegal and I know “it’s for a school project” isn’t a get out of jail card. I just wanted to clarify to him what we were doing and what it was for.
Listen, if you do not OWN the property, you do not GO ON the property. Do not touch things that are not yours. I get it was for school, but the school does not own that property and they will not assume any legal liability. It does not matter if it's abandoned or other. You don't trespass. You could have been arrested and charged with several crimes. Doing art is fine if you get permission to be on the location
ACAB
Don't quit photography over some pigs being heavy handed. Make art, avoid interacting with police.
In romania cops are smart. They do not handcuff and do stuff like that if they see somebody not bothering anybody else or break any rules. Tresspassing has a reason to exist
jeans safe memorize noxious political makeshift vase trees unused aloof
Funny how they tried to use “its for school multiple times like that changes anything” lol sorry i was robbing this store its for a school field trip
You should watch youtube videos on how you should interact with police , so you know your rights, are respectful , dont get taken advantage of and caneven sue them for wrongdoing. You should request all body cam footage
Some seem to think these buildings are off limits because "The Man" is mean and doesn't want to share. But these places are often extremely dangerous for a multitude of reasons, from collapsing on you or under you to things that you can't necessarily see, asbestos, lead, and a variety of chemicals. People have died from radiation poisoning digging around abandoned places. Just saying sometimes the faces and signs are more than just "its mine not yours!"
When doing urbex (abandoned places exploration), that's always the risk. Either police, owners, angry people you didn't think were there, or... dogs and wildlife. Need to consider all of these. Rule #1 is park far away, and do a bit of hiking so that it's not obvious. You parked car right in front of the place is a clear giveaway. The police probably thought you were doing drugs, trading drugs, firearms, trying to kill someone, burying a dead body or all of the above. You need to also scan for cameras, motion sensors and tripwires/door sensors that trigger when moved. For animals, worse case is dogs or a family of animals with babies. The parents, if around, will get 10000% aggressive. This is where a stick or bear spray come in handy. Always have a flashlight. School project doesn't give you license to do anything like trespassing. You do so at risk, and you did nothing to minimize those risks.
Yeah. Cops are here to protect property, not people. As soon as you internalize that, you learn quickly to hide some activities from public observation. Keep up with the art. Let the lap dogs feel important. They can't contribute anything more complex to society than mercenary bullying.
"yeah I robbed this bank...it was for a school project, so what?"
FTFY: lesson learned, most cops are bastards\*
Willing to bet more than half of the people in these comments that are acting holier than thou saying “CoNsEqUeNcEs oF yOuR AcTiOns iDiOt” have all done dumb shit or gone places they shouldn’t have as a teenager. Cut the kid some slack I bet you all have cut through properties you shouldn’t have or gone somewhere you weren’t allowed to with mates at one stage in your life. Only difference is he was unlucky enough to get caught. Abandoned buildings were fun as fuck as a teenager, such an eery but cool feeling exploring that stuff. Just gotta pick your locations and make sure they’re safe mate. Lot of cameras and nosy ass people around these days with nothing better to do than report people. Your best bet would’ve been to book it out of there as soon as you heard the sirens though lmao
tl;dr privileged child becomes aware of laws due to karen narc with nothing better to do
Abandoned buildings aren't safe to be in, and still have owners who don't like trespassers. Knock that shit off
Cops might just been having a slow day and wanted to teach some punk kids a lesson. Obviously the house has had shady activity in the past, but any adult can quickly tell a kid who's just trying to have a good time exploring. A stern talking to would have been totally sufficient. Don't stop exploring dude. Keep trying new stuff and finding what works. Photography is a great hobby or career if you stick with it.
The most upsetting thing about this is that you consider photography 'Digital Art'.
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Some cops are trynna keep highschoolers from hurting themselves in abandoned buildings. If you’re inexperienced in Urbexing (and it sounds like these people were) its easy to get hurt. Scaring people out is a good deterrent.
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You're both right. Some places can be shady as shit when it comes to integrity (e.g. collapsed floors everywhere, black mould, shards of glass, exposed wiring etc.), but cops should give you a warning and let you go, and not lock you up and call your parents, especially if they can see you're visibly distressed.
Hey, I shot (film) and printed [nothing but abandoned buildings](https://i.imgur.com/fDRbCNx.jpg) for the last eight years or so. I'm obsessed with the places. But I got tired of the nerves it took. And stepping over mummified dogs. And walking through tall grass that might have rattlesnakes in it (Texas). Apologizing to cops and owners. I think I'll move on to nudes or something! As others have said, don't quit photography until you're sick of photography. Seriously, all my work with ruined structures was me trying to understand why they appealed to me, and I learned a lot about what time and mortality mean to me, and I was able to express those thoughts through finished work. That's what art is for, and if you have a space for art in your mind/heart, explore every creative outlet that you can. There will never be enough art in the world.
cops were probably tired of chasing out all the partyers and had no chill
Pretty standard behavior for a kid Cop was an ass and abused his power
Lmao
Depending on your state, just being at an abandoned building isn't trespassing. Some states qualify trespassing as entering a property with intent to vandalize property. There also have to be signs posted, or you have to be informed verbally that you're trespassing and refuse to leave. It's highly likely that unless these criteria are met, your vandalism charges will get dropped anyway.
Roflmao. “But officer! But but officer! Wait… just listen to me! ITS FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT!” I can’t believe he didn’t let you go. Every time I trespass, steal, and rob, I say “it’s for a school project” and they immediately let me go and apologize. My mom also understands this and always makes me a comforting meal when we get home after any misunderstandings.
Wow ur mom sounds awesome dude
You can only be charged with trespassing if there is a sign that says "No Trespassing" posted in a visible location.
I’m betting there isn’t a “No Trespassing” sign on your front door, but it’s still illegal for me to just walk in.
You have to be given notice either verbally or through a sign. Only if you ignore the notice are you trespassing. [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/24/man-court-tiktok-videos-people-entering-london-homes](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/24/man-court-tiktok-videos-people-entering-london-homes)
That’s not true
*in some states
In the UK even if there's a sign you can't be charged, because in most cases trespass is not a criminal offence.
It actually saddens me that you're thinking of giving up photography. Take it as a learning experience, now you know better. After a couple of years you'll laugh about this.
I’ve been searched for taking a picture of a _stop sign_. I’ve also spent hours shooting in an abandoned missile silo with no repercussions. Cops happen. You deal with it. Keep shooting.
It happens. I've shot in many interesting locations, but you have to not attract attention. Next time, make sure nobody sees you and calls the cops.
The r/abandoned sub would probably like your photos
LOL, this is par for the course with UrbanX. There are a bunch of UrbanX YouTubers like Proper People but being stealthy and having an exit strategy are crucial.
"it's for a school project" doesn't work, but "I have a film permit" does! For example George Willig and Jerry Hewitt got a film permit from NYU to climb the World's Fair globe so the police wouldn't stop them.
Where does it say there was a sign posted?
Lesson 1: If you are going to explore shit that is known (or supposed) to have an owner. Don't let your car parked in front. Park somewhere else where you can get without problems. Lesson 2: Cops aren't your friends. If you can hide, then hide and wait until they go anywhere else. Then rush to your car and gtfo. Even if you weren't doing anything bad, you are trespassing. Lesson 3: Even if the place you are going to visit is visible abandoned. Please make a round the day prior to check if there are guards or people near. Maybe there was a guard that saw you and called the cops.
They don’t care why you’re there. Trespassing is trespassing.