Ethics in the urbex world – Urbex rules

 

It’s not a secret that buying adresses do not comply with the famous Urbex rule of finding your own spots. We discuss this rule in our article on the morality of selling urbex coordinates.

And make no mistake, urban explorers who find places on their own, with their own research are not many. They find an abandoned place and then they exchange it. Even if they exchange with just a couple of explorers. The people who receive these coordinates will in turn exchange it. It’s only a matter of time before the coordinates of this “secret” urbex place become known to the urbex community.  As a result, for an explorer who finds an urbex address, potentially hundreds or thousands of people will have access to it.

And when so many people know about it, rules are needed so that everyone can have a pleasant experience of urban exploration.

 

The Urban Explorer Code

The 3 fundamental principles of urbex are common sense rules: don’t damage anything, don’t steal anything and take care of yourself.

Degrading the spot thou shall not

It’s a recurring problem when you visit abandoned places. Places are enough damaged by time and thugs, no need to deteriorate some more. Think about the next explorers that will come after you.

Dont’t leave any mark about your little adventure… Only the spot matters, not your trace. During an urbex we have all seen something like: “Jean-Mi exploration was here – 2019“. Let’s be honest: no one cares if you were here. It’s even a proof of the idiocy of the person who wrote it.

The place has to be left intact, just as you’ve found it. 

In Exodus 20:13, it says “Thou shalt not kill“. This biblical reference appears several times in the catholic sacred texts. There is the equivalent for the urbex community: “Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints“.

We won’t hide the fact that this boring expression pushes open doors, but it has the merit of summarising this superior principle that all explorers must follow. Moreover, this expression, even if its origin seems unknown, was initially used in connection with nature as a whole. It was more or less an environmentalist slogan, used in particular by Baltimore Grotto.

Thou shall take care

It is worth to remind you that Urbex is quite dangerous, and most of places are quite old, some of them are abandonned since decades ! You’re taking risks in inexploring deteriorated spots, (forewarned is forearmed)!

Be careful when walking on old floors or stairs, they can give way under your weight. Avoid touching medical equipment when venturing into an abandoned sanatorium or hospital. Finally, be preventive by always carrying a protective mask in your bag. Urbex with asbestos, fungus or bacteria lying around is something that happens more often than you think. Ask around, and if in doubt, wear the mask!

So it’s important not to get in blindly, and to make a good evaluation for every step you’ll make.

We insist on this : you don’t fell it, you dont’ get in !

Stealing thou shall not

It’s frustrating to explore a place and there’s nothing left inside, because everything has been stolen. This has happened to many urban explorers. It’s often the work of local bad boys who have nothing else to do with their time but to steal to show off or for financial reasons.

Thugs are not the sole problem, thieves, antique and scrap dealers are parts of the deteriotations as well. So keep in mind that you are not at home, and everything that is inside is not yours. You’re here to explore and take nice pictures, it’s not a car boot sale !

What if I get caught ?

Urban Exploration often involves entering land and property that does not belong to you. Even when abandoned, a piece of land or a building remains the property of someone, whether it is private (company, person…) or public (the State, the region…). This is indeed trespassing. We discuss this in our article on urbex and legality.

The exact laws on trespassing, as well as the associated punishments, vary widely between countries. Always be aware of the laws, wherever you explore. If you engage in unlawful activity, be prepared for the possible consequences of your actions.

Run away thou shall not

If you take the decision to enter private property without permission, you face the risk of legal action, but before that the risk of being caught in flagrante delicto.

Of course, if you trigger an alarm, you can take your chance. But if a guard or an owner catch you, it’s useless to run away. He might think that you came here for stealing or degrading, and he might want to call the police.

The best decision you can make at this point is to go and meet the person who saw you. Stay calm and polite. Go meet the person to explain why you’re here.  It’s a human being like you. If you are honest, and you have not degraded anything, there is no reason for it to go wrong.

Bad faith thou shall not be of

Yeah, if we think seriously about it, this is what it’s really about : you’re in a private place which doesn’t belong to you, you’re the one who is wrong. So it’s useless to pick a quarrel with the landlord, just be completly honest. Sometimes, it’s enough to show your camera as a proof of good faith. If the landlord asks you to leave, just do it.