Tips for urban advenduring in Washington, DC?

November 21, 2004 10:59 PM

I've been wanting to get into "urban adventuring" recently, and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips (I live in Washington, DC, so specific places around here would be nice). I like to think of myself as exceptionally sane, so I understand all the risks and safety issues associated with this.
posted by borkingchikapa to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

I took a stab at this a few years ago. I was on a high school field trip to San Francisco with a busload of other kids, and three friends and I went to a certain hotel to ride the scenic glass elevator.

We rode up the building, and found that the top floor was hosting a business conference. We said, "oops, wrong floor" and retreated to the elevator before the security guard by the door made his way over to fully interrogate. (Tip #1 - When in doubt, you're lost.)

We jumped down to the floor below and decided to poke around a regular floor for a while. I noticed an open door leading somewhere lightly furnished. Suspecting it was a service door, I tried the doorknob, and found it locked. This seems at once like a blessing and a curse. You've probably found something worth checking out, but you'll probably catch flak for being caught there.

Hoping to make our way to the roof, a friend and I split from the group and hit the service stairwell. We climbed, climbed, climbed past the business-occupied floor above us and finally reached a small alcove with a door saying "Roof Access. Alarm Will Sound." This was a bit disappointing, but, oh well. The run upstairs was fun enough for the girl I had with me and I was starting to see the attraction in this hobby.

As we walked down the stairs, though, I saw a security camera that we had run past only minutes before and hadn't noticed. We both swore, then starting flying down the stairs, hoping to get at least past the business-conference floor and the floor we had entered by. Around this time, we heard doors opening and closing echoing through the cement stairwell that made their origin impossible to detect, some radio chatter, and finally some voices saying "Alright guys, stop and come back here."

Four security guards, an ID check, and a stern lecture about post 9/11 security concerns later, we were escorted out with nothing more than a good story for the two friends we had left in the elevator.

Just use common sense. You're in DC, hance the bolding above. Be careful, watch out for cameras, don't destroy property, and respect the people that stop you, even if they're dicks. Lastly, bring a camera, and have fun.
posted by rfordh at 11:24 PM on November 21, 2004

You didn't hear it from me, but there are a lot of really neat storm drains in the DC area. Just follow the cardinal rule: When it rains, no drains. Wait a while after it rains, at least 3 days. Inches of water can kill.

Relevant Links:
Infiltration Magazine
Cave Clan
Wired 1.03
MIT Lockpicking Guide
Southern Ordinance
posted by phrontist at 5:42 AM on November 22, 2004

Just this: know that you will eventually be caught.

I've explored a number of abandoned factories and train stations in Toronto (a large community of explorers there and plenty of sites). I don't mean to frighten you out of your newfound hobby so much as alert you to this inevitability. I was caught once (out of several dozen excursions) and got out relatively lightly: several hours in handcuffs and a $200 fine but no criminal record. American cops, I hear, are a different story, so watch yourself.
posted by ori at 11:39 AM on November 22, 2004

In DC?! You do realize that every storm drain, sewer, and entrance is likely to be monitored.

I once got up to the observation deck of the Empire State building (not the outside-area, but the tiny room just under the antenna array) -- this was a month or so after the first WTC bombing. Unfortunately I got locked out, so I had to walk down the stairwell to the "regular" observation deck, where there was a guard stationed. I was able to talk my way out of getting into trouble, but I was extremely lucky. Post 9/11 urban spelunking is best done outside the U.S., and definatley outside Washington, D.C. or New York (where it's the coolest, sadly).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 2:04 PM on November 22, 2004

While I don't believe in knuckling under to the jackbooted thugs who are turning America into a fascist state, I think that UE in NY and especially DC in these times is an really bad idea.
posted by keswick at 4:13 PM on November 22, 2004

I would echo that your area may not be the best place to try to get into such a hobby.

That said, there are many people in DC and NY and other sensitive areas doing a whole lot of exploring, so with care you can be successful. It should go without saying that the sort of thing that actionsquad does requires vastly different equipment and skills than that which Infiltration is chiefly interested in. There are countless websites around dealing with all facets of urban exploration. Find some you like and try to contact the people responsible. Many are fairly open to having you join them on some sort of excursion, assuming you can prove you're of some degree of sound mind.

And yes, you will get caught. To what degree will differ, but you will get caught. With that in mind, be very careful of who you're with while you're out exploring.
posted by sinical at 5:26 PM on November 22, 2004

I was walking on The Mall earlier today and noticed stickers with dates on them on storm sewers and manhole covers. They had all been checked within the last week. I would stay out of the DC sewer unless you want guns pointed at you.
posted by Frank Grimes at 6:52 PM on November 22, 2004

Depends on where in DC you go. Anywhere around The Mall is high-risk, as would be Embassy Row. Just use common sense and stay away from high-target value buildings, it's a big place.
posted by stbalbach at 10:08 PM on November 22, 2004

Inside the district is likely to get you in trouble, but I'm referring to the greater DC area. I don't consider myself a UE-er, but just taking walks along riverbanks and casually checking out anything concrete looking I've found myself under the beltway in a tunnel reverberating as 8 axels pound a 20 feet above my head. Keep in mind, UE is essentially trespassing for the hell of it, and it's totally unjustified. Then again, not all things worth doing are justified either...

Oh, and never push up a manhole cover unless you know exactly where it pops up.
posted by phrontist at 8:47 AM on November 23, 2004

My hobby has a name? Wow! Thank jeebus for the internets (and thank you, borkingchikapa, for the links).
posted by quasistoic at 1:11 PM on November 23, 2004