Question - Chickening out when solo

[TheTimeChamber]

lol - yes, a very Speed response.

Yes. I agree with all. I just wondered what people found were the circumstances/specifics that might make you pass on a place.
I much prefer going in a group, but sometimes when on holiday it hard to pass on something decent looking that presents itself.

The majority of ones I have skipped when our on my own are down to me feeling uncomfortable and exposed, especially if they need a bait entrance. Spotting what looks like a very active security matey will make me think twice too, too old for that faff, then again i've never been one for the more extreme end of the exploring spectrum.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

My balls definitely grow when I with people as I will rarely allow myself to be outdone lol.
do a bit of both though & really depends on the place, situation & my frame of mind.

Dont know if any one else is like it but some days I just feel on edge & am scared of my own shadow but other days I couldn't give a fk & will have a go at anything.
For me also depends how much effort its been to get there & if Im likely to have the opportunity to do it again, something local I might "bottle" half a dozen times cos there simply isnt that motivation that I might not be able to get back to it or it may be gone tomorrow!

It certainly gives me bit more of a adrenalin rush on my own too lol

 

[zombizza]

Spotting what looks like a very active security matey

Interesting. For me security presence makes me feel overall more relaxed. I rightly or wrongly conclude that the chances of flailing junkies or coming across a drug growing site or sweat shop situation is less likely, and the worst ill be faced with is a telling off in a foreign language.

 

[Calamity Jane]

For me, it all depends on the area; rural or suburbs; then environment; everything looking well trodden or totally left alone; well trodden could mean squatters, druggies etc, totally left alone could mean dangerous; so I like balance. Being abroad, language, thieves and law all play their part. So unless I feel 100% sure of the area, kind of visitors, the law, and it feels right, Id go. If any one of them areas doesn't fit my criteria, I walk; I dont like too walk away; but rather walk away then maybe not walk at all. JMHO! Trust your gut

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Interesting. For me security presence makes me feel overall more relaxed. I rightly or wrongly conclude that the chances of flailing junkies or coming across a drug growing site or sweat shop situation is less likely, and the worst ill be faced with is a telling off in a foreign language.

Funily enough I walked into a old railway shed yesterday to see a guy sitting staring back at me!
He was just drinking / smoking & was sound enough when I told him what I was doing. It actually made me feel safer being there, it was a busy area & I was seen by many people going in but then thought they aint gonna be bothered about me knowing that there is drunks hanging out in there.

 

[ash47]

I end up doing a stupid amount of stuff abroad solo due to the nature of solo backpacking, staying in hostels etc so I have a fair bit of experience with this. I definitely have found myself walking away from stuff that I deem too risky, not so much in the same way as you in regards to safety but more in terms of the consequence with the law.

For example I somehow tailgated into the Mitsui building in Shinjuku, Tokyo. One of the tallest buildings in the Shinjuku district, made it all the way to the roof hatch up the fire escape around 60 stories up, had my [REDACTED] in my bag, no cameras looking at the hatch. Totally prepared to go, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Sat in the stairwell for about 20 minutes going over it in my head with only a shitty padlock between me and one of Tokyo's tallest rooftops, but my gut instinct was to just leave it. There really would be no explaining it too security or the police in that situation and with Japans notorious legal system it just didn't seem worth it, even though I had sent maybe 30 different things over the month in Japan I just couldn't bring myself to do that one.

Sometimes I think thats just how it goes, on the flipside just a few weeks ago I sent 220m bank HQ construction site in Istanbuls new financial district solo, walked right in, made the rooftop and hid from workers, the whole shebang. If it feels right it feels right I guess.

If you're looking for recommendations on how to overcome that feeling i'd recommend a confidence beer or two beforehand, maybe it is a stupid idea if you're doing something that requires a decent amount of control/finesse but if it's just walking around a site taking pictures i'd definitely recommend you to try it. Definitely helps me.

 

[Boiga]

I have backed out a few times. I drove to Albania in 2019 and I sat outside a few derelict buildings and just pussied out.
Feels shitty but I didn't fancy having another interaction with the Albanian Police, especially as I wasn't sure if it was a millitary building or not.

My goal is to one day do a stalker trip to Chernobyl, however I am not sure if this dream will ever become a reality now.

 

[curiousarchitect]

Hey @zombizza - I'm actually in Lisbon next week and thought I should try to check this place out - totally agree on the not doing it along though, it looks a bit creepy. I'll let you know if I manage/dare to find a way in, and I'll credit you for scouting the location if I manage to do a report. Fingers crossed!

 

[Olkka]

Found at the end of the day that urbex comes down to how much you want it. Have occasionally gone to stupid lengths to access somewhere I had a real passion to see, and equally have moped away at the sight of one poorly positioned camera or slight bit of physical effort cus I wasn't feeling it/arsed more times than hot dinners. Desire and results are entirely correlated

 

[Wastelandr]

Found at the end of the day that urbex comes down to how much you want it. Have occasionally gone to stupid lengths to access somewhere I had a real passion to see, and equally have moped away at the sight of one poorly positioned camera or slight bit of physical effort cus I wasn't feeling it/arsed more times than hot dinners. Desire and results are entirely correlated

I do agree with this, I feel like sometimes it's just a case of if you're feeling it

 

[Scoobysrt]

Solo and not solo is the opposite of each other in that the longer you spend looking when solo you're less likely to get in or go for it. The more time you spend looking when with someone is often the more likely you'll get in or go for it.
Peer pressure is a great and a bad thing, some explores I couldnt have done with someone else and others I couldn't have done on my own.

Always follow your gut.