This sense of "protecting the places"...

[gregabandoned]

Hi everyone, I'd like to hear your thoughts on an age-old debate in the urban exploration community: "protecting the places." Specifically, I'm curious about your opinions on the practice of "taking items from bandos" - what's your take on it?

Over the years, I've often come across the motto "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." As someone who embraces a minimalistic lifestyle, I've never felt the need to accumulate things or take anything from the places I explore. Capturing photos and videos has always been enough for me.

However, as the host of the Chasing Bandos Podcast, I've had the opportunity to hear various perspectives and stories on this topic. A recent conversation with @Speed reignited this debate for me. He raised an interesting point, suggesting that while the motto is a noble concept, many of the old locations we explore inevitably face destruction and demolition over time. He questions why we should feel responsible for protecting these places when it ultimately falls on the owner. After all, there's a reason why the building is abandoned in the first place.

So, I pose the question to you: Is Adam right? Should explorers feel a sense of responsibility for protecting these abandoned spaces, or is it ultimately the owner's responsibility? I'm eager to hear your perspectives

 

[pirate]

Yawn

 

[TalkingMask]

Hi everyone, I'd like to hear your thoughts on an age-old debate in the urban exploration community: "protecting the places." Specifically, I'm curious about your opinions on the practice of "taking items from bandos" - what's your take on it?

Over the years, I've often come across the motto "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." As someone who embraces a minimalistic lifestyle, I've never felt the need to accumulate things or take anything from the places I explore. Capturing photos and videos has always been enough for me.

However, as the host of the Chasing Bandos Podcast, I've had the opportunity to hear various perspectives and stories on this topic. A recent conversation with @Speed reignited this debate for me. He raised an interesting point, suggesting that while the motto is a noble concept, many of the old locations we explore inevitably face destruction and demolition over time. He questions why we should feel responsible for protecting these places when it ultimately falls on the owner. After all, there's a reason why the building is abandoned in the first place.

So, I pose the question to you: Is Adam right? Should explorers feel a sense of responsibility for protecting these abandoned spaces, or is it ultimately the owner's responsibility? I'm eager to hear your perspectives

I’ve only taken things twice, some old smelt timer and an exposure meter, cause if I didn’t I knew it would get nicked and scrapped which would be a waste
Besides the building I took the timer from was emptied completely a week later so saving a piece here or there isn’t bad in my opinion

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Speed is 100% correct.

What is there to protect? These places are generally abandoned and / or derelict.

We don't own the buildings, we have no duty of care there, and the belongings were literally left behind as unwanted worthless tat.

And if you're the sort of person that will happily walk by artefacts knowing that ultimately they WILL be smashed, burned or thrown in a skip, then are you doing the world any favours?

It might be selfish to take an item, but at least it'll see the light of day again.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Personally I dont really care if others take stuff but I dont do it & the majority of people I explore with don't.
I have 5 or 6 close exploring friends who never take stuff, I guess like attracts like.
It seems that some groups of explorers all take stuff & that becomes the norm it their group which is fine if they want to take that risk it doesn't bother me, I can concur with what @Oxygen Thief is saying above but Ill carry on letting others do the saving.

People laugh at "the code"but its quite simple in the UK as its the law! if u break in, damage stuff or steal stuff you are breaking the law, if you dont then you not simples.

The morality of exploring is always questionable & always will be.

That said I do wonder if they change the trespass laws to make it a criminal offence (which the tories are talking about) would I stop doing it?
If Im honest prob not, I dont know any other way to live my life these days.

 

[Exploring with Andy]

 

[Westcountry Explorer]

I've taken the odd book here and there myself as I love reading. I try not to make a habit of taking stuff as it is stealing at the end of the day but sometimes can't resist a book if it's in decent condition and one I'll read.

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints...

edit: image changed because half of you won't ever have heard of Ninjalicious

 

[mookster]

The 'motto' or 'code' is nonsense and anyone who's been exploring more than five minutes knows that, whether you choose to take the odd item from somewhere or not. The saying comes from the US National Parks service and has nothing to do with exploring. At the end of the day there really are no rules to what we do, people will do whatever they feel they can get away with personally.

Case in point, the house I found local to me four years ago which was filled with historically important documents from the First World War, they all came home with me and my friend because we didn't know whether they would survive, and now they have been reunited with a relative of the owner who keeps a massive archive of their families history - something I'm very glad I could help with. Everything from the house was ripped out and thrown in multiple skips last year so chances are that it all would have been lost - and that's not something I could have lived with.

 

[Westcountry Explorer]

Case in point, the house I found local to me four years ago which was filled with historically important documents from the First World War, they all came home with me and my friend because we didn't know whether they would survive, and now they have been reunited with a relative of the owner who keeps a massive archive of their families history - something I'm very glad I could help with. Everything from the house was ripped out and thrown in multiple skips last year so chances are that it all would have been lost - and that's not something I could have lived with.

I did something similar a while back. Came across a certificate of Christening at one explore; I was able to reunite it with its owner via the church where the Christening had happened. Personally, I'd sooner see stuff like that & those WW1 documents taken & saved than left to potentially be skipped/lost/whatever just to satisfy a "Take nothing but photos" motto.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

there really are no rules to what we do, people will do whatever they feel they can get away with personally.

But there is its called the criminal law! & you know Iv been doing this plenty long enough but still try & stay on the right side of this wherever possible.

I do think what you did is somewhat different though, if you have genuine intentions of reuniting items with family members thats a good thing.

 

[Down and beyond]

I must comment since this is such an interesting post .

So I will make an example .

If frank lived with a cow in his lounge and dies. his only daughter lives in California and it takes her a few weeks to get back due to time of work blah blah blah .

Now Adam comes along doesn’t break in as a window is open climbs in sees all franks ww2 medals and “oinks” them for hisself or eBay .

Now we have cow house on 28dl

When tulip gets here from California & wants her dads medals as they grew up talking about them etc is this correct ??? Would love to no your views??

How is it we can tell the future that anything would go into a skip ? Who is psychic ? Let me no the lottery numbers .

 

[Bikin Glynn]

I must comment since this is such an interesting post .

So I will make an example .

If frank lived with a cow in his lounge and dies. his only daughter lives in California and it takes her a few weeks to get back due to time of work blah blah blah .

Now Adam comes along doesn’t break in as a window is open climbs in sees all franks ww2 medals and “oinks” them for hisself or eBay .

Now we have cow house on 28dl

When tulip gets here from California & wants her dads medals as they grew up talking about them etc is this correct ??? Would love to no your views??

How is it we can tell the future that anything would go into a skip ? Who is psychic ? Let me no the lottery numbers .

Iv definately never nicked a cow!

 

[Oxygen Thief]

The 'motto' or 'code' is nonsense and anyone who's been exploring more than five minutes knows that, whether you choose to take the odd item from somewhere or not. The saying comes from the US National Parks service and has nothing to do with exploring. At the end of the day there really are no rules to what we do, people will do whatever they feel they can get away with personally.

Case in point, the house I found local to me four years ago which was filled with historically important documents from the First World War, they all came home with me and my friend because we didn't know whether they would survive, and now they have been reunited with a relative of the owner who keeps a massive archive of their families history - something I'm very glad I could help with. Everything from the house was ripped out and thrown in multiple skips last year so chances are that it all would have been lost - and that's not something I could have lived with.

I did something similar a while back. Came across a certificate of Christening at one explore; I was able to reunite it with its owner via the church where the Christening had happened. Personally, I'd sooner see stuff like that & those WW1 documents taken & saved than left to potentially be skipped/lost/whatever just to satisfy a "Take nothing but photos" motto.

But there is its called the criminal law! & you know Iv been doing this plenty long enough but still try & stay on the right side of this wherever possible.

I do think what you did is somewhat different though, if you have genuine intentions of reuniting items with family members thats a good thing.

In these scenarios it's totally legal...

The Theft Act says "A person’s appropriation of property belonging to another is not to be regarded as dishonest ... if he appropriates the property in the belief that he would have the other’s consent if the other knew of the appropriation and the circumstances of it"

 

[Down and beyond]

Iv definately never nicked a cow!

Twat