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UER Forum > Rookie Forum > Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy (Viewed 2611 times)
TunnelRunner33 


Location: Seattle
Gender: Male
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Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< on 5/3/2014 10:28 PM >
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Last night, I was running around on a street in my neighborhood that is full of what my wife calls halfway houses (they are really housing buildings for disabled people on fixed incomes). I had discovered a large 3-story house in the middle of the block that is so blocked off by cement walls and a strategically-placed Land Use sign that I must have walked past it several times in the past and not even noticed it was there. Anyway, I was moving through the backyards of several of these housing buildings, side-stepping between a pair of barbed wire fences and looking for a POE on my target when I suddenly heard "What are you doing?" from above. I looked up and saw a woman hanging out of the window of her 2nd story apartment watching me.

Being where I was in a narrow gap between the two fences, I realized that I wouldn't be able to move very quickly if I decided to walk away. I was wearing gloves and carrying a small pack, so I probably looked a bit suspicious. I decided to talk. I told the woman "Just looking around a bit. I'm really curious about that big house that's blocked off a few buildings down." She told me that it was abandoned and should be demolished soon. She said that she has always been curious about it as well, and that it has been empty ever since she has lived in her current apartment. I thanked her for the information and said that I would leave now if she liked. She just shook her head and said she didn't care, then went in and closed her drapes.

I waited for a second, trying to decide if it was time to head out, but decided against it. I continued on to my destination, only to find that they way I was thinking of going in (over the back fence) would be more trouble than just climbing over the front wall in the middle of the night. Still, it was very cool to me that the lady had checked me out and decided I was no trouble.

So yeah, I am sure you have heard this or tried it before, but when you are "caught," don't forget that sometimes you can just tell the truth and be O.K. I think a lot of times, people will understand you are simply acting out of curiosity, and unless they have major stakes in the property, they will be willing to turn a blind eye.




If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire... Tunnelrunner33!
JKuhnss 


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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 1 on 5/4/2014 6:15 PM >
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I've never been caught but when it does happen I too plan on just telling the truth. I feel people or police will show you more respect if you don't try to pull some lame excuse on them.




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The Riddler 


Location: Winnipeg
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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 2 on 5/4/2014 7:06 PM >
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Yeah a similar thing happened to me before. I'm a terrible liar and most people are just worried about people setting fires and vandalism so If they know that's not what you're up to they're pretty nice




DJ Craig 

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Location: Johnson City, TN
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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 3 on 5/7/2014 3:53 AM >
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I've actually had three occasions I can think of where I was caught inside the building by a property owner, and managed to end up just having a friendly conversation with them, and actually ended up getting permission to explore! Now when I go back to those places, I have the owner's number and can just call and let them know I'll be there!

And countless times I've had friendly conversations with people like this who were about to witness me entering somewhere. Telling the truth actually works just fine the vast majority of the time with regular people. Your chances of having friendly conversation decreases with employees of active locations, security guards, and cops, in that order...




"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Suess
Skye_Ann 


Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Gender: Female
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I seem to have Irritable Owl Syndrome...

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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 4 on 5/7/2014 4:14 AM >
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I've never seen any reason to lie. Simply saying "I'm just here to take photos" is a lot easier than lying and looking suspicious. It always helps if you have a nice camera with you (makes you look more professional, but isn't required) and I've recently started carrying around a bit of my portfolio to show i'm not a threat.




My Blog; https://historyindecay.blogspot.com/
HipsterKitty 


Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia
Gender: Female
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I'm not a real hipster, but I am a real kitty.

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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 5 on 5/7/2014 4:40 AM >
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Only time I ever had to lie was when I was pulled over on my way back from a location. It was completely unrelated, and the cop asked me where I was coming from. I just told him that I was still getting used to the car (which is true) and that I just wanted to take a long drive in the dark, so I hadn't stopped anywhere (and that's not true). He informed me that my third brake light was out, and I got out of potential trespassing charges, so I think in this case honesty would have only caused problems.




Ganesha 

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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 6 on 5/9/2014 12:16 AM >
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Not caught yet. Total honesty is my plan. I like the idea of carrying a nice camera. I've been thinking about upgrading; it never occurred to me that it might improve my safety.




"The beauty of mediocrity is that anything can make you better." -Jeff Mallett
JokerSpecter 


Location: New Orleans, LA
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UER Criminal #50420

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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 7 on 5/17/2017 11:05 PM >
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I never got caught yet. However, depending on my situation I may lie or tell the truth. If I'm caught at a federal location in the early a.m. in my denim pants, blue shirt and toting my tripod, I'll give the old social engineering a try. But as for cops and irate owners, honesty and apology. But alas, never lucky enough to get caught.




blackhawk 

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Re: Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy
< Reply # 8 on 5/17/2017 11:55 PM >
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I've pretty much had permission, free reign from the PA state police a one time to splore Pennhurst.
They knew what I do when I find scrappers and vandals...

After I got busted at a Nike site, the police chief invited me back to shoot; he had control of it.
He liked my images and interest in it.
A lot of how people treat you is based on how you treat them and your level of integrity.
Call it social engineering; cooperation is built on trust.
Trust is earned by deed and word.

If you can't be honest don't bother talking.
&
Doing the right thing is more important sometimes than not getting caught.
Fluid, unexpected and interactive situations will demand you to think fluidly.
Succeed or fail.

Honesty means you're not second guessing what to say and the truth is easier to remember than a pack of lies.
That said I can lie well enough to pass a polygraph test or look someone straight in the eye and do so...
I prefer not to.





Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
UER Forum > Rookie Forum > Sometimes Honesty is the Best Policy (Viewed 2611 times)


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