I was once doing some exploring on a construction site. It was typically quite active but I was there on labour day so there were no workers (or so I thought)

I ended up being spotted by security and had to make a run, and because I wasn't paying attention they had gotten pretty damn close to me. I'm a parkourist and had I not been able to hop the barriers and fences as fast as I did I probably would've been grabbed.

Anyone else been in a situation where a particular skill saved you?

Forgot who but someone on here said they had the ability to shit on command.

The ability to talk yourself out of trouble, usually by being able to concoct a story instantaneously is one of the greatest skills an explorer can possess, be it with security, the police, or just nosey local people who have spotted you.

Bit clichéd but if you want to get away with something the easiest way typically is to look like you're supposed to be there, most people don't care or aren't paid enough to bother you as long as you blend in. Depends on the situation but that's the mindset I try and keep on the way into places where I might be seen.

The ability to talk yourself out of trouble, usually by being able to concoct a story instantaneously is one of the greatest skills an explorer can possess, be it with security, the police, or just nosey local people who have spotted you.

Absolutely the most useful skill for all of us I think, although I've been in a couple situations where security/police really don't want to talk and go straight for the grab. Fortunately trespassing isn't a shoot on sight offence where I live.

Posted by mookster The ability to talk yourself out of trouble, usually by being able to concoct a story instantaneously is one of the greatest skills an explorer can possess, be it with security, the police, or just nosey local people who have spotted you.

I've managed to out social engineer the police on more than one occasion.

"I was once doing some exploring on a construction site. It was typically quite active but I was there on labour day so there were no workers (or so I thought)"

Hey I do service work on active construction sites all the time even on holidays.

Security, if any is cameras and padlocks. Not humans. Sorry to sound like a "Blackhawk" but, if you want to ban me for this, fine. Please DO NOT EXPLORE active construction sites. A: Caught it's a FELONY at least in Florida. B: Insurance company discovers the breach in security, up goes the premium!..

Posted by Hawkwind Hey I do service work on active construction sites all the time even on holidays. Security, if any is cameras and padlocks. Not humans. Sorry to sound like a "Blackhawk" but, if you want to ban me for this, fine. Please DO NOT EXPLORE active construction sites. A: Caught it's a FELONY at least in Florida. B: Insurance company discovers the breach in security, up goes the premium!..

Never thought about the insurance, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I don't want to be a pain in the ass to workers and management obviously. I appreciate the concern about the trespassing but where I live it's typically not a huge deal and usually the old "I'm just here to take photos" excuse gets you out, unless things go really south like they did in that situation. Needless to say I have not and don't plan to return to that site, especially after further scouting showed how much more security it had than I thought when I entered it.

Not actually giving a shit has saved my ass on more than one occasion. If someone's confronting me about being somewhere I'm not supposed to be, I let them know I think it's no big deal and hopefully they'll take a cue from that attitude.

Expressing your knowledge of / interest in whatever you're checking out can go a long way too. It happens pretty often that security will find some common ground with you on that basis.

Climby fence

"No officer I'm delivering this to the yacht club party!" - said one time out exploring while holding a pumpkin for an underground party.

Quick reflexes (is that a skill?) and having a decent knife once saved me from having a nice drop.

It got dark really fast in Hawaii, and I was going around, and ground got suddenly steep and it was muddy, and thank you bamboo for being sturdy but also able to be pierced by a knife.

I almost got to go for a very long drop and swim.

Lesson learned.
Is the sun going down?
Don't explore the jungle for ruins. The end.

Posted by Natchraz Forgot who but someone on here said they had the ability to shit on command.

LOL that gave me a good laugh. Cops won't grab ya if you're covered in shit..

I can sneak by my kid's bedrooms without them stirring.

After growing up with a urban planning professor for a father, I quickly learned to put to use all the random factoids I picked up at the dinner table. It's amusing how fast the authorities will chalk you up to "harmless nerd" once you spout off a few facts about recent gentrification or the influences of eco-conscious local culture on the history of storm drain construction.

Basically, when trying to sound like a harmless nerd it helps if you are... well... an actual harmless nerd.

(ok, *mostly* harmless)

Not quite a skill per say but I remember a time where as I was leaving a construction site the night watchman had just arrived to check the place out and due to the location being near some bars I pretended to be a drunk person who accidentally wandered in and he held my hand and walked me out. Could’ve been worse haha.

On a more serious note I have had to rappel out of a building once to flee some security which was useful.