Urban Explorers

Although Les tells me he has known about Urban Explorers for years (which means I knew about them at one time, too, but have managed to forget it somewhere along the way -- my brain is kind of small and doesn't have a lot of extra space, so I have to abandon unused information to make room for new details), I am just (re)discovering this interesting group of people. They break into abandoned buildings, underground passageways, and other places otherwise reserved for "authorized personnel" only, explore these forbidden areas, and often photo-document what they see.

I just spent a few moments Googling for photos of Vanderbilt University's underground tunnels, which I read about in an old article in the Nashville Scene. Although I didn't find what I was looking for, I did turn up photos from the adventures of other Urban Explorers.

I really liked the photos on this website so I thought I would share them on my blog. The pictures that had the greatest appeal to me were the ones from abandoned office spaces. I think that's because I work in a typical office and know what it should normally look like. Therefore, seeing binders all over the floor or shelves of unused supplies or a copier that hasn't been turned on in months is a strange glimpse into my own personal Bizarro World. And, being the nosey kind of person I am, my mind can't help but speculate on what I'd find in their filing cabinets or on the speed dial buttons of their phones.

It seems like it would be very eerie to walk around a building that is unused but still full of machinery, office supplies, and furniture. I would imagine that you would get a bit of a post-apocalyptic feeling, as if you were the only person left in the world.

However, potential creep-out aside, the real reason I wouldn't be a good Urban Explorer is that I'm too "goody two shoes" and too afraid of getting caught. Still, I can enjoy living vicariously.