4 Urban explorers told they can’t be BFF any more

Four urban explorers had made 200+ jaunts into places they shouldn’t have but this time they got pinched. With the royal wedding soon approaching, security was tighter then usual and the police were not going to be as lenient with them as they otherwise might have been. The four were actually let go, but a recent incident (not involving any of the four) prompted the police to revisit the offenders and make what can only be described as a shocking “penalty”.
In England there is such as thing called an ASBO (anti-social behavior order). It’s an alternative form of punishment to prison which involves some sort of a restriction, often not being allowed to do something or go somewhere for a period of time. In this case the four werent allowed to possess any materials that would aid in UE (no flashlights? really?), no blogging about the subject of UE, but the shocker was that they could no longer be friends.

You heard that right, the four best friends had to sever all ties between them.

I don’t even know where to begin.

First off, do they really get to just make up punishments in England? Apparently when it comes to ASBO, yes they can. They’re special penalties, often custom taylored to the offense or defendant or both. Second, they can’t blog about it? free speech anyone? Oh wait this is England, so there’s no fourth amendment. Third, how can they release them, then months later decide to hit them w/an ASBO? Finally, not being friends any more? Aside from being impossible to enforce, it’s also maddeningly broad. What constitutes friendship? I’m sure they have mutual friends, what if they all get invited to the same party? Would one of them have to leave? How would they decide without speaking to determine who should leave?

It’s mindboggling. I don’t know enough about ASBO’s to say much else, like whether they can appeal the decision or what would happen if they violated the order. All I know is that it’s patently foolish on the part of the police to even try to suggest that they not be friends any more.

Two amazing military finds

Find #1: These guys snuck aboard some abandoned naval vessels out SF.  And here I thought I was badass sneaking into Greystone. My only complaint is: you sneak aboard an abandoned Destroyer and you only post a dozen pictures?

Find #2: An abandoned military base (Vozdvizhenka Air Base apparently). I can’t be sure because the LjJ page is written in Cyrillic which I don’t speak or read. If anyone can tell me what it says I’d be appreciative.

Exploring an abandoned Navel park in Japan

And yes it’s spelled Navel

A more evolved Montauk Monster?

A strange creature has washed up on the shore of a Canadian town

I’m adding this to my list of places to visit

Abandoned theme park in Japan

lots of underground to explore in Naples…

and the underground is easily accessible…

//marks off Naples on my list of places to visit.

Hashima Island

If you aren’t watching Life After People on the History Channel, you should. The series is based on the best selling book by Alan Weisman The World Without Us, which examines what would happen if humans just vanished from the earth. It doesn’t ask how we might vanish, that ground has been covered by innumerable books, movies and tv shows. It asks what would become of our roads, bridges and buildings, our homes, museums, and the creative works we’ve created such as books and and art? It is a fascinating book and an equally fascinating series.

In it’s premiere episode, the series examined two places that have been abandoned for years: the area around Chernobyl and a mining island called Hasima Island off the coast of Japan. Known as a Ghost Island it was a source of coal for local residents before a mining operation was established. At it’s peak there were almost 1000 people per hectare living on the island, making it the most densely populated place on Earth.

I won’t re-invent the wheel by writing more here. Follow the link above or watch this video. Hashima Island is an urban explorers wet dream, and is place I would love to visit to document for myself…

Tour chernobyl

Did you know that there are tour guides that will take you thru Chernobyl? Me neither! This was one man’s experience taking the tour.

http://www.tourkiev.com/index.php

Looks like airfare to Ukraine runs around $2,000. the tour around $250 and then hotels and food. ‘

Sign me up.

Abandoned Russian aircraft

I believe these types of places are called boneyards. And these planes aren’t really abandoned. But they may as well be.

South Africa & Soviet Union UE

I’ve always thought… hmmm wouldn’t it be cool to take a vacation outside the US simply to go and explore? Sure, but if you’re traveling that far and spending that much, then it had better be above average exploration we’re talking about.

Does this qualify? Abandoned submarine bases and abandoned cities in the former Soviet Union. And let’s not forget that there are areas near Chernobyl that are actually safe to visit but which remain uninhabited. If you saw the History Channel special “Life After Humans” you know what I mean.

Then there’s this abandoned town in Southern Africa… Kolmanskop.