FAQ’s

FAQ’S

WHY DOES THIS BLOG EXIST?

I have always been frustrated that many of the places described in Weird NJ have lousy directions, or don’t have any. Sometimes we’re given a town, along with vague descriptions that “it’s behind a parking lot deep in the woods.” Good luck finding that place… and even when they say where it is, often it isn’t much help. For example, several people in one issue mentioned Heartbeat Rd. They all called the street something different, and it turns out they all had the wrong town. Other times the street stated can’t be found on any map, and sometimes even the town doesn’t exist (according to the map). Second, I want to share my experiences, it motivates me to get out there. Third, having a site like this draws leads from viewers. Maybe I don’t know where XYZ is, but maybe somebody out there does. Maybe they know of something cool that isn’t on the radar of any of the other sites.

ARE YOU TRYING TO BE LIKE WEIRD NJ?

Not exactly. It’s similar but I explore a lot of historical sites and monuments. There’s a fair amount of overlap but I’d like to think that this site has it’s own unique style.

SO IS THIS A WEIRD NJ FAN SITE OR NOT?

This site isn’t here to gush over the Marks and how cool they are. Do I redit them with making urban exploration cool in NJ? Absolutely. That said, UE existed long before the Marks came around and is not limited to NJ. I do not worship the Marks, though I do respect them. They introduced the idea of UE to many people who never would’ve known the pleasure one can get from investigating an abandoned building deep in the woods. For that, I say congrats. Besides, who wouldn’t want to make a living doing something they enjoy, as opposed to the drudgery of your average 9-5 job?

This site features many people, places and things that have never been in Weird NJ and never will be. I guess you could say we just cover a lot of the same ground, but there’s quite a bit of original content that you won’t find anywhere else.

ARE YOU TRYING TO DEBUNK THESE STORIES?

I wouldn’t say “debunking” per se. Sometimes the story are baloney, and other times there is more to the story, I just wanna see for myself. Sometimes that’s very interesting, other times it takes the polish & gleam off the place, like midgetville. I’m not trying to ruin the myths for anybody, but that could happen. I also am not trying to ruin these sites by telling people where they are.. Like I said, I’m not just repeating the stories that everyone else has told. I’m gonna go out, and report what I found if possible. I’ll tell you if I think it’s cool or not. If that’s not what you wanna hear, then this isn’t the site for you.

I WANT DIRECTIONS TO….

I am not currently posting directions on this site, although I do post street names & the town in some cases, and sometimes even GPS coordinates. Will I give directions if asked? Generally speaking, anything in the abandoned, military, or psych category I will not give directions to. Most everything else, yes. This is not a hard and fast rule, but that gives you an idea of whether or not to expect an answer. Essentially I’m not going to give directions to places that I feel could be threatened by asshole behavior. My main reason for this is that I don’t know who I’m giving directions to. There are people out there who will behave badly or do inappropriate things that could jeopardize these place, giving explorers a bad name. If you are a member of my forums and I see you to be a responsible person I feel I can trust, I would consider giving directions, but this is not a guarantee.

Also, please don’t ask for directions to midgetville. I have yet to find a real true midgetville, but I won’t give directions to the ones that everyone has heard about because the people who live there have been harassed and bothered for years by ignorant explorers and I won’t contribute to it. Even if you’re well meaning and a nice person, you don’t need to go. It’s nothing but small houses. There’s nothing to see. Sorry to burst your bubble.

SO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE AND GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS, BUT YOU WON’T GIVE THEM OUT YOURSELF? ISN’T THAT TWO FACED?

Some might view it that way. I would hope that I have demonstrated thru this website my commitment to these places, my commitment to honesty and the truth, and my commitment to not do anything to jeopardize these places. I also have promised some people not to reveal where the place is located and I must honor that. In short, I think I’ve earned people’s trust. A person emailing me is a complete stranger who I can’t vouch for. (see argument above on that topic). I run this site not so much to inspire people to go out and visit but to share with them something that they might not be able to see for themselves. There’s a lot of cool stuff out there but if everybody runs out there to see it, it’ll get trampled, run down, run over and abused. Why do you think they have to limit the cars that go into Yellowstone National Park? Besides, the more it gets out there that there is such and such out in the woods behind Miller’s Tavern, the more likely it is to be cordoned off, roped off, or knocked down and then nobody can see it.

Everyone has a personal responsibility to behave appropriately. People decide for themselves to break in, be destructive, spray graffiti, litter the area with beer bottles and cans, take things that aren’t theirs, act rowdy and like an asshole. I would hope people would not behave that way. I want to think that people who visit this site will live according to that creed, but I can’t control what people do.

My only specific concern is that websites like this and magazines like WNJ do bring a spotlight that makes it more difficult from a security perspective. I’m sure that when a particular site that isn’t fully abandoned is mentioned in WNJ, the security pays attention a little more because they know that the fans will likely be out there combing the area. My only thought on that is that while that’s problematic, if it’s got security then you’re not supposed to be there anyway so you’ve got no right to bitch, ya know? We don’t have a right to UE. And often security is there to keep out because the conditions aren’t safe.

Critics will mention things like the burning of the Dutch church. Demon’s Alley has had three separate incidents of arson. These are extreme examples of highly illegal behavior. No one condones that, and no one should have to put up with that. Those people belong in jail. Do I blame WNJ? No. Anyone willing to do that sort of thing would be committing illegal acts with or without WNJ and sites like this.

DO YOU CONDONE TRESPASSING?

Absolutely not. This site is for enjoyment and educational purposely only. In other words, it’s here for you to look at and enjoy.. This site doesn’t encourage you to go to any of the places features here. This site doesn’t encourage you to go where you don’t belong. About the only thing I encourage you to do is to visit the forums or sign up for my mailing list.

IF I HAVE INFO ABOUT SOMETHING ON YOUR SITE, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Best thing to do is to respond right in the blog or if you want to be more discreet, email me. You may also join our forums.

WHAT IS GPS?
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. I think it’s best to let the experts explain it. If you still don’t understand what GPS is, then this should help: You know those navigation systems for your cars? They use GPS to tell your car where it is on the road. I use a hand held portable version of the same technology, as do other geocachers. I originally used a Magellan 330, then a Garmin Deluxe V, and currently a Garmin 60C because it gives turn by turn directions which should allow me to get to remote places much faster & with less u-turns. I’ve had for 2 years and am ready for an upgrade.

DO I POLICE THE FORUMS?

I do when neccesary. As a matter of law, courts have held that the owners of a forum or message board are not responsible for the things that people post there. there are some notable exceptions, but thats generally how it works. I am not of a mind to get involved in disputes. if something turns into a flame war (which has never happened, knock on word) I( may shut down the conversation. If someone is posting racist or sexist things I will step in, but aside from that I’m of mind to leave things alone. People have the right to express their views, even unpopular ones. I’ve very anti-censorship so… I’m loathe to step in unless absolutely neccesary. I will if I have to though.

WHAT IF SOMEONE POSTS PRETENDING TO BE ME?

//deep sigh

First off there are lots of people with the same name and the same or similar username. Thats why you may want to use the email bubbahotep@aol.com and you can’t because 15 other people had the same idea. So just because someone posts and the username they give is similar to you, it doesn’t mean it’s someone pretending to be you. It might. My first suggestion is to get your panties out of a bunch. Most likely it isn’t. Let’s say it is though. My second suggestion is you fill out aninternet butthurt form here. Lots of people say things on the internet that are rude, nasty and hurtful. Ever hear of 4chan? or Fark? or reddit? or Digg? Those places can be rough. and you don’t see people whining about it. If it truly is a flame war, I’ll put a stop to it. If someone is threatening someone, yeah that’s got to stop. if someone is “pretending to be you” then you better be prepared to prove you’re… You. I have no idea who is the real John Smith, and who isn’t and I’m not interested in trying to sort it out. And I’m not obligated to. Besides, do you think anyone is going to pay attention to something silly someone schmuck said in a web post? Maybe on your FB page… but not something anyone says here. So take a deep breath and get over it.