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Urban exploration, '''urbex''' or '''UE''', is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as ''Infiltration,'' although some people consider Infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or inhabited sites. In the USA, it may also be referred to as "draining" (when exploring drains) "urban spelunking", and "urban caving." Targets of exploration UE can further be separated into subcategories. Urban explorers do any or all of these things, but often specialize on one or two. Abandonments Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of UE. Abandoned sites are generally entered first by locals, and often sport large amounts of Graffiti and other vandalism. Explorers face various risks in abandoned structures including collapsing roofs and floors, broken glass, guard dogs, the presence of chemicals and other harmful substances, most notably, asbestos. Some explorers wear respirators to protect airways. Exploration targets vary from one country to another, but some of the more popular or high-profile abandonments include Grain Elevator s, Missile Silo s, Hospital s, Lunatic Asylum s, and Sanatorium s. Most, if not all explorers of abandonments find the decay of inhabited spaces to be beautiful; many of these explorers are also photographers. Some abandonments are heavily guarded with motion sensors and active security. Others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery. Abandonments are also popular among history buffs, ' Urban Archaeologists ,' ' Ghosthunters ' and fans of Graffiti art. Tunnels Active Tunnel s include steam (such as those found under large building complexes with a central boiler), electricity, telephone, water, and other utility tunnels; Subway or underground railway and other transit tunnels; and stormwater or sanitary Sewer s. Utility tunnels Universities and other large institutions (such as hospitals) often distribute steam for heating buildings from a central heating plant (Boiler House). These steam ducts are generally run through tunnels, which are often accessible to humans for the purposes of maintenance. North American Universities that have steam tunnels often also have a tradition of steam tunnel exploration by students. This was once called Vadding at MIT , though students there now refer to it as Roof And Tunnel Hacking . Steam tunnels in general have been getting more secure in recent years, due to their use for carrying network backbones and perceived risk of their use in terrorist activities, safety and liability. Sewers and storm drains Entry into Storm Drain s, or ''draining'', is another common form of UE. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the Cave Clan in Australia . Draining has a specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains." A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean feature. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore. Transit tunnels The penalties for getting caught in subway/underground railway tunnels are some of the strictest involved in this hobby. As a result, subway exploration is usually the least publicised type of exploration. New York City and Toronto probably have the largest number of subway explorers, although others exist in most major European cities, including London and Moscow . Active buildings Another aspect of urban exploration is the practice of exploring active or ''in use'' buildings. This includes seeing secured or member-only areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, and other normally unseen parts of such buildings. Ethics Most urban explorers understand the potential risks of Trespassing , and what they face if caught. However, the crime is generally seen as a means to an end, rather than the focal point of the hobby. Urban explorers tend to adhere to a basic code of ethical practices, out of respect for the locations they visit, as well as for the sake of other explorers who may want to visit later. However, the hobby is ultimately an unstructured one, and there are rarely two explorers with the same views on ethics. The idea behind these ethical practices is to leave buildings in the same state that they were in before they were visited. The common, but not always entirely accurate catchphrase for this ethical standpoint is the , Tagging , Graffiti , and any other crime except for trespassing. Exceptions to these rules do exist. Graffiti in drains is sometimes condoned or encouraged in some circles, as long as Speleothems and other features aren't damaged. Drainers may use it to indicate how far down the drain a given explorer has been. Some explorers remove items from abandoned sites, to preserve them or to keep as Souvenir s. Some above-ground explorers also don't mind breaking doors to get into sites, while other explorers frown on it. Many locations contain a small area reserved for leaving tags, known as a ''guest book''. These vary from actual books to blackboards to pieces of scrap metal or wood, or even the dust on an old piece of machinery. Many explorers choose to leave their mark non-permanently, although permanent (paint) guestbooks are equally as common. Rarely, employee guestbooks will be found, made before the business in question closed. In the media Television
Books Many excellent urban exploration books are available, including:
The following two photography books by Chilean-born, New York–based photographer and documentarian Camilo José Vergara are not explicitly about urban exploration, but Mr. Vergara uses many of the same techniques as urban explorers to gain access to the abandoned buildings which he photographs to document their decay.
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