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Pennhurst State School | | | Forgotten | ![]() |
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Pennhurst State School | | | Forgotten | ![]() |
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NO THEFT
Action Squad is not about profit. While on a mission, we frequently come into contact with power tools, laptop computers, and other expensive and easy to carry equipment. In seven years of Action Squadding, we have never stolen such an item.
Why is this important?
1) Theft obscures and dilutes the purely adventurous spirit of true Action Squadding.
2) Stealing on Action Squads would cause us to experience far greater penalties if we
were ever apprehended.
3) Thefts would result in increased security, making return trips impossible or ill-advised.
NO VANDALISM
Action Squad does not tolerate destruction of property. Smashing things, arson, sabotage, and graffiti are all banned activities while along on an Action Squad. This rule is vital for the same reasons as the anti-theft rule.
RETURN THINGS TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONDITION
There's a theme emerging here, yes?
AVOID BACKTRACKING
This rule has a less practical justification. Quite simply, you've already been behind you. Leaving an Action Squad by simply retracing your steps is boring! So seek an exit other than the way you entered whenever possible.
KEEP LIGHTS TO A MINIMUM
The primary reason for this is to minimize the chances of getting caught due to someone catching a flash of light peeking out of a dead factory window or out of a steam tunnel vent, etc, but hell, it's also more fun to explore when the whole place you're exploring isn't lit up like a doctor's office.
NO DRINKING
We climb the sides of buildings, descend ladders hundreds of feet into tunnels, and balance along high up ledges. It's hard enough to do this sober. We don't want people to be drinking before or during an Action Squad because we don't want to have to haul your pickled corpse all the way to civilization, and would rather not have to explain how you died to the authorities.
It's also no fun when someone has been drinking and they don't tell you about it, and then they crash an electric steam tunnel car into your knees and pin you to a pipe because they hit the wrong pedal. Trust me on this one.
He is hooked on "trophies"....sad...
Why can't a photo be the only trophy needed? Retorical question. People, and I use the term loosely when referring to this kind of mind-set, can be completly selfish and greedy. Which, in turn, just blows the whole thing for the rest of us.
Bah ...
...wash your hands...
The time will come when the spirit follows.....just wait.....you'll see
dont be such a bunch of idiots... the place was left to rot, if he finds something before you do, it's your loss, his gain.
as far as him spraypainting .... let him. he got there before you, and if you have any brains, you'll notice his marks all lead in, around and back out of the places. much like a good tracker marks his trail / path, to find his way out.
maybe some of you over pretentious children could take some lessons from the " old man"
And what is with a 63 year old grafitti "artist"?
I doubt anyone would be impressed if someone walked into their home, picked up their tv and walked out with it. If they said to you "Sorry mate, thought the house was abandoned..." would you accept it? No.
These buildings still belong to people. As do the contents.
And grafitti sucks. The devil makes work for idle hands.
Moronic taggers.
Plus walls are not for writting....paper is. I guess their mommy's let them write on the walls of their house....so they think its ok to do it to everyones house.
NOT!!
I have worked at many different institutions, two of which have subsequently shut down and I was aware they were closing when I left. There is always stuff leftover everywhere, but every time I leave I don't take so much as a pencil with me. It's called "stealing." It's old-fashioned, I know - so sue me for having an over-developed conscience.
At the same time, and assuming you don't have a conscience about that sort of stuff, when the property belongs to someone else and you are trespassing, people get a little wonky, worrying you could get hurt and they could get sued (for you voluntarily putting your silly self on their property illegally - go figure). However, as soon as you (or me or anyone) starts removing items, defacing the property, setting fires, and/or publicizing where these places are, the owners stop making it so "easy" for people to get in. Sure it's just a little trinket and souvenir to you. To the people who own these places it's one more reason to step up security and then no one gets to see anything any more. If you can't think of it as stealing, think of it as you are personally making it harder for the rest of us to get to see these places.
I could be wrong, but it is my understanding that landfills are public domain, in which case you aren't stealing when you remove something. There is an extremely large difference between removing something from public domain and trespassing onto someone's personal property and removing items that you may want. Hypocrisy is where it's OK if you steal from some place because you haven't had a face to face with the owner, but you wouldn't steal from somewhere that is "active". If someone wants to trash whatever they have purchased, it is legal in this country, best as I can tell, and even if you and I think it's a doggone shame, it's still the law. And heck, even if it isn't "the law" most of us still know what is right and what is wrong, and calling other people "hypocrites" doesn't give you any better rationale or "purer reason" for stealing someone else's property.
End of soapbox rant.
Phantom you are a ass. Those people suffered.. and you laugh and make jokes.... you are the joke.
P.S. If this is flaming, I plead guilty.
YEAH, RIGHT !!!
Who was the bozo who never heard of a dictionary ?
Signed: An American Soldier in Germany.
As an adult, rather, even as a man who has lived for much longer than many of us here have, what do you think gives you the right to act with such immaturity? The site, as do the multiple sites for exploration throughout the world, does not belong to you alone, but to the public, to the many who seek to explore it. It, in essence, is a place that belongs to all and, regardless of "the og urban explorer" and "Vale"s opinions (though they may be entitled to them as much as any of us are ours), is not to be subjected to such ill treatment as would be inflicted by those ignorant (or arrogant) enough to deem themselves above the common practice of decency in these locations.
Although they may be abandoned, these sites demand a certain degree of respect for the people how have served or suffered there as well as the events that have taken place there. By being abandoned, it doesn't give you the divine right to take whatever you may please from these buildings; that right belongs to no one but the authorities to whom the land is owned by (government or private, to be perfectly legal). You are there illegally, you are in that sense a "guest" on the property and should thereby abide by the code laid out for urban explorers instead of acting like an ill mannered two year old in a man's body. The idea is to preserve these places for as long as we possibly can, to ensure they can be viewed by urban explorers in the future... this ideal can not be realized if people such as yourself decide they are above the law, steal such items and use vandalism to mar the locations so many people venture year after year to experience.
This being said, I sincerely hope you stop this obscene practice of theft and vandalism... It is unbecoming and dreadful to hear of, especially in a person that should have the wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong.
Please, either consider this and change your ways or stay away from these sites completely. We want to see them as they should be seen, untainted by the general stupidity of those who have not the intelligence to comprehend the damage their collective actions cause...
Just remember taking things leaves nothing for the next urban explorer looking for history and a beautiful photo.
I was just recently to Pennhurst and it is still empty. The halls are filled with the history of the torture that happened in this place.
Roland Johnson wrote his first hand experience of the terror he faced as a young boy. Read it, it will bring new respect to Pennhurst and relief we were never a patient. Google Roland Johnson and the article will come up. After Pennhurst he went on to become a Speaker of Special Needs and Disabled peoples. He is a great man and brought a postive turn around out of such a horrible experience.
I know some of these comments are very old but the police patrol the ground so you dont get hurt. The buildings have espestos in them. Several of the buildings are beginning to fall down also. So be careful in Pennhurst land and keep a keen ear.
You are a tagger right? taggers have a code. You do not mess with another guys tag. You respect it. How is it you can be a tagger, and an explorer and have no respect for the groups you claim to be a part of through your words and deeds?
Come on man, seriously. Just leave these places intact. Leave the graffiti for the kids. In a sense in my opinion you are no better than a vandal who smashes the windows because you are destroying something.
Is graffiti an art? To some sure, but you are working on a canvass that we all own and frankly I think we owe it to EACH OTHER to keep it clean. Because in THIS case the canvas is much more beautiful than any work of art you could place on top of it.
Vandalism IS a different story, however...no matter how abandoned, there's no reason to draw pictures on walls that have history.
I take small tokens from places that I've investigated just to remind myself of those experiences.
And....COME ON!!! Someone turned a suction machine into a LAMP. How cool is that?
For the acts he does, it's a form of revenge for him for the abuse. Untill you have suffered severly, you don't know what someone might do. No, I do not approve of taking of items or setting fires, but I wanted to stat something that seems to be showing but no one noticed. You heard the saying, "takes one to know one", well, I'm speaking by that saying. I'm bipolar and seeing what phamton is saying, I say he is also bipolar.
take pictures to share.
There is an active group trying to rally support for it's preservation. The group has gone to such lengths as to conduct feasability studies and everything. Find them here: http://www.preservepen...om/default.aspx?pg=6
Also, Pennhurst never actually housed people with mental illnesses, just people with mental and developmental disabilities.
You truly know nothing about respect. Even if it is abandoned and with time it's collapsed and has been rotting, I'm sure if you were to live in a dear home of yours that you left, you woulnd't want anyone snooping and taking from you even if you abandoned that home. Why? Simply this, although you see financial value and profit and so call "fame" for tagging and taking from this place, the true value is what that objects been through. Stealing this suction machine is like me taking ashes from a cremation chamber from Auschwitz and being proud of possesing the remains of a victim of the endless flames.That suction machine has removed quite a bit of mucus and other things since that's their purpose. But from what I'm aware, these things can choke you if you mistreat them. Show some respect and dignity towards those that suffered here. You probally won't consider what people say, if you have the attitude to steal and be proud of it, may you one day find you stole form yourself the best gifts of all: Grace and peace.
May pennhurst be preserved, and Motts, I really appreciate your shots. It truly is art, and I don't only see sadness in these shots, but the lesson of anguish and learning.
http://www.pennhurstasylum.com/
stealing things iswrong
todo it doent matter how you are