Problems with the natives

[DNA81]

Just curious to know if anyone has had any problems with people they have met during an exploration. I can't even tell you how many times I have ran into some dudes who are rollin twenty deep so they think they're tough. It kind of sucks to have to deal with cops, security and punks. I would hate to get caught by the cops with it but some places at some times it is safer to bring protection. It sucks but it is what it is.

[Zombie Warfare]

Protection? You mean like a Trojan Magnum, or a Colt Python .357? ^_~

[DNA81]

.45 ACP. You gotta be careful don't think for a second that someone won't try to rob you for some infrared goggles or a $900 digital camera you know what I mean. I know it sounds bad but that is the harsh truth.

[Prometheus]

friggen' dog lady next to dever's power plant... damn bitch ratted us out.

[Megster]

You've all heard my stories about the psychos who have nothing better to do than harrass harmless explorers like us.  And when I say harmless, I mean mostly harmless...

...the truth is we could fuck up almost anyone...just run them over! lol

[urbanexplorer]

can of pepper spray is with me on all my explorations and i wish i could take the ruger .45 acp with the 230 grain hydro-shocks 1 shot will solve whatever there problem is!!

[dudemcrude]

I'm rarely packing anything.  I don't own a gun at all.  I first started when I was around 14, and at that point I felt it necessary to bring a baseball bat with me (carried in the space between my back and backpack for easy use) considering the likelihood of running into disgruntled transients in the places I was checking out in New Bedford and Taunton. 

After that, I would occasionally have a box cutter on me, but not really for protection.  These days I carry no protection at all, with one caveat, and kind of a big one- I'm more interested in nature and wildlife than I am in UE, so a good percentage (probably about 50%) of my UE is done while I'm on my way to or in the process of exploring new terrain for animals.  If this is the case, I often have an 18 inch machete and hatchet that I make use of while exploring swamps and thick underbrush.

I generally feel somewhat comfortable while exploring.  I also feel that any slight moments of hesitation are natural and shouldn't be hindered by the false sense of security that weapons might give you.  I'm also 5'10" and 225lbs., and while I'm a strong guy with very good fighting instincts and ability, that in itself doesn't make me comfortable- what makes me comfortable is that I realize that most troublemakers would avoid me simply by rationalizing that I'd be too much trouble to be worth whatever they'd want to bother me about.  It's a risk/reward kind of thing, and I'd be too high of a risk to be worth the relatively light payout I'd offer with my scant equipment.

EDIT: I should point out I've never been bothered by cops or troublemakers.  One time in New Bedford, a cop was leaving an abandoned house while I was entering it about 2AM.  He basically told me that he couldn't let me in, but he didn't care if I came back during daylight hours.  I went back around 4:30 or 5AM.  He was pretty cool about the whole thing, most of my experiences with cops have been pleasant, the key word, of course, being most. 

Another time in Taunton, I brought a few friends to check out New Jersey Rubber (pics up soon) and they were working on a complex directly across from it and they told us we couldn't go in.  We were disappointed, but I didn't really mind.  I've been back since, although I doubt I'll go back again considering how much more of the roof had caved in when I was there in November of 2004 compared to earlier times I'd been there.  Plus, the asbestos isn't good for me.