so, I've yet to try this but I do go to a very large university so I have my suspicions that there might be some tunnels around here somwhere. Any advice? tips? thoughts?
I don't have any practical advice, but if you're fascinated by tunnels under stuff in general, I recommend Neal Stephenson's The Big U. Obviously, it features a university with lots of underground stuff.
I've heard there are steam tunnles under my university too. It's supposed to be dangerous, so I haven't been particularly motivated to try and find them. One day, I suppose...
>>1
For general urban exploration stuff you might want to check out http://www.infiltration.org/. It's a good zine that deals with these sorts of things.
If you live in or near NYC, you have one of the most expansive urban exploration locales at your disposal. The subway system in your backyard; tunnels, abandoned stations, graffiti relics, and extremely accessible. Get a friend, get off at a low-key sparsely populated stop, make sure there's numerous tracks in the tunnel so you don't get hit by a train, look around to make sure no one is watching, and just walk in. I've only done it once, but it was really amazing, the tunnel I went into had another unused tunnel underneath, as well as a small passageway that led elsewhere (which I didn't enter because the water went up to my shins, and it was a little too dark.), luckily we didn't even have to exit back through the station, there was a ladder which led to the street above via open pothole. (Doing this in the daytime afforded me the pleasures of seeing peoples bewildered/suspicious/timid looks as we exited the tunnel.)
http://www.uer.ca is pretty good, if only for its location database.
>>4
and i'm not sure infiltration updates anymore since Ninj died.
>>1
Are we really talking about actual tunnels or the type that get you through firewalls for downloading in college
>>1
It's not hard, really. You know those more-or-less unmarked doors that you see the Facilities people going in and out of from time to time? The ones on the bottom floor and/or basement? Try them at night, they might be unlocked, or try to go in when they leave them open (happens more than you'd expect). Worst case, you'll get chased out by the facilites people because they can't really have you there (insurance)
If your school provides floor plans, look at those too.
My school has tunnels but they've been closed for 10+ years, due to "safety" (legal) concerns. It kind of sucks, because when they were open, people would make amazing murals with them like a painted Twister board and an illustration from Jabberwocky.
>>5
Werent you frightened to get killed or at least robbed in the tunnels? I mean who do you expect to meet down there? The mole people arent amused by strangers everyone knows it!
The only interesting tunnels I know are the ones of the castles around here.
>>11 that's what I was thinking... tunnels would be scary. I once got lost in my school's geology department, which is half underground. I walked in the building from the first floor and ended up 2 stories underground and feeling claustrophobic. I couldn't find my wait back out, it was kind of embarrassing. I ended up finding the maths department and getting out that way!
So what about if you're an alumni student but still have your ID card, think it'd be safe to go adventuring in such tunnels? I've heard my old college even has a fallout shelter somewhere, i'm interested in going and looking for it. I just don't want to get caught.
Also, where around the L.A. area would be good to explore? The metro rail tunnels might be interesting during nonoperation hours but not sure how safe that would be. Sadly I got banned from exploring the building I work in, 'cause one of my idiot coworkers got caught sitting on the edge of the roof [12 stories up.]
>>11
Number 5 here. I was certainly frightened, but I was prepared. I made sure to read as many NYC urban exploration sites as possible, and I talked to a few people on a graffiti message board (graffiti writers enter tunnels on a regular basis to paint tags). If you have your head on straight and know exactly what to do, it's almost impossible to get hit by a train. That's where the multiple tracks come in, trains can be seen and heard pretty far in the distance, so you just move to another track. There's also a large space inbetween tracks with enough clearance that you can stand in. Standing a few inches away from a roaring train at ground level as it speeds past you is kind of a euphoric feeling. As far as the third rail goes, in the NYC subway systems, the third rail is covered by a large wooden plank that you can stand on.
When I was in the tunnel, I didn't encounter any homeless people which is surprising considering there was an abandoned tunnel underneath.
Anyway, me and a friend are talking about taking another trip to a tunnel that houses an abandoned train station, after finals are over.
>>13
"The metro rail tunnels might be interesting during nonoperation hours"
They might not carry passengers during that time, but you can always encounter trains going to their yards, new drivers practising for their train-drivers-license (whatever that is really called) and especially those machines that clean the rails are around at that time. I have encountered all of those before :)
In my home town there is sweral miles om tunnel systems under the city. it's from back in the days when the psychic ward was connected with the diffrent hospitals arounf in the city.
the psychic ward had to shut down becouse of diffrent in human working teorys and tortyre* son now all the tunnles a blocked with brickwalls, i have been looking for an door or a hatch in to the tunnels, but the last time me and my friends tryed to break in the psychic ward 2 dog patrols came and huntedes around the property so i really dont wanna mess with them again.
and man it has to be ghost there, a lot of patients have died there under the years.