This might be from 2007, but I only just found it. And since I recently bought the Safehouses pdf, I'm thinking, this is making a Safehouse like a Fraggin Boss!

http://consumerist.com/2007/10/03/man-buil...for-four-years/

Man Builds Secret Apartment At Mall, Gets Away With It For Four Years

By cwaltersOctober 3, 2007


An artist in Providence, Rhode Island was apprehended the other day by mall security as he left the secret apartment he’d built almost four years ago, in an unused utility space in the mall’s parking garage. The apartment had no running water (they used mall bathrooms), but it did include “a sectional sofa and love seat, coffee and breakfast tables, chairs, lamps, rugs, paintings, a hutch filled with china, a waffle iron, TV and Sony Playstation 2,” according to the Boston Globe.

The man built the apartment with the help of seven other artists, and various people have lived in it over the past few years for up to three weeks at a time. The artist’s website about the project offers both an explanation of the “installation,” and a couple of long-winded apologies that sound suspiciously court-ordered—or to help him avoid getting the crap beat out of him the next time he’s pulled over for speeding, and includes this “thank you”:


Thank you mall. I have grown exponentially from having this opportunity and it has been a major and most valuable part of my life and imagination. In the future I hope to share some of my experiences and observations with a wider audience and can only say that living in the mall is great. I am saddened that I am not allowed to ever return to the mall again, but I understand. The mall made me think very carefully about what we buy.

And people question if I did my research or not.

Whore. I'm gonna have to start charging you an advertizing fee... Wait, if you're a whore, will that make me a pimp?

Nice idea!

I personally like Shipping Containers built into hideouts, esp. in Port Cities.

He's only a whore if he gets paid.

Otherwise he's a slut.



Shipping containers have been structural components for houses for a while now.

First I heard about containers as housing was when sthey started building kinda student dorms off them here in Europe (like this one).

There's some other cool examples on that page too.

Ah yes, a much better example.
But yes.

I haven't been paid for Safehouses since it came out, so... Slut?

That means that if I was charged for advertising the books I've written/involved with, that would make Redjack a Bunraku Parlor Owner. The nasty type, too.

That is just awesome.

I thought he was pimping the product? So I really don't know what that would make you.

Ah... Then each post is like you using a room to display your goods, so regardless of whether or not you get paid, you are still using the room; I get paid either way! Don't make me send in two hard hitting kyoudai down to discuss payment!

Dumpshock - where you can have a semi-civilised conversation on the differences between a slut and a whore.

and of course discuss strategic meta-pimping of products and respective authors. Shall we put together a sales and marketing workshop on how to model prostitution rackets into game publishing vendors? Ah wait, it is already done, with the core principle being exploitation.

back on topic, yet related:

I have found brothels to be a great "front" for safe houses in Shadorun games. Ususally they already have some sort of security and it is quite inconspicious. And the Joygirls and -boys sure won't mind making some nuyen on the side without having to take their clothes of.

Brothels have a long history of hiding those who don't wish to be found in every civilization. Religious buildings as well, not only with concepts like Sanctuary, but also monastics "hiding" people from the world (they essentially hid themselves much of the time anyway!), or religious communities taking in "converts".

It's really kind of amazing what can serve as a bolthole. People have hidden out on military bases, inside police and fire stations, in hospitals and airports, in museums and opera houses, all sorts of places. And you'd be surprised how comfortably you can live in some of these places to boot.

That said, the most important thing about a safehouse is who knows about it and who makes it possible to live there. The human element can make or break a hiding place, and is really the key factor in remaining successfully hidden.

~Umi

And tying things back into the original post, there's a fair amount of variety in terms of the underground and urban ruins, if you feel like roughing it.

Some reference materials, for the curious.

~Umi

TBH it's a recycled joke from a kid I knew at college (I was on my last year, he was a freshman). He (and a friend of his) referred to himself as a "man whore." He was pretty gay and did have a personality that was...of the 'proposition for sex'-ish type, so it was not an inaccurate statement. And I (or it could have been one of mine long time friends, memory is a little fuzzy as to who did it first) politely asked, "Oh, so you get paid for it?" to which he said no, and I said, "In which case, you're a slut. Whores get paid for their services."

The conversation happened a fair number of times over the months that I knew him.

Russian police uncover subterranean migrant city

Russian police have uncovered an underground city hidden beneath a Moscow market.

The series of subterranean rooms housed over 200 illegal migrants from Asia.

The city contained a factory complete with sewing machines and tables where the illegal migrants were kept to sew clothes.

The underground complex was also equipped with a market, cafe, cinema and casino.

It is not the first time Moscow’s Federal Migration Service have discovered a clandestine factory in 2011 a similar settlement was found in an abandoned Soviet-era bomb shelter.

Secret mancaves found in warehouse leased by the EPA

Decent place to lay low.

But Russia is in Asia....

Uhm ... not entirely, no. Just like Turkey.

More importantly, even though Russia is in Asia, not everyone in Asia is from Russia. If these workers didn't all conveniently come from a single place, stating that they all came from Asia in general is perfectly fine.

~Umi

AND not all of Russia is in Asia ... if I remember my Geography lessons from 20 years ago right

I think many people consider Russia culturally European, and hence distinguish it as such on a more general level.

~Umi

BIG mistake. They actually have VERY different cultural values and outlooks.

Not compared to... say... Eastern Europe.

~Umi

My response: Argumentum Ad Berlin Wall. Politically and militarily dominated areas will experience a homogenizing effect towards the dominating culture; possibly counteracted by significant regional/meteorological conditions, access to resources, etc.

Istanbul is not Constantinople.

Many people are rather superficial in grouping people and then call this "cultural" because other words are now considered bad words.

Keeping it on topic, government-owned property that isn't closely monitored is great for making safehouses out of. I know someone who's actually got a safehouse (never you mind where exactly) in a garage near some council flats. All he had to do was just put a new padlock on it! There wasn't a padlock there before, so the worst he could get done for is squatting. He's had it for about six years now!

On the topic of safehouses on not-closely-monitored government property, EPA contractors built several "Man Caves" in an EPA warehouse.

You've been ninja'd by a few days.

Yes, well... There's little shame in being defeated by a superior opponent, and it's hard to be anything but inferior to a

I bow my head in concession.

Just don't take your eyes off the opponent when you do so. That is how you get kicked in the head.

Learned that the EASY way in Martial Arts when I was a kid.

A Kaiser-type helmet fixes that real quick.

That would depend on the kick.

I understand it to be that lowering one's eyes is a sign of respect, and that you only hold eye contact as a challenge. Thus, two opponents going into a fight would maintain eye contact as a signal of their serious intent, but you'd always lower your eyes in respect when bowing to your sensei.

Even if you were about to spar, though, if your opponent lowers his eyes out of respect and you kick him in the head, that strikes me as extremely dishonorable.

~Umi

It differs from Japanese etiquette, yes, but some teach it that way.

'Round some parts they'd call it dishonorable, 'round others they'd call it bein' a low-down dirty no-good cheatin' varmint bastard, and 'round others still they'd refer to it as right unsporting. Either way, it means that people should not spar with that person, but should instead endeavor only to deliver a proper thrashing at any and all opportunities.

It was summed up as: "When facing an opponent, do not remove your eyes from his body. It is a sign of disrespect, as it shows you feel you can block any blow he sends your way by instinct." My Sensei was a woman, BTW, before people jump on me for word usage.

There were a few rules about respect in the Dojo pertaining to that. Another one was never have your hands clasped behind your back. Only one person was allowed to do that where I was taught, and the guy was the scary fast Sensei. Also, no leaning.

I found a loophole in that, if I didn't lean against anything: "I'm working on my balance." That got a gaped mouth and a few attempts at a rebuttal, then finally a "Smartass" and an acknowledgement that I was using my mind and training my body, so it was good. Of course, I was "randomly" chosen for demonstrations for the next three months.

*Sighs* I miss those days.

That's an interesting interpretation of lowered eyes. I personally wouldn't see it as arrogance, but as trust in the other person. I suppose different schools and different regions have different views on such things, though.

Of course, it depends on other details too. If someone is being insolent or mocking in the way they lower their gaze, I could see them getting smacked to induce humility, but one would think it's pretty obvious when broken eye contact is a sign of respect and when it's not.

~Umi

Not eye contact, just keeping your eyes on the body. Arms and legs mostly. Don't drop your gaze from the person. Not stare them straight in the eye while you bow.

Sorry, wasn't specific.

What's that old saying, "In God we trust, everyone else keep their hands where we can damned well see them"?

I'm fascinated by how humans have such "universal" body language. Where ever you go, empty hands and a lowered gaze means no threat, while hidden or full hands and a met gaze means danger or a challenge. Even bowing itself probably evolved from offering up one's neck, which we and most other mammals instinctively protect.

But speaking of martial arts and safehouses... *segue supreme*

Dojos and other martial schools also have a long history of sheltering people. It can be kind of hit-or-miss, depending on how much the school risks in hiding someone, but if nothing else belonging to a dojo offers you a pool of like-minded contacts to maybe set up a more private arrangement with.

~Umi

And you could do a lot worse than a building full of people trained to defend themselves with whatever is handy.

Hell, even a Gym run by someone could work as a "Safehouse". A lot of really built people with heavy, heavy weapons ready to be swung.

Camping out at a gun range as well with the owners permission.

The problem with all of these is that you're usually going to at least have to get the owner/manager's permission, and you'll be putting a Contact at risk depending on who is after you. If it's a small gang, NBD. If it's the Yaks, well, that's a different story.

Of course, if they have history with the group hunting you as well... Especially negative history...

"The Halloweeners are after you? Stay as long as you want, but you're kitchen slitch. I owe them for torching my car. With my wife and kids in it."

Just make sure he's really interested in vengeance rather than perhaps turning you over as a peace offering to them.