Urban Infrastructure Explorer Explains How His Fake Credentials Turned Into a Real Organization

In the latest episode of Seeker Stories, San Francisco entrepreneur and urban explorer Tim Hwang explained how he used to gain access to restricted areas by faking his credentials. Those fake credentials, however, turned into the very real community-based exploration group called Bay Area Infrastructure Observatory (BAIO), where, as he jokingly explains, he serves as Deputy Director.

A big organization, it’s not just numbers, there has to be people who actually have offices with mahogany desks and lots of people reporting to them and that kind of thing…But you have to know with organizations that the president never calls you, right? If it’s an important enough organization, it’s always got to be his assistant, so my official title is Deputy Director; there currently is no director. …I think it’s very much just about, ‘Hey, these places are really cool. It’d be great to learn more about them and it’s weird that we don’t know more about them.

Had a ton of fun doing this piece with @seeker about @InfraObserve, and a recent trip to the top of Sutro Tower: https://t.co/w0N0J6RnTG

— Tim Hwang (@timhwang) February 25, 2016