Portal is unreachable due to being in a high security area
Flying Arches
29.674332017824888,-94.9658203125
Houston, Texas
USA
This portal is a free trade zone and because of that is always under lock down. The only players to be able to get to it are spoofers who keep getting banned. It was taken by a spoofer last month and the one player who supposedly can get to it, had to get Niantic to reinstate it and put pink shields on it. Another spoofer, DirtyDeee, got banned for putting multihacks on it.
My screenshot from jibsailjohn, the only player who can supposedly reach it, explains that it’s a free trade zone and can’t be reached. Even in the portal description it says that it was a cruise ship port and has been closed since 2016.
And once again a spoofer hit the portal and he’ll have to appeal to Niantic to reinstate the portal being further proof he can’t reach it.
Comments
Wayspots do not need to be accessible to everyone. Limited and restricted access Wayspots are permitted so long as they have safe pedestrian access by someone. People who work at this auto warehouse has access and it doesn't appear that loitering in the area will interfere with the warehouse's operation.
I agree with that except the fact that the guy that works there can’t even get to it. He has to have Niantic restore it whenever it’s taken down. So if he doesn’t have access then no one has access.
Well isn't it a great opportunity to bust spoofers? Perhaps you might want to keep it for that purpose :D
Google maps says the building is owned by Auto Warehousing Company. Their website confirms that they own the site. There is even a promo video of the site in action, clearly showing the walkway roof that is the portal. It shows the inside of the building including reception and offices. So unless using the covered path from the building to the carpark is for some reason forbidden to any and all employees/clients/visitors, the idea that no one can reach the portal is utter gubbins.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=2mUqfR323Fs
Except, that youtube video is three years old based on the date it was uploaded. So really, all it proves is that the facility was accessible back then.
If the portal's original owner can't re-capture it, and has to appeal to Niantic to restore his ownership, then who knows if that facility is even in operation anymore?
Plus, the fact that the old portal owner is so certain that "Echteli" could not have reached it legitimately adds to the likelihood the facility might not be operating. How else could the original owner be so certain that "Echteli" isn't an account belonging to someone else who works there?
The Wayspot is an architectural element that, afawk, still exists. So long as it continues to exist and it doesn't interfere with the facilities operations, it is still valid. The fact that the facility may not be in operation anymore doesn't render the Wayspot invalid. Anyone who is authorized to access the facility can access the Wayspot.
I may not be explaining this very well, sorry, but FTZs are a bit weird cuz they're owned by US Customs and Border Patrol.
"Qualified public or private corporations that may operate the facilities themselves or contract for the operation sponsors foreign-trade zones."
If the business that has been operating inside an FTZ suspends their operation (either temporarily or permanently, I imagine), the site reverts back to complete control by the US CBP. So, no one would be entering or exiting the zone for business purposes. Like the OP said, the building and the entire area surrounding it are literally locked down when not in use.
(Link to website I quoted:)
https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/cargo-security/cargo-control/foreign-trade-zones/about
Which isn't grounds for removal. US CBP has access to the site and can access the Wayspot. What "no pedestrian access" means is that there is no physical or safe pedestrian access to the location. Just because you are not allowed to be there. This object is part of a building. It has access when the building is in operation. Just because you cannot get permission to be there doesn't meet the object doesn't have pedestrian access.
Yes I believe that CBP guards the entry/perimeter, but I don't think either of us knows for certain whether or not any officers go in and out of the building. (And based on Google Maps satellite view, the building sits pretty far back from the perimeter.)
You keep missing the point (or are just deliberately ignore it). It is still accessable to those with authorization. Just because it requires authorization doesn't mean it lacks pedestrian access.
Ha, that facility isn't a FTZ after all, so there is no US CBP presence. I guess the portal owner is either confused or...trying to cry wolf?
Could be that he/she used to work there and has a shed load of keys replicating but can't get there anymore. So perpetuating this FTZ myth allowed him/her to get Niantic to switch the portal back when it was taken.
I found satellite shots from earlier this year that show the sites carpark full of cars. The site is listed on Care Warhousing Company website as one their sites.
Anyway, @TheFarix-PGO is right. I can't think of anywhere that has safe pedestrian access that absolutely no one can ever go to.
@JohnnyAlphaCZ-ING @ExCon92-ING
@JohnnyAlphaCZ-ING oh...you wouldn't believe the amount of keys that have been made for this one spot! Perhaps @ExCon92-ING could give a better estimate, but the number of total keys produced must be in the hundreds by know. right before this "Echteli" agent took it down, the portal had about 70 links going into it this time.
whoops! sorry for the duplicate posts!
The portal should have never been approved to begin with. Its just a bit of shade in a parking lot, there is nothing about it that would satisfy the criteria for a portal. Not really what anyone has in mind as "unique architecture". At one time it was a publicly accessible cruise terminal and one could have made the case it was valid for being a transportation hub but that was many years ago.
"Should never have been approved" is not grounds for removal thought. After a Wayspot has been approved, it must meet the criteria for removal before Niantic removes it from the map.
@TheFarix-PGO okay, it's all good, the horse is for sure dead now! besides @Fiercepancake-ING knows all about portal grandfathering.
what's become REALLY interesting is @JohnnyAlphaCZ-ING's theory about perpetuating the myth it's a FTZ in order to cry "spoofer" to Niantic. Especially since we found out Echteli's agent profile has a few event badges from last year, and that isn't what a spoofer's profile usually looks like at all.
jibsailjohn can access it, but depends on when a ship is on dock.
Also it’s a bit hypocritical when you make a post about an inaccessible portal when you falsely submitted one of your own at the airport. Not only that but you even had your buddies submit a fake photosphere for said location. Unlike your “secure” portal ours is actually in the right location.
Lastly the only reason you want the portal removed is because it is the primary anchor to our field, otherwise you wouldn’t bat an eye.
First off, it’s not true that Jibsailjohn cannot access it. He can. Secondly, it is absolutely HILARIOUS that the original poster of this message has placed his OWN portal in an inaccessible area THAT IS NOT EVEN THERE!! That right there is pretty funny.
@Arrogator-ING he is just big mads because he can’t win trade with his buddy or intentionally block our field anymore.
And just because we have Niantic reset portals when your team spoofs then down, doesn’t mean jibsailjohn can’t get in there. In fact recently he DID take the portal back before it was reset.
Please folks, stay focus on whether or not the Wayspot meets the removal criteria. (With current evidence, it does not.) Comments about who is spoofing to the location are completely irrelevant.
Exactly.
The current evidence is that is does meet criteria. I was merely correcting the record. The agent is projecting...not truth, but lies. He can get in there. It is as valid a portal as any inside the Exxon Campus nearby, or any portal inside a military facility.
Appeal Denied - Thanks for the appeal, Agent. We took another look at the Portal in question and decided that it does not meet our criteria for removal at this time.
@NianticGiffard thank you for taking a look!
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Thank you for your time