Guest JudgeMental Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 LordThornber - 2012-01-06 6:29 PM OK, go where you like that you think is safer, but sod the van on a retirement blow out holiday, (if that's what it is Mel). Go on a world cruise, is that safe enough for you guys? Good, cruise it is then :D Martyn I have done all 3 (not world cruise though, would rather fly) but for long stays again...S/E Asia unbeatable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 So just what is the attraction of going over to Spain in your camper? is it the sun, sea and sights and the sun bronzed body when you get back to the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 knight of the road - 2012-01-06 7:40 PM So just what is the attraction of going over to Spain in your camper? is it the sun, sea and sights and the sun bronzed body when you get back to the UK? Its about being able to wander around in shorts and tee shirts on the 5th January............We didn't need the fleeces but I did mine up to cover my belly :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 pelmetman - 2012-01-06 7:52 PM knight of the road - 2012-01-06 7:40 PM So just what is the attraction of going over to Spain in your camper? is it the sun, sea and sights and the sun bronzed body when you get back to the UK? Its about being able to wander around in shorts and tee shirts on the 5th January............We didn't need the fleeces but I did mine up to cover my belly :$ Oh you handsome looking cove, I can see what attracts Sue, but seriously having read all about the thieving going on over there it is a little off putting to me having to be on your guard at all times against bandido's, I'd sooner put up with our own home grown variety at least I will understand them when they say "your money or your life or your bald headed wife" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 We have had 23 Centigrade here in Benidorm today and the sun has shone continuously out of a bright blue sky. Having driven down here for the past 25 winters we have had a few incidents en route, but not so many to make it worth spending half the year in semi darkness splashing around in puddles. There are plenty of other routes to get down here avoiding large cities if you are nervous about being attacked. This problem is not to do with Spain, there are robbers living in cities everywhere, so hardly a week passes without a murder report in the British newspapers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Mel, do the world cruise. We have done it twice (different routes) , and will certainly do it again it is a great experience, you see so many different places that you would otherwise never visit. For motorhoming stick to staying on the aires in La Belle France, it can not be beaten!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 knight of the road - 2012-01-06 7:40 PM So just what is the attraction of going over to Spain in your camper? is it the sun, sea and sights and the sun bronzed body when you get back to the UK? Malc it beats a rust coloured body, just look back on some of your own recent posts about our weather, yes the weather plays a big part in why folk go there, but like some other posters say, you are probably safer over in Spain than here. ;-) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I have been abroad quite a few times in the past but found that bright sunlight hurt my eyes and the heat stressed me out, plus I burn easy, ideal weather for me is what i call T shirt weather, warm enough without a fleece, so you go where you are happiest, plus I must say I enjoy our greenery, think it would be awful to fall foul of scumbags like BG did, hope he has recovered now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 knight of the road - 2012-01-07 12:38 AM I have been abroad quite a few times in the past but found that bright sunlight hurt my eyes and the heat stressed me out, plus I burn easy, ideal weather for me is what i call T shirt weather, warm enough without a fleece, so you go where you are happiest, plus I must say I enjoy our greenery, think it would be awful to fall foul of scumbags like BG did, hope he has recovered now. As you say Malcolm its horses for courses, we are here for the winter sun, and would'nt venture anywhere South of Blighty in high summer. Must admit the arthritus in my ankle that nearly crippled me before Christmas has gone :D Sitting in the sun with a cold beer triping on my Kindle B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 JamesFrance - 2012-01-06 8:39 PM We have had 23 Centigrade here in Benidorm today and the sun has shone continuously out of a bright blue sky. pelmetman - 2012-01-07 1:36 PM As you say Malcolm its horses for courses, we are here for the winter sun, and would'nt venture anywhere South of Blighty in high summer. Must admit the arthritus in my ankle that nearly crippled me before Christmas has gone :D Sitting in the sun with a cold beer triping on my Kindle B-) Exactly what i'd been looking forward to after having to work through every winter for the past forty five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I know its gone a**se over tip for you this year BG, but don't be put off. You've learned the hard way like other have and others will, because you will not be the last. Not a good start to the year but hope it turns out alright for you. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 nowtelse2do - 2012-01-07 7:41 PM I know its gone a**se over tip for you this year BG, but don't be put off. You've learned the hard way like other have and others will, because you will not be the last. Not a good start to the year but hope it turns out alright for you. Dave Ditto :D.................Its a bit like when you fall off yer bike for the first time BG........get straight back on it or you will lose your confidence ;-) I have been, beaten up, robbed, been on campsites where full blown cops and robbers shoot outs have gone on..................and as for cruising *-) .............never been on a ship that's not caught fire at least once!.......even the Cutlass (the one in the middle of the avatar pic) had a fire in the steering compartment 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Not sure that I'd like a cruise, I'd get too impatient I think! Plus there is the rather MAJOR matter of our 2 hairy monsters, Romy and Lily, to think about - no way could we leave them at home either in kennels or with someone, and I don't think the cruise people would let us take them with us! As for blowing the retirement money on a cruise ... don't forget that we don't and won't have an income for another 6 years so have to live off our savings etc until hubby's pension kicks in. We may consider something a bit more major than tootling down to Spain then, but at present wandering around Europe in our motorhome is all we want to do, and will be quite happy doing. We haven't yet decided which bit of Spain it will be but I'm thinking along the lines of going down the West side of France and then down into Spain that way, similar to the trip done in the recent articles in MMM mag. As we'll have the 2 dogs with us, hopefully that will offer us some more 'protection' anyway. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawcara Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We have lived in Oz and spent time in the Middle East. Watch Neighbours and it looks fantastic, which it is, but we live in a country that contains animals that don't bite, apart from the human kind. I love the heat, but when it gets to 40c it makes one switch off. When we retire we will go visit Asia more and maybe go back to Oz, but the motorhome jaunts are a new adventure. Security is an issue wherever you are. I just hope that by reading 'experiences' as mentioned here, I learn from it and act accordingly. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 It occurs to me to wonder how much crime happens to foreign tourists in this country particularly break ins in car parks etc as we also have a high level of crime and vandalism. Nowhere is safe (apart from possibly a desert island) as there are always going to be some people who think its ok to take from those who have worked hard for what they have. It is horrible when it happens to you (we know) but I think the trick is to learn from experience and not to let these low life criminals make you bitter about it as the only person it affects is you, they don't know or care how you are feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 nowtelse2do - 2012-01-07 7:41 PM I know its gone a**se over tip for you this year BG, but don't be put off. You've learned the hard way like other have and others will, because you will not be the last. Not a good start to the year but hope it turns out alright for you. Dave pelmetman - 2012-01-07 8:08 PM Ditto :D.................Its a bit like when you fall off yer bike for the first time BG........get straight back on it or you will lose your confidence ;-) Thanks guys. You are right about 'falling off the bike first time' though when that happened to me like most kids I was maybe no older than eight or nine years old. A few scratches, bruises and tears and you are back on again! But i'm 61 now and 'falling off' anything means you don't 'bounce' quite the way you used to! (lol) I really appreciate all the positive points raised along with constructive suggestions and ideas about protection which will give all of us something to think about. If only i'd had prior knowledge that I was driving a road notorious for this type of 'distraction theft' and aware of the methods used which appear to be rife, I would have chosen a different route. But I did not know about it. And for those who say the same happens here.....try finding just one clip on YouTube for motorway robberies in the UK. By comparison YouTube is littered with clips of roadside thefts on the AP-7. Obviously I know I am not the only one this has happened to, but the fact this type of crime is carried out in broad daylight on a regular basis makes me determined to start bashing at a few doors in an attempt to make it more public knowledge. And if that means 'upsetting' those with a commercial interest in tourism into Spain, then tough. They can't bury their heads in the sand forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Mel print off a photo of your two dogs and stick it in the rear window/or side ! I dont think you will have any problems with people trying to rob you ;-) Id defy anyone to try and enter our M.H and I have chihuahua,s (lol) you couldnt approach without them raising mayhem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 gwyn - 2012-01-08 4:24 PM It occurs to me to wonder how much crime happens to foreign tourists in this country particularly break ins in car parks etc as we also have a high level of crime and vandalism. Considering we apparently have the highest concentration of CCTV in Western Europe and are often known as 'the most observed citizens', not to mention the mind boggling sophisticated electronic surveillance at Menwith Hill which can track and trace anything anywhere in the World, I think it will be low by comparison to other countries. Add to that a highly trained Police Force able to draw on any language 24/7 (due to our multi-racial society)......a foreign tourist in Britain would be given pretty good service. And of course.......we are an Island even though it's not a small one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 maggyd - 2012-01-08 5:13 PM Mel print off a photo of your two dogs and stick it in the rear window/or side ! I dont think you will have any problems with people trying to rob you ;-) Id defy anyone to try and enter our M.H and I have chihuahua,s (lol) you couldnt approach without them raising mayhem. Err.......I dont think Mels dogs would frighten of anyone *-) She is wecome to borrow cuty pie for the trip.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Bulletguy - 2012-01-08 5:03 PM YouTube is littered with clips of roadside thefts on the AP-7.. Really? Do you have any links you could pass on, might be good for other travellers to actually see these dangers in action and know what to look for (I had a quick search and couldn't find any). Sorry to read of your experiences but certainly wouldn't want people to think it is an everyday occurrence - unless it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-01-08 6:20 PM maggyd - 2012-01-08 5:13 PM Mel print off a photo of your two dogs and stick it in the rear window/or side ! I dont think you will have any problems with people trying to rob you ;-) Id defy anyone to try and enter our M.H and I have chihuahua,s (lol) you couldnt approach without them raising mayhem. Err.......I dont think Mels dogs would frighten of anyone *-) She is wecome to borrow cuty pie for the trip.... Or pinch Postnote's avatar for a really scary picture :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 neilmac - 2012-01-08 9:59 PM Really? Do you have any links you could pass on, might be good for other travellers to actually see these dangers in action and know what to look for (I had a quick search and couldn't find any). Plenty more where these came from....just search Autopista AP-7 Robo or Robbery. Notice not only the speed in which it's done, but the sheer brazeneness in broad daylight and full view of everyone. A Truck driver very nearly rammed into the car of one lot of scum driving off. Mores the pity he didn't ram the b*stards. Also a well worthwhile read is this link posted by JamesFrance which describes the methods used which were identical in every detail (apart from the stone throwing) to my experience. http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/society-science/mass-arrests-highway-bandits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 We had the stone throwing 4 years ago when we were towing an Eriba caravan past Barcelona. It was a black Mercedes with three men inside and a dark hairy arm signalling us to pull onto the hard shoulder. We didn't stop but the car had a nasty dent in the side. I was 70 then and we are still coming down that way to Spain as the driving is easier on the Autopista, however we are very aware of the problem and would not stop anywhere near Barcelona and would certainly not open the doors if forced to stop by a puncture. The tyre stabbing is the reason to never use a filling station in the area either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Bulletguy - 2012-01-09 12:20 AM neilmac - 2012-01-08 9:59 PM Really? Do you have any links you could pass on, might be good for other travellers to actually see these dangers in action and know what to look for (I had a quick search and couldn't find any). Plenty more where these came from....just search Autopista AP-7 Robo or Robbery. Notice not only the speed in which it's done, but the sheer brazeneness in broad daylight and full view of everyone. A Truck driver very nearly rammed into the car of one lot of scum driving off. Mores the pity he didn't ram the b*stards. Also a well worthwhile read is this link posted by JamesFrance which describes the methods used which were identical in every detail (apart from the stone throwing) to my experience. http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/society-science/mass-arrests-highway-bandits Thanks Bulletguy, don't know why I couldn't find them last night *-) The videos show the situation much more vividly than anyone's description, so much so that I have published them on my own forums in an attempt to spread the word about these robberies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 JamesFrance - 2012-01-09 9:14 AM We had the stone throwing 4 years ago when we were towing an Eriba caravan past Barcelona. It was a black Mercedes with three men inside and a dark hairy arm signalling us to pull onto the hard shoulder. We didn't stop but the car had a nasty dent in the side. I was 70 then and we are still coming down that way to Spain as the driving is easier on the Autopista, however we are very aware of the problem and would not stop anywhere near Barcelona and would certainly not open the doors if forced to stop by a puncture. The tyre stabbing is the reason to never use a filling station in the area either. JF Not stopping anywhere along the Autopista makes sense, but isn't always a straightforward option. As for not opening the doors if forced to stop due to a puncture, you are still extremely vulnerable to an attack if waiting for a Breakdown service to come and sort you out. I've no doubt at all that these scumbags carry weapons. What would you do if parked up with a punctured tyre, one of them pulls in front of you, walks up to your window and pulls a gun out demanding money? No time or place for being brave. I may have lost all my cash etc.....but at least I came away alive and still had my van. Had the attack occurred on a Service station forecourt, somehow I think I may have stood a better chance of identification of the perpetrators and vehicle, not to mention eye witnesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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