Bulletguy Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 dikyenfo - 2011-12-21 5:11 PM ....the business end of a crossbow.... 8 shot gas pistol with 3 reloads in cylinders for quick reloads. Competition catapult with sights and 3/8in ball bearings. I think you will find UK Immigration and Customs will show more than just a casual interest in any and all of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 Arthur Brown - 2011-12-21 8:05 PM BG was not threatened. He was hoodwinked by two whilst the third took what he lost. They do not want confrontation they want money etc. Art That's precisely correct. The reality is more a matter of how to 'out hoodwink' the hoodwinkers than fantasise a Rocky/Rambo scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Arthur Brown - 2011-12-21 8:05 PM Everybody has their weapons of choice but BG was not threatened. He was hoodwinked by two whilst the third took what he lost. They do not want confrontation they want money etc. Art Precisely. The smart thing to do would be to play them at their own game. But that would necessitate a degree of intelligence that is sadly lacking on this board *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Peter James - 2011-12-22 4:17 AM Arthur Brown - 2011-12-21 8:05 PM Everybody has their weapons of choice but BG was not threatened. He was hoodwinked by two whilst the third took what he lost. They do not want confrontation they want money etc. Art Precisely. The smart thing to do would be to play them at their own game. But that would necessitate a degree of intelligence that is sadly lacking on this board *-) And there was me thinking it was only me you thought was thick, glad you've now included everyone else :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Bulletguy - 2011-12-21 11:36 PM Arthur Brown - 2011-12-21 8:05 PM BG was not threatened. He was hoodwinked by two whilst the third took what he lost. They do not want confrontation they want money etc. Art That's precisely correct. The reality is more a matter of how to 'out hoodwink' the hoodwinkers than fantasise a Rocky/Rambo scenario. Exactly. What has stopped us being robbed 3 times passing Barcelona on the AP7 is that we never stop when being signalled to pull on to the hard shoulder. We would never stop for fuel within 100 kilometres of Barcelona or stop in any rest area near there. If we really had to stop we would keep all doors and windows locked and stay in the van unless there was nobody near. Do not stay overnight on motorway services. We know several people who have been robbed when spending the night at the Catalan Village on the French side of the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 knight of the road - 2011-12-21 9:38 PM I dont ask no man for anything, whatever I want I work for it. So do I because I can :-D But some people can't :-( I don't think we know what we would do in their situation if we have never been in it ourselves. In any event its a pretty desperate way of getting a living. The smartest crooks stay on the right side of the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 JamesFrance - 2011-12-22 9:05 AM Exactly. What has stopped us being robbed 3 times passing Barcelona on the AP7 is that we never stop when being signalled to pull on to the hard shoulder. We would never stop for fuel within 100 kilometres of Barcelona or stop in any rest area near there. If we really had to stop we would keep all doors and windows locked and stay in the van unless there was nobody near. Do not stay overnight on motorway services. We know several people who have been robbed when spending the night at the Catalan Village on the French side of the border. We've also avoided being pulled over in a town by someone.... just drive on, pretend to call the police and they soon give up. I have to say tho this is very rare in a town..... and we travel a lot around Spain France and Portugal. I would however NEVER overnight on any garage/services.... it doesn't take long to come off the road and find somewhere safe to camp up for the night if you need it. We've found some amazing places by just driving off the road by 5 minutes, and have been perfectly safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hi, People have been forever trying to prevent or minimize their chance of being victims of these crimes, but as eggs is eggs the baddies will still find a way to carry out their deeds. I am not advocating doing nothing, I am more feeling there is room for more than one helpful idea on this thread. In the first instance I think the humble postcard type prompt would without any fuss inform whoever of your predicament and then a more thorough library of help eg phone helplines or translator contact etc to help you through the longer process of dealing with the authorities wherever you may be. We must remember these are desperate times for lots of folk right throughout Europe and whilst I understand the anger of some contributors here, their proposals frighten me. Maybe they will hire themselves out to ride 'shotgun' through the known dangerous areas we have to travel to reach our destinations. If I got to the stage where I thought I had to sleep with knives by my side and all the other weapons on here then the fun would soon leave motorhoming for me. Sooner end up at home with my wife with nothing than one of us being on their own through heroics that went wrong. cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Peter James - 2011-12-22 8:12 AM knight of the road - 2011-12-21 9:38 PM I dont ask no man for anything, whatever I want I work for it. So do I because I can :-D But some people can't :-( I don't think we know what we would do in their situation if we have never been in it ourselves. In any event its a pretty desperate way of getting a living. The smartest crooks stay on the right side of the law. So what is your answer to the problem Peter? Government redistribution of peoples wealth or the have nots taking what they want from the haves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 So to avoid being robbed in Spain, simples, dont go, what do people go to Spain for anyway? is it sun, sex and sangria? no good for me I dont like the sun, cant do sex and sangria is out as I dont drink, so I stay over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Peter, Regarding the marauding gangs of thieves in places like Spain etc, It reminds me of a film made some years ago set in the future, not sure if it was called "Mad Max" starring Mel Gibson??? Marauding gangs in cobbled together vehicles were on the rampage stealing whatever they could due to having no money and had to survive somehow, could that be the scenario we are facing now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mrs Batty Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Back to the original post - VERY sad that you went through this ordeal Bullet. But may be we could reamain positive about the robbery. REALLY gald that you / yours were not hurt / physically attacked. Your post sharing this experience has informed others of POSSIBLE problems and to remember to be aware of robberies where ever we travel. However there are many areas of the uk that I would not dream of taking our motrorhome to. In the uk we do have 'carjacking' at traffic lights and theft from camp site and inceasingly from motorhomes parked on drives.(impossible to be TOATLLY safe) is to be informed of dodgey places, be sensible with regard to van security, be friendly but aware when talking to people abroad particually when you first meet them. Again VERY sorry to read about your experience but the answer is not to 'tool up' like RAMBO and kill anything / anyone that is not speaking the Kings english or eats that strange food (not egg & chips) but to be aware we are in a different place / country with different problems and not so nice places than we are used too.This is beacsue we know were to avoid at home and what to avoid doing. Our EU M.H. freinds maybe would have felt similar to some of the posts on this thread if there had been parked up in London , Manchester, Bristol, Gloucester ETC durring OUR recent riots. Everyone just be aware and informed - we cannot be 'totally safe' but this can not stop the whole idea of the M.H. life. Bit of a ramble but if borred half way through skip on ! lol Mr & Mrs B :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Off topic a little but can any of our older members 70 plus remember a murder case in France just after the war perhaps, where a retired British army officer camping somewhere in France with his family was murdered and robbed by an old French farmer? the name is on the tip of my tongue and is frustrating me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 knight of the road - 2011-12-22 11:24 AM Off topic a little but can any of our older members 70 plus remember a murder case in France just after the war perhaps, where a retired British army officer camping somewhere in France with his family was murdered and robbed by an old French farmer? the name is on the tip of my tongue and is frustrating me. Does this help? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jul/29/humanities.artsandhumanities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 After reading some of the posts on here it's enough to frighten people to death. Yes there are problems with crime abroad but it also happens here. We must be very lucky not to have been targeted as we do most of the things that are not recommended like stopping and overnighting on service areas and truckstops and picnic areas. I always park next to HGV's because the drivers are switched on and alert to the rogues that are about. When you hear of people that have been targeted and where they were parked then really there is no safe place other than maybe a secure camp site. From experience I would be on extra alert from Orange to Barcelona but having said that we were targeted just north of Lyon on the international camp site whilst we were away sightseeing. Whilst in Spain we met a lone motorhomer on the Aquarious site, he decided to have a sightseeing tour of Barcelona with some other friends, on the Rambles he was pushed to the ground and robbed of everything he had. The thieves ran away and weren't caught. Some spanish residents in a flat overlooking the area went to help him and took him in until the police arrived. He had recently lost his wife and was badly shook up. So whether you are on the road or walking in a public you could be a target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 knight of the road - 2011-12-22 11:18 AM So to avoid being robbed in Spain, simples, dont go, what do people go to Spain for anyway? is it sun, sex and sangria? no good for me I dont like the sun, cant do sex and sangria is out as I dont drink, so I stay over here. You can see why we go to Spain from this photo I took 10 minutes ago. Just off to play boules in22C, so too hot in the sun really. We enjoyed an excellent Chinese meal last evening for 4.95€ each including a bottle of wine between 2 of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 knight of the road - 2011-12-22 11:18 AM So to avoid being robbed in Spain, simples, dont go, what do people go to Spain for anyway? is it sun, sex and sangria? no good for me I dont like the sun, cant do sex and sangria is out as I dont drink, so I stay over here. You can see why we go to Spain from this photo I took 10 minutes ago. Just off to play boules in22C, so too hot in the sun really. We enjoyed an excellent Chinese meal last evening for 4.95€ each including a bottle of wine between 2 of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 knight of the road - 2011-12-22 10:46 AM Peter, Regarding the marauding gangs of thieves in places like Spain etc, It reminds me of a film made some years ago set in the future, not sure if it was called "Mad Max" starring Mel Gibson??? Marauding gangs in cobbled together vehicles were on the rampage stealing whatever they could due to having no money and had to survive somehow, could that be the scenario we are facing now? No, Malcolm, it is not. You say you haven't been, or at least that you don't go: so you have to imagine how things are. Unfortunately, your imagination is tending to get the better of you! :-) Theft is an ever present risk, but it is also a risk with a very low occurrence. Some people have yet to learn to accept that abroad is not the same as the UK. However, most do understand this and it is precisely the reason they go. One just has to relax and adapt to the country one is in, and not keep measuring it against home. What seems safe at home can be unsafe in other countries, and vice versa. One has to learn to read the signs. Until one does, one is at greater risk. However, if you speak to the locals, there are very few who would swap their home countries for anywhere else. As a species, we tend to like what we know, rather more than we know what we like. That is why most of us stay in the countries of our birth, and most who decide to live abroad tend to live among other ex-pats. If your mental image were even remotely true there would be uproar in any country where this appeared to be becoming the norm. They are all democracies, and when you scratch most Europeans, you find much more that unites us, than divides us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Internal server error, cannot post photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 JamesFrance - 2011-12-22 12:23 PM Internal server error IFyou are trying to post a photo - it may be too large. Must be less than 100kbs. (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 JamesFrance - 2011-12-22 12:06 PM knight of the road - 2011-12-22 11:18 AM So to avoid being robbed in Spain, simples, dont go, what do people go to Spain for anyway? is it sun, sex and sangria? no good for me I dont like the sun, cant do sex and sangria is out as I dont drink, so I stay over here. You can see why we go to Spain from this photo I took 10 minutes ago. Just off to play boules in22C, so too hot in the sun really. We enjoyed an excellent Chinese meal last evening for 4.95€ each including a bottle of wine between 2 of us. Must have been a quality meal...what was it, chicken feet, yummy, :-S :-S :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 malc d - 2011-12-22 12:29 PM JamesFrance - 2011-12-22 12:23 PM Internal server error IFyou are trying to post a photo - it may be too large. Must be less than 100kbs. (?) Indeed it should be, though for some time, even posting a photo below the limit has caused a server error 500 for me (though, in fact, the posting is usually successful despite the error message) :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mrs Batty Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-12-22 12:21 PM knight of the road - 2011-12-22 10:46 AM Peter, Regarding the marauding gangs of thieves in places like Spain etc, It reminds me of a film made some years ago set in the future, not sure if it was called "Mad Max" starring Mel Gibson??? Marauding gangs in cobbled together vehicles were on the rampage stealing whatever they could due to having no money and had to survive somehow, could that be the scenario we are facing now? No, Malcolm, it is not. You say you haven't been, or at least that you don't go: so you have to imagine how things are. Unfortunately, your imagination is tending to get the better of you! :-) Theft is an ever present risk, but it is also a risk with a very low occurrence. Some people have yet to learn to accept that abroad is not the same as the UK. However, most do understand this and it is precisely the reason they go. One just has to relax and adapt to the country one is in, and not keep measuring it against home. What seems safe at home can be unsafe in other countries, and vice versa. One has to learn to read the signs. Until one does, one is at greater risk. However, if you speak to the locals, there are very few who would swap their home countries for anywhere else. As a species, we tend to like what we know, rather more than we know what we like. That is why most of us stay in the countries of our birth, and most who decide to live abroad tend to live among other ex-pats. If your mental image were even remotely true there would be uproar in any country where this appeared to be becoming the norm. They are all democracies, and when you scratch most Europeans, you find much more that unites us, than divides us. Totally agree Brian - HOMEWORK before you go is our watch word. Everywhere is different , some people would be horrified / scared to go to some places in the uk from our countries. Learn about where you are going and live / let live when there. If it is all a bit much stay / tavel in the uk which has endless lovely places to go. Mr & Mrs B :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-12-22 12:21 PM knight of the road - 2011-12-22 10:46 AM Peter, Regarding the marauding gangs of thieves in places like Spain etc, It reminds me of a film made some years ago set in the future, not sure if it was called "Mad Max" starring Mel Gibson??? Marauding gangs in cobbled together vehicles were on the rampage stealing whatever they could due to having no money and had to survive somehow, could that be the scenario we are facing now? No, Malcolm, it is not. You say you haven't been, or at least that you don't go: so you have to imagine how things are. Unfortunately, your imagination is tending to get the better of you! :-) Theft is an ever present risk, but it is also a risk with a very low occurrence. Some people have yet to learn to accept that abroad is not the same as the UK. However, most do understand this and it is precisely the reason they go. One just has to relax and adapt to the country one is in, and not keep measuring it against home. What seems safe at home can be unsafe in other countries, and vice versa. One has to learn to read the signs. Until one does, one is at greater risk. However, if you speak to the locals, there are very few who would swap their home countries for anywhere else. As a species, we tend to like what we know, rather more than we know what we like. That is why most of us stay in the countries of our birth, and most who decide to live abroad tend to live among other ex-pats. If your mental image were even remotely true there would be uproar in any country where this appeared to be becoming the norm. They are all democracies, and when you scratch most Europeans, you find much more that unites us, than divides us. My trips abroad have only been with Shearings coaches before I bought my M/H, am not as adventurous as some of you guys, need to stay nearby my hospital plus anything and everything I am interested in is over here, sorry if I appear to be a bit of a saddo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-12-22 1:55 PM JamesFrance - 2011-12-22 12:06 PM knight of the road - 2011-12-22 11:18 AM So to avoid being robbed in Spain, simples, dont go, what do people go to Spain for anyway? is it sun, sex and sangria? no good for me I dont like the sun, cant do sex and sangria is out as I dont drink, so I stay over here. You can see why we go to Spain from this photo I took 10 minutes ago. Just off to play boules in22C, so too hot in the sun really. We enjoyed an excellent Chinese meal last evening for 4.95€ each including a bottle of wine between 2 of us. Must have been a quality meal...what was it, chicken feet, yummy, :-S :-S :-S Salad or spring roll or soup etc to start Various pork or chicken or beef dishes for main Ice cream or coffee Bottle of wine for 2 or beer or soft drink schnapps with the bill You can also choose shrimps or duck for the main course for a couple of euros extra. All for 4.95 € per head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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