Gas attacks

[Guest Frank Wilkinson]

I can't believe that this thread continues. Why do we need lorry drivers to confirm anything? Gas attacks are an urban myth and any reported - if there have ever been any - are the desperate attempts of people scamming their insurer when they've been stupid enough to leave their door open and valuables on display.

I challenge anyone to come up with a genuine and certifiable example.

[Guest bill h]

Apologies to anyone who may suggest I should be dead the liquid was chloroform !!

 

of course

 

bill h Rapido

[Guest 656]

I can confirm I have been gassed in the Motorhome BUT that was the Sprouts "Er in doors" had for tea. (lol) *-) (lol)

 

Dave

 

656

[TonyH]

http://www.icefat.org/newsletter4/roads.html

 

Just been to this web site there are loads of instances in the road haulage websites.

[Don Madge]

TonyH - 2006-11-12 8:49 PM

 

http://www.icefat.org/newsletter4/roads.html

 

Just been to this web site there are loads of instances in the road haulage websites.

 

Tony,

 

Alleged, never confirmed.

 

I'm a member of the truck drivers european forum and their worse than motorhomers for "Urban Myths".

 

Don

[Guest Frank Wilkinson]

They're no worse than motorhomers but certainly as gullible.

The link mentions no gas attacks. It does say that some drivers are fitting gas alarms, presumably because they to have fallen for this nonsense. Anyway, how can you take seriously an organisation that lists a 'Member's Area' on its front page. Have they only one member?

[Guest Frank Wilkinson]

Yes, I know that it should have read '... and they 'too'.........' but it was late and I was tired!

[enodreven]

Please don't let this denegrate into the My Mate, Someone I know, Ive read it in the paper, I've seen it on the news, Lorry drivers don't tell porkies, go on prove it senario, that all of these Gas topics appear to end up with, PLEASE READ THE LETTER BEFORE YOU POST ANYTHING, and if you don't beleive what must be the main authority on this subject then ????? I really don't know what to say ?

[Guest Frank Wilkinson]

I don't actually understand from the above whom you're supporting. I prefer to believe the Royal College of Anesthetists that such attacks are impossible and from an earlier post of yours I thought that you also agreed that gas attacks are an urban myth. Your last post however, immediately after mine, seems to suggest that you think that I believe gas attacks to be a fact, which I most definitely do not!

[enodreven]

My post was not directed at anyone in particular it was to try and stop this thread digressing to the same level as nearly all of the posts I have ever seen on this subject, There is always someone who will raise an issue as I pointed out ? and that starts the slippery slope, so I was trying to bring it back to the main thrust of the original post, that Brian had taken the time and trouble to contact the best authority on this subject and had kindly posted their reply, which in my opinion says it all, and for my part other than to thank Brian for his approach to this subject I didn't feel there was anymore to be said and had hoped that we wouldn't hear anymore on the subject, but I think that is probably wishful thinking,

[peedee]

Its a pity the press and the TV programme directors didn't do what Brian has done before airing their scare stories?

 

peedee

[twooks]

on a [sort of ] related topic, the police are now saying that the date rape drug [rohpynol ????] is rarely used, problem is believed to be more usually due to excess alcohol. but being drugged against your knowledge and thus control is a better excuse. I don't suppose the excuse on your insurance claim for being robbed while asleep in the van of 'sorry, but we got quite ratted on plentiful red wine and slept like logs right thro it' would go down very well with the assessors.

We don't wild camp much, and not in dodgy places, and we have a hi-top, and I don't see how anyone could get access without our knowledge since thy woud have to climb over either us or 'stuff' to get into the van.

 

B-)

[euroanchor]

I've never really subscribed to the gas attack theory, however I do believe that some people have been gassed in their van, this has probably been due to faulty ventilation of water heaters or fridges and fires.

 

On the lorry driver issue, I spent many years driving lorries on the continent and the advice was never to park alone, however the trick doing the rounds when I was in Italy, (This happened to a Turkish driver parked next to me ) was to be woken up by shouting in the middle of the night, you would then look out from behind your curtains to see thick black smoke coming up the side of your cab, despite the fact you were inevitably in your shreddies, you would jump out. Only then would you notice the diesel soaked rag on fire next to your tyre and 2 or 3 toe rags grabbing hold of you whilst another robbed your gear or worse still the Lorry.

[Mel B]

twooks - 2006-11-17 8:57 AM

on a [sort of ] related topic, the police are now saying that the date rape drug [rohpynol ????] is rarely used, problem is believed to be more usually due to excess alcohol. but being drugged against your knowledge and thus control is a better excuse. I don't suppose the excuse on your insurance claim for being robbed while asleep in the van of 'sorry, but we got quite ratted on plentiful red wine and slept like logs right thro it' would go down very well with the assessors.

 

Hmmm, whilst it's not wise to be "out of it", due to whatever, it doesn't excuse the people who commit the acts of assault, robbery or worse, the people are still victims of crime, whether they could've made themselves less of a target or not.

 

As for getting robbed etc whilst inside your van when you are ratted, it's interesting that this is being condemned - would you still condemn it if instead of being inside your van you were ratted in your own home and got robbed there? I think probably not as a lot of people do this, even not getting totally ratted, but just having a few drinks which has the effect of making them sleepy. If you are going to be robbed, the fact that you have had a few too many to drink won't, in the most part, make any difference to whether or not you are broken into, it happens so quickly that even if you were awake virtually straight away they'd probably have got what they wanted and scarpered - bags, wallets etc, are easily grabbed and by the time you'd put the light on and jumped out of bed it'd be too late to do anything - would you REALLY want to try to stop them??? I don't think even the insurance company would expect you to try to, in your van or at home!

 

The problem, as I see it, is probably more to do with the places in which people park their vans and therefore make themselves more open to becoming a victim, rather than the fact that they have had too much to drink. If you park in safe places for the night, for the majority of people this would ensure a peaceful night's sleep, then stories like this would virtually disappear.

 

As always, be sensible where you stop as this is the best way to ensure you don't become a crime statistic.

 

Park effectively - ensure peaceful sleep (PEEPS!)

[Brian Kirby]

There is also a more general point.  That is the extent to which it is wise to drink while in charge of a motorhome. 

If you might be required to move onto a public road, you should presumably stay below the limit.

If you are parked anywhere that is beside, or is an extension of (motorway services?), a public road it is essential to stay below the limit.

If on a site/aire, you might be asked to move in the event of flood or fire, or for emergency access, so that would need a clear head even if you could stay off public roads.

Then , if you're going to drive the next day, you need to keep consumption below the level at which it's still in your system the next morning.

Oh dear, I think I'm becoming tee total!

[Dave Newell]

On the subject of drink making you sleepy, in 1987 I was working in London during the period of the hurricane strike. After a 12 hour day at work and a few bevvies in the evening I, and my five coleagues slept right through the hurricane and never heard a thing! None of us would have considered ourselves "ratted" to coin a phrase but we certainly had a drop on. The following morning was a very surreal experience, London on a Friday morning is usually buzzing but this was like something out of a B rated movie, 40 foot trees lying across cars, 30 foot of pavement sticking up in the air, people wandering around looking dazed and confused (okay I know some areas of London are like that anyway). The point is that a few beers and a hard days graft put us all so far out of it that even a direct hit from a hurricane couldn't wake us up!

 

D.

[Vixter]

Brian Kirby - 2006-11-17 5:32 PM

There is also a more general point.  That is the extent to which it is wise to drink while in charge of a motorhome. 

If you might be required to move onto a public road, you should presumably stay below the limit.

If you are parked anywhere that is beside, or is an extension of (motorway services?), a public road it is essential to stay below the limit.

If on a site/aire, you might be asked to move in the event of flood or fire, or for emergency access, so that would need a clear head even if you could stay off public roads.

Then , if you're going to drive the next day, you need to keep consumption below the level at which it's still in your system the next morning.

Oh dear, I think I'm becoming tee total!

Once we have arrived on site the first things I reach for are the teabags. An hour or so later, it's the corkscrew. With the exception of an emergency stopover in an iffy location, I sincerely hope that will always be the case.Don't become teetotal Brian, maybe you should just loosen up a bit - here, have a glass of this, it will make you feel better!! ;-) VixterPS. On a more serious note, at what stage do you cease to be 'in charge of a motorhome'? When you switch it off and take the keys out of the ignition?

[Philman]

I imagine the person who has the keys is in charge of the vehicle.

Phil.

[Clive]

"at what stage do you cease to be 'in charge of a motorhome'? "

 

When you are pis..d !

 

 

[flicka]

That's an easy one. Clive.

 

I'll give the keys to the other half, as she can't drive and doesn't have a licence. No licence = no points. I aint going to buy her one just so she can collect the points. She would think she's in Tesco's.

Flicka

[Brian Kirby]

Well, yes, but..............  As the only qualified driver, you'd be the only person who could be in charge of the vehicle.  Sorry, try again!

[Don Madge]

I asked a pal who's a real evil sod when he's on duty and being a caravanner he just loves to pull motorhomes especially ARV's.

 

He claims that if necessary they could impound the vehicle, remove it and lock the drunken driver up.

 

That to me seems a bit extreme, what do you think Roy?

 

Regards

 

Don

[Roy]

Bit of a mine field really. I am afraid that I am not up on the drink driving law these days but some things are fairly concrete. If you are in your vehicle in a public place and over the limit then you are in the frame so to speak. Quiter simple really I suppose : motor vehicle + public place = don't drink.

Roy.

[enodreven]

Hi, I seem to remember reading that people have gotten off with driving while under the influence of drink, by proving that they were only doing it because of an emergency ?? I think the one case that comes to mind was some county official who said he was taking his wife to hospital? or something like that, it was in all the papers a few years ago.

 

If I have my understanding of the situation correctly and it is OK in an emergency situation, then surely parking in a public place or car park next to a pub before you have a drink and with the understanding that your intention was to stay there and not move the vehicle, and you only were now moving it because an emergency had happened would that be a defense ?

 

Hope that makes some sort of sense

BRian

 

This is really off topic ??

[Guest Frank Wilkinson]

In this country (I presume that you're from the US - 'Gotten and defense') you would be very unlikely to succeed with such a claim. Unless your motorhome was about to explode and you had to drive it off the car park to save lives you'd have no excuse.

If your partner suddenly developed chest pains for instance it could be argued that you should have phoned for an ambulance on a mobile phone, or you should have banged on the door of the pub and asked for help.

This example is no different because it's on a pub car park than if it were at home and you'd a car in the garage. If you choose to drive it whilst under the influence you risk prosecution. It's no excuse to say that you were trying to save one life by endangering the lives of others by driving whilst drunk.

The rule is simple - if you are in charge of a vehicle on the public highway, or if there's a chance that you may have to use the public highway - you should stay sober. It would be a foolish man who relies on a 'emergency' argument to absolve a drink-driving charge.