Gas attacks

[Usinmyknaus]

michele - 2007-06-25 9:27 PM

 

Me my question is have we got something big enough to hit people with!

;-)

 

Hi Michele,

 

You carry your very own policeman around with you and you're worried!? Not a lot of hope for the rest of us then!

 

Bob :-)

[Usinmyknaus]

Brian Kirby - 2007-08-11 1:17 PM

Syd - 2007-08-10 11:55 PM Going back to France/Spain in the very near future and intend staying on the same Aire on wich we were robbed in April, this time I will be sitting waiting for them with a special presant if they should be there working again. If they do come again they will not like what Ive got waiting for them and I will be able to catch them afterwards.

Hello Syd

I've got a better idea!  Just don't stay on autoroute aires: it is not what they are intended for and they are not safe for this purpose. 

If you're going to sit up all night waiting for the robbers you won't be very fresh the next day.  If you do meet them you'll probably wish you hadn't - don't forget the laws on carrying weapons in France are not the same as UK: guns and knives are much more commonplace.  You'll just get a hiding, or worse! 

Reel your horns in and find a nice quiet, safe, overnight stop where you and Mrs Syd can get a good, relaxing, night's sleep.  Safe trip!

Brian,I'm off to France in a MH for the first time and it will also be first use of an aire. You've mentioned autoroute aires before. I am planning to stay on an aire de service (municipale) just off the Vierzon junction en route to the Ardeche in September. It is listed on the camping cars website and seems the same as any other. Do you recommend not using it and instead drive a few miles to one of the nearby villages? With a long way still to go I won't be able maintain Syd's state of readiness and would like to sleep soundly!

[Brian Kirby]

Robert

It's difficult to give you a reliable reply. 

A I'm not familiar with the aire in question, and

B I'm not clear what you mean by "just off" the Vierzon junction?

If you mean you'll be leaving the autoroute to get to it, then it won't be a motorway service area, and should be reasonably OK.  You go on to say it is a Municipal aire, so I assume can't be on the autoroute, as autoroute aires are operated by the autoroute operating companies. 

So, if the above assumptions are correct, it should be pretty much as safe as most non-autoroute aires.

However, it does sound as though it may be a fairly obvious autoroute stopping off point, so even though it may not be "on" the autoroute, it may still attract the undesirables.  After all, it is more or less on one of the popular North-South holiday routes.

If this assumption is also correct, being near a motorway intersection, it will probably be quite crowded even in September, and I'd guess you'd need to arrive early to be sure of getting on.

I assume you're taking the A71?  This passes Bourges in another 20 miles, which has a superb cathedral, and also an excellent and well run municipal campsite within walking distance of the centre, if you want real peace of mind.

[Guest Syd]

Hi Brian

What you say makes very good sense to any sane person but that excludes me when my family have been distressed and I have been robbed.

I am looking to take some kind of revenge out of someone and I do have experience in things of this ilk.

I was caused a terrific amount of inconvenience by some low life and I cannot swallow it, Im not bothered now about what was taken as that has already been replaced but the inconvenience caused to myself and the distress caused to my wife and son sticks in my throat.

I will arrive early, and if un-interupted, leave late, otherwise I shall leave very early.

[Usinmyknaus]

Brian,

 

Thanks for the tip. I've now found the Bourges site in CC Europe 1.

 

Bob

 

 

[Mel B]

Syd

 

I know what you mean but you really don't want to be doing what you're proposing, you could make matters a lot worse and it'll probably wind your family up even more that they are having to stay somewhere they'd rather not be just because you want to try to get even. It really is NOT worth the hassle or the worry, or the change of completely messing up your holiday again.

 

If something did happen and your van got damaged and/or you got robbed again (or even worse) and you had to make a claim, do you really think your insurers would be happy? You could easily end up with a mega problem.

 

If you really think a lot of your family and I suspect you do, for their sakes, put yourself in their shoes - do you REALLY want to make them suffer any more? Please, seriously I'm asking you, DO NOT do it. Just find somewhere better placed to stay and try to forget about it, if you keep going over it and letting what happened affect you, the b*stard from the last time is constantly getting one over on you, if you let it go you are the one who is the winner and not letting it spoil things for you. Not letting it get to you anymore is the best solution, hard I know, but for the best.

 

[Tomo3090]

Hey, there's a niche market if ever there was one! Vigilante holidays!

 

Or how about a film, "Death Wish 4- An Aire Too Far"! You could get Michael Winner to direct it and do the advert too!

 

Syd, are you really going to go the trouble of sitting up all night waiting for someone to try to break in? What if they don't come, are you going to stay there until they do?

 

It is a sad reality that people have been robbed and burgled since humans were invented, and I bet the rate of catching the gits who do it have never gone up either.

 

Sorry Syd, it's part of life mate, just don't let them spoil the rest of your, and your families lives by doing something really daft. They have no concience, but I bet you have. You would never live with yourself if you got someone with you hurt.

[Guest Syd]

I will be over there for at least six weeks so I can easilly spare two days, one on the way down there and one on the way back.

 

I am looking forward to it and yes, I will be there.

[bognormike]

Syd - 2007-08-14 9:13 PM

 

I will be over there for at least six weeks so I can easilly spare two days, one on the way down there and one on the way back.

 

I am looking forward to it and yes, I will be there.

 

you're mad.

Surprisingly enough, mantraps and the like are illegal in France as well as here, and although you have the right to defend yourself, you will probably find that lying in wait armed to the teeth in the extremely unlikely event that some low life attempts to rob you would also not be looked upon kindly by the Gendarmerie, especially if one of them came up to your van to ask why the door was open, only to get blasted by a shotgun or whatever you have in wait. I don't think you'd see the outside of a french prison cell for the next 30 years.

Don't be a prat, forget about it; don't stop on autoroute aires any more, and you won't have a problem.

[Guest Syd]

I may be mad but I am not stupid.

I grew up to maturity on the wrong side of the track and know what I am up to.

Lets just leave it at that shall we.

[Mel B]

Syd, nothing we say seems to have any affect, so I sincerely hope that nothing happens ... for your sake.

 

:-|

[Guest Syd]

Thanks for the concern Mel but we will be OK, believe me.

 

If anything does happen we can always discus it when we return if anyone so wishes

[davenewellhome]

Go get 'em Syd, if they don't get you first and you don't get nicked by the Gendarmerie.

 

D.

[grocer jack]

Here we go again! I will repeat what I said in the thread re: water attacks.

THIS IS AN URBAN MYTH which has been around for at least 30 years. When 'er indoors was a student in Germany in the early '70s this was a common story. It's about time we gave it the consideration it deserves. DUMP IT! >:-) >:-)

[Mel B]

Err ... things have moved on, we're not talking about gas attacks anymore ... are we????? If so, I've lost the plot completely. 8-)

[michele]

No the grocers sleeping on the job its all them early morning fruit & Veg deliveries. ;-)

[Terrytraveller]

I still don't believe - but the Swindon Advertiser has proof ?

 

see http://tinyurl.com/29lodh

 

Regards Terry

[Mel B]

Observations from story:

 

1) they parked up at 3.00 am - I assume after a long journey.

2) they woke at 9.00 am instead of their usual 7.00 am - no surprise there then, they must've been very tired, I know I wouldn't wake up at 7.00 am if I'd gone to bed at 3.00 am.

3) how she felt - woozy etc, not surprising, adrenalin can do that to you and I suspect that that's what caused this after the shock of finding your belongings gone.

4) interesting that she suspected that the gas was sprayed through the vents ..., where have I read that before ... hmmm.

 

Now for the 'official' bit, extract from the Commonwealth & Foreign Office website travel advice for France

 

"Mugging incidents have occurred at isolated rest areas on some French motorways, usually those without petrol stations and cafeterias. There is also a continuing problem of burglaries taking place during the night whilst travellers have been asleep in their caravans, mobile homes or other vehicles. Thefts have occurred in rest areas on the A25 (Dunkirk to Lille) and A16 (Calais-Dunkirk) motorways. In some cases, victims had first been rendered unconscious by the thieves using gas. Try to avoid parking in isolated or dark areas of camping grounds or car parks, and consider installing an alarm in your caravan or mobile home."

 

You can see the whole thing at:

 

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385929

 

I intend to write to the C & FO and ask them to given catagorical proof of this actually happening. It'll be interesting to see what their response is.

[Old Git]

£1,200 nicked? Hmmmmm.

 

There is an odour around, but it smells more like a rat than gas.

[J9withdogs]

Hmmm I agree - her handbag contained £100 of makeup? *-)

[Mel B]

Well, I've just emailed them, lets see what happens ......

[michele]

Ear Mel .

I suppose its to late to ask them whilst you're at it why you can'y drive a car in France at 17 with a valid uk licenec what this EU crap all about then .

 

I bet we would honor any country mugs us English we stand for the three card trick. :-(

[naittaw]

Just heared on radio that French Police are warning caravaners against gas attacks. Where are we now ?

[omar]

Hi

Just heard on 5 live from eminent anaethetist no gas existed to his knowledge

[Mel B]

Just had an acknowledgement from the Foreign & Commonwealth's Travel Advice Office to say that my email is being passed to the 'geographical desk officer' whoever that may be.

 

I'll keep you updated as and when ...