Has anyone had any experience of being gassed and susequently robbed??
I know this is an awful subject and and I didnt want to start this post as its so emotive and upsetting, but is it as common an occurance as the makers of the alarms make out?
If anyone wants to reply on a closed post thats fine, but I would appreciate any replies/advice.
My brother and his wife recently toured the south of France with his caravan and 4x4. He had heard all the reports and was apprehensive. In the event he had a totaly trouble free time.
It seems if you use official campsites you are basically ok. People who have been assed and robbed appear to have been wild camping or on dodgy sites.
I have wild camped throughout France for more years than I care to remember.
You are no more likely to encounter trouble in France than you are here.
As to the gas attack subject.....well this subject has been aired time and time again on various sites for quite a number of years. I have very little doubt that it is a total myth.
One of the main exponents of this rumour is a company in the South of England that makes.......guess what * ?
Yes there are thieves rogues and robbers out there......some of them wearing suits and sitting in a board room.
*The answer is narcotic gas alarms.
JD
Post last edited on 30/09/2005 20:27:02
Post last edited on 30/09/2005 21:06:03
------------- JD.
C/o The Happy Pastures Home For The Slightly Bewildered
Yes that thought crossed my mind and the whole subject has a taste of the 'dangerous clowns' myth in the USA.
The gassing story usually states the perpetrators are eastern europeans and use ether to render people unconscious. Ether isnt that easy to get hold of and surely the people who do supply it would be suspicious of a crowd of well build unshaven gentlemen with moustaches buying a cylinder or two ever other week.
People who are that desparate and wanted to rob you would probably do it while you are awake and your van is easily accessible.
I think this whole situation of invasion of our personal space puts the willies (hopefully not literally) up all of us to a lesser or greater degree.
The main thing is that when we are on our hols we relax and as a consequence let down our guard, an opportunist will take any advantage of all situations as Im sure anyone who has been camping on the continent can testify.
I personally would never overnight at a motorway service station, there is some downright nefarious scumbags hanging around these places at day and night just waiting for an opportunity.
Being robbed is an awful gutwrench and my heart goes out to anyone who has been a victim.
I dont know about being gassed, but i was certainly robbed.
It was a couple of years ago coming back from Munich with my wife and son. We just crossed over from Germany into France and decided to stop overnight on a motorway service station.
We all got our heads down and about 06.30 in the morning i woke up and as usual, went to get my jeans off the front passenger seat. Still half asleep i couldn't find them so was muttering to myself and opening all the cupboards. This woke the wife up who started moaning and groaning at me for making a noise, she woke the boy up and they both moaned at me. My boy got out of bed and helped my look for my jeans then.................................... " Dad, the front door is open"
Yep, we'd been done. Jeans were gone along with my phone, credit card, favorite belt buckle and my tobbaco.
Fortuatly my wife had the sense to have all the credit card details written down and used my boys phone to cancel everything.
Anyway, as it was it didn't turn out too bad. The credit card wasn't used and i cancelled the phone before they could use it.
The good news it that, as we were driving along the motorway, i saw my jeans on the hard shoulder along with my belt buckle, tobbaco and lighter. They even left me £4 in sterling.
You were lucky because you were quick to respond to the circumstances, I think the gassing thing is a bit mythical, but people are definately being robbed.
Quote: Originally posted by Hairy Rod on 30/9/2005
After a passing comment made by one of my family;
Has anyone had any experience of being gassed and susequently robbed??
I know this is an awful subject and and I didnt want to start this post as its so emotive and upsetting, but is it as common an occurance as the makers of the alarms make out?
If anyone wants to reply on a closed post thats fine, but I would appreciate any replies/advice.
What I would like to know is has anyone who has bought one of these alarms ever been awoken by one actually going off and if so can they tell us their story please. If these claims of gas attacks are actually true then surely to goodness someone would have had one of these gas alarms go off by now? If anyone out there has had their gas alarm go off did they feel drowsy, was there any sign of an attempted break in, did they see or hear anyone running away? It just seems odd to me that so many people talk about suspecting they may have been gassed and yet I have never read a post on any forum where anyone has reported their gas alarm being activated!
I personally sit on the fence with this one to be honest with you and have yet to be convinced to whether people are actually being gassed or not. However, I would like someone to reassure me totally one way or another because there is always that niggly fear that there could be some truth in these claims.
Sonesta
Post last edited on 17/10/2005 00:57:03
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SONESTA'S MOTTO IN LIFE ..... LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS WITH YOU. CRY AND YOU CRY ALONE!
I personally think this is a bit of a myth that that actual 'gassing' is happening and if it is it must be on a miniscule scale, if people were being gassed someone would have been killed or poisoned by now especially babies, toddlers, Etc,.
From my original thread I have learn the following;
1. Dont camp up at motorway services
2. Avoid an overnight near the ferry port unless you are in a secure compound
3. Avoid 'wild' camps near large cities
4. Lock up sensibly every night, consider getting a safe if carrying cash
5. Stay in a group, security in numbers
The trouble is with ports like Calais they are thronged with immagrants looking for easy pickings and they will pinch anything, at a Le Mans camp last year hundreds got robbed of cash and passports our site was littered with discarded wallets and credit cards some even had their tickets stolen it was really sad..We got a portaloo stolen (can you beleive it) and it was full!!!
I have to say I think it is all a myth too. No one appears to have had it happen to them. if this is such a good way why is it only reported over the sea, It never appear to get reported in the UK.
It all comes down, as far as I am concerned, to park up where you feel safe. Any questions about where you intend to stay over then move on. I have stopped on French motorway aires with no problems at all. Just be aware of what is around you.
Despite all that has been said I do firmly beleive that casual theft has massively increased in Europe, Im no rascist but a lot of larger cities in France have become dumping grounds for thousands of displaced people who have no money or prospects who will steal anything that is not chained down or locked up, the same applies in Italy except there the situation is more desperate, you have to see it to beleive it.
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Topic: Gas Alarms/Gassing!
