Hello
I have heard and read (i think) many stories of tyres being slashed road blocks and robbery's on the road and auto routes. However it was a while back when I those and I am wondering whether people have heard stories or have had experience?
This is something that interests me and I am inquisitive to who the people are?
Thank you
James
------------- Ireland-2010
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The robbers will be mainly eastern Europeans & illegal immigrants. The victims will be mainly those who don't take sensible precautions. If it was a big problem you would read about it in the papers, which you don't really.
There are stories of some people having a problem but when you consider the number of motorhomes travelling around the incidents are relatively few. We and many others have spent weeks in both France and Spain and we have neither had nor seen any such trouble.
We will be setting off for Spain at the end of January and we will take the usual precausions. These include staying on Campsites while travelling down and keeping an eye open for any unusual travelling companions.
I would say do not let it stop you going if you want to.
It does happen. In a local paper there was a report of a major raid across the south of the country to arrest members of one such gang. There have been various reports on the TV news here too.
It happened to my parents a few years ago as they were driving through France, to Spain. On a deserted stretch of road they suddenly had a flat tyre, completely and immediately flat. Out of nowhere these 2 men appeared and were very friendly and helpful and helped them to change the tyre. they talked in french the whole time to my parents so they had to concentrate to reply in their rusty speech. Anyway it wasn't until they were on their way again that they realised Mum's handbag was gone.
It took them about 6 months to resolve the problem as the banks and services dont tend to check card use unless it is over a certain amount. The police believe the robbers use them to pay for tolls and such like so avoiding detection.
It did not deter them from travelling, just made them more vigilant.
There have been a few threads in the past on this subject, the most basic way of avoiding this problem, is to check your tyres, before you leave the service station etc, somthing I do in anycase, as the further South you go, the tyre's start to increase pressure due to the heat, I am sure the villians are watching thier potential victims at time of departure, as no doubt they target more than one vehicle at a time, it's the old numbers game, my Son is Ex-Army and has prepared, shall we say a few going away presents for such folk, should they ever encounter his mum and dad, kid's don't you just love em!.
We met a couple in Girona in December who had been subject to this type of robbery after leaving an autoroute petrol station near Valencia in southern Spain a couple of days before. They were driving a British registered van, and going down from their home near Limoges to see friends in southern Spain for Christmas. They were one of nine similar victims on the same stretch of road during that one day (a fiesta day in Spain, when there were lots of tourists around). They were told by the police that the perpetrators were an east European gang, very well organised, and very difficult to catch.
As everyone previously has said, take care - when leaving the service area check your tyres, and if you do develop a flat tyre make sure that the car doors are locked whilst you are outside replacing the tyre, and that valuables are well hidden or kept in one of those wallets which goes under your clothes. If anyone does offer help then keep a close eye on them whilst you are working.
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Topic: The south of france. Not what you expect
