Gas attacks in S France

[David Morton]

One of the sinister facts emerging from travelling in S France in 2005 is the number of 'gas'attacks usually perpetrated by romanian gypsies in the motorway rest areas, especially on people travelling in RV/ Campers. The M/O seems to be once the occupants have settled for the night, a canister of some gas or other is discharged into the ventilation rendering those inside unconscious for a good few hours. When they wake up, usually with a very intense headache and vomiting, everything of value is gone.
My sister was similarly robbed when they used the same thing on a train. At the moment, I am unable to find any
device /warning/ detector 'thing' that can afford some sort of protection. We do use the rest areas quite a lot during the summer as when we only have one driver we only drive for a maximum of 10 hours at a time with then a minimum 10 hour rest.
If any of you know of anything that might help, answers on a postcard please. The RAC/AA/ADAC/EUROPE ASSIST and Caravan clubs would love to know how to combat this increasing problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/zzzzz.gif

 

What is the world coming to? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Here in Sydney this week, two 14 (yes fourteen)year old GIRLS beat a cab driver to death for no apparent reason. Sick. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Keith]

[ QUOTE ]
The RAC/AA/ADAC/EUROPE ASSIST and Caravan clubs would love to know how to combat this increasing problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/zzzzz.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Get the vehicle insured by Smith & Wesson?

 

[David Morton]

Or the Belgique Fabrique National.

 

[John W]

Getting 'rolled' on the overnight sleeper trains has long been a problem, but never heard of this in the motorway services.

We did catch some fairly dubious looking people sniffing around a couple of our motorbikes while we stopped for a coffee at a set of services on a trip last year. The offer of a boot in the bollicks if they touched the bikes again saw them on their way. I did wonder what their response would have been if there was only one person to contend with though...

It seems that there are less and less places that you can wander about with your guard down now :|

 

[David Morton]

We caught a romanian gypsie in Monza attempting to steal one of our generators. The Caribineiri would not arrest him and after he was released from hospital, he and about 20+ others surrounded our radar site. We then had a 5 man police guard for the rest of the event but the same gypsies appeared in Barcelona (rich pickings from camping sites around F1 races - everybody is away in the circuit at known times). We had taken photographs of this guy while in the hospital and printed them off for the Spanish police. They acted instantly and escorted them to the border into France.
The same gypsies were back again last year in Monza and several fans were totally cleaned out of everything including passports. Just imagine the plight of some guys from Finland 1200 miles from home with absolutely nothing left.
It seemed that the 'gas' was used during the night in some of the tents as people were having wallets taken from under their heads as they 'slept'.
Health Warning: Be so very careful at these events and on your way to and from them. Fit a safe bolted into the boot of your car and religiously use it.
As a guide if you are pulling into a rest area in S France,
Spain, or N Italy and you notice a newish Mercedes Sprinter RV/Camper with Milano (Italian) number plates usually with loads of children playing in the rest area - (they are not playing really - they are 'casing' you). No matter how tired you are , drive on.

 

[Mark Worthington]

Wow. Scary stuff.

[ QUOTE ]
Get the vehicle insured by Smith & Wesson?

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be my recommendation. Since handguns are perceived as evil in the UK, with only law enforcement and criminals possessing them, how about a shotgun? Nothing like the sound of a Remington 870 action being racked to make a bad guy re-think his plan and scamper off to change his underwear.

 

[Russ Noble]

[ QUOTE ]
Fit a safe bolted into the boot of your car and religiously use it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Won't this just encourage them to take the car as well?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

Thank goodness life in the antipodes is relatively free of these sorts of problems. Although a certain scumbag element now mean we can no longer leave houses and cars unlocked as we did when I was younger. I think society everywhere is changing for the worse. I consider myself lucky to have lived in the '60's and '70's In so many ways these were the carefree golden years. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif

Regards

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Alas - Pump-Action shotguns are outlawed over here too.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif