Gassed !!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[Pikey Pete]

Thought that might get your attention.
No I wasn't gassed but I was robbed.
Stopped on the services on the A75 near Millau ( Where the bridge is ) and some one broke into the van via the passenger door while I slept.
Now I'm stuck here with no money, and no cards to get any with. Spent most of the morning at the local Police station, where their English was the same as my French, hopeless.
Camping Cote-Sud in Millau have let me on their site knowing I have no money and the young lady on reception has helped me with translations and even written me a letter in French explaining my situation that I have taken to the bank. Needless to say, the bank can't help.

These thieves are good at what they do, they forced the lock with a screwdriver or similar and got into the van without waking me. They could have had away with my passport, iPhone, TomTom and PDA, which were all in the cab, but fortunately they didn't. Think they tried to get the TomTom off the Brodit bracket and have damaged it so it wont connect to the PC.
The first I knew about it was a rocking motion which woke me and I just managed to see the car drive away, so maybe I disturbed them by starting to wake up.

That is the first time I have ever left my wallet in the cab area but was dog tired after driving up from Almeria, and forgot to put it under my pillow.

Almost 2 years bumming around Europe, shrugging off the thought of them catching me out. I let my guard slip once and Bingo, they got me.

Pete not so :Cool: now.

And I still haven't seen the bridge:Angry:

 

[Road Runner]

Sorry to hear this, the more I hear about people entering as we sleep the more maybe we were not gassed as the Spanish Police suggested to us.

Still don't know how they got over Bruno thoughoh:

Fancy meeting him as you prize open the door (done same as you screwdriver at the bottom of the door of my caravan)

 

[hilldweller]

Thought that might get your attention.

Ha, ha.

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[theresa]

oh god so sorry to hear about your robbery . same thing happened to us near Narbonne . we had some english money in the van which they did not take ,so was able to get it changed , we lost cars , money , passports, and driving license . hope you get sorted out . at least you are safe thats the main thing :Angry:

 

[Jim]

What a bummer. You are right it is so easy to break in via a lock whilst we sleep. Indoor deadlocks are a big help here. The Motorhome Security Handbook discusses the issue of losing everything when you are away. Anyone can become a victim of crime but there is a lot we can do to limit the consequences.

Essentially, you should always split your cash and cards between you the motorhome and a partner if you travel with one. Before you leave on a trip you should stash a Credit card in the motorhome, hide where it will not be found, think about using a screwdriver, scissors, tape and or cunning to gain access to a devious hiding place.

When on the street, split the cards and cash between you a partner and the motorhome, if on your own between you and the motorhome. Should you then suffer a loss it should not be catastrophic. When everyone is together in the motorhome, NEVER leave anything of value in the cab, (apart from a mugs wallet maybe). Your valuables should be split up inside the motorhome.

from the Motorhome Security Handbook
In your motorhome have a really fat mugs wallet. Make sure that it cannot be seen from the outside, but it should be in plain view as soon as a thief is inside. Because you do not have to carry this one on your person you can make this wallet even fatter and more tempting than the muggers wallet you might carry; for example; £30 or £40 in Euro’s in the lowest denomination notes and include old petrol receipts etc, mine has even have some old Pesetas in it, worthless but it looks good. If a crook gets inside your motorhome he will have adrenaline and be looking to steal something as quickly as he can and then escape. When he sees your nice fat mugs wallet the chances are he will just grab that and run. That's the plan anyway!

 

[theresa]

oh dear spelling mistake . i meant cards NOT cars :Blush:

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[Jim]

HI Theresa, you get quite a bit of time to edit one of your own posts. View it and you will see an edit button, you can change what you like:thumb:

 

[Pikey Pete]

I did wonder though, what they would have done, if the wallet hadn't been there.
At least they didn't have a go at me, for which I should be grateful, I suppose.

I think the dummy wallet is a good idea Jim, and when I can get some money I'll buy two and fill one with non value items.


Pete a little :Cool:er now.

 

[PeteH]

"Muggers" wallet

Hi

Similar idea to the one I carried in the USA it had a load of Old Notes some not even valid a selection of "forgeries", plus an out of date credit card which I had Stopped but kept the old card Some "Store" cards etc All out of date. The idea was if mugged to give up the wallet etc and (Hopefully) Leg it quick!!!.

Incidently the "forgeries" where made on an OLD colour printer, My NEW one won`t print currency!!!, something in the software (Cannon) won`t let you, it just hangs and the message is software error?.

pete

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[mikel]

Didnt't your alarm alarm ?

 

[Pikey Pete]

Didnt't your alarm alarm ?

I'm a bit of a sad git really I've had the van 2 years and never got around to working out how to set the alarm when I'm inside. Tried a few times but it kept going off when I left it on.
Guess I'd better get some lessons on how to use it.:Blush:

Pete:Cool:ish

 

[ronald4874]

Robbery

Very sorry to hear of your robbery especially at the service point on the Millau Bridge. I have considered that the Aire, after the toll for the bridge, was a safe area, ie robbers have to pay the toll to get at vans on this Aire.
Just out of interest were the 3 doors chained across as suggested often on this site if so how did they get in without a noise?. In my case even going shopping etc all doors are chained, the curtains closed and a large dog bowl, with water in, is placed outside the step.
Glad to hear you suggested that gas was not used, again we all know this is a non-runner.
Hope you have managed to obtain money etc to carry on your journey.
Good luck RW

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[jomel]

Really sorry to hear of this bad luck. It makes me so angry :Angry:
I hope things improve for you soon.

 

[Pikey Pete]

Thanks for your concern RW.
I expect that the popularity of the bridge has brought in the tourists and the thieves follow hoping for easy pickings.

I have no extra precautions as I always relied on picking the right spot to overnight.
I always think that if thieves are determined to rob you then there isn't much you can do to stop them.

I may consider some additional precautions for the future, because sure as eggs is eggs it isn't going to stop me bumming around Europe.

I found an old previously unused Egg card, in a cupboard, still valid till next month, in the van, tried topping up the iPhone with and it worked. Hopefully it will allow me to draw out some money tomorrow. My fingers are firmly crossed.

I keep finding other things missing such as a £300 pair of prescription sun glasses, driving license, medical card etc,etc.
Strangely they also took a microfibre cloth used to clean the lap top, now what would they want that for I wonder.

Pete:Cool:

 

[johng]

shame Pete, sorry to hear this

not much I can say

dont let it spoil anything, it probably happens to most people at some point in life.

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[Kon tiki]

We only use one credit card & a debit card when we are travelling, but we also hide some extra cards in different places in the van (can't tell you where but there are loads of places you can hide a spare card & a bit of cash for emergencies). We used to be reasonably lax about security but after getting robbed in broad daylight in the middle of a large city you realise how much of an easy target you are.
When abraod we always put a strap across the front doors (not ideal but it hooks over the door pockets & is quite low down) I have an idea how to fit something onto the caravan door to prevent it being opened but can easily be removed in an emergency (just got to get around to making it)

 

[barryd]

Bad news, it must really put a damper on your trip. We were down that way recently and spent a week in that region. Its probably no concelation and I dont know if your still in the area but there are two fantastic wild camping / unofficial Aires at Saint-Rome-de-Tarn (right on the river) and Lac du Pareloup just 2KM north of Salles Curan. We left bikes unlocked and doors and windows open there with no worries at all. Hope you get sorted.

 

[theresa]

HI Theresa, you get quite a bit of time to edit one of your own posts. View it and you will see an edit button, you can change what you like:thumb:

ok thanks jim:Blush:

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[stagman]

Thanks for your concern RW.
Bad luck . Shall be down in that area around 1st or 2nd Sept if you need anything let me know ,:thumb:

 

[vindiboy]

My first reaction was OH OH how can I get some money to him, would the camp site he's on take my credit card no. over the phone and hand him some cash? How would you be able to get cash to him, any one any ideas??Obviously by now he will have contacted his bank and arranged new cards to be sent and old ones cancelled, I hope.A great reason to have a fitted safe in the van and use it is this experience.

 

[Wildman]

We left bikes unlocked and doors and windows open there with no worries at all. Hope you get sorted.

you really do like living dangerously don't you

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[barryd]

Yep!

To be honest when we left the UK in early June, I had read all the reports about strapping your doors together, fitting deadlocks, gas alarms etc etc etc and I thought oh my God is Europe a really bad place. What I found (perhaps I am Nieve) is that I felt much safer over there than over here. We tend to Wild camp, use Aires or as a last resort a campsite in that order. we do however like to get away from it all and seldom frequent cities or very busy areas. The van has no alarm and just the normal door locks. How anyone would get in though while we are in it is beyond me. At night there is a fold away bike between the front seats, the dinnete table between the front seats and the stupid (out of date) fiddly curtain that mid 90's Kontikis seem to have. Michelle usually sleeps in the dinnete bed and if a mouse farts outside she would wake up so for anyone to get through that lot without us noticing would be a miricale. Wallets and purses are stored well away from the front of the van anyway. The only thing of value we leave in the van when out and about is a laptop (backup of which is in Michelles hand bag). I would rather make it easy for them when we are out then come back to smashed windows or ripped off doors. In three months I never once felt threatend or worried about anything happening and certainly not while we were in the van. There were a couple of places that just didnt feel quite right so you simply move on. I suspect your more likely to get ripped off here than in France.

Probably get robbed now!

 

[Jim]

Yep!

To be honest when we left the UK in early June, I had read all the reports about strapping your doors together, fitting deadlocks, gas alarms etc etc etc and I thought oh my God is Europe a really bad place. What I found (perhaps I am Nieve) is that I felt much safer over there than over here. We tend to Wild camp, use Aires or as a last resort a campsite in that order. we do however like to get away from it all and seldom frequent cities or very busy areas. The van has no alarm and just the normal door locks. How anyone would get in though while we are in it is beyond me. At night there is a fold away bike between the front seats, the dinnete table between the front seats and the stupid (out of date) fiddly curtain that mid 90's Kontikis seem to have. Michelle usually sleeps in the dinnete bed and if a mouse farts outside she would wake up so for anyone to get through that lot without us noticing would be a miricale. Wallets and purses are stored well away from the front of the van anyway. The only thing of value we leave in the van when out and about is a laptop (backup of which is in Michelles hand bag). I would rather make it easy for them when we are out then come back to smashed windows or ripped off doors. In three months I never once felt threatend or worried about anything happening and certainly not while we were in the van. There were a couple of places that just didnt feel quite right so you simply move on. I suspect your more likely to get ripped off here than in France.

Probably get robbed now!

I hope you were writing that and touching wood

You are right though, in all my worldly travels, in and out of motorhomes, I have seen and heard far more about acts of kindness than I have acts of violence or robbery. It's the kindness that is the norm, crime only touches a tiny minority. The chances of being robbed are VERY low and that is if you take no precautions at all. Follow a few simple security guidelines and you can reduce those chances to near zero.

 

[bevo]

hi were going through millau in october, there is a good airies on the edge of town away from the bridge, anyone had problems there.
i put my wallet with all my dosh under my pillow, so if they want it they have to shift me first.

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[barryd]

hi were going through millau in october, there is a good airies on the edge of town away from the bridge, anyone had problems there.
i put my wallet with all my dosh under my pillow, so if they want it they have to shift me first.

Cant see any problem in Millau, seemed a respectable nice little town to me. Think there might be a cop shop right next door (not that you ever see them)

Just reading back though through this post. Did this robbery happen on the service station of the toll road / motorway? If so then its probably not even robbers from the local area. I have read that main routes service stations for overnighting (includiing UK) should be avoided for this very reason. Sorry if I am incorrect here but I found the whole Averyon region lovely and hardly a likely place to get done over.

 

[Loddy]

Most frightening moment for me was to be in a out of the way aire in France and find Barryd parked opposite


Indy (Loddy)

Hello you drunkard

 

[barryd]

Most frightening moment for me was to be in a out of the way aire in France and find Barryd parked opposite


Indy (Loddy)

Hello you drunkard

So you lurk here as well!

Yep we did do a bit too much boozing that night. Well Michelle and I did, you two seemed quite civilised! Did you get my note?

Cheers

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[bambi 2]

gassed

Oh Dear!
I am so-so sorry to hear what has happened to you, do you have enough fuel to get you to our home in Aveyron, you can stay in our garden and use our WIFI and also our address, if we can help we are 110 kilometers to the west of you near a town called Villefranche-de-Rouergue, here is our e-mail address. kensylviahearn@hotmail.com bambi 2

 

[pappajohn]

Oh Dear!
I am so-so sorry to hear what has happened to you, do you have enough fuel to get you to our home in Aveyron, you can stay in our garden and use our WIFI and also our address, if we can help we are 110 kilometers to the west of you near a town called Villefranche-de-Rouergue, here is our e-mail address. kensylviahearn@hotmail.com bambi 2

thats a very kind offer bambi but please, for your sake, edit your post and remove your email address.

you could get alsorts of rubbish sent to you as this is an open forum and can be read by anyone.

PM your details to Pete. (apxc15)

click 'edit post' at the bottom of your post.

 

[Boo]

My first reaction was OH OH how can I get some money to him, would the camp site he's on take my credit card no. over the phone and hand him some cash? How would you be able to get cash to him, any one any ideas??Obviously by now he will have contacted his bank and arranged new cards to be sent and old ones cancelled, I hope.A great reason to have a fitted safe in the van and use it is this experience.

You can use Western Union to send cash to any post office in any country :thumb:

When I had my B class over in france & portugal I use to use a ratchet strap through the the handles on the front doors and ratchet them shut, a double dead bolt on the habitation door and OBVIOUSLY a good alarm system

Boo

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