Aires: Gassed and Robbed!?!? (1 Viewer)

[zen navigator]

Urban Myth / Scaremongering!?!?

Heard this from 2 independant MH'ers who avoid Aires like the plague. Gassing occupants thro' the vents and robbing them.

Needless to say they heard this story second \ third hand....

Clearly criminals will find creative and unsavoury ways of getting your money/goods but I think its a bit of good old fashion scaremongering...or am I being naive

Dave

 

[Minxy]

This has been doing the rounds for ages, I've not yet met anyone who has a first hand account.

The only gassing I've experienced in our motorhome either involves my hubby or my dogs!

 

[lebesset]

this story has been going around for at least 20 years , but nobody seems to have had it happen to them

and where are the dead bodies ?

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[scotjimland]

gassing is an urban myth ..

however

it is inadvisable to use Autoroute Aires, these are used by all vehicles, cars, trucks, vans etc not just motorhomes.. and there are many documented accounts of vehicle break-ins and theft. I would NEVER stay overnight on them.

Not to be confused with MH Aires in towns and villages which are very safe, we used them exclusively while full time and only had one instance of theft of a bike which could happen anywhere ..

 

[lorger]

We have heard this loads of times now and at first though oh no but after having used aires for the last 3 years never felt unsafe or scared.

When you think about it whats to stop them doing it in a campsite as ive never been to one that has a 10ft fence and locked gates

Im sure more will be along to reassure you.

Gerry

 

[vwalan]

i got broken into at el saler on the beach carpark this year in spain. can happen anywhere .even the dog didnt bark .cost me 600euro a camera and my credit cards.
the banks involved rang me at 7 o,clock in the morning asking if i was having trouble in valenia using the cards . good service from them .but no cards for the next three months caused a little hardship. fit lots of bolts locks etc .we live n learn .

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[johnsandywhite]

I have met 3 Motorhomers (actually RV'ers) who have been gassed and robbed. On all 3 occasions some VERY valuable items along with lot's of money and expensive Laptops have been stolen.



















I'm sure I saw a PIG flying then.

 

[geoff587]

According to some very qualified experts gassing in a motorhome is impossible, too many vents, pilot lights would cause an explosion, no one has died, the cost of the gas would make the average robbery not cost effective and no one has been too hospital and had confirmation they were gassed which would still be in their system. People will have been robbed whilst asleep and whether through drink and tiredness been convinced they were gassed.
There are just too any reports to prove it is physically impossible too gas someone in a Motorhome/ Caravan , despite someone knowing someone who knows someone who had a cousin who bought a dog from someone who had a distant friend gassed in their motorhome.

 

[geoff1947]

posessions

Before I retire at night I place all our valuables under my bed. Anyone wishing to get to them will have to physically lift the bed up with me and the wife on it and crawl underneath A robber wants to be in and out quickly and will not hang around to be caught
I for one, do not believe in this gassing myth but do take all necessary precautions etc.
The people I have talked to and have been fleeced, have left bags and passports etc on the side/tables, on front seats etc.

Think off the 3 S's

Be "Secure"
Be "Safe"
"Sleep" well

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[Mandaxxx]

Everyone's heard of someone that's been gassed, but I doubt it's possible, although we would never sleep on a motorway Aires or Service Station.
Hide everything you value everytime you go out & at night, we've found a lovely place in our MH & bolted in a small safe for the pasports etc., it's just under the .......by the........, you know the place!:thumb:
Oh yes and we've got dead bolts an all doors too.

 

[lebesset]

the russians tried this trick to rescue some hostages , didn't they ?

killed about 200 as I remember

 

[gazz]

i've met people who believe the gassing myth, they buy those 'special' gas alarms, avoid aires and even certian camp sites, and eventually give up going anywhere because they are so frightened of it,

as others have mentioned, it's always a friend of a freind who was gassed, which really means they read it on the internet, or some loud mouth at a site was trying to look importiant by telling the tale,

you just need to stop and think about it for a bit, a motorhome has a lot of ventilation, roof vents with fixed ventilation, floor level wents, gas drop out holes in the floor, a cab with a hoofin great heating and ventilation system,

how is the gas supposed to build up when the vehicle they are pumping it into is so leaky, how come no one sees these people carting the 6 foot tall bottles of ether around,

a lot of motorhome have a lpg leak alarm, they will trigger for any flamable gas, they work by using a hot element inside a mesh housing, like a davy lamp, gas gets through the mesh, ignites on the hot element, but dosent blow the rest of the gas up due to the mesh, the alarm registers the current change in th element and alarms, it'll work with methane, propane, nat. gas, ether and so on.

as others have mentioned, pilot lights, the gas fridge has a flame on it, the heater may have a standing pilot light, but more likely spark ignition on demand, but they can fire up at any time,

then theres the ammount of gas needed to knock someone out without killing them, the ammount differs depending on breathing capacity, age, size and so on, so the gas needed to knock out a 6 foot 6, rugby player type built man, will be the leathal dose to a 5 foot skinny woman, any children, dog, other pets and so on.


in another club i used to be in, someone was spending the night on a services in england, he woke to find 2 youths in his van, the reason he woke up was one of them was emptying his portapottie over his sleeping bag,
they'd poped the cab door open, climbed over him, been through every drawer and cupboard, had his wallet, camera and so on, and if it wasnt for him feeling the wetness, he'd not have woken till the morning.

i persoanly rekon the thieves are very good at what they do, like pickpockets who can have your wallet without you feeling a thing, they know how to move and do things to quietly so as not to distrub anyone,
also they may go for the people seen during the evening drinking,

an i do believe a lot of cases were due to people getting drunk, and forgetting to lock or even shut the doors, so an opurtunist thief moved in,

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

I had a conversation with a very experienced and " i wouldn't have a MH given" rallier in our group.
She couldn't understand why , in the first place , we'd "sold our lovely caravan for that"
When i said why , and mentioned that we were actually going to holiday in it, something we hadn't done in the caravan , she started to give me her advice.

Never ever stop on an aire, you will get gassed , i know loads of people who have been, and robbed or raped.oh:
Always stay where the truckers stay , its safer there. Try and stick to the motorway service stations.oh:
I didn't even bother trying to argue the toss, just sat there sipping my wine and nodding politely.
I'm sure it was more to do with the very strong pain killers i was on at the time , for my bulging disc.
Ralph's face was a picture , he was waiting for me to bite.
Bev

 

[scotjimland]

As I said earlier I believe it's an urban myth .. simply because there is no verifiable cases and no bodies.. however there are several stories of gassings in hotels and private homes..

A robbery where CS gas was used in a hotel in Honfluer France..

Is it so far fetched to say that this method couldn't be used in a MH ? Perhaps .. perhaps not, you decide ..

Intruders got into their bedroom as they slept and used CS gas to incapacitate them before they stole their most valuable possessions.
Items taken included classic wristwatches, antique chains, gold pencils and the last pipe made for Nicholas II, the tsar of Russia.
Mr Donner blames the burglary for his debilitating condition and says the hotel should be held responsible.
"I fight for breath every day," he said. "It has affected the nerves from the tips of my toes to my thighs, and from the fingertips of both hands up to my elbows. As a result I have lost a large amount of balance and mobility."
Mr Donner, who worked for Lloyd's Fenchurch Insurance Holdings, was once known as the "Rottweiler of Lime Street" for his vigorous campaign against fraud. The former Coldstream Guard sold his underwriting business for £4.5 million in 1990.
Mr Donner, from Taunton, Somerset, said: "My condition has taken away a large part of the quality of my life I worked hard for. I try to do most things but if you see me moving it is pretty pathetic.
"My wife remains severely traumatised. Her state is exacerbated by having to witness the wretched condition of her husband.
"One assumes that you will be looked after adequately in terms of security when you stay at a hotel like this."
A medical report by his GP, Dr Christopher Stone, states: "Mr Donner received a large airways injury as a result of exposure to a noxious gas.
"A year since this assault he remains significantly impaired in his respiration by an acute inflammatory upper airways reaction."
His condition is so severe that he cannot go under a general anaesthetic for an operation on his toes.
Dr Stone adds: "Mr Donner has developed a severe disabling progressive neuropathy. The neuropathy is unlikely to be reversible and likely to progress.
"Further deterioration will have an adverse effect on his sensation and balance resulting in difficulty in walking and driving."
In a series of claims stated in the writ, Mr Donner is asking for compensation for the "serious respiratory difficulties" brought about by the attack. The document claims that the Donners "live in permanent fear of a new attack". The total claim comes to more than £2 million.

Full Story

and in India
http://www.airconco.com/news/new-delhi-robbers-use-air-conditioning-gas-units-1006.html

Google 'robbers used gas' for more stories..

 

[imprint]

I agree with geoff and practically everyone else that this is another urban myth.

You can't prove a negative, but I've never come across anything to suggest otherwise. Never. Can anyone find a genuine report, with references?

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[vindiboy]

Urban Myth ? of course, [ we hope, ] it's good that it keeps coming up though, makes people think security and that is a very good thing.:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[vwalan]

the point is you can be robbed while you sleep .it happened to me just before last xmas .and we had a dog in the trailer. i,m not saying i was gassed .they twisted the caravan handle come lock .the lock turned inside the handle and opened the top part of side door and grabbed things .we think . it was on a qiet beach ,we had been there a few days . fitted more bolts on inside and a big padlock for when leaving truck .
beware we all can be robbed.

 

[Goldedition]

Ok listegn, the kind of thieves that break into MH and stuff are from a totally different calibre, than organised criminals
They are or desperate addicts, or the lowest of lowest crap, trying to get around in life, hardly succesfully

The kind of criminals that break into MH because they want to steal your monitor, because they think its a gps, and sell it for 10 euro, have not a bit knowledge of gasses and how to gass people

Serious criminals that would have acces to that kind of thing and knowledge are not intrested in your 50euro GPS, not even in your laptop.

People are not gassed to steal their wallet and credit card or some cash money.
There are plenty of opportunities for miserable thieves to do better catches.

Look around and watch how many people leave things unprotected. WHy on earth would one do the effort to carry around hughe cylinders of neurologic, or product used by anesthesist ...... its just too crazy, if you think about it

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[hallii]

I have been gassed and robbed on the French Aires and all through Spain and Portugal.

This has happened more than 10 times.

I have not yet been raped but I live in hope....

So, you had better believe it, it does happen, do not camp anywhere except in a proper paying campsite. Leave the Aires and Wildcamping spots nice and clear for me, they are getting a bit crowded in some places.

I will keep using them and so draw the thieves and gassers away from the campsites for the rest of you.

Hallii

 

[vwalan]

well best let us know when where you are going .thought this was a camper site .but it is fun. pm me as we dont want every body knowing dont tell anybody else its a secret.

 

[twooks]

I am deeply moved and impressed by your caring and humanitarian approach - acting as a lightening rod to draw all these evils away from the rest of us

accept my deepest gratitude :thumb::thumb::cry-smile:

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[laneside]

laneside

Hi All

We have spent the last seven weeks in France working our way down to my sisters in the Dordogne and then slowly working our way up the west coast ( which in our opinion is not worth the diesel). We are currently in Northern Brittany which is absolutely beautiful, having used a mixture of campsites and aires we are of the opinion that you have a far greater chance of being murdered in your bed back in Blighty than you have of being robbed in France. No idea what problems there are in Spain but no signs in France.

Where ever you go take care and just enjoy and above all do not worry

Cheers Alan and Lynda

 

[spudandpatricia]

Gassing ? poppycock

The only gas you need to be aware is from open flame heaters and your bottled gas.

Some people still believe the moons made of green cheese.

Keep on trucking

 

[Pammy]

I
Always stay where the truckers stay , its safer there. Try and stick to the motorway service stations.oh:
Bev

When we were in France last year, we found ourselves moving on from one motorway aire because of the unsavoury characters that started to appear. Even the truckers moved on after some quiet exchange of words had taken place between them. So we also moved on a further few kms up the motorway and pulled in to a huge service station where the truckers were parked up for the night. This we felt was a much better place to stay for the night, we were in convoy (3RV's and 1 European) and had done a great deal of travelling during the day so we were all extremely tired.

I had always said that I was a light sleeper and would wake up if a pin dropped but that was not the case, we were woken by my mobile phone - the couple in the European van had woke up to find someone in their van and the thief had scurried off when she screamed. They then noticed that the drivers door on our RV was open so they rang us to say we had had visitors. Sure enough we had BUT like a previous poster has already said the thieves need to be doing their stuff and getting out as quickly as possible. This I believe is very true.

They had already tried to drill out the locks in the hab door which you would think we would have heard but we didn't and we certainly didn't hear them when they actually got in to the cab area, found Geo's wallet, took only the cash, they left the credit/debit cards, drivers licence etc, then dropped the wallet on the floor. They left my handbag, both mobile phones, camera and the sat nav so this was obviously someone who did not want to be found with anything that could incriminate them, they just wanted the cash which could not be proven was not theirs.

I can honestly say we were not gassed, we certainly didn't feel woozy which I think we would have done. What we did feel was very dissappointed with ourselves for dropping our guard and leaving our valuables so readily available - only Geo's wallet was put away and they seemed to know exactly where to go for that.

Are we much wiser - you bet we are.

Safe travels

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[vwalan]

when we were done they took my jeans and a suede waist coat .left my passports wallet driving licence just like geo,s.even put theclothes under the van with the bits all wrapped up in them. takes some believing .everything in the wallet had been moved but only cards and money +camera stolen. to this day i cant believe we didnt hear anything. could have been killed but we werent .fit locks chains anything you can . it could happen here as well so play safe ,it was a warning to me after m,homing all my life . it can does happen but not with gas . in my case anyway, cheers alan.

 

[2657]

I have personally been involved in two attempted robberies, both in Spain, whilst stopped for lunch or shopping on motorway S/stns or S/mkts. I have occasionally stopped overnight on French motorhome aires, when no site was available, but would never overnight on motorway S/stns especially abroad but also in the UK.Do not think that parking amongst trucks is any safeguard, I have been an owner operator of trucks in the UK for 25 years and breaking into trucks is a common occurence on motorway service areas and lay byes.
I personally have no experience of this type of robbery on a site, though it undoubtedly occurs occasionally, basically you pays your money(or not) and takes your chance.

 

[hymerbeliever]

The quantity of gas needed inside a MH to get to a sufficent level to anesthetise is enormous...I did see some calculations somewhere.

If you are going to stay in a french motorway aire, then use one that's got a petrol station, is on a paying autoroute and park somewhere that's busy. We gave up staying at the picnic aires as we felt awfully threatened and several times gang of youths would park right next to us at night even tho the place was empty. The service stations seem fine and either park with the lorries or other MHs.....the lorries may wake you as they move or with their noisy fridge units.

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[JJ]

I very often park the Wagon in aires, motorway service stations and lorry filled laybys.

Normally the people already there look at the Wagon, start up their engines and move off.

When I was last broken into they took pity and tidyed up for me... I too had a headache 'cos I couldn't find anything for ages... :Cool:

JJ

"A man with few material possessions rarely gets robbed"

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

I very often park the Wagon in aires, motorway service stations and lorry filled laybys.

Normally the people already there look at the Wagon, start up their engines and move off.

When I was last broken into they took pity and tidyed up for me... I too had a headache 'cos I couldn't find anything for ages... :Cool:

JJ

"A man with few material possessions rarely gets robbed"

We have the same problem when we park up everyone leaves

 

[rainbow chasers]

There are some dead simple precautions you can take if this type of occurance concerns you.

1. Valuables in a safe at night - they can cost as little as £5 for a basic one. Throw under your seat/bed and its' out of sight.

2. Window alarms, window locks - just in case.

3. Lock your hab door FROM THE OUTSIDE, and USE THE SECURITY LOCK, as you would if you left it somewhere. Enter via the drivers door and strap them up.

They wont be able to undo your windows, with extra devices in place to secure and alert if tampered or broken. Security film is available that make then harder to break.

No point in forcing two locks on a door, especially if one is a security lock - after all you may just wake someone.

They can try the front doors/windows, but won't get them too far as they won't be able to open the door, and climbing through a smashed window is unadvisable after waking the owner.

If the gassing legend is true, then they won't bother - after all, why gas you when they can't get in?

So, if you are concerned - make sure your van is a hard nut and not a soft touch, camp wisely and sleep soundly - stop worrying and have fun, its' a holiday!!:thumb:

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