Disturbing theft from motorhome in France.. (1 Viewer)

[StitchesnFluff]

Lock everything to the racks and alarm if poss....
I reverse in

 

[Sabino]

[QUOTE="....................................remember irony[/QUOTE]

Aye, sure do


Great video.

 

[gwyntaxi]

I have had too many nasty experiences with gypsies/Itinerants I would park anywhere near them they have no scruples and even the police are wary of them, they have absolutely no scruples, Having said that I have had dealings with "proper" gypsies and they are pretty genuine folk, but Itinerants are the scum of the earth.

 

[gwyntaxi]

 

[JJ]

but Itinerants are the scum of the earth.

Excuse me... I am an itinerant.

Pray tell me... why am I "the scum of the earth"?


JJ

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[Jasz]

I have our bikes locked with a cable round the rack, but the padlock also connects the middle 2 pedals together so anyone would have great difficulty riding off with them. Also not easy to get bolt cutters to it.
They are also normally under a cover. It may not stop them being nicked but anything to make it harder for them.

 

[jockaneezer]

I have a a D lock and a couple of cable locks on our bikes when they're on the back of the van, but after watching a YouTube video of how easy cable locks are cut through, I've invested in another Abus D lock. As others have said, if they want them, they'll take them, but don't make it easy for the barstewards.

 

[treetops1]

We have decided not to stop in Calais any more, Last year surrounded by French vans at 2am ,there was a screaming French woman banging on the side of the van. Jumping out of bed ,opened the door to find a woman screaming i had reversed into her car and damaged her rear light and if i did not pay she would ring the police .She managed to lure me away to check the damage which obviously was impossible due to its position for me to have done ,She was screaming at me all the time .Fortunately Shirley locked herself in the van as i disappeared into the dark and within seconds someone was trying the van door . Unaware what was going on at the van i was trying to stop this woman shouting for the police .I told her to calm down ,i opened my phone and told her i would ring the police ,which i started to do whilst i was listening to the phone ringing she jumped into the car and was gone ,only then did i realise it was a con to lure me away from the van.The strange thing was this episode lasted at least 5 minutes ,there was 20 +vans there and not one person showed there face.I made the decision to move elsewhere there and then.Thank goodness Shirley had the sense to immediately lock the van down .This could have ended badly for my wife had she had not reacted as she did . But i must say we have spent 100s of nights in France and never had a problem and i am sure we will spend many more .Sadly we have to realise there are a few people out there happy to rob you given the opportunity at home as well as away.On a lighter note, a couple of days later i reminded Shirley she had saved the insurance company the standard claim of our rolex watches and 3 grand spending money .She was not amused .LOL

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

Whereabouts in Calais did this happen?

Although illegal in the UK, I understand pepper sprays are OK to carry in France (for adults).
I've often seen them for sale in sports shops.

I keep a fly killer aerosol in my door bin, to kill flies, but I have had occasion to threaten it's use to an aggressive windscreen cleaner at traffic lights in Avignon. Worked a treat.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

We have decided not to stop in Calais any more, Last year surrounded by French vans at 2am ,there was a screaming French woman banging on the side of the van. Jumping out of bed ,opened the door to find a woman screaming i had reversed into her car and damaged her rear light and if i did not pay she would ring the police .She managed to lure me away to check the damage which obviously was impossible due to its position for me to have done ,She was screaming at me all the time .Fortunately Shirley locked herself in the van as i disappeared into the dark and within seconds someone was trying the van door . Unaware what was going on at the van i was trying to stop this woman shouting for the police .I told her to calm down ,i opened my phone and told her i would ring the police ,which i started to do whilst i was listening to the phone ringing she jumped into the car and was gone ,only then did i realise it was a con to lure me away from the van.The strange thing was this episode lasted at least 5 minutes ,there was 20 +vans there and not one person showed there face.I made the decision to move elsewhere there and then.Thank goodness Shirley had the sense to immediately lock the van down .This could have ended badly for my wife had she had not reacted as she did . But i must say we have spent 100s of nights in France and never had a problem and i am sure we will spend many more .Sadly we have to realise there are a few people out there happy to rob you given the opportunity at home as well as away.On a lighter note, a couple of days later i reminded Shirley she had saved the insurance company the standard claim of our rolex watches and 3 grand spending money .She was not amused .LOL

A simple but effective distraction that will have probably worked for this group in the past. A good awareness raising, thank you.

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[Lot lover]

But i must say we have spent 100s of nights in France and never had a problem and i am sure we will spend many more

Our sentiments precisely.

 

[laneside]

Now get the people that have had their bikes stolen from Clumber Park camp site to post and an odd bike theft in France becomes ALMOST insignificant.

 

[treetops1]

The above incident happened on Calais front .This Aires has now closed due to new development.

 

[Peter Sansom]

I have a a D lock and a couple of cable locks on our bikes when they're on the back of the van, but after watching a YouTube video of how easy cable locks are cut through, I've invested in another Abus D lock. As others have said, if they want them, they'll take them, but don't make it easy for the barstewards.

I agree. If they are professional and determined they'll take it. After reading that Transits are easy to pinch on here I bought a steering wheel lock, but as you say it most likely wouldn't stop them for more than a few minutes...probably flog that along with the van! Depressing innit? Think I'll have a cuppa and slash my wrists!

 

[Kevan]

too late, i nicked the knife

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[SMB]

Excuse me... I am an itinerant.

Pray tell me... why am I "the scum of the earth"?


JJ

Thats what the other half calls you but I think that refers to the team you support..

 

[mike mcglynn]

The last bike theft that I saw was in Ringwood at a holiday park and they were very quick and well practised and left the site in a transit van, 3 big men looked like labourers, it was early Sunday morning and there was a car boot sale in the field nearby, the police said its no good chasing them they will have well gone now that was about 20 minutes later the camp site had a manned security barrier .?

 

[Brian Hewitt]

I know, I know, I suppose we are not REAL Motorhomers, but we do NOT stay on aires, full stop. We did once, years ago, on a dedicated MH stop, in France, and were kept awake by boy racers roaring up and down all night. Yes we pay fees, but we still have our 'home, all our possessions, no hassle. My wife is adamant that we use sites, and we all know what that means, eh fellas?????. Anyway, keep touring and don't let the B S grind you down. Brian.

 

[Bailey58]

Nothing wrong with Aires, they reach the parts that camp sites rarely do. Take a look at @KeithChesterfield's collection of videos on youtube.

 

[Lot lover]

In financial terms it makes sense to stay on aires or freeload - the money saved goes into a pot and enables the replacement of the bikes etc that might be stolen.

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[Zepp]

You can get robbed anywhere campsites / aires / carparks / outside your home and not forgetting DEALERS don't let it spoil your hoilday.

 

[Peter Sansom]

You can get robbed anywhere campsites / aires / carparks / outside your home and not forgetting DEALERS don't let it spoil your hoilday.

Glad you included the last one!

 

[Don Quixote]

Without this web site MH owners would not learn, help, meet other nice people etc etc, but sometimes I wish we could turn the clock back a bit.
In the days of the red phone box, the TV with 4 channels or MH's with just a radio you got on with life. The news of thefts, stealing Transit base MH etc never reach you for weeks or months.
The problem with modern communications is as it happens we all know about it and whilst is useful it can also cause problems.
Disturbing thefts happen all the time and are very rare in the MH world compared to say house theft or car theft. Last year it was Spain and the year before UK and now France.
I would recommend read what people post here as it's good to be reminded, but please DO NOT be put off campsites, aires, car parks etc, just enjoy your MH..............

 

[nicholsong]

Some posters have correctly used the word 'theft' but others have used 'robbery' when I suspect the theft did not constitute Robbery in Englsh Law which is

"A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force."

I think some people watch too many US films/TV which seem not to discriminate.

I would estimate that the cases of robbery from a MH are very small compared with theft.

Of course, if it is robbery, with threat to one's person, that would be very frightening and I would sympathise with anyone faced with such an event, but let us not talk up the event of theft into something which it is not.

Geoff

 

[Copes]

I would suggest that as we were pinned inside our motorhome by a gang while they stole our bikes robbery was a pretty good description?

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