Spanish Highway Robberies?? (1 Viewer)

jackierals

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We were travelling on the AP1 the other day to get from Spain to France (sorry cant remember what section) and we stopped for lunch at a motorway services. We were seated at a window eating lunch and we saw a red car pull up & the occupants get out and go into the garage (services was in 2 section ns, restaurant first & the garage a little further on), shortly after a burgundy car pulled up and a young female got out of the passenger side, my husband said to me "that girl has dropped all her money as she's got out of the car",
as she started picking it up a man & an older woman also got out and they were standing quite funny as the girl collected all her money but we didn't think anything of it and carried on eating & talking. I then noticed that the man was down looking like he was collecting money & then he stood up & the girl got down again. At this point I thought something funny is going on! She then got up and they all got back in their car & appeared to drive off. We were saying how strange that all seemed & what could it have been, then the red car occupants arrived back at their car & reversed out and then we saw that their rear tyre was flat. Our first thought was that the red car had pissed off the other & that it was a revenge thing & then we saw that the burgundy car hadn't left the services at all & was following the red car back onto the motorway. It was at that point that my husband shouted "they are going to get robbed" and we ran out to the van. We could only have been 3 or 4 mins behind them but whilst driving at considerable speed we just couldn't see them. After about 10mins, & we had given them up as having gone off our road, we passed a layby & there the 2 cars were. Unfortunately we hadn't seen them as the red car had pulled in and parked in front of a lorry, and we were going too fast to stop once we did spot them! But what we did notice was as per all the warnings, the burgundy car had pulled in front & was appearing to help with the tyre change.
My point of this post is just to say that we believe we witnessed a highway robbery & it may not have been a Motorhome or caravan, but it could so easily have been. I feel terrible guilt about not being able to do anything but my baseball bat was well ready had we seen them at the side of the road as we expected. BE SAFE EVERYONE.
 

dickieo

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We were travelling on the AP1 the other day to get from Spain to France (sorry cant remember what section) and we stopped for lunch at a motorway services. We were seated at a window eating lunch and we saw a red car pull up & the occupants get out and go into the garage (services was in 2 section ns, restaurant first & the garage a little further on), shortly after a burgundy car pulled up and a young female got out of the passenger side, my husband said to me "that girl has dropped all her money as she's got out of the car",
as she started picking it up a man & an older woman also got out and they were standing quite funny as the girl collected all her money but we didn't think anything of it and carried on eating & talking. I then noticed that the man was down looking like he was collecting money & then he stood up & the girl got down again. At this point I thought something funny is going on! She then got up and they all got back in their car & appeared to drive off. We were saying how strange that all seemed & what could it have been, then the red car occupants arrived back at their car & reversed out and then we saw that their rear tyre was flat. Our first thought was that the red car had pissed off the other & that it was a revenge thing & then we saw that the burgundy car hadn't left the services at all & was following the red car back onto the motorway. It was at that point that my husband shouted "they are going to get robbed" and we ran out to the van. We could only have been 3 or 4 mins behind them but whilst driving at considerable speed we just couldn't see them. After about 10mins, & we had given them up as having gone off our road, we passed a layby & there the 2 cars were. Unfortunately we hadn't seen them as the red car had pulled in and parked in front of a lorry, and we were going too fast to stop once we did spot them! But what we did notice was as per all the warnings, the burgundy car had pulled in front & was appearing to help with the tyre change.
My point of this post is just to say that we believe we witnessed a highway robbery & it may not have been a Motorhome or caravan, but it could so easily have been. I feel terrible guilt about not being able to do anything but my baseball bat was well ready had we seen them at the side of the road as we expected. BE SAFE EVERYONE.


so was there a robbery or not . and did you use the baseball bat . !!!
 
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Sorry don't follow that story at all:Sad: if their tyre was flat why did they go back on the motorway, what made you think of a robbery by one car following another car off a services , were they just helping the other car to change a tyre. Most likely to my way of thinking was that the two cars were traveling together, and were waiting for one another at the sevices:thumb:

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Don Quixote

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Sorry but I don't get it at all.

You stated "After about 10mins" at speed to catch them....... If they had a flat tyre there is no way they could drive at high speed for 10 minutes it would be very noticeable in the car within a few seconds. Why did you not call the police and give details of the incident on leaving the services whilst in pursuit. The emergency services in EU speak english as well as many other languages.

I'm not knocking you or your post. You say you feel guilt about not doing anything.... PLEASE PLEASE do not get involved in any way. CALL THE POLICE and let them deal with it. You "Baseball" bat will put you in jail.
 
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jackierals

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I knew that I would get a few knocks for posting this but here goes,

if the cars were travelling together, why did the burgundy car pretend to leave the services after 'appearing to leave after collecting all their money', as I said the way the way they were all positioned was quite funny in its self!
The flat tyre was very visible to myself & hubby but maybe not have been noticeable to driver upon leaving services, perhaps it wasn't as deflated as it looked to us!

Could I be wrong? absolutely yes, but do I think so? absolutely NOT.

No I did not consider phoning the police as we were a considerable way off mainland Spain & my very limited opinion was that a) we didn't know who to call and b) they wouldn't speak very good English & how do you explain that?

This was our very first trip abroad in the van and my first thought was that we had to help them ourselves if we had seen them, in time to stop. I was fully prepared to get our of the van and inspite of appearances, go in all guns blazing.

If you want to believe that this is another scaremongering post, then fine, but I am more concerned with the travellers that like ourselves, believe this doesn't happen.

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Feb 16, 2013
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I knew that I would get a few knocks for posting this but here goes,

if the cars were travelling together, why did the burgundy car pretend to leave the services after 'appearing to leave after collecting all their money', as I said the way the way they were all positioned was quite funny in its self!
The flat tyre was very visible to myself & hubby but maybe not have been noticeable to driver upon leaving services, perhaps it wasn't as deflated as it looked to us!

Could I be wrong? absolutely yes, but do I think so? absolutely NOT.

No I did not consider phoning the police as we were a considerable way off mainland Spain & my very limited opinion was that a) we didn't know who to call and b) they wouldn't speak very good English & how do you explain that?

This was our very first trip abroad in the van and my first thought was that we had to help them ourselves if we had seen them, in time to stop. I was fully prepared to get our of the van and inspite of appearances, go in all guns blazing.

If you want to believe that this is another scaremongering post, then fine, but I am more concerned with the travellers that like ourselves, believe this doesn't happen.


I am not knocking you at all but just don't see where a robbery comes in at all, the car could have stopped before joining the motorway for any number of reasons, if you were not in mainland Spain , where were you ? What was so special about the red car that they would single it out to rob it, if they were changing a wheel together with lorries parked around them where was the robbery being done, what were the lorry drivers doing about it. Please don't think I am knocking you but just don't see the logic:Sad:
 

pinkie

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Well whatever DID actually happen, you tried your best and that's all anyone can do.

I always exercise caution, lock doors etc. whilst travelling, but some things you can't account for.

I certainly wouldn't notice a flat tyre and would drive on as long as humanly possible probably!

However, I am reasonably widely travelled (not in a motorhome though) and take the view that the more you travel, the more good you find in people, the majority of people are generally nice, but you must always protect yourself from the few assholes and psychopaths out there...........

or of course in Nigella's case......

Saatchi!!!!

C'mon, Rich isn't everything! :thumb:
 
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Sorry but I am totally confused by your post.

Please explain if I have not fully understood it. You say the girl in the Burgundy car dropped her money then picked it up and got back into her car, then you say the Red car had a flat tyre and then they drove off together. I am sorry but I would think it very unlikely that a robbery was planned, after all you would have difficulty keeping up with anyone with a flat let alone presumably overtaking them then, getting them to flag you down to tell you that you had a flat tyre.

Sorry but it does not add up to me.
 

pinkie

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Totally unintelligible, sorry.

Perhaps so, but it would be nicer to encourage the proper facts from the OP rather than dismiss it as unintelligible!

Perhaps the OP was rushing to state the facts in a hurry and it wasn't worded in quite the right way, don't dismiss things out of hand, it's off-putting for genuine posters trying to warn people, as opposed to nonsense scaremongering.

Give people the benefit of the doubt springs to mind, which if any of us were posting, we would kind of expect to be the minimum response!

Just a thought! ::bigsmile:
 

damar

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Just like to say that we all must be very aware of the chance of being robbed when we are abroad especially in service areas. unfortunately we have been victims of robbery twice in the last 10 years. Every year there seems to be a new way of making you stop so they can rob you, one tip given to us by the police after our robbery Nr Barcelona was to never stop in a service area that has a walkway over the motorway, as this gives robbers choice of escape, it appease that they often have a car each side, and with mobile phones can sit and watch for there pray.

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Jim

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Distraction crimes like this do happen and tyres figure highly in such events.

Trying to convince you that you have a flat tyre or a tyre on fire while moving is one ruse. Unfortunately plenty of people do stop and then wish they hadn't.

The other, more common and more successful crime is to actually puncture a tyre, and then the crooks happen along as the Good Samaritan, while one assists the other/s rob you blind.

This crime doesn't depend on you travelling down the road, they'll rob you wherever you stop, or if you notice right away, you'll be robbed right there where you're parked.

An aside; travelling six miles in a car with flat rear tyre and a switched off driver is perfectly possible and happens all the time.

To the OP. You may well have witnessed one or the other, well done. Most people are so switched off, they don't notice anything happening around them. Being aware is your very best defence.. :clap: and thanks for sharing.

To Pinkie. Well said.:thumb:
 

Whatton

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Perhaps so, but it would be nicer to encourage the proper facts from the OP rather than dismiss it as unintelligible!

Yes, I see you're point, sorry.

Lets hope the OP will explain what happened with the proper facts as you suggest :thumb:
 
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I too am puzzled. You say you were in the AP1 travelling from Spain to France, yet you also state that you were a considerable distance from mainland Spain.
The rest of the story is also a bit 'cloudy' to me. Driving on a flat tyre should be instantly recognisable to a driver, and at speed, even more so.
Maybe you did witness a build up to a robbery, maybe you witnessed something completely innocent. I wouldn't have intervened in that scenario, but i would in a blatant robbery.
We should all be aware, of what could happen, and the flat tyre type robbery is very plausible.
As this was your first time abroad, were you overflowing with 'robbery' and 'gassing' stories? I know some people who will not venture abroad because of these tales, and assume everyone in Europe is out to steal from them, and thus refuse to go. Which is a shame.
I hope you have not been put off by this incident, and will continue to enjoy your travels abroad.

Craig

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Don Quixote

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Perhaps so, but it would be nicer to encourage the proper facts from the OP rather than dismiss it as unintelligible!

[HI]Perhaps the OP was rushing to state the facts in a hurry and it wasn't worded in quite the right way,[/HI] don't dismiss things out of hand, it's off-putting for genuine posters trying to warn people, as opposed to nonsense scaremongering.

Give people the benefit of the doubt springs to mind, which if any of us were posting, we would kind of expect to be the minimum response!

Just a thought! ::bigsmile:

This was my point in another posting a few days ago: [HI]READ YOUR PORT TWICE BEFORE PRESSING THE SEND BUTTON[/HI]

Now he states he was not in mainland Spain so this WAS NOT a SPANISH HIGHWAY ROBBERY

Another post that will SCARE members on here that has no truth to it.

I'm NOT knocking the OP, but wish to God he had read his own post.
 
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Jim

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Just like to say that we all must be very aware of the chance of being robbed when we are abroad especially in service areas. unfortunately we have been victims of robbery twice in the last 10 years. Every year there seems to be a new way of making you stop so they can rob you, one tip given to us by the police after our robbery Nr Barcelona was to never stop in a service area that has a walkway over the motorway, as this gives robbers choice of escape, it appease that they often have a car each side, and with mobile phones can sit and watch for there pray.

I think you have been very, very unfortunate to have been robbed twice in ten years. Distraction crimes are only successful if you are switched off and unaware of what is happening around you. Normally once bitten, twice shy, though ten years of nothing happening can certainly build up the complacency. I do hope it does not stop you traveling abroad.

Holiday makers are such good targets, because in holiday mode the last thing they are thinking about is personal security. I read last year their were over 200 reported (x10 for actual) thefts from travellers at rest stops on the AP7 stretch of motorway between the French border of La Jonquera and the Alicante region of Southern Spain. That sound a lot, but to be a victim you'd need to as unlucky as a lottery winner is lucky. Being aware will stack the odds massively in your favour.
 

Don Quixote

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Calling the emergency services whilst in your mh

The original poster has stated he was not sure how or that they speak English.

112 in Spain
[HI]The European emergency number 112 is not the only emergency number in Spain.
Alongside 112, the following emergency numbers are available in Spain ONLY:[/HI]
062 - civil guard,
091 - police,
061 - health emergencies
080 - fire fighters
092 - local police.

[HI]Disabled people can send a fax and an SMS to the national emergency numbers.
112 calls are answered on average within 7 seconds.[/HI]
In addition to the national language(s), the calls can be answered in English, French, Portuguese, Arab and German.

NOTE: this is the same for UK, Ireland, France, Germany. Please do not be worried about calling 112 you may safe a life.

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I may regret this, but before joining fun we had been round holland Belgium France Italy Spain Portugal as well as all over uk in mh vans cars buses trains . Parked on sea fronts , back street car parks,waste ground, gypsy camps motorway aires (even the most notorious last one before Calais) as well as campsites, aires, France passion, and had not heard all these stories and never felt threatened anywhere, even one night with a east European circus on tour in France . But since reading all these gassing and robbing and flat tyre stories I am beginning to wonder if I dare take the mh off the drive anymore:Eeek::Eeek:
 

Don Quixote

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Having read your post again here is my reply

I knew that I would get a few knocks for posting this but here goes,
You should never worry about getting "a few knocks" on here it happens all the time, but in most cases it's in fun.....

if the cars were travelling together, why did the burgundy car pretend to leave the services after 'appearing to leave after collecting all their money', as I said the way the way they were all positioned was quite funny in its self!
The flat tyre was very visible to myself & hubby but maybe not have been noticeable to driver upon leaving services, perhaps it wasn't as deflated as it looked to us!
I'm not doubting what both of you have seen, but it could and I say could have been something different to what you believe you saw or may have not been related at all.

Could I be wrong? absolutely yes, but do I think so? absolutely NOT.
Only you both will know that as it happen right in front of you, so wrong no, but factual no as you could not have known what went on in the laybe some 10 minutes latter.

No I did not consider phoning the police as we were a considerable way off mainland Spain & my very limited opinion was that a) we didn't know who to call and b) they wouldn't speak very good English & how do you explain that?
This is a worrying statement to read. Please cover all bases before you leave home and safety is the main one. Please "google" making emergency calls whilst in your Car/MH/Home as it will save your life or a member of your family or another MH owner.

This was our very first trip abroad in the van and my first thought was that we had to help them ourselves if we had seen them, in time to stop. I was fully prepared to get our of the van and inspite of appearances, go in all guns blazing.
Please do not get involved in any way. Going in "all guns blazing" could have you ending up in jail. Take photo's write down notes of the facts for later, but DO NOT RUSH IN

If you want to believe that this is another scaremongering post, then fine, but I am more concerned with the travellers that like ourselves, believe this doesn't happen.
I do not have a problem with the idea of your post and would like others to do the same as long as the facts are all there. In this case they are not and therefore yes it is scaremongering, sorry.

I do not what you to stop posting here your findings/experiences whilst using your MH as we can all learn from you and others.

Many will read this thread and many will learn from it so thank you for that.
 

Jim

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I may regret this, but before joining fun we had been round holland Belgium France Italy Spain Portugal as well as all over uk in mh vans cars buses trains . Parked on sea fronts , back street car parks,waste ground, gypsy camps motorway aires (even the most notorious last one before Calais) as well as campsites, aires, France passion, and had not heard all these stories and never felt threatened anywhere, even one night with a east European circus on tour in France . But since reading all these gassing and robbing and flat tyre stories I am beginning to wonder if I dare take the mh off the drive anymore:Eeek::Eeek:

That is the experience of almost every one of us, the chances of becoming a victim of crime are minuscule. :thumb:

Gassing, I've never read a credible story, it doesn't happen. I know a couple of Funsters who have been robbed on motorway aires. Robbery, its rare, but you should be aware that it happens, being aware keeps you safe.

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laneside

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Where in any of the posts it reads Spain delete it and insert almost anywhere.

I for one always feel safer at this side of the channel than I do back home in England.

Certainly we never leave our motorhome un-attended on Birch services or Ainley Top services and I am sure they are not the countries worst, just two we are familiar with
 

Vlad The Impaler

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I think half the problem is that people see events that they think are unusual,put two and two together and come up with 6 .
My girls love Dynamo the magician and think he can levitate and walk on water.They see what they want to see!
I do however agree with other posters that we should all keep our wits about us wher travelling,especially abroad.




Vlad
 

superk

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The story appears rushed, has some gaps and has obviously confused some and because of the responses I suspect the OP is unwilling to respond further.

The facts as I read them are:

The OP was eating in the services on the AP-1 motorway in Northern Spain travelling towards France.

They noticed a red car park up and the occupants enter the services.

A burgundy car drove in, a girl got out and appeared to ‘drop her money’ crouched down picking it up assisted subsequently by an older male. An older woman was also present.

We are not told the proximity of the two cars but have to assume they were close otherwise the story has no relevance.

The burgundy car then appeared to drive off.

Occupants of the red car returned and as they drove off the OP noticed their rear tyre was ‘flat’. They don’t qualify this as completely or partially flat.

It was the noted that the burgundy car hadn’t left the service area but followed the red car back onto the motorway.

The OP was concerned that there was to be a distraction robbery so followed at speed. And after ‘about 10 minutes’ saw the two cars parked in a lay-by the red car in front of a lorry and the burgundy car in front of the red car.

‘the burgundy car had pulled in front & was appearing to help with the tyre change.’

The last statement must mean that the occupants – the younger girl, older man and woman were out of their car and at the location of the tyre change.



Our leader (Jim), a security expert has said it would be perfectly possible to drive on a flat tyre and not notice (I think I’ve done it myself for a while) it also depends how flat.

Timings and distances may become blurred. The OP had to exit the eatery, return to their vehicle and then set off.

The statement that they were a ‘considerable way off mainland Spain’ is clearly wrong as they were on the AP-1 going in the direction Burgos to France.

How were the 3 occupants of the burgundy car helping with the wheel change – how were they distributed round the cars – all at the wheel change or were any of the occupants of the burgundy car near the doors of the red car on the offside from the wheel change for example?

The story has all the hallmarks of a distraction robbery but unfortunately is not totally conclusive because we don’t have the final evidence. Full marks to the OP for being aware. I wonder whether phoning the police would have elicited any action as it was all supposition at that stage?

EDIT: One final point if I may - did the OP notice whether the cars were both LHD Spanish cars or was the red one a foreign car - number plate or RHD for example?

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Carol

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I first read this post last night and thought it perfectly plain and feasible what the OP was saying and I think he did the right thing in sharing it with us. Now I am not the brightest spark in the box but I an amazed that savvy motor home owners dismiss a warning and try and pick holes in it.
 

Jim

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I think half the [HI]problem[/HI] is that people see events that they think are unusual,put two and two together and come up with 6 .
My girls love Dynamo the magician and think he can levitate and walk on water.They see what they want to see!
I do however agree with other posters that we should all keep our wits about us wher travelling,especially abroad.


Vlad
It's not really a problem, rather doing the sum is the solution to personal security. In this particular incidence, I wouldn't bet against it being a distraction crime, sounds like it it may well have been, we'll never know.
 

old-mo

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It may have been stated/suggested before...

But always keep a camera at hand, and point it towards who you may think is going to do a dastardly deed...

They don't like camera`s pointing at them... and will walk away..

And keep your doors locked when your inside... :thumb:

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It seems there are two certain things about this, one is that the OP certainly saw something. He chose to see it as a potential robbery and he is either right or wrong in his interpretation of what he saw.

The other is that he was aware of what was going on around him and the good thing is the thread highlights the importance of that which cannot be overstated.
 
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I first read this post last night and thought it perfectly plain and feasible what the OP was saying and I think he did the right thing in sharing it with us. Now I am not the brightest spark in the box but I an amazed that savvy motor home owners dismiss a warning and try and pick holes in it.

I was in no way knocking the op , or picking holes in it and she can post what she likes as she sees it and good luck to her, just saying , and I may well be in the wrong , that if I had seen what she describes , I am afraid I wouldn't have noticed anything untoward and definitely not been thinking of going in guns blazing :Eeek:
I would have seen two blokes pull up for services, three others who were traveling with them just got out to stretch their legs but dropped their money so picked it up the old guy who was probably her dad got down to check she had it all, they then decided to go in front of the others but before reaching the motorway decided to wait for them they all then drove off but down the road discovered the flat and were mending it. :thumb:
 

damar

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I think you have been very, very unfortunate to have been robbed twice in ten years. Distraction crimes are only successful if you are switched off and unaware of what is happening around you. Normally once bitten, twice shy, though ten years of nothing happening can certainly build up the complacency. I do hope it does not stop you traveling abroad.

Holiday makers are such good targets, because in holiday mode the last thing they are thinking about is personal security. I read last year their were over 200 reported (x10 for actual) thefts from travellers at rest stops on the AP7 stretch of motorway between the French border of La Jonquera and the Alicante region of Southern Spain. That sound a lot, but to be a victim you'd need to as unlucky as a lottery winner is lucky. Being aware will stack the odds massively in your favour.
Yes as you say we have just been unlucky, and yes we do still travel in Europe. One of our robbery's was in Sete in the south of France, at 4.30 in the afternoon in on of the main car parks in the centre of the town we were there with about 40 other vans, 4.30 decided to go and get fresh bread away 20 minuets on our return the inside of the van was like a bombe had gone of, they had forced the small toilet window and put a kid through to open the doors as we have catches inside, alarms went off but no one heard them so had reset when we got back. They must have been watching for us or perhaps another person to go out and then strike, when 2 or 3 vans were empty in the line. It is just a mater of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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