Gassed When Wild Camping

[grahameroadstar]

hi,
be warned not to stay in aires in france, especially south of lyon.
my wife and seven year old son at the time, used too, until we were gased. it is an epidemic in france, thats according to the french police.
burglars will fill you van via the air vents with dentistry gas whilst your sleeping rendering you partly unconscious. they then enter your vehicle and have all the time to do what that please. a very distubing experience and still plays on my mind, that they could of removed my son demanding all sorts of money or payments. cameras passports cash rings wallets purses handbags sat navs credit cards anything and everything with a value went.

please be careful
grahame

 

[scotjimland]

hi,
be warned not to stay in aires in france, especially south of lyon.
my wife and seven year old son at the time, used too, until we were gased. it is an epidemic in france, thats according to the french police.
burglars will fill you van via the air vents with dentistry gas whilst your sleeping rendering you partly unconscious. they then enter your vehicle and have all the time to do what that please. a very distubing experience and still plays on my mind, that they could of removed my son demanding all sorts of money or payments. cameras passports cash rings wallets purses handbags sat navs credit cards anything and everything with a value went.

please be careful
grahame

Hi Grahame.
first of all, welcome to MHF .. Sorry to here about your experience, it must have been quite awful..
You may or may not be aware that reports of gassing are usually second or third handed and are generally read with some scepticism...
It would be very useful if you could give more details.. do you have a police or hospital report that can confirm you were actually gassed?
I hope you are not offended, but these types of events have often been reported but no one has yet presented any irrefutable proof .. No one will doubt you were robbed but without some evidence few will believe gas was used.
It would be very useful if you start a new thread on this incident, this one is quite old and many may not read it ..

Thanks

Jim

 

[weejohnw]

Gassed

Hi there,
sorry to hear of your troubles, we are heading to France for the first time very shortly and this sort of happening is always at the back of our mind, since it happened to my in laws too.
It would be useful if you could fill in the "report a crime" etc section on the map on the left hand side menu. This will help others perhaps to avoid the area in question and any mishaps to them.
I have just purchased Yale -shed/caravan/motorhome door alarms. Hope they work!
Regards:thumb:

 

[weejohnw]

Which type of Aire?


Hi Grahame,
Just wondering which type of Aire- village or motorway?
Regards Weejohn

 

[haganap]

Im sorry, but this is a strange first post. I have no reason not to disbelive you were robbed. but as others have said please give details.
However to say it is epedemic in france is a bit strong. I still would rather believe the experts in the subject on the numerous other threads accross numerous motohome sites from people who have contacted experts in the field of dental gassing and anesthetists whom quote " if I could get a quantity of gas right to knock people out without killing them I would be very rich" "it is not possible to know the ammount of occupants in a van including animals"

Therefore if this is such an epedemic, as you post, then surely there would be dead people and dogs all over france in Motorhomes and I think we would deffinately be scared and deffinately be hearing about it on every news story.

I ask you accept another explanation and do some homework on the possibilty of what you say happening.
However like others I am truly sorry you were robbed and a horrible experience im sure. I hope you recover and continue to enjoy motorhoming.

 

[Losos]

Grahame - First I'm very sorry to read that you were robbed in such a nasty way.

Secondly, were you anywhere near the French border ? The reason I'm asking is that since the Schengen agreement came into force thiefs can now cross national borders with no controls whatsoever (Even the checkpoints are being demolished) but the Police can not carry out investigations in another country.

They may be allowed to go over the border in 'hot persute' but that hardly ever happens, it's a problem and one which I don't think the EU has even begun to address.

 

[Road Runner]

I have had the same experience.

But after few years to think it over more likely to be robbed at home.

Does not detract from the shock or trauma as to what's happened.

Would not let this put any first timers abroad off going abroad just be careful.

 

[Losos]

However like others I am truly sorry you were robbed and a horrible experience im sure. I hope you recover and continue to enjoy motorhoming.

When you are robbed it tends to make you very bitter and maybe exagerate slightly the risk in order to prevent others from getting 'done over'

We were robbed recently and my post above is based on what the Police told me, and although I have posted this warning a few times no one has come back and told me the answer

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[Road Runner]

When you are robbed it tends to make you very bitter and maybe exagerate slightly the risk in order to prevent others from getting 'done over'

We were robbed recently and my post above is based on what the Police told me, and although I have posted this warning a few times no one has come back and told me the answer

I have a police report saying so but cant prove it was gas like they said but they moved freely over my Great Dane and Rottweiler of an ex wife plus robbed 10 other vehicles near us plus a Spanish lorry driver.

My incident was in spain.

Would I go again? YOU BET:thumb:

 

[flyboy]

This subject keeps raising its head, I do not believe that this happens. Consider this, when you go for an operation and are given gas the mask is tight against your face in order to get the required amount into your lungs. Consider the amount of gas that would need to be put into a motorhome/caravan in order to get the same result, they would have to have an enormous tank to do the job. Remember that a van is not air tight and there is a free flow of fresh air moving through the van. These rumors were started when someone thought it would be a good idea to use cold start for diesel engines to try to get high, as in glue sniffing, from there the myth was born. People do get robbed, but not because they have been gassed, but because they have been stupid and in order to save face they come up with the ridiculous story of being gassed. Forget it, go and enjoy yourselves and just take reasonable precautions when you are looking for somewhere to stop for the night, and you will be safe. In all my years of motorhoming, that are many, all over the continent I have never had a problem.

 

[Road Runner]

This subject keeps raising its head, I do not believe that this happens. Consider this, when you go for an operation and are given gas the mask is tight against your face in order to get the required amount into your lungs. Consider the amount of gas that would need to be put into a motorhome/caravan in order to get the same result, they would have to have an enormous tank to do the job. Remember that a van is not air tight and there is a free flow of fresh air moving through the van. These rumors were started when someone thought it would be a good idea to use cold start for diesel engines to try to get high, as in glue sniffing, from there the myth was born. People do get robbed, but not because they have been gassed, but because they have been stupid and in order to save face they come up with the ridiculous story of being gassed. Forget it, go and enjoy yourselves and just take reasonable precautions when you are looking for somewhere to stop for the night, and you will be safe. In all my years of motorhoming, that are many, all over the continent I have never had a problem.

I am not stupid (but you didn't mean that did you?) read my post I have no idea how but same thing to others along side me as well? makes you wonder

 

[scotjimland]

I picked up the post in another thread and Jim has split the topic and created this one in order that no one misses the reply from Grahame.

So please, let's not get into another 'gassing' thread .. it's been done to death.. until we get evidence to substantiate there is no point in going round in circles debating, we all have opinions but that's all they are without evidence.

Jim

 

[flyboy]

Road runner, Far be it from me to imply such a thing. I am not that brave

 

[haganap]

Road runner, Far be it from me to imply such a thing. I am not that brave

Youve seen his dog too then

 

[Losos]

I have a police report saying so but cant prove it was gas like they said but they moved freely over my Great Dane and Rottweiler of an ex wife plus robbed 10 other vehicles near us plus a Spanish lorry driver.

My incident was in spain.

Would I go again? YOU BET:thumb:

I always knew Great Danes were friendly but Rottweilers ........oh sorry that was the ex you were refering too

BTW I'm not convinced about the gas thing, I'm keeping an open mind.

 

[Road Runner]

Road runner, Far be it from me to imply such a thing. I am not that brave

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[Road Runner]

I always knew Great Danes were friendly but Rottweilers ........oh sorry that was the ex you were refering too

BTW I'm not convinced about the gas thing, I'm keeping an open mind.

 

[Road Runner]

Youve seen his dog too then

 

[Road Runner]

I picked up the post in another thread and Jim has split the topic and created this one in order that no one misses the reply from Grahame.

So please, let's not get into another 'gassing' thread .. it's been done to death.. until we get evidence to substantiate there is no point in going round in circles debating, we all have opinions but that's all they are without evidence.

Jim

I must agree although thank the original poster for making us aware of any kind of robbery:thumb:

 

[ShiftZZ]

Guys
I also have been cynical of these stories, so I sent a copy of the story to a friend who is French and lives in Lyon.
Her reply was as follows:
“Yes it is true
A real problem !!
It happened to some of my clients!!”

So from all accounts it may well be true....


ShiftZZ

 

[JeffersonCampervan]

I suspect the "gas" is a bit too much French wine!

I've always been struck by the fact that this gassing phenomenon is reported in Europe, but never over here. I've RVed all over Canada, USA & Mexico, I frequent all our major motorhome forums & NEVER ONCE have I heard of such a thing.

Seems to me that the crooks over here would have latched onto this technique by now - we have lots of Europeans over here -even have some European Romy, some 'travelers" & lots of east Europeans recently displaced (only mention this since these are groups sometimes referred to in these threads - perhaps unjustifiably .

Not saying anyone is mendacious, but for now I'm relegating this to "urban myth" status.

 

[daveyboy]

gassing does happen in europe and it does happen over here in the uk.
usually to truckdrivers who are seen as easy targets. cant see why they would,nt target motorhomers .

 

[pappajohn]

if its of interest to anyone my wifes ex-brother in law is a consultant aneasthetist at a large manchester hospital.

Dr. Selwyn Pennant Roberts Wythenshawe Hospital

if i can contact him i wil ask him to explain exactly what would be needed to render someone unconcious long enough to break in and rob them without risk of it not being enough (still awake) or too much (dead, not that the robber would care.).....bearing in mind the average internal volume of the van and the average physical size of the occupants.
as no reports have been made of anyone dying of overdose of gas i find it very unlikely this ever happens.

im sure he will give me this info after he stops laughing.

 

[daveyboy]

heres a few links for you. are all these people liars.

Beware sleeping gas gang, caravanners told - Telegraph

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[JeffersonCampervan]

Oh, what the heck: :cry-smile:

from The Royal College of Anaesthetists (Link Removed)

"Despite the increasing numbers of reports of people being gassed in motor-homes or commercial trucks in France, and the warning put out by the Foreign Office for travellers to be aware of this danger, this College remains of the view that this is a myth."

We probably don't need to rehash all this:


Link Removed

 

[Brisey]

The following was issued by the Royal College of Anaethetists about 18 months ago.


With regard to gas attacks I remain sceptical but vigilant.




Link Removed




Recent RCoA statement on alleged gassing in motor vehicles
Despite the increasing numbers of reports of people being gassed in motor-homes or commercial trucks in France, and the warning put out by the Foreign Office for travellers to be aware of this danger, this College remains of the view that this is a myth.
It is the view of the College that it would not be possible to render someone unconscious by blowing ether, chloroform or any of the currently used volatile anaesthetic agents, through the window of a motor-home without their knowledge, even if they were sleeping at the time. Ether is an extremely pungent agent and a relatively weak anaesthetic by modern standards and has a very irritant affect on the air passages, causing coughing and sometimes vomiting. It takes some time to reach unconsciousness, even if given by direct application to the face on a cloth, and the concentration needed by some sort of spray administered directly into a room would be enormous. The smell hangs around for days and would be obvious to anyone the next day. Even the more powerful modern volatile agents would need to be delivered in tankerloads of carrier gas or by a large compressor. Potential agents, such as the one used by the Russians in the Moscow siege are few in number and difficult to obtain. Moreover, these drugs would be too expensive for the average thief to use.
The other important point to remember is that general anaesthetics are potentially very dangerous, which is why they are only administered in the UK by doctors who have undergone many years of postgraduate training in the subject and who remain with the unconscious patient throughout the anaesthetic. Unsupervised patients are likely to die from obstruction of the airway by their tongues falling back. In the Moscow seige approximately 20% of the people died, many probably from airway obstruction directly related to the agent used.
If there was a totally safe, odourless, potent, cheap anaesthetic agent available to thieves for this purpose it is likely the medical profession would know about it and be investigating its use in anaesthetic practice.
13 Sep 2007



http://www.rcoa.ac.uk/index.asp?PageID=64&NewsID=565

 

[Road Runner]

The following was issued by the Royal College of Anaethetists about 18 months ago.


With regard to gas attacks I remain sceptical but vigilant.




Link Removed




Recent RCoA statement on alleged gassing in motor vehicles
Despite the increasing numbers of reports of people being gassed in motor-homes or commercial trucks in France, and the warning put out by the Foreign Office for travellers to be aware of this danger, this College remains of the view that this is a myth.
It is the view of the College that it would not be possible to render someone unconscious by blowing ether, chloroform or any of the currently used volatile anaesthetic agents, through the window of a motor-home without their knowledge, even if they were sleeping at the time. Ether is an extremely pungent agent and a relatively weak anaesthetic by modern standards and has a very irritant affect on the air passages, causing coughing and sometimes vomiting. It takes some time to reach unconsciousness, even if given by direct application to the face on a cloth, and the concentration needed by some sort of spray administered directly into a room would be enormous. The smell hangs around for days and would be obvious to anyone the next day. Even the more powerful modern volatile agents would need to be delivered in tankerloads of carrier gas or by a large compressor. Potential agents, such as the one used by the Russians in the Moscow siege are few in number and difficult to obtain. Moreover, these drugs would be too expensive for the average thief to use.
The other important point to remember is that general anaesthetics are potentially very dangerous, which is why they are only administered in the UK by doctors who have undergone many years of postgraduate training in the subject and who remain with the unconscious patient throughout the anaesthetic. Unsupervised patients are likely to die from obstruction of the airway by their tongues falling back. In the Moscow seige approximately 20% of the people died, many probably from airway obstruction directly related to the agent used.
If there was a totally safe, odourless, potent, cheap anaesthetic agent available to thieves for this purpose it is likely the medical profession would know about it and be investigating its use in anaesthetic practice.
13 Sep 2007



http://www.rcoa.ac.uk/index.asp?PageID=64&NewsID=565

I heard it was them doing the gassing

crafty beggars

 

[pappajohn]

oh: its started again hasnt it!!!!

Diane Bezer and Geoff Sillito believe thieves piped sleeping gas through the vents of their camper van, knocking them out so they could raid their camper van without fear of being disturbed.
Mrs Bezer, of Winterbourne Bassett, Wilts, said: "When we woke up everything was gone and we had a really woozy feeling. The gas had an effect because we didn't wake up until 9am and we are usually awake at 7am.

when gas is administered surgicaly it is monitored and adjusted so as to keep the patient unconcious but not enough to put 'em in a coma. when the gas is reduced/stopped the patient slowly wakes.

now i wouldnt think the 'gas' will hang around so long it would take 2 hours at least to awake assuming they were gassed at 7am....and its a co-incidence they both woke at the same time, considering aneasthetic gas effects everyone differently, body bulk, health........havent they heard of 'a lay in'.

my opinion is they just never heard 'em so didnt wake.

this looks more like an advert for door locks....
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[eddie]

A Couple of points to ponder

What air vents?

Were the thieves asleep on the floor when you woke up? Why didn't they get knocked out?

Why does this happen in France after a couple of late nights getting ready for the holiday, a ferry crossing and then a long drive?

Why don't the Anaesthetists believe that this happens

 

[scotjimland]

oh: its started again hasnt it!!!!

[/I][/B]

Unfortunately yes..

I hoped this wouldn't happen, I asked to keep on topic, I hoped Grahame would come on and give us some more information.. but it's developed into another pointless gassing thread that's has been done to death, there is nothing new and I doubt the OP will ever respond now for fear of ridicule ..