Abacist
LIFE MEMBER
SWMBO wanted to go here after realizing that German Xmas markets have the same tat as at home but a lot more hot and cold wurst stalls.
We went around, bought a present for someone in L'Occitane and retired to the van for a cup of tea before setting off again. There was a knock at the window and there was a middle aged Asian man dressed in casual clothes topped with a Sports jacket wanting to speak to us. I opened the door and after an exchange of words settled on French as the common language. He flashed his wallet open giving me just enough time to see a card in his wallet that contained the word Police behind a plastic screen.
He asked where were from, did we live in Begium and I said we were on holiday from England. He said we should not be parked there and I said we had been shopping and were just having a cup of tea before leaving. He wanted to see what we had bought and the receipt and whether we had paid by cash or card. He then launched into spiel about drugs coming to Begium from England and wanted to see our passports which I provided and he eaximined and returned them. He then demanded to see our money, both English and Euros and I gave him mine which he cursorily examined/counted and returned to me. He the started to raise his voice and ask about more money. I got my wife to produce hers which was less than mine. He kept almost shouting about seeing more money and we eventually convinced him that we had no more money to show him.
By this time we were both highly suspicious of him and my wife asked to se his ID again which made him cross and again just gave us a quick flash. He now calmed and became more courteous and said to put the passports and money away safely and left.
We then discussed it and decided he was impersonating a police detective. I checked outside the van and he had disappeared. Our garage doors were locked. We finished our tea and left. Margaret was quite unnerved by this.
I later wrote emails to the shopping village explaining what had happened and to let them know and also to suggest that security should be uniformed and with prominent photo display ID around their necks. I also said that I understood that any first interaction with police abroad would be with an uniformed officer.
I got a most apologetic reply concerned about our experience and to confirm that both police and security were uniformed and only too happy to show their credentials. They promised to investigate further and the reply was copied to six other people so they seem to have taken the matter seriously and more than would have happened at home.
I can only conclude that we had not shown that we had enough money to steal as he had produced no weapon and could easily have been knocked out of the van doorway where stood.
Just be careful out there everyone! Armed robberies on the road are not unknown abroad. I should have realized earlier and not answered to door!
We went around, bought a present for someone in L'Occitane and retired to the van for a cup of tea before setting off again. There was a knock at the window and there was a middle aged Asian man dressed in casual clothes topped with a Sports jacket wanting to speak to us. I opened the door and after an exchange of words settled on French as the common language. He flashed his wallet open giving me just enough time to see a card in his wallet that contained the word Police behind a plastic screen.
He asked where were from, did we live in Begium and I said we were on holiday from England. He said we should not be parked there and I said we had been shopping and were just having a cup of tea before leaving. He wanted to see what we had bought and the receipt and whether we had paid by cash or card. He then launched into spiel about drugs coming to Begium from England and wanted to see our passports which I provided and he eaximined and returned them. He then demanded to see our money, both English and Euros and I gave him mine which he cursorily examined/counted and returned to me. He the started to raise his voice and ask about more money. I got my wife to produce hers which was less than mine. He kept almost shouting about seeing more money and we eventually convinced him that we had no more money to show him.
By this time we were both highly suspicious of him and my wife asked to se his ID again which made him cross and again just gave us a quick flash. He now calmed and became more courteous and said to put the passports and money away safely and left.
We then discussed it and decided he was impersonating a police detective. I checked outside the van and he had disappeared. Our garage doors were locked. We finished our tea and left. Margaret was quite unnerved by this.
I later wrote emails to the shopping village explaining what had happened and to let them know and also to suggest that security should be uniformed and with prominent photo display ID around their necks. I also said that I understood that any first interaction with police abroad would be with an uniformed officer.
I got a most apologetic reply concerned about our experience and to confirm that both police and security were uniformed and only too happy to show their credentials. They promised to investigate further and the reply was copied to six other people so they seem to have taken the matter seriously and more than would have happened at home.
I can only conclude that we had not shown that we had enough money to steal as he had produced no weapon and could easily have been knocked out of the van doorway where stood.
Just be careful out there everyone! Armed robberies on the road are not unknown abroad. I should have realized earlier and not answered to door!
