Travel Warning? (1 Viewer)

[SIFTA SAM]

Driving in France, Belgium or Netherlands?
According to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office there has been a series of robberies and express kidnappings on or around the motorway connecting Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Dunkirk and the Channel Ports - particularly towards the southern end of the route.
In the early hours they have been flagging down vehicles, seeming to seek assistance, or kidnapping single drivers outside petrol stations or 24-hour stores.
The perpetrators have generally been gangs with Eastern European connections, sometimes using UK-registered vehicles. They have been robbing victims on the spot or taking their victims under force to the nearest ATM to extract as much cash as their cards will allow.

 

[brynric]

This has been on the F&C website for quite a while. I think its been repeated because of the Chelsea v Benfica football match. Originally it appears to refer to 2011
Whilst its wise to be aware its on the same page as,
"Pedestrians should be extremely careful when crossing roads, "

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/netherlands/safety-and-security

 

[iandsm]

Warning

There are other "warnings" we might take heed of like the packet of peanuts that bears the legend, "May contain nuts" or one of my favourites, "To avoid accidents please drive safely"

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[ojibway]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were flagged down by a couple of blokes in a layby with an older, black BMW on a quiet road along the Loire. They looked like they were from "Youknowwhere".
It was obvious what their intentions were and we didn't stop. Unfortunately I didn't keep the clip on our in-car camera.
So, yes, they are everywhere. These guys probably work out of Tours.:Angry:
M&A

 

[iandsm]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were flagged down by a couple of blokes in a layby with an older, black BMW on a quiet road along the Loire. They looked like they were from "Youknowwhere".
It was obvious what their intentions were and we didn't stop. Unfortunately I didn't keep the clip on our in-car camera.
So, yes, they are everywhere. These guys probably work out of Tours.:Angry:
M&A

Sadly it seems most people who look like they are from youknowwhere are the prime suspects and I am always wary of them. I am probably doing some of them an injustice but that's life.

I just always make it a rule to be wary of any potentially threatening situation. But sometimes these things can creep up on you. Last year I was approached when taking the dog for her last nightime pee at Fontain De Vacluse, which is a huge air. The chap who approached me was trying to get me to go through some trees towards some motorhomes as he said he had trouble with his and could I help. What he didn't know was I had seen him cruising around the town earlier in his white BMW which I had then passed parked near the air as I was returning.

I told him he was a lying B@@£@! and I had seen him in the BMW earlier and that I knew he had no motorhome and returned to my motorhome. I had found that removing the rubber cap from my metal walking stick to show the sharp pointed end seemed to make him less confident and I watched as he continued to skulk around for another 10 mins then he roared of in his car. He looked like he was from youknowwhere. I have no doubt that had I gone to assist him I may have become a victim.

So although I might make light of warnings I and others need to keep our wits about us, but then I would be very surprised indeed if motorhomers going to Europe were not aware of the potential pitfalls.