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Given the number of concerns regarding Bandits in Spain and places best to avoid in the UK, what security measures do folks take when travelling around?
In our case we always have a camera close at hand, lock all doors, even the outside locker doors, and put a seperate internal lock on the side habitation door because that unlocks automatically once the cab doors are opened. We have also put a smooth cover over the rear roof ladder, it makes it a bit of a bind if we need to get on the roof but then that's the idea. Our cash, passports and credit cards etc. are locked in the safe.
Years ago when we used to travel to the south of France with our children in our old VW we used to have a couple of water pistols handy filled with amonia, nowadays we've replaced these with pepper spray.
Some might say we'er paranoid and it's a bit of overkill, but to our mind it's a case of rather safe than sorry.
Having said that, the camera and pepper spray are usually buried under a maps, sweets, notepads and other bits and bobs that we'd never be able to find them in an emergency anyway
Nothing. I tend to believe its highly unlikey that your ever going to run into trouble. Even if you do get bothered its still unlikely that they will gain access to the van while your in it.
I have fallen asleep wiliding or on Aires in Europe with the doors open and keys in the ignition (not advisable but we were all still alive in the morning).
what security measures do folks take when travelling around?
Best of all is not to read the scare stories in the various media formats - especially motorhome forums!!
Or apply a bit of basic statistical analysis!
For every one who gets robbed there are a thousand who don't. Unfortunately the 999 don't post and say, "We didn't get robbed last holiday." so the balance of reporting is wildly skewed.
And far too many people report a robbery that once happened to their best friend's, mother-in-law's, window cleaner's, second cousin's Aunty Mildred before she had the sex change operation!!!
I jest a little, but basically Barry has got it right.
If you really want to get professionally paranoid, start worrying about what's happening to the house while you are away!!
PS, I didn't get robbed for the past 32 years holidaying in France and Spain
Jesting aside Steve - that's the significant point.
I doubt if a meaningful poll could be devised, but it would be interesting to see how many robbery free member-holidays we could report, and compare it with the number of genuine, first hand incidents that have occurred.
I guess the probability of being robbed etc. is several thousand to one.
Years ago when on holiday with the kids in our old VW camper I forgot to lock the rear flap up window. On the back shelf was what to the casual passer-by a handbag. We were in town and stuck in traffic when some oiks opened the window and stole it. I bet they were dissapointed when they discovered it was full of kids colouring books, pencils and empty sweet papers.
On another occasion here in France some 2 car loads of east Europeans that we had seen earlier in a service station rest area talking on their mobile phones were at the side of the road with the car bonnets up. It was on a quite quiet stretch of auto route. There were a few cars on the road about a quarter of a mile ahead of us and nothing as far as the eye could see behind us. It was us, 3 or 4 of them ran into the road to try and flag down.
Yes, it probably is only a small percentage of folks that these things happen to; the trick is to take a few precautions to reduce the chances of you being part of the statistics
we've been going thro or to France for over three decades either with work or on one of touring holidays. I can only speak from experience of breaking down on an Italian motorway or damaging the motorhome roof in Spain or getting lost in France or dropping my wallet in a French street for it to be returned by a Dutch Lady! On each occasion some friendly locals bailed me and the family out.
Expect and plan for the worst but don't be surprised by the kindness of people.
Only time we felt threatened and my wife was robbed was on the Rome underground when she had her pocket picked by some east european beggars - they got away with a B&Q card.
We're one of the 999. 20 years of French holidays in the MH and no robberies either at night during the day or while moving. Once we did see the lay by in the middle of nowhere bonnet up, 3 blokes trying to flag us down in that bleak flat bit just outside Dunkirk before you get to the motorway.
Last year Liam dropped his wallet in a cafe in Beaune one Sunday afternoon. Credit cards, money etc. - big panic as he only realised once we had walked back to the campsite. However, the receptionist telephone the cafe and a very kind Irish person ran him round to the cafe to get the wallet which had been handed in by a local. Everything present and correct. It leaves you with a lovely feeling about our fellow human beings. Most are just like us - honest and truthful. It's just the few that get the rest a bad name.
Sue
______________________________________________________________ Sue
PS, I didn't get robbed for the past 32 years holidaying in France and Spain
Jesting aside Steve - that's the significant point.
I doubt if a meaningful poll could be devised, but it would be interesting to see how many robbery free member-holidays we could report, and compare it with the number of genuine, first hand incidents that have occurred.
I guess the probability of being robbed etc. is several thousand to one.
Dave
I do know 1 person that was robbed !!!!
However it would have happened in any country !!!
He left his Sat Nav, and other stuff (easily Salable)
on his front dash, and seat and visited a church for 3 hours.
Last summer at Cap D'Agde on the French Med coast (which is renowned for crime apparently) I left our Sat Nav on a bollard in the large marina car park. We were out on the scooter and I kept getting it out to check where we were.
I only discovered it was missing hours later. We retraced our steps where eventually we arrived back at the marina. People fishing, wandering about everywhere yet there it was sat on the same bolard untouched.
Very lucky I suppose but it goes to show not everyone is a tea leaf!
______________________________________________________________ Hank the Tank has a website. Follow our adventures at http://www.hankthetank.co.uk
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