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err, please, keep the discussion on the statement to go in the FAQ's - ...
Keep on topic!
I know it's difficult when the subject of gas comes up....
______________________________________________________________ Still sat here in front of the computer - it may be in the office, or on the laptop if I manage to get away from the office.
As far as I know, the only motorhoming Oxford United supporter in Bognor.
There is a distinct possibility that the bartender at the cafe on these aires slips a "mickey" into your drink when you ask if it will be ok to park overnight when you purchase a drink to get on their good side. The rest would be quite simple for him or and accomplice and who would suspect that nice chap who smiles as he serves your drinks. The learned Aneasthetist in his reply eludes to this in that it would need a measured dose to achieve unconsciousness.
______________________________________________________________ Has freedom to Travel
Secondly, avoid parking up overnight at Autoroute Aires, especially on the main holiday routes to the South of France I have never felt unsafe on an Autoroute Aire....
I tend to go with my feeling... if I feel unsafe then I maybe... But I guess that depends on how 'streetwise' the individual is.
Agree wholeheartedly - we have stopped many a time over the last couple of years on the way down, and back, from Aix on the Route du Soleil autoroute via Lyons. Whilst i have never been nervous (been doing this since 1972), my wife is new to it and has reservations - and she is French!! We have only been 'advised' twice by the Gendarme's to move as it was, in their experience, unsafe to sleep where we were. But instead of moving us off the Aire altogether, they suggested that we park up in the spaces in front of the fuel pump area so that we could be monitored on the CCTV. Both times we had a quiet night in company with 3 or 4 other MH'ers before stocking up and moving on in the morning.
Even after all my years of MH'ing, i still play it cautious - lock and alarm the 'van when inside, sleep with wallet, keys and passports under my pillow and dont sleep overnight on aires on non-tolled motorways.
Keep your eyes open and trust your instincts!!!!
be safe
Carl and Flo
But instead of moving us off the Aire altogether, they suggested that we park up in the spaces in front of the fuel pump area so that we could be monitored on the CCTV. Both times we had a quiet night in company with 3 or 4 other MH'ers before stocking up and moving on in the morning.
That is so right and what we did going down to Spain in Jan this year.
We went to the lady in the Paying booth and asked if we could park as near to the Kiosk as possible and she said in French Oh yes yes please do and we will watch you.
But then we got more adventurous and slept in with the lorries we always went to the front of the space so leaving a good gape behind us where a lorry could then park with us.
We locked all the doors deadlocking the cab doors and tieing them together.
We put all the dogs balls down the door well so if any door was opened it would surprise them and wake the dog.
We hid all valuables and money and my handbag. and slept on our keys.
Well done for the well written piece Mike It will be a good thing to put peoples mind at rest especially people like us that travelled for the first time abroad.
Mavis
À tous mes amis du forum thankyou pour toutes vos pensées agréables et avec son amour derrière moi je lutterai contre mon conflit avec un esprit de postive et le triomphe
Oh no not gassing again. Why do we reply to them.
I have stayed in aires de service, isolated aires on the edge of vilages and have only been advised to move on once by Gendarmes (South of Rheims)
I simply have the cab doors joined with a cable that has an alarm on it with the flashing led on view.The bikes fastened the same on rear rack.
Fiamma door lock. Anything that will make a noise when trodden on in the footwells Top vents closed. A couple of glasses of red and off to bed.
I will only believe gassing happens when it happens to me.
Dave p
______________________________________________________________ I never wish anyone dead, but I do take pleasure in reading some obituaries
There has been a lot of publicity in caravanning / camping magazines, and indeed in national & local newspapers about people getting robbed when stopping overnight at Autoroute Aires in France (and elsewhere, there have been reports from Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden). The thefts / break-ins, from Caravans as well as Motorhomes are definite occurrences, and some of these have been reported on here. The whole picture gets cloudy when allegations of the use of narcotic gas to render the occupants unconscious are made. A typical report goes thus "I was robbed last night on the A99 - we stopped after driving up from Spain, and woke up in the morning with a headache and our cash & credit cards gone. They had broken in by forcing the cab door - they must have been using gas because we are both light sleepers, and we would have heard something, and we both woke up with a bad head".
No reports have been made of forensic checks on vehicles or medical checks on the occupants that have been subject to these robberies, in order to substantiate any claims of "gas" attacks. Indeed it has been reported on here that it would be extremely dangerous to use narcotic gases in a confined space like a motorhome, firstly because of the risk of explosion from heating / fridge naked flames, and secondly the use of these gases in uncontrolled circumstances can lead to death. Needless to say there have been no reports of motorhomes exploding while parked on Autoroute aires, or of people dying from asphyxiation due to the use of such gases.
I urge anybody who is interested to do a search of the forums using the words "gas" and "attacks", and read through the threads. There is indeed a great deal of scepticism shown (even ridicule), maybe understandably when the facts are known.
A link which has been noted in several of the threads is to the Royal College of Anaesthetists here:-
So what should I do?
Well, firstly get a decent alarm, so if you are broken into you will be warned, and the possible robbers frightened off. Some companies are selling alarms to detect & warn or narcotic gases, but if nobody knows what gases are being used, then how do the manufacturers produce an alarm that warns of their use?
Secondly, if you feel in the least bit nervous about it, avoid parking up overnight at Autoroute / Autobahn / Autostrada etc Aires, especially on the main holiday routes to the South of France - go off the Autoroute and use an official Aire in a village or town, a campsite or even just park up on a quiet road away from the Autoroute.
Thirdly, get some sort of physical device to deter any break-ins – a visible exterior lock, a cable to lock the front doors together (but make sure you have a means of exit in an emergency), or even a big dog!
Fourthly, make sure you have a safe or somewhere you can put documents / valuables etc.
Plan it a little, if you need to overnight somewhere en route, get the aires book out, or check on the Camping Car web sites or our own sites / aires listings - don't leave it until you've driven 500 miles, and are getting too tired.
And finally, don't be scared by these stories, don't put yourself in danger, take a bit longer to find an overnight stop, you'll feel a lot better in the morning, having found a nice village with a boulangerie for an authentic Breakfast!
______________________________________________________________ Still sat here in front of the computer - it may be in the office, or on the laptop if I manage to get away from the office.
As far as I know, the only motorhoming Oxford United supporter in Bognor.
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