# Gassed



## frontslide (Aug 8, 2014)

Derby family gassed and robbed in camper van on French holiday | Derby Telegraph


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## Sharon the Cat (Aug 8, 2014)

I just can't wait for the responses to this one. :blah:


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## mariesnowgoose (Aug 8, 2014)

It does sound possible if exhaust fumes were used, but highly dodgy as you could end up murdering someone! :scared:

{makes note for future reference  :lol-053: }


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## Wooie1958 (Aug 8, 2014)

This would have helped


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## Sharon the Cat (Aug 8, 2014)

Funnily enough at the Severn Bore meet our CO alarm went off for about 5 minutes in the middle of the night. 
We were parked next to Robmac & presumed that the gas alert was something to do with a whole day drinking real ale.


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## snowbirds (Aug 8, 2014)

Lifes a GAS.:ninja::ninja:


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## invalid (Aug 8, 2014)

I wonder if this will end up in those unusual insurance claim request, eg: the tree jumped out in front of me, the road disappeared from view.
Probably their own exhaust was leaking into their MH.


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## kenspain (Aug 8, 2014)

I won,t say a word what a load of COGONES  Spanish :lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:


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## antiquesam (Aug 8, 2014)

:blah::nothingtoadd::rolleyes2::help:


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## Andys (Aug 8, 2014)

It has to be an insurance scam
If someone piped car exhaust into your van everything would be coated black. 
My cousin worked as a forest ranger once found someone who has unfortunatley gassed themselves with car exhaust fumes - he thought the car had tinted windows they were so dark


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## n brown (Aug 8, 2014)

i'm exhausted reading about this load of hot air


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## Andys (Aug 8, 2014)

Im fuming:mad1:


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## hextal (Aug 8, 2014)

Most gas dropouts are in cupboards and lockers with doors. Whilst not airtight by any means it would certainly not flow through too fast so would presumably leave a fair bit of local residue in that unit. 

That said the hospital seemed to be saying that blood test results were positive for CO. If that is the case then it would be a little more weighty than the usual 'felt groggy' evidence. Though without knowing whether the levels were significant enough to suggest intentional gassing or maybe due to a faulty gas unit Is difficult to know

well, the above may be fact or fiction, but CO alarms are certainly a must have


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## Tony Lee (Aug 8, 2014)

They need to check the sealing of their fridge.  And their smoke alarm



> Then they run a tube from their exhaust underneath the van where there are vents and the fumes get through there.”



6 people in a small space with an engine running next to them for ages and not one reacted to either the noise or the smell.

Right!


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## Robmac (Aug 8, 2014)

Sharon the Cat said:


> Funnily enough at the Severn Bore meet our CO alarm went off for about 5 minutes in the middle of the night.
> We were parked next to Robmac & presumed that the gas alert was something to do with a whole day drinking real ale.



:mad1: I resemble that remark!


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## campervanannie (Aug 8, 2014)

*i laughted*

I laughed so much reading this that I broke wind and damn near gassed myself, do they do flatulent  detectors. :scared::scared::lol-061::lol-061::lol-061::lol-049::lol-049:


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## Deleted member 967 (Aug 8, 2014)

We were warned not to stay in any area close to town.  We have heeded this but it is easier to pull off a motorway and find an Aire rather than hammer on until you can go no longer then pull into a motorway services just doesn't make sense to me.

Some friend of our did this last year in a caravan and were robbed.  They didn't say they were groggy but the van door had been forced and they woke up with an intruder inside.  This was near a big city in the south of France.  They are old hands and knew they were taking a risk but still did it.

John


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## Deleted member 967 (Aug 8, 2014)

We were warned not to stay in any area close to a town.  We have heeded this but it is easier to pull off a motorway and find an Aire rather than hammer on until you can go no longer then pull into a motorway services, just doesn't make sense to me.

Some friend of our did this last year in a caravan and were robbed.  They didn't say they were groggy but the van door had been forced and they woke up with an intruder inside.  This was near a big city in the south of France.  They are old hands and knew they were taking a risk but still did it.

John


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## Sharon the Cat (Aug 8, 2014)

I thought it was understood that if you used the aires on motorways you were putting yourselves at risk of attempted robbery.

Who wants to sleep next to a motorway??? Surely it's worth a small detour to wake up to nicer surroundings.


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## groyne (Aug 8, 2014)

> Surely it's worth a small detour to wake up to nicer surroundings.



Or even just to wake up.:lol-049:


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## dave and mary (Aug 8, 2014)

Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?




   :drive:      :drive:


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## Tezza33 (Aug 8, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They all out buying gas alarms :dog:


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## Tbear (Aug 8, 2014)

Hi David,

For your figures to be anywhere near correct you would require a lamina flow into an empty cylinder. Motohomes are a mass of enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces. A lethal dose could develop in no time at all or take ages.

Going by the picture, there where six of them. Each would get a different dose so if all where rendered unconscious it would be reasonable to presume that two or three would have a lethal dose. 

Nobody interviewed the doctor that supposedly claimed they had been gassed. No mention of how long they stayed in ITU recovering in fact they all looked remarkable fit and healthy. Perhaps the Derby Telegraph was desperate to fill a few column inches and we all know how the press never let the truth get in the way of a good storey.

As several have mentioned above. Get a CO alarm and enjoy your holiday

Richard


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## Martin P (Aug 8, 2014)

Yeah and how is this gas going to get into my motorhome. It has gas dropouts sure, one is for the fridge but that is sealed from the van so not there, gas locker ditto, that leaves just the one for the cooker which is in a cupboard. 
Right so somebody pipes their exhaust gas under my van. Now as the chances of them knowing where the gas dropouts in all the different makes of van are , are virtually nil, they are not going to make an air tight connection to the vent anyway and as co2 is around the same density as air any way if they just shove a hose under the van they would just be pissing in the wind

Myth


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## francophile1947 (Aug 8, 2014)

Even if they pumped the exhaust direct to the van, surely somebody would have woken up due to the coughing induced by noxious exhaust fumes. After all, exhausts don't actually produce a lot of carbon monoxide, which is the only lethal gas worth worrying about.


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## Neckender (Aug 8, 2014)

Here are the findings for carbon monoxide poisoning
Concentration

Symptoms

35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure 
100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours 
200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours; loss of judgment 
400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours 
800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 min; insensible within 2 hours 
1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, tachycardia, dizziness, and nausea within 20 min; death in less than 2 hours 
3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes. 
6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Convulsions, respiratory arrest, and death in less than 20 minutes. 
12,800 ppm (1.28%) Unconsciousness after 2–3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes. 

So how do they know how much exhaust fumes to administer under the van. Death will occur between 0.16% to 1.28% very low concentrations.

John.


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## Edward B (Aug 8, 2014)

Statement on alleged gassing in motor vehicles | The Royal College of Anaesthetists


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## runnach (Aug 8, 2014)

Edward B said:


> Statement on alleged gassing in motor vehicles | The Royal College of Anaesthetists


 wouldnt argue with it but 12 years or so old ....more contemprary evidence would be useful 

Channa


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## runnach (Aug 8, 2014)

Sharon the Cat said:


> I thought it was understood that if you used the aires on motorways you were putting yourselves at risk of attempted robbery.
> 
> Who wants to sleep next to a motorway??? Surely it's worth a small detour to wake up to nicer surroundings.


 la baume is at the side of the a8 so perhaps peeps do


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## JoMutch (Aug 8, 2014)

Channa, it was dated 14 July 2014


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## John H (Aug 8, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Still here and still making the same point - as is evident from the replies to this thread. :lol-049:


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## Tony Lee (Aug 8, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> 
> 
> 
> :drive:      :drive:



Still right here waiting for a verifiable story.  This one is not verified and even if the CO story is correct, could easily be explained by other means.

But at least it is a variation on the old chestnut of using anaesthetic gases. Guess the police finally realised that was never going to fly.

Need to read up on CO poisoning. Concentrations vs exposure times vs recoverability


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## dave and mary (Aug 8, 2014)

Tony Lee said:


> Still right here waiting for a verifiable story.  This one is not verified and even if the CO story is correct, could easily be explained by other means.
> 
> But at least it is a variation on the old chestnut of using anaesthetic gases. Guess the police finally realised that was never going to fly.
> 
> Need to read up on CO poisoning. Concentrations vs exposure times vs recoverability



So pleased you are all still here was getting worried that you may have been thinking that may be you were not correct, phew


  :drive:     :drive:


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## Tbear (Aug 8, 2014)

Do you think if we asked Phil nicely he would add gassing and gassed to the banned words list. 

Richard


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## trevskoda (Aug 8, 2014)

campervanannie said:


> I laughed so much reading this that I broke wind and damn near gassed myself, do they do flatulent  detectors. :scared::scared::lol-061::lol-061::lol-061::lol-049::lol-049:



there are now charcoal nickers on sale , wonder why forum shop dont sell them.:lol-053::lol-049::lol-053::lol-049::wave:


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## n brown (Aug 8, 2014)

campervanannie said:


> I laughed so much reading this that I broke wind and damn near gassed myself, do they do flatulent  detectors. :scared::scared::lol-061::lol-061::lol-061::lol-049::lol-049:


 they're called ears-dirty girl !


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## Tezza33 (Aug 8, 2014)

trevskoda said:


> there are now charcoal nickers on sale , wonder why forum shop dont sell them.:lol-053::lol-049::lol-053::lol-049::wave:


They do but only up to size 44", nobody has bought any yet :lol-053:


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## trevskoda (Aug 8, 2014)

tezza33 said:


> They do but only up to size 44", nobody has bought any yet :lol-053:



size 44 never get them on the big girls here.:scared:


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## Kontiki (Aug 8, 2014)

Whilst I consider that gassing using some type of anasethic or solvent unlikely I have thought that you could render the occupants uncocious using exhaust fumes. As to any noise modern cars are pretty quiet, the volume produced would be sufficient & it could be fed into the van. I would have thought there would be a smell of fumes left in the van, if true then they were lucky that nobody was killed. If they have evidence of carbon monoxide poisoning from the hospital we should be concerned.
Big mistake stopping at a motorway service area.


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## K9d (Aug 8, 2014)

We've just returned from France and one evening whilst sat in the van our gas alarm went off, I opened the cupboard it was in put it on the side and after a few minutes it shut up and the reading returned to zero. The next day Kathy opened the cupboard and discover the half a melon she had in there had gone bad, so we were attacked by fruit. :lol-049:

Apart from savage fruit it was a great holiday.


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## Kontiki (Aug 8, 2014)

I consider that using exhaust gas is a totally different situation to the 'gassing' myth of some type of gas to knock you out. Whilst it is dangerous & IF it is happening then it will cause deaths to occur. That said the thieves aim would be to just make you a bit more sleepy/groggy so they are less likely to meet any resistance. I have a smoke alarm that also warns us of high CO2 ( it has_gone off a few times in the night) & also a gas alarm fitted low down, these were fitted by the previous owner. I never bother turning the gas alarm on but maybe I should when in Europe.


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## grantandjan (Aug 8, 2014)

Evidence! what evidence? It's their account of what happened and reported by a newspaper. Show me the hospital report she talks about and if it states they were definitely poisoned by Carbon Monoxide then we can talk about evidence.


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## K9d (Aug 8, 2014)

Kontiki said:


> I consider that using exhaust gas is a totally different situation to the 'gassing' myth of some type of gas to knock you out. Whilst it is dangerous & IF it is happening then it will cause deaths to occur. That said the thieves aim would be to just make you a bit more sleepy/groggy so they are less likely to meet any resistance. I have a smoke alarm that also *warns us of high CO2* ( it has_gone off a few times in the night) & also a gas alarm fitted low down, these were fitted by the previous owner. I never bother turning the gas alarm on but maybe I should when in Europe.



Buy some indoor plants, or perhaps it warns of CO, carbon monoxide is the killer, carbon dioxide is plant food


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## K9d (Aug 8, 2014)

This from Wikipedia for the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning _Treatment of poisoning largely consists of administering 100% oxygen or providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy _ I didn't see any mention of that in the newspaper report.


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## Steve121 (Aug 9, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Apparently they've all been gassed in their motorhomes.


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## n brown (Aug 9, 2014)

just reading about this on another forum,somebody has printed part of a report saying that with modern catalytic converters,99% of carbon monoxide is taken from the exhaust gasses,and what's left has high enough unburnt petrol content to make breathing it unbearable long before you'd lose conciousness. don't know how true that is about the cats,but the gasses do stink !


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## Tezza33 (Aug 9, 2014)

I am reading this on my phone and I thought that said ' Old Ladies don't have Cats!'
I was thinking lots of them do 

If it was an old Lada the tickover would wake you up, if it was so easy to fill a motorhome with exhaust fumes and rob the occupants there would not be one or two isolated incidents,


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## sak (Aug 9, 2014)

Total B****ks


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## fairytooth (Aug 9, 2014)

I like to read these reports closely and would add a couple of points that seem to need further scrutiny.  

With 6 occupants how did the robbers manage to climb over them all and find their mobile phones, jewellery, cash and suitcase so easily?

Is it normal for victims of crime to have their fingerprints taken? Elimination prints - perhaps.  Do any of this family have criminal records?

Do people ever make dodgy insurance claims if funds are running low?

One minute they were all unable to sleep (summer heat), the next moment they were all dead to the world, then all awoke at 6am.

The same phraseology 'awoke with sore throats and terrible headaches' seems to be quite common.  (Doctors say carbon monoxide sufferers[FONT=open_sans] 'believe they are victims of food poisoning. And neurological signs include confusion, disorientation, visual disturbance, syncope and seizures') [/FONT] Or did this family have a night-cap per chance? 

In another story the thieves wore masks 'to stop them succumbing themselves'  .... Er, how do they know that?  And more importantly, unless they had oxygen tanks, what difference would a mask make?


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 9, 2014)

fairytooth said:


> I like to read these reports closely and would add a couple of points that seem to need further scrutiny.
> 
> With 6 occupants how did the robbers manage to climb over them all and find their mobile phones, jewellery, cash and suitcase so easily?
> 
> ...



Bear with me on this: My father was in the Royal Navy and served as an anti-aircraft gunner on merchant ships in convoys to Russia. He once told me of how the cold was so great that when on deck duty, he and his fellow sailors would gather around a lit brazier in a small store room wearing gas masks in order to get warm; no oxygen tanks were used in an environment clouded with carbom monoxide.

With regard to CO in the hemoglobin (COHb), it can take quite some time for it to dissipate. It has a half life of five hours, so there could still be traces in the blood a day or so later. The family may have previously inhaled exhaust gasses from their own cooker for example.
For me the main thing that suggests the story is bull is that different people are affected to a greater or lesser extent from CO poisoning depending on health, age, size, whether one smokes and also ones proximity to the source.
The cynic in me tends towards the insurance scam theory.


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 9, 2014)

tezza33 said:


> I am reading this on my phone and I thought that said ' Old Ladies don't have Cats!'
> I was thinking lots of them do
> 
> If it was an old Lada the tickover would wake you up, if it was so easy to fill a motorhome with exhaust fumes and rob the occupants there would not be one or two isolated incidents,



And quite a few deaths.


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## Val54 (Aug 9, 2014)

Old Ladas tend to be quite noisy as well 
Dave


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## Val54 (Aug 9, 2014)

tezza33 said:


> I am reading this on my phone and I thought that said ' Old Ladies don't have Cats!'
> I was thinking lots of them do
> 
> If it was an old Lada the tickover would wake you up, if it was so easy to fill a motorhome with exhaust fumes and rob the occupants there would not be one or two isolated incidents,



Sorry Tezza33 I missed your point on old Ladas, brain was idling.......:raofl:
Dave


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## philstoke (Aug 9, 2014)

Its amazes me how many people on holiday take jewellery with them and it gets stolen


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## invalid (Aug 9, 2014)

Oh you cynic's, it sounds like an episode of Benidorm. Yes they did an episode with the main family losing two camera's, ipads, playstations, etc, maybe that's where the idea came from, now mixing with you lot has made me into a cynic.


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## Sharon the Cat (Aug 9, 2014)

My first thought on seeing the article was that they are such a miserable looking bunch, I'm not surprised someone tried to gas them.


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## philstoke (Aug 9, 2014)

they were putting on their sad faces for the camera


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## Tezza33 (Aug 9, 2014)

Val54 said:


> Sorry Tezza33 I missed your point on old Ladas, brain was idling.......:raofl:
> Dave


You have probably been gassed :lol-049:


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

jamesmarshall said:


> Bear with me on this: My father was in the Royal Navy and served as an anti-aircraft gunner on merchant ships in convoys to Russia. He once told me of how the cold was so great that when on deck duty, he and his fellow sailors would gather around a lit brazier in a small store room wearing gas masks in order to get warm; no oxygen tanks were used in an environment clouded with carbom monoxide.
> 
> With regard to CO in the hemoglobin (COHb), it can take quite some time for it to dissipate. It has a half life of five hours, so there could still be traces in the blood a day or so later. The family may have previously inhaled exhaust gasses from their own cooker for example.
> For me the main thing that suggests the story is bull is that different people are affected to a greater or lesser extent from CO poisoning depending on health, age, size, whether one smokes and also ones proximity to the source.
> The cynic in me tends towards the insurance scam theory.



A lot of soldiers have died using paraffin heaters in tents from CO. I believe the S10 Respirator does not protect you from it.

Richard


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## Tony Lee (Aug 9, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> So pleased you are all still here was getting worried that you may have been thinking that may be you were not correct, phew
> 
> 
> :drive:     :drive:



You would be waiting a very long time to have that happen.


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## n brown (Aug 9, 2014)

i worked for a while as a gas fitter in Portugal after a few tourists had been killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from badly fitted water heaters. the one story that stayed with me was from a paramedic who'd found a fully dressed man slumped dead,over a naked woman in a bath. the water heater was over the bath. it seems the guy ,worried about his wife's silence,had found her in the bath dead,and was attempting to lift her out when he succumbed- this was with the door open !
this is to illustrate just how quick this gas kills, in sufficient concentrations,and the idea that some petty thief has enough knowledge of it to be able to pump the exact amount into a camper with an unknown number of occupants,that could include small children and pets, is ludicrous !


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## grantandjan (Aug 9, 2014)

I believe nothing (unless I am personally involved or hear it from a trustworthy source) until it is proven with irrefutable evidence, God help us the day a newspaper report like this stands up in a court of law as evidence. 

Although, I do form opinions based on the information available.........

Apart from all the other posts that highlight points that make this story unlikely, one other thing that doesn't rest easy with me is, if thieves are prepared to kill six people (there is no way they could know how much CO to administer just to make them drowsy and they must know that too much would kill) and face the possibility of life imprisonment for the gain of some cash, mobile phones and jewellery wouldn't they just murder one of the truckers parked at the services and make off with the lorry load of booze or ciggy's which would be worth much more.


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## dave and mary (Aug 9, 2014)

Well as usual all the same sort of answers to the gas question, I prefer to call them unexplained night robbery's,  up till now no one has come up with an answer, many wise cracks and so called funny remarks, this stops people telling there story because they are called stupid and become the but of jokes.

All I would like to know is how someone can enter your van, clime on your bed and search in the cupboards spending a lot of time going through wallets and bags while you are asleep.  Also why do the police take this sort of robbery seriously they don't laugh at the victims and say it can not happen. 

The people that do this kind of robbery are experts, it is there living, so what is used to keep there victims asleep. Forget the words  GAS ATTACK  just explain how they do it, forgetting alcohol, over tiredness, flatulence, and other humours answers.

I have spoken to several people that this has happened to over the years, and they like me would like to know how they do it, it is so easy to just say, this or that but night robbery's do happen , not as many now with modern alarms. This subject has been coming up now and again for years, experts say this and that but we all know experts are not always right. So how is it done ? because believe it or not it does happen.


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## n brown (Aug 9, 2014)

in another life i knew a number of unsavoury characters. i have seen a pickpocket take cash from a man's trouser pocket,as he stood chatting to friends.,which i was always told was impossible. in a shelter for the homeless,i saw a young man who hadn't been drunk,being slowly rolled out of his blanket and having his shoes removed from his feet . the blanket theft took over 10 minutes,but the thief was in no rush. these guys are very good at what they do,it's their livelihood !
i've often heard of people waking to find an intruder in their van. they woke up ! others sleep through it !
as  for knowing where to find valuables- again these guys know their subject- whether it's a house or a camper,humans usually have the same ideas about what is a good hidey hole ,and they're being targeted by other,sharper, humans ! they have no fear, because they leave their escape route,the door ,open,and know that if you wake they'll be out the door before you actually believe your eyes !
 this is why i think gassing is a myth- it's just not necessary for these  trained thieves to risk a bigger sentence ,when nicking from tired,unsuspicious travellers,who might also have had a glass of wine or two, is easy enough


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 9, 2014)

Tbear said:


> A lot of soldiers have died using paraffin heaters in tents from CO. I believe the S10 Respirator does not protect you from it.
> 
> Richard



My dad wasn't a soldier, he was a sailor.:boat:


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## coolasluck (Aug 9, 2014)

I believe like most that gassing is an urban myth ,however talking to my freind this afternoon whos parents did a spot of fulltiming years ago,it turned out that they were robbed whilst asleep and their cash credit cards and passports were stolen,they also believed they were gassed.I would agree that most are just victims of very good thieves.
We intend to have a dog when fulltime and hopefully the dog will act as an early warning signal.
You can only try your best to avoid being robbed but at the end of the day the most determined scumbag will get in if he really wants to.


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## Tow Itch (Aug 9, 2014)

From 1986 onwards I travelled Europe by Inter Rail InterRail: The rail adventure awaits! | InterRail.eu it was no earlier than 88 before I travelled through Itally and I remember stories of drugged oranges that I can find no reference to now, though at the time this was considerd gospell.
People are robbed in their house every day of the week often in their bedrooms are they gassed?
I've seen the piece by the anaesthetist and I can see what he is saying though no one seems to reconcile this with the "opinions" of the French police you think a French anaesthetist might say the same. As for carbon monoxide being used that is really unreliable and unpredictable see Judgment the blood samples that were taken would show CO poisoning and some of the people poisioned would have the most horrendous after effects. Zen Backpacking Stoves - Carbon Monoxide Hazards


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## dave and mary (Aug 9, 2014)

n brown said:


> in another life i knew a number of unsavoury characters. i have seen a pickpocket take cash from a man's trouser pocket,as he stood chatting to friends.,which i was always told was impossible. in a shelter for the homeless,i saw a young man who hadn't been drunk,being slowly rolled out of his blanket and having his shoes removed from his feet . the blanket theft took over 10 minutes,but the thief was in no rush. these guys are very good at what they do,it's their livelihood !
> i've often heard of people waking to find an intruder in their van. they woke up ! others sleep through it !
> as  for knowing where to find valuables- again these guys know their subject- whether it's a house or a camper,humans usually have the same ideas about what is a good hidey hole ,and they're being targeted by other,sharper, humans ! they have no fear, because they leave their escape route,the door ,open,and know that if you wake they'll be out the door before you actually believe your eyes !
> this is why i think gassing is a myth- it's just not necessary for these  trained thieves to risk a bigger sentence ,when nicking from tired,unsuspicious travellers,who might also have had a glass of wine or two, is easy enough


 
All you say is true, and I to have seen many of the things that you say, but until you have been a victim of this sort of robbery you do not really know, I for one am a very light sleeper if a fly farts I am awake, when we were robbed ( 7 years ago in a service area near Barcelona )  we never heard a fridge lorry all night, now that is something that never happens we are awake several times in the night by them, and now when wild camping we get woke up. I am not saying that gas is sprayed into a van but I know they keep you asleep some how, and as I said why do the police take it so serious, I do think we will never know.


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

jamesmarshall said:


> My dad wasn't a soldier, he was a sailor.:boat:



I never sad he was and the soldiers where using paraffin stoves not braziers but trusting a filter type gas mask to protect you from CO is still incredible dangerous.

Richard


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 9, 2014)

Tbear said:


> I never sad he was and the soldiers where using paraffin stoves not braziers but trusting a filter type gas mask to protect you from CO is still incredible dangerous.
> 
> Richard



I suppose they were incredibly dangerous times, I can't argue about filter gas masks and CO as I don't know enough about them; only to mention that my father and his crew mates survived.


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## wineciccio (Aug 9, 2014)

i will keep an eye on this thread, the word is actually COJONES and not COGONE!!


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

Tow Itch said:


> From 1986 onwards I travelled Europe by Inter Rail InterRail: The rail adventure awaits! | InterRail.eu it was no earlier than 88 before I travelled through Itally and I remember stories of drugged oranges that I can find no reference to now, though at the time this was considerd gospell.
> People are robbed in their house every day of the week often in their bedrooms are they gassed?
> I've seen the piece by the anaesthetist and I can see what he is saying though no one seems to reconcile this with the "opinions" of the French police you think a French anaesthetist might say the same. As for carbon monoxide being used that is really unreliable and unpredictable see Judgment the blood samples that were taken would show CO poisoning and some of the people poisioned would have the most horrendous after effects. Zen Backpacking Stoves - Carbon Monoxide Hazards



I have worked with French Anaesthetists and they do not support the gassing in vehicle theory. I was at the home of a French speaking one today. It takes two highly trained people and tens of thousands of pounds of equipment to safely gas a single person. You would not need a plain of surgical anaesthesia  but without a monitor giving you end tidal concentrations you would not know how asleep they where unless you gave them a good prod. Not wise if you are trying to rob them. Even with all the precautions that we take on rare occasions, sadly things do not go well but it seems these robbers never have a problem. All their victims are up awake and fully aware in no time even when they use lethal poisons instead of modern agents

I do not wish to put people off telling their stories. Just the opposite, I would be fascinated to here how it could be done. Most of the stories we hear  off are from people who met someone who said they new someone that had heard that ...  

Richard


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

dave and mary said:


> All you say is true, and I to have seen many of the things that you say, but until you have been a victim of this sort of robbery you do not really know, I for one am a very light sleeper if a fly farts I am awake, when we were robbed ( 7 years ago in a service area near Barcelona )  we never heard a fridge lorry all night, now that is something that never happens we are awake several times in the night by them, and now when wild camping we get woke up. I am not saying that gas is sprayed into a van but I know they keep you asleep some how, and as I said why do the police take it so serious, I do think we will never know.



I think there is more chance of having your food or water doctored, even subliminal suggestion is more believable.

Don't forget that it takes time to hunt through your belongings so they would be breathing the same gas. Might just wake up next time with one of them snoring away next to you. 

Richard


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## Robmac (Aug 9, 2014)

I suppose one possibility could be that a 'passer by' stops to chat and slips something into your drink whilst you are distracted and the effects are felt later on. If it was a slow working drug, that may lead somebody to think that they had been anaesthetised prior to being robbed.

There are endless possibilities, so I don't dismiss any of them.


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## n brown (Aug 9, 2014)

Robmac said:


> I suppose one possibility could be that a 'passer by' stops to chat and slips something into your drink whilst you are distracted and the effects are felt later on. If it was a slow working drug, that may lead somebody to think that they had been anaesthetised prior to being robbed.
> 
> There are endless possibilities, so I don't dismiss any of them.


yes well i tried that one on my wife too,when she found me passed out in the garden ,pockets empty,surrounded by bottles. 
didn't work mate !


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## Robmac (Aug 9, 2014)

Hmmmm, what would you sing to a Motorhomer?

Hymer believer?


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## GWAYGWAY (Aug 9, 2014)

Highly unlikely to be CO unless their fridge or heater
was playing up. To affect that many people to that extent , highly unlikely, some would be ill some would be dead.  Another thing would YOU not notice if someone was revving and engine to get the fumes into your MH , it would be a bit noisy I think and the smell is all manner of things not pure CO and would be complained about and was the door not locked?
Comment????????????????????umm??


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

GWAYGWAY said:


> Highly unlikely to be CO unless their fridge or heater
> was playing up. To affect that many people to that extent , highly unlikely, some would be ill some would be dead.  Another thing would YOU not notice if someone was revving and engine to get the fumes into your MH , it would be a bit noisy I think and the smell is all manner of things not pure CO and would be complained about and was the door not locked?
> Comment????????????????????umm??



One of them could have had a cigarette. Anything that burns can put out CO.


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## GWAYGWAY (Aug 9, 2014)

Sharon the Cat said:


> I just can't wait for the responses to this one. :blah:


9 pages in two days not a bad response for a load of cynical people making the same inferences.


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

GWAYGWAY said:


> 9 pages in two days not a bad response for a load of cynical people making the same inferences.



It's the same every time. Note to self "Stop Biting" 

Richard


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## Val54 (Aug 9, 2014)

Robmac said:


> Hmmmm, what would you sing to a Motorhomer?
> 
> Hymer believer?



Anything you want if they are using an Autosleeper...............:raofl::raofl:
Sorry couldn't resist.......
Dave


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## rockape (Aug 9, 2014)

campervanannie said:


> I laughed so much reading this that I broke wind and damn near gassed myself, do they do flatulent  detectors. :scared::scared::lol-061::lol-061::lol-061::lol-049::lol-049:


Flatulance will get you no where,,,,,,, unless you use it as fuel.


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## Tbear (Aug 9, 2014)

You should ask this lot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOrjcLJ2IE0

Richard


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 9, 2014)

I now have a mental image of a couple of roughy heads singing lullabys and gently rocking the motor home. Love it.


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## Funnymunny (Aug 9, 2014)

A few years ago we met a couple in Italy who had just a week previously been robbed in France, they were convinced at first that they had been gassed, the police said they had been gassed but after a bit of thought they realised what must have happened.

They had met another English couple and had a few glasses of wine with them, they planned to go out with this couple the next day.
When they woke up very late their van had been ransacked and they had not heard a thing, the other ENGLISH couple had long gone never to be seen again. 
They were then convinced that their drinks had been spiked by that friendly couple, apparently a damn site easier than gassing.

Safe traveling

RD


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## n brown (Aug 9, 2014)

that's more like the travelling tales i'm used to hearing ! never mind all this talk of eastern european gangs, it's as likely to be the ones who get close to you- the friendly english couple ,those funny french guys,the germans with a great sense of humour-they're the ones i'm more familiar with ! Dutch couple found murdered along country road - The Portugal News this is a bit of an extreme example ,but we were there at the time and the bodies were found not far from my daughter's house. they were killed by a nice young french/swiss couple they'd met who wanted their van.
be aware-don't be complacent- be cynical-keep your wits about you- have a pleasant holiday !


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## Deleted member 11999 (Aug 10, 2014)

Thinking that an event like this would merit at least a mention in the local papers around Bourges I did a trawl of local papers for 2/3 days following the event. Not a mention, nor on gendarmerie or police municipale information sites. The hospital produce a monthly bulletin but July's is not yet on line. I will check it in due course. This of course proves nothing but I would have thought it might get a mention.


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## Tow Itch (Aug 10, 2014)

n brown said:


> that's more like the travelling tales i'm used to hearing ! never mind all this talk of eastern european gangs, it's as likely to be the ones who get close to you- the friendly english couple ,those funny french guys,the germans with a great sense of humour-they're the ones i'm more familiar with ! Dutch couple found murdered along country road - The Portugal News this is a bit of an extreme example ,but we were there at the time and the bodies were found not far from my daughter's house. they were killed by a nice young french/swiss couple they'd met who wanted their van.
> be aware-don't be complacent- be cynical-keep your wits about you- have a pleasant holiday !



Of course they just could have flashed their headlights at another vehicle driving without lights!
Hoax warning: State Police Warning: DON'T FLASH HEADLIGHTS AT ANY CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/SassClassAndALittleTrash/posts/203356586481238
Urban Legend: Gangs Kill Drivers Who Flash Their Lights


I'm disappointed you never said  Don't have nightmares, do sleep well. at the end.


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## fairytooth (Aug 10, 2014)

A quick bit of armchair detective work reveals that the 3 strapping male victims of crime are in fact tree surgeon/fencing contractors who travel around back home in Derby in their flat bed truck normally.  If I were a robber I'm pretty sure I would choose a 'softer' target myself.  

But the story does say how the youngest one has been somewhat traumatised by the experience of being by the entry door and knowing the robbers climbed over him.  I just wonder why he must have been sleeping in the front passenger seat.


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## fairytooth (Aug 10, 2014)

I heard a funny noise whilst in bed last night so I jumped up and did all the usual stuff - checked the front door, checked the windows, shot my girlfriend five times, checked the back door.  Turned out there was no one there!


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## podge1140 (Aug 10, 2014)

*gas attack*

Well, anyone who over- nights on a motorway service area in France/Spain is asking for trouble, I won't even leave mine unattended during the day if I have stop, some people lack common sense.


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## Pauljenny (Aug 10, 2014)

*Where ?*



dave and mary said:


> Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Fazerloz (Aug 10, 2014)

Pauljenny said:


> dave and mary said:
> 
> 
> > Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> ...


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## Tezza33 (Aug 10, 2014)

Fazerloz said:


> The only problem with Canaries is you have to be awake to see them fall off their perches ,


Put a pressure sensitive mat under the Canary, when it falls off the perch it will then trigger an alarm, could be a new business venture


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## Fazerloz (Aug 10, 2014)

tezza33 said:


> Fazerloz said:
> 
> 
> > Put a pressure sensitive mat under the Canary, when it falls off the perch it will then trigger an alarm, could be a new business venture
> ...


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## Pauljenny (Aug 10, 2014)

*Yes But !*


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## Tbear (Aug 10, 2014)

Pauljenny said:


> dave and mary said:
> 
> 
> > Well where are all the people that shout so very loud that gassing is a myth ?
> ...


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 10, 2014)

tezza33 said:


> Put a pressure sensitive mat under the Canary, when it falls off the perch it will then trigger an alarm, could be a new business venture



Not too sensitive though. You don't want it going off every time the canary has a poo.


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## hextal (Aug 10, 2014)

jamesmarshall said:


> Not too sensitive though. You don't want it going off every time the canary has a poo.



Glue a mercury switch to its back,  wired to an alarm.

When it keels over the alarm sounds.

Plus it will probably double as a burglar alarm for the canary too.


Now im just looking for half a million pounds start up cash, to allow me to spend several years travelling the world to fully research the competition.


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 10, 2014)

hextal said:


> Glue a mercury switch to its back,  wired to an alarm.
> 
> When it keels over the alarm sounds.
> 
> ...



If it takes off may I sell you the bird seed?


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## Pauljenny (Aug 10, 2014)

jamesmarshall said:


> If it takes off may I sell you the bird seed?



If it takes off....... The alarm will go off !

    Whenever we are out with Dutch friends and a German passes by, the always start to sniff and one will ask ... Do you smell gas ? I wonder why they do that ?


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## Fazerloz (Aug 10, 2014)

We will all have to be careful when using non stick pans otherwise the canary will be keeling over setting off the gas attack alarm and sending everybody into panic mode looking for the intruders. :danger:


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