Robery on Autoroute Aire

[Deleted member 967]

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Another warning. Friends of ours were travelling by Caravan to the South of France last week.

On the A9 - Nimes Marguerites services, just after midnight, woke up with a strange man in the caravan, bit of a shock. Not a gas attack, but door lock forced.

Lost her handbag with cash and cards and husbands clothing.

They were both OK as they only got my her cards not her husbands cards, although the bank decided they would stop that after 3 days because of unusual activity - it was being used in France!!!! They had tried to tell them they were in France as that was were her card was stolen but the Indians at the call centre didn't seem to understand.

These are old hands not newbies. They have been caravanning and running caravan sites including in the south of France and Spain for many years before retirement. They decided to take the risk and stay at a Autoroute services as they were tired after driving down through the UK and France.

Heard of another couple (from a mutual friend) who were woken up in similar circumstances earlier this year. It was the smell of the person that woke them up they said.

 

[joe428]

Problem solver

We travel with our dog with us and he has big teeth and wont let anybody into the van !!! :dog: We also have notice on the window beware of the dog prob worth having a sticker on your window even if you dont have a dog with you !!!

 

[molly 2]

was it the hab door or the cab door that was forced .makes a cheap door alarm a handy bit of kit . Don,t mension gass attack on here arrrrrggggg

 

[vespalien]

We travel with our dog with us and he has big teeth and wont let anybody into the van !!! :dog: We also have notice on the window beware of the dog prob worth having a sticker on your window even if you dont have a dog with you !!!

Don't you believe it. Dogs can sleep through a robbery too, or thieves can bring a nice juicy bone as a gift, which may or may not be drugged.

 

[Seannachie]

was it the hab door or the cab door that was forced .makes a cheap door alarm a handy bit of kit . Don,t mension gass attack on here arrrrrggggg

The OP said it was a 'Caravan'. What type of caravan do you know of which has a 'hab door or the cab door'?

 

[Deleted member 967]

was it the hab door or the cab door that was forced .makes a cheap door alarm a handy bit of kit . Don,t mension gass attack on here arrrrrggggg

They were in a CARAVAN. The door is near the rear and the bed is across the front. Modern caravan with good locks.

 

[joe428]

Dont be scared of your own shadow

Don't you believe it. Dogs can sleep through a robbery too, or thieves can bring a nice juicy bone as a gift, which may or may not be drugged.

WOULD YOU CHANCE entering a MH with a 35 kilo dog inside it with big white teeth and will bite he thinks the MH is his mobile kenel and just lets us share it with him HA! I do understand what your saying but the dog is a hell of a good detterent Yes ?

 

[vespalien]

WOULD YOU CHANCE entering a MH with a 35 kilo dog inside it with big white teeth and will bite he thinks the MH is his mobile kenel and just lets us share it with him HA!

As you wish, I wouldn't want to break into anyone's home or motorhome, but I know people whose house was done while they slept and their large Samoyed happily chomped on a large beef bone rather than the robbers. Some people are frightened of dogs, but others understand them. Maybe all people who understand dogs are honest, I wouldn't be so sure.

Oh, and I am not frightened of anybody's shadow, so please keep your insults to yourself.

 

[joe428]

sorry didn't mean to insult

As you wish, I wouldn't want to break into anyone's home or motorhome, but I know people whose house was done while they slept and their large Samoyed happily chomped on a large beef bone rather than the robbers. Some people are frightened of dogs, but others understand them. Maybe all people who understand dogs are honest, I wouldn't be so sure.

Oh, and I am not frightened of anybody's shadow, so please keep your insults to yourself.

Any prevention is better than none Yes?

 

[CooP]

They woke up with the guy in the van and somehow he still got away with the valuables? How strange, why not kill him and then call the police to remove the remains?

 

[Caz]

My dog will go for anyone who sets foot in the van when I'm not there, unless he knows them - but when I'm there I think he'd expect me to sort it.

My brother's house was burgled last year, his Staffie never batted an eyelid - probably helped the burglar find what he wanted.

 

[lebesset]

about 3 years ago the french gendarmerie got so fed up with number of robberies on autoroute aires that they set up a major operation lasting 24 hours

they arrested over 50 thieves

but hey , if you like to take your chances ......

 

[vindiboy]

Enough wanings around about not sleeping on Auto Route Aires but folks still ignore them because Joe Bloggs always uses them and gets no trouble,Fools and why NO alarm, you know that thing that makes a hell of a noise when any door is opened and can be set even when you are in the van FOOLS.

 

[n brown]

thieves go where the pickings are. I wouldn't stay in a motorway services,just pull off a kilometre or 2 and find a village square or layby. those autoroute aires look like a big lucky dip,with all the stuff in lorries and campers and caravans and empty cars. they remind me of some of the Algarve beaches,with carloads of dodgy looking guys sat in the surrounding woods waiting for someone to let their guard down

 

[joe428]

Good answer!

They woke up with the guy in the van and somehow he still got away with the valuables? How strange, why not kill him and then call the police to remove the remains?

Good solution but is it Legal to kill then in france ( should be ) !!

 

[n brown]

you used to be able to legally buy 12 bore plastic bullet derringers called 'manstoppers'from the local sport shop.don't bother with CS gas as it tends to fill the van--one squirt and it's all fall down !

 

[Tezza33]

We stopped on a Motorway Service area once even though I new better, we were very tired and in danger of falling asleep so we found an area close to the Restaurant and thought we would just have a couple of hours then drive on, within 45mins a lorry had pulled up behind us, another Motorhome in front of us and another few lorries alongside, each time somebody pulled up my Border Collie (who warns us whenever anybody is close outside) barked, we drifted off to sleep again and shortly after the dog barked again, we just told her to be quiet and then fell asleep and didn't wake up until several hours later, we noticed light coming from the front door, somebody had forced the door and we just kept telling the dogs to be quiet.
Without the dogs we would have been robbed there is no doubt about that in my mind, I wouldn't want my dogs to bite anybody even a robber but for alerting you they are brilliant, I have since fitted lights over each door with motion sensors on and fitted extra locks but I still would not stop on a Service Area again

 

[Tezza33]

I have a laptop safe bolted through the floor under the single bed, it holds the laptop, cameras, money , passports and cards etc., well worth fitting

 

[antiquesam]

[No message]

 

[Deleted member 967]

On our very first trip on the way home after buying the van in Germany, we slept in a services in Holland. We pulled well away from everyone and had a good nights sleep but woke up packed in like sardines with waggons.

On our first trip to France. We went with a friend in another van. He was a veteran and told us not to pick AutoRoute Aires within 50km of a large population area. This advice we headed. On that trip we used a few AutoRoute picnic Aires without any problems.

As another poster has said it is the honey pot spots where there are lots of easy pickings that attract thieves. We park alone in quiet places and have so far had no problems.

We do not leave valuables where they can be easily picked up either.