Robery on Autoroute Aire

Many years ago, when shops took real money I worked for Curry's and we had to go through an underpass to get to the bank in the evening. The system was that one of us would carry the nightsafe bag under our arm while someone else would walk behind and warn the other person if someone was rushing up behind, at which point the bagman would turn and hand the bag to the thief. The Company said that the money was insured but the person wasn't. Perhaps on this basis it is better to have a wallet or something lying around with a few notes in it at night.
 
Sorry to hear they were robbed, but being 'old hands' means nothing to thieves. They obviously haven't listened to all the advice from other 'old hands' which tells them NEVER stop overnight on autoroute aires especially near any big cities in France & Spain, no matter how tired find somewhere to pull off a small town or village will be safer. Autoroutes make it ideal pickings for thieves with an easy get away if things go wrong. As for dogs I know a few people who have been robbed while the dog slept on oblivious.
 
Many years ago, when shops took real money I worked for Curry's and we had to go through an underpass to get to the bank in the evening. The system was that one of us would carry the nightsafe bag under our arm while someone else would walk behind and warn the other person if someone was rushing up behind, at which point the bagman would turn and hand the bag to the thief. The Company said that the money was insured but the person wasn't. Perhaps on this basis it is better to have a wallet or something lying around with a few notes in it at night.

Sorry that's only encouraging theft, if you go down that road then you might as well hand over your wallet to the next dodgey person you meet, my van is mine the contents are mine and thats the way it's staying, i'm a 62 year old fat git but god help any robber that enters my van, i promise you that seeing me in my undies running screaming towards them will make them run and book in for some serious therapy, if possible i will harm them in anyway i can. and as long as it's not in the UK, the police will be on my side,,,,, this is in no way a dig at the British police just our stupid system that they have to follow.
 
try to think like a thief-as you're just parked up,they've had no time to case you and plan so it's all about opportunity,so give as little opportunity as poss. harsh as it sounds,it's all about sending them to your neighbour's,if he looks an easier nut to crack they'll leave you and go there. so a dog sign is good,an alarm sign and flashing led is good,absolutely nothing of value left in sight is good,good locks on doors is good ,anything that acts as a deterrent is good.a general awareness of your surroundings and noticing anything out of sync is worth working on,it's a sense that can be honed. most people imo don't really have this and seem to walk around complacently oblivious to things around them,these people look like victims to the predator
 
Yep,I agree. The amount of nutters you see wandering around in airports (and outside) with tickets/wallet etc in the compartment of a rucksack,which they are wearing,so cant see if anything is being tampered with.Thieves will go for this,rather than a harder nut to crack
 
I used to leave the dogs bowls outside the van at night as deterrent until someone nicked them I belive it was my neighbour though as before I went to bed he asked if I had some spare dog food I hadn't he had gone by the time I awoke
 
Aren't you putting yourself in more physical danger if the thieves don't find any goodies or maybe worse a locked safe?
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I don't think they want to wake you up so putting things in a safe is a good idea IMHO, I am not the type to feel threatened by physical presence but even then the more you do to stop them makes the thief look for the easier mark, I have an external lock that covers the cab door handle, a fiamma lock for the habitation door and alarms and lights on all doors, if I didn't have dogs my alarm would wake me because I switch the movement detector off but it covers the doors, if somebody wants to get in they will make a lot of noise and they will not want to do that while you are sleeping and if you are not in the safe is a good idea anyway, you will never stop a professional thief but most of these robberies are opportunist thieves so make yours look secure, even a flashing LED in the windscreen will make them think twice,
 
First job for my new P-Touch labelling machine before heading to Spain was a sign for the caravan door which read 'Alarma antirrobo instalado!'. It must have worked......
I've seen a fake 'Tracker' sign for £3.50. I might just get one!
John

tracker.JPG
TRACKER FITTED MOTORHOME STICKER camper campervan 34543 | eBay
 
My son is an alarm engineer,premises not vehicles,but he is going to build me a system and fit alarm(s) in the van.Houses run on 12v anyway. A movement detector and door switches etc plus immobiliser.
 
try to think like a thief-as you're just parked up,they've had no time to case you and plan so it's all about opportunity,so give as little opportunity as poss. harsh as it sounds,it's all about sending them to your neighbour's,if he looks an easier nut to crack they'll leave you and go there. so a dog sign is good,an alarm sign and flashing led is good,absolutely nothing of value left in sight is good,good locks on doors is good ,anything that acts as a deterrent is good.a general awareness of your surroundings and noticing anything out of sync is worth working on,it's a sense that can be honed. most people imo don't really have this and seem to walk around complacently oblivious to things around them,these people look like victims to the predator

Absolutely true, look at yourself through the eyes of a thief AND evaluate the risk for you (as thief).
At first I would buy a Stellplatz book and would ask me every night, where to go this night, cause all victims are parking "organized" iaw booklet, haha.
Concerning the risk for you:
Is an alerting device really a risk for you (as thief).....I doubt cause when the alert starts, you can easily run away, jump on the bike and that´s it. The sleeping owners of the mh will need so much time to start their defense, that you can easily have a beer and then run away from the "old rheumatic campers".
Is making noise really a risk for you....no, just run away in case you have been too noisy.
Is it a risk for you to enter a mh standing in a pack with others.....no, i doubt, cause all are sleeping and nobody will help the victim so quickly and consequently, that you are not able to walk away....easy targets.
Is it a risk for you to be detected....no, in case you are recognized you can easily walk away, police needs hours to arrive.
A small dog....it may be an excellent "alert system", but it cannot harm you, you can walk away easily into the darkness.

So, what is a real risk for you?
Imo only two things,
firstly .....an owner, who is prepared and who is in highest defense readiness posture, willing to cut you into pieces. But nobody does, sleeping deeply during the night...may be after some beer!!
And secondly....a large dog the heavier the better, which accelerates like a motorbike and runs 100 meters in 5 seconds and which is able to eat you....this is the highest risk. The chance to be severly hurted, shredded or even caught will be absolutely high.....too high IMO and consequently you will avoid this high risk. Deterrence is the best method to avoid those problems.

But living with a large dog is not for everyone, i fully understand this.

I think, the easiest method is to avoid the danger and park in a lonely area, where nobody will expect you, simply be unpredictable for a possible thief and show situational awareness.

And for those, who own a large dog, I know, that dogs always want to sleep deeply, this is for sure. I put my important things into the box/seat below my dog. And everybody is invited to wake up my dog, push away the 45 kilos in the middle of the night and try to get my money :dance:....feel free and have fun.

Finally, i know this are rude words, but are thiefs friendly?

Bernd

PS: By the way, in case the dog is not enough deterrence, i will wake up my wife......
 
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remote contact alarms on all doors separate to van alarm system , worth thinking about if wilding a lot , (my best thought at min )
 
an old clapped out laptop which I no longer use, decent one has a secure secret storage place...
That has given me something to think about, I repair electrical appliances such as TV's, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, satnavs etc. and I have a few of each which I have taken parts from, I could take all the bare shells with something put in to make up the weight for the bits I removed and the thief can get rid of my rubbish I would have to dispose of using WEEE disposal sights, I can leave the crap stuff easy to find and my good items hidden away, they will always take the first things they find:idea:
 
Isn't it a good idea to have any extra alarms connected to the habitation battery as iv'e heard of robbers reaching underneath and cutting vehicle battery wires thus disabling built in alarms
 
I used to leave the dogs bowls outside the van at night as deterrent until someone nicked them I belive it was my neighbour though as before I went to bed he asked if I had some spare dog food I hadn't he had gone by the time I awoke

poor neighbour having to beg for dog food,you should of brought him in for a proper meal?:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:
 
I agree with Mr Brown !

You'll never see a French motorhome overnighting on a motorway aire . Just pull off and KIp by the village cemetary or sports centre ..... End of !
 
I agree with Mr Brown !

You'll never see a French motorhome overnighting on a motorway aire . Just pull off and KIp by the village cemetary or sports centre ..... End of !

in theory you have the right to stop in the town square between the hours of dusk and dawn [ with your flock of animals if you wish ] , code napoleon ; but as this is often impossible under modern conditions just park somewhere sensible , many places have set aside aires to replace the town square

and no french motorhomes overnighting on autoroute aires ...that's called local knowledge
 
You'll never see a French motorhome overnighting on a motorway aire .

Then I've seen a lot of motorhomes overnighting on motorway aires over the years which must have been using false French plates because they were definitely registered in France!

What's more, the inhabitants had taken the trouble to learn French and spoke it with a native accent too!

Seems that some people will go to almost any length to blend in and not appear to be foreigners.
 

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