Warning - Thieves French Aire

Captain

Guest
Hi Guy's,

Have just returned from our summer swan down south to Spain and Portugal.

Foolishly, whilst parked up one night in France, I forgot to apply my trusty ratchet strap between the two front doors (must have been fatigue-I just wanted me bed!)

Fortunately "she who must be obeyed" is a light sleeper, and was awoken about 0300 by a little toe rag with our satnav in hand, in our cab! I jumped up, he dropped the satnav and made his escape into the night. He didn't get anything, and I did have the forsight to keep the passports, money etc above our bed.

It's our first "incident" and we have been around Europe several times, so don't worry too much, just remember security and be vigilant, don't go to bed before doing your security checks, no matter how tired you are!

Anybody travelling down that way later in the year, the Aire in question is
Aire Les Gargails on the A63 southbound out of Bordeaux between junctions 24 & 23, which is just inside the Parc Naturel Regional Des Landes De Gascogne ( Google Earth 44 40' 34 .36 N 00 48' 06 .36 W ).

Hope this serves as a timely reminder to others. Enjoy your summer hols and remember "If it don't feel right, move on. Thats the beauty of wilding!"

Cheers Captain:D
 
Hi Captain, Sorry to hear about le incident, but no harm done. Despite their bad press we are ardent users of Aires throughout Europe and in 20 + years no problems so far. Our rule of thumb is that we only ever use ones that have a restaurant or garage or both and always park under a light. As you wisely say “take heed, but carry on enjoying our way of life”
Incidentally any relation to Captain Slog, late of the Star ship Enterprise?
Dezi
 
Hi Dezi,

Yeh your right, no harm done. I think they are OK stealing, but the first sign of confrontation and they would rather make a swift exit.

Funny you saying about the aires, but as long as we have fuel, me and the boss prefer the smaller picnic site type, without garage and restuarant. They always seem more picturesque, and I think cos of the bosses light sleeping, obviously not so noisy with trucks etc. I appreciate you do compromise your security to an extent, but each to their own I suppose.

No relation, but I do sometimes feel a little alien!

Cheers Captain
 
I find my GSD does the trick, I dont think they like the big teeth and they for sure can't out run her. We walk her around before we go to bed just to let them know. Did they break a window or force the lock ??.
I hope its not put you off.
 
Hi Cliffy,

I'm still trying to convince the boss that a large hound is a good idea, maybe oneday.

I think the guy was experienced at his chosen career because he picked the lock of the front passenger door, no damage and certainly no broken windows.

He was very silent and had actually pulled back the curtain and reached into the living area to remove the satnav from the table before returning to the cab, at which point the boss woke and shouted. I still cant fathom why he left the satnav on the drivers seat instead of running off with it?

No it won't put us off, were well travelled, just a mistake on my part. These things are sent to remind us to be more security concious.

Captain:D
 
sorry to hear of your problems,i can only think how i would have reacted in your position,we have about 5 years of planning before we go full timing and i intend to have every alarm device going from gas attack alarm to an A1 spec burglar one.Also going to take our safe with us ,to be used all the time.
Its a shame that people have to behave like that,kindda makes you on the defensive all the time not knowing who you can trust.
 
It's abit of a pain, but hopefully it will help others to more vigilant this summer.

If you look at it objectively in the amount of days, weeks, months you use your motorhome wilding here and abroad, one incident for all that time is going to be only 0.00 of a %.

Or like Cliffy says, "Get a bloody big dog!" :D

Captain
 
Sorry to hear about your problem.

I wonder how many of us have alarms and don't set them! If we set them, when they open the door it would go off and may deter them in future. I must confess that I don't set mine whilst I'm in the van. But it would be a good idea to. The one I just had fitted cost £250 for a CAT1 with 2 fobs. For £200 I could have had one without fobs, but I don't think that the internal sensor could be turned off with these.

Jon
 
Just thinking about running chains from door to door,, would it not be lighter,cleaner,easier to store and more important faster to undo if you used a cargo ratchet strap?
 
Bad luck

We've just come back from Portugal through Spain and into France before leaving St Malo. We met an English couple near Bordeaux who had been done in Barcelona. They lost the lot so I suppose you were lucky. :eek:

Don't suppose you went to Cabeco de Vide near Montfort when in Portugal. Cracking little Aire that is being left to die but it has free electric and cold showers. Such a pity.:(
 
CliffyP said:
I find my GSD does the trick, I dont think they like the big teeth and they for sure can't out run her. We walk her around before we go to bed just to let them know. Did they break a window or force the lock ??.
I hope its not put you off.
Click to expand...

Hopefully an isolated incident.

My hound too is a GSD and certainly got me out of a scrape in Auch last year.

The pub has broken into twice the last week. Now she has free run at night.

I am making a sign ...Survivors will be prosecuted !!! ...an ylinguists amongst you I will be quite happy to cobble up something multi lingual for your European travels :D

Channa
 
*****, I'm sure glad your on here, I hadn't even considered the cutting of the ratchet straps. I'm off to get a good length of chain in the morning!

Pokerking, could you send more details of that aire? I don't know it, but we will be going to Portugal again before the years out.

I think I'll be checking out local dog breeders too!:D

Channa, a mate of mines a landlord and he lets his English pitbull have the run of the pub at night. He went down one morning and old Hector had a piece of denim in his mouth and a blood trail to an open window. Funnily enough, never been broken into since:D
 
I've led a sheltered life, never even considered someone carrying a stanley knife, chain it is then.
 
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