As a member of our neighbourhood watch i still cannot believe what people have stolen by their own mistakes, its like saying/doing look what i have got for you.For instance ,laptop left on dash /door left open items stolen/handbag left on back seat and so on .If it happens to me i will say same as plotter i deserve to lose.
Tales of Caution from France
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Frank you actually claim that I said 'it serves them right'if you look I never said that,as usual you wish to srart an argument but I am more grown up than that and will no take part.
But Plotter.Mike that is not what I said I said if they were left unlocked then you should not be suprised in this day and age if it is there when you get back which rather different to what you are saying.
You say if a door is not locked, if the keys are left in. Is that justification. If your Aqua roll is not locked to the van, If the Cardac is not bolted to the A frame, If your loungers are not hidden in the car, if your awning ground sheet is not secured to a blade of grass, Just tell me were you want me to stop.
ttfn
Just in case it was missed in comments
But Plotter.
You say if a door is not locked, if the keys are left in. Is that justification. If your Aqua roll is not locked to the van, If the Cardac is not bolted to the A frame, If your loungers are not hidden in the car, if your awning ground sheet is not secured to a blade of grass, Just tell me were you want me to stop.
ttfn
omments.
But Plotter.
You say if a door is not locked, if the keys are left in. Is that justification. If your Aqua roll is not locked to the van, If the Cardac is not bolted to the A frame, If your loungers are not hidden in the car, if your awning ground sheet is not secured to a blade of grass, Just tell me were you want me to stop.
ttfn
omments.
Sorry Mike you lost me there what is a Cardac,either way you like someone else seem determined to miss the point that you have to these days take responsibility for ones own actions in that if you leave your keys in your cars ignition and some little tow rag nicks it,then yes he is the thief but as your insurance company will be quick to point out you were negligent in your actions.I fail to see why this is being blown out of all proportion.All that I said at the outset was and I do not quote is was the door left unlocked.If that is the trigger for some folk to start a confrontation then fine but i prefer to rise above that.I await now a whole series I guess of quotation marks.
" they deserve what they got "
If that's not "serves them right"
I don't know what is
Val & Frank
If that's not "serves them right"
I don't know what is
Val & Frank
Just one story to add to all this, some years ago we were very surprised to read in a Caravan Magazine that our neighbours 'John and Barbara ........, from ......... Ilkley, were robbed on an aire on their way to Biarritz etc, etc'. We knew they'd been to Biarritz, so were very shocked - and went straight to see them to express our sympathies. Turned out not to be them at all, stolen identity???, insurance fraud???, or what???? Don't get me wrong, if anyone is genuinely broken into, and things stolen, then I have every sympathy - but like some others on here, I really just can't imagine how it can happen without someone waking up. We, at least, hide our stuff so that it just couldn't be found without a rumple through (his) pyjamas and my 'nightie'!!!!! (Joking, but everything is well hidden, even after we've driven too far and are too tired to do anything else!!) We just don't ever leave money, phones, cards, or anything else of value anywhere accessible to anyone apart from our nearest and dearest! They might be able to steal the odd teabag or piece of cheese - but valuables, not on your nelly. Suggest everyone takes this as a warning and does the same - after all what's wrong with under your pillow or under the bedclothes for anything of value!!! There are a million places in our van to hide stuff - and we don't leave things in shorts pockets, on shelves, or on the table when we go to bed. We have only a caravan lock - and everyone knows how vulnerable they are - but it makes absolute sense to not leave stuff accessible to thieves!!!
Never did hear what 'you should work for the BBC ' meant and then go on to misquote and still maintain that it is what I said I dont know about the BBC perhaps a red top might be more apropriate for some.
Valerie you perhaps add credence to my point in that I really do fail to see if you are asleep even in the biggest of tourers/motorhomes you will not be awoken by someone breaking in.
unless of corse you are deaf but then you would feel the vibration.Valerie you perhaps add credence to my point in that I really do fail to see if you are asleep even in the biggest of tourers/motorhomes you will not be awoken by someone breaking in.
Exactly - and if you're deaf, then perhaps you should hide your goodies in a cupboard! It beggars belief that people can go to sleep with everything on show!
Valerie you perhaps add credence to my point in that I really do fail to see if you are asleep
No Plotter if you read back through my post you will see NOT once have I said anything about people not wakeing when being robbed etc. I agree 100% with Val's post YOU should hide anything of value away from thieves.
What I did object to was your description they got what they deserved or words to that effect.
Never did hear what 'you should work for the BBC
Because they have been found out, did you not see the way the Queen was portrayed recently on the BBC ????
ps We don't take a red top
Val & frank
No Plotter if you read back through my post you will see NOT once have I said anything about people not wakeing when being robbed etc. I agree 100% with Val's post YOU should hide anything of value away from thieves.
What I did object to was your description they got what they deserved or words to that effect.
Never did hear what 'you should work for the BBC
Because they have been found out, did you not see the way the Queen was portrayed recently on the BBC ????
ps We don't take a red top
Val & frank
Because of all these scare stories my better half insisted I fitted a small safe under one of the front seats, cost less than
Steady on Big Boy.....you're wandering off topic,Maybe it's that I don't want any would be thieves to feel inadequate ...
best regards, Martin
Having just returned from France to find three of our near neighbours homes have been burgled whilst away, as with caravanning I'm more concerned with crime in the UK.
Travelling with my mum and mother in-law we covered just over 3900 trouble free miles in France and stopped the night on three French service Aires as well as taking breaks at Aires. We spoke with a few other Brits as you do and no one mentioned scare stories.
We also travelled at around 70 mph quite a bit and even faster a couple of times.
No problems pitching an 8 plus metre twin axle on French sites and even three women managed to reverse and site the van square without assistance, motor mover or a man.
All but one site was fairly flat and our small hydraulic jack had the van level on its wheel chocks easily.
The only problems so to speak on our trip were -
detouring from the new auto route near Alencon to visit an old favourite stop and shop area and having to unhitch as there was no room to get near a diesel pump of a small garage.
Noisy Brits and their badly behaved loud children. There are noisy fun loving children that are a joy, sadly there are also other types with parents more interested in Sun Tans and the local Tipple.
A few high speed Caravanners who seemed oblivious to their vans behaviour behind them.
Amps on site ? A little varied.
Plus Points -
Satnav with new version Navteq mapping faultless.
Roads a pleasure to drive on.
Solar Panel helps compensates for varied electric supply.
Weather could have been a little better, but can't complain after the problems people in the UK have.
Audi and Twin Axle, towing joy.
France and the French way of life.
Ria
Travelling with my mum and mother in-law we covered just over 3900 trouble free miles in France and stopped the night on three French service Aires as well as taking breaks at Aires. We spoke with a few other Brits as you do and no one mentioned scare stories.
We also travelled at around 70 mph quite a bit and even faster a couple of times.
No problems pitching an 8 plus metre twin axle on French sites and even three women managed to reverse and site the van square without assistance, motor mover or a man.
All but one site was fairly flat and our small hydraulic jack had the van level on its wheel chocks easily.
The only problems so to speak on our trip were -
detouring from the new auto route near Alencon to visit an old favourite stop and shop area and having to unhitch as there was no room to get near a diesel pump of a small garage.
Noisy Brits and their badly behaved loud children. There are noisy fun loving children that are a joy, sadly there are also other types with parents more interested in Sun Tans and the local Tipple.
A few high speed Caravanners who seemed oblivious to their vans behaviour behind them.
Amps on site ? A little varied.
Plus Points -
Satnav with new version Navteq mapping faultless.
Roads a pleasure to drive on.
Solar Panel helps compensates for varied electric supply.
Weather could have been a little better, but can't complain after the problems people in the UK have.
Audi and Twin Axle, towing joy.
France and the French way of life.
Ria
Ria, know what you mean about the noisy kids. Don't get me wrong, I love children, and this year we deliberately picked an area near the games pitch, so we could hear kids playing. There's nothing like the sound of happy, well-behaved kids enjoying their holiday. However, at a site on the way down, in Burgundy, there were the 'kids from hell' - two families, with parents sitting on the deck outside the restaurant drinking, and just ignored the children whilst they ran riot, smearing food over the windows, pulling faces at diners, spitting out their drinks to make 'patterns' on the floor and the windows, and running in and out of the restaurant screaming at each other. The family was asked politely once or twice to ask the children to behave, and just shouted 'Wayne and Tracey, Darren and Aleesha (not their real names) get your a..es over 'ere'...... This went on for ages - and in the end they were asked to leave by the patron. At this point the biggest Dad got 'upset' and tried to start a fight - but obviously everyone in the restaurant supported the patron - and they left - and then left the site the next morning. Hope it wasn't your site they went to next!!!Having just returned from France to find three of our near neighbours homes have been burgled whilst away, as with caravanning I'm more concerned with crime in the UK.
Travelling with my mum and mother in-law we covered just over 3900 trouble free miles in France and stopped the night on three French service Aires as well as taking breaks at Aires. We spoke with a few other Brits as you do and no one mentioned scare stories.
We also travelled at around 70 mph quite a bit and even faster a couple of times.
No problems pitching an 8 plus metre twin axle on French sites and even three women managed to reverse and site the van square without assistance, motor mover or a man.
All but one site was fairly flat and our small hydraulic jack had the van level on its wheel chocks easily.
The only problems so to speak on our trip were -
detouring from the new auto route near Alencon to visit an old favourite stop and shop area and having to unhitch as there was no room to get near a diesel pump of a small garage.
Noisy Brits and their badly behaved loud children. There are noisy fun loving children that are a joy, sadly there are also other types with parents more interested in Sun Tans and the local Tipple.
A few high speed Caravanners who seemed oblivious to their vans behaviour behind them.
Amps on site ? A little varied.
Plus Points -
Satnav with new version Navteq mapping faultless.
Roads a pleasure to drive on.
Solar Panel helps compensates for varied electric supply.
Weather could have been a little better, but can't complain after the problems people in the UK have.
Audi and Twin Axle, towing joy.
France and the French way of life.
Ria
Valerie, not quite as bad but we moved on as another clone family got pitched next to us. I'm 100% with your comments and views.
"A few high speed Caravanners who seemed oblivious to their vans behaviour behind them." Plotter!
Two 5 series BMW's towing quite large Knaus caravans at around 85mph on a wet (speed limit reduced in the wet) autoroute, they were swaying and pitching around was the first incident. I may not drive slowly but our tow car is well matched to the caravan.
Ria
"A few high speed Caravanners who seemed oblivious to their vans behaviour behind them." Plotter!
Two 5 series BMW's towing quite large Knaus caravans at around 85mph on a wet (speed limit reduced in the wet) autoroute, they were swaying and pitching around was the first incident. I may not drive slowly but our tow car is well matched to the caravan.
Ria
Dont get me wrong but 70+ regardless of 'well matched outfit) has to be dangerous,try stopping in an emergency at that speed.
Well then Plotter there are a lot of dangerous people towing caravans then.
New car and caravan towing on a clear road under the speed limit, I make my own choice as to how fast and how dangerous. I've towed at that speed for over twenty years in France and have never considered it dangerous. And it is not my constant speed.
Returning home fromHeathrow my father and father in-law were over taken by a UK VW Caravelle with 4 short canoes stacked two high on the roof and towing a weaving bouncing large Eriba caravan in heavy traffic at around 9am on the M4 near Reading on Thursday. Dad was doing 70 and the Caravelle weaved about alongside lorries and faster moving cars with the kids in the back as the driver seemed oblivious to atitude of his caravan.
M4 at 9am, now thats dangeous and illegal! Maybe someone here knows the outfit and driver.
Ria
New car and caravan towing on a clear road under the speed limit, I make my own choice as to how fast and how dangerous. I've towed at that speed for over twenty years in France and have never considered it dangerous. And it is not my constant speed.
Returning home fromHeathrow my father and father in-law were over taken by a UK VW Caravelle with 4 short canoes stacked two high on the roof and towing a weaving bouncing large Eriba caravan in heavy traffic at around 9am on the M4 near Reading on Thursday. Dad was doing 70 and the Caravelle weaved about alongside lorries and faster moving cars with the kids in the back as the driver seemed oblivious to atitude of his caravan.
M4 at 9am, now thats dangeous and illegal! Maybe someone here knows the outfit and driver.
Ria
A lot of the responses to this topic make me wonder if Kanga has made a return under another name ??
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