motorhome atttack with gas

Article on line today about robberies in France by gassing.

Always thought it was hearsay. Seems genuine.

regards

Mike

I thought this was another topic which has been done to death and debunked ages ago.

Frank

Maybe Frank. This is by Ruth Doherty,  travel writer. Also states that the foreign office gave a warning in 2007.

I have never experienced it.

regards

Mike

"Can we have your copy for this weeks issue Ruth?"

"Can't think of anything to write    I know! I'll drag out that old chestnut about campervanners getting gassed   "

Seen it on line. They've just got back to England. Quite scary for them.

Oh dear,

I saw the article yesterday in The Star (no Daily Mirror in Morrisons and needed a Sudoku with my coffee) and thought "Yeah! Right!"

Apparently, the symptoms are that you go to sleep feeling fine and then wake up with a headache having been robbed.

I have never been robbed, but I cannot begin to count the number of times in France when I have gone to sleep feeling fine and then woken up with a headache.  I have always put it down to too much wine!!

One of the great things about these reports is that I have NEVER seen the type of "gas" indicated.

Of the many, many elements and compounds that are gaseous at normal temperatures there are very few that are:

o  Odourless,

o  Colourless,

o  Non-toxic,

o  Non-flammable,

o  Non-explosive, AND,

o  Have an anaesthetic effect.

One gas that fits the bill best is Nitrous Oxide, also known as "Laughing Gas".

Nitrous oxide could be used for the purposes of anaesthetising a couple in a motorhome but the dangers are horrendous.  The application would have to be very precise so as not to kill the people inside, the people would have to not wake up with the "Psssst ….!" noise of application and it would also have to not cause the van to catch fire!!

Check out

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Another gas that causes a narcotic effect is Butane.  Unfortunately it also has a very low flammable limit which is why it is heavily dosed with mercaptans to make it smell so much it will make you sick; and almost certainly wake you up before anaesthetising you.

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My take on the matter is that in November of last year between Nice and Marseille two men attempted to force entry to our van.  We presume that they thought we were not in the van because when we reacted to the movement of the van (I sat up and said to Helen "Some * Inappropriate Word * has just tried to open the door!) they ran away, joined two others who were waiting beside a car nearby and drove off with them.

I have no doubt that thieves in the area target tourists but I have great doubts that they are sufficiently knowledgeable and able to anaesthetise people in a van without blowing themselves or the van up on a fairly regular basis; and yet again I have NEVER read of such an incident.

With regard to our own experience, we class it s being an error on our own part because we didn't follow our own rules!!  We parked up on service station on a peagé that didn't issue a Ticket and therefore anyone could drive a vehicle off the peagé just by paying a €2 toll rather than having to present a Ticket at a booth with a CCTV camera!  Doh!!

We use peagé service stations whenever we are travelling long distances and after over 25 years of doing this, all over France with caravans, vans and now a motorhome, we have had no trouble whatsoever.

Finally, have you noticed how there haven't been any reports of people dying, vans catching fire, people getting caught in the act of anaesthetising someone or people getting caught with all the gear in their car?

We haven't either, so we hope this allays some fears that may have been caused by an over-active media.   

Best regards,
 

Younger daughter is an anethasist. Asked her for her professional opinion. Reply was, could I please get her some of this gas as it was obviously far, far superior to anything she has available.

Its obvious benefits are:

1) Non toxic to all patients without having any knowledge of their medical condition, or the interior volume of the vehicle, or the number of patients in the vehicle.

2) Perfectly safe to use for the operator.

3) Clears in seconds after being turned off (so that the thieves can enter the vehicle and remove goods).

4) The only known side effect is a headache.

5) Must be very cheap (given the number of gassings taking place per year).

6) Works on animals as well as humans (so it must have a use in vetenary medicine).

7) Non-flammable.

They have also been making a profit selling these gas alarms but I have never read a story from someone with an alarm going off because they were getting gassed. And catching them in the act.

Mike

"Miss Keeney believes it is the only way they would have been robbed because she would have heard intruders."

Hmmm...   

As someone suggested on the DM site "chain your front doors together".

Spospe wrote:Younger daughter is an anethasist. Asked her for her professional opinion. Reply was, could I please get her some of this gas as it was obviously far, far superior to anything she has available.

……………….

          

Like it!!     

     

I think the wine theory is much more likely. "Red after white and you'll be alright, white after red and you'll have a bad head".
This has been done to death on every other forum but told by someone who knows someone never by a victim.

Hi all,

I think this link to the royal college of anaesthetists covers the subject. It dates back to 2007.

I think motorhome forums should have it as a sticky, or other easily accessed link to debunk this annual myth.

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Davy

Davy,

Absolutely brilliant report!     

I'm not too keen on having it as a link though.  I always think that the general response to the annual "Have you heard about people being gassed?" helps to reassure new Members that it is a load of rubbish!   

Best regards,
  
Ian

1) I'm off to buy a gas alarm
2) I'm never going to visit France again
3) going to trade the cocker spaniel for a pair of Rottweilers
4) going to take out a subscription to the Daily  Fail 


I did actually enjoy the Daily Fail article if only for the posed sad look on the alleged victims (for goodness sake, put your legs together when being photographed) and the often hilariously ill informed reader comments at the bottom.

One or two sherbets in excess? Never.........

If they are a member of one of the motorhome forums then it is a fair bet that they are going to keep their heads down under the parapet.

I don't know about you lot but, one of the great things about Jean Claude (Damn Van) for us, is that both of us sleep so soundly in the huge comfy bed (with memory foam topper) that you wouldn't need to gas us, you could drive off in it with us both fast asleep in the back. 

Any guests coming? Not enough room in the house? "I'll sleep in JC" - "No you won't, I'm sleeping in JC" - "I'll   fight you for it".

     

Hi Dutto,

Perhaps you are right, and I suppose I am overlooking the annual entertainment value of the topic!!

Not long back from France, virtually all aires and France passion for 24 nights or so. I always feel much more secure and safe in France than at home.

We also hit an exceptionally warm period of 30 C ( inside the van) and slept with windows and large Heki open. Maybe we were tempting fate!


Davy

TeamRienza wrote:Hi Dutto,

Perhaps you are right, and I suppose I am overlooking the annual entertainment value of the topic!!

Not long back from France, virtually all aires and France passion for 24 nights or so. I always feel much more secure and safe in France than at home.

We also hit an exceptionally warm period of 30 C ( inside the van) and slept with windows and large Heki open. Maybe we were tempting fate!


Davy

Davy,

You Sir are an unmitigated scoundrel!!     

I am looking out of the front window on a dull, misty, damp and chilly Skegness day with the prospect of being out and about cycling around Sandringham tomorrow (in even worse conditions) and you have to Post THAT!!

Beware!!  Phrases like "exceptionally warm" and "30 C" can be much more damaging to your health than some toe-rag trying to gas you!   

As for leaving the windows open; in Skegness, only if you want to wake up with stray dogs shivering under your bed for warmth and snow drifts across the pillow!  (Okay I'm exaggerating a bit on that one; but you know what I mean!)

Oh how I wish we were in France, preferably somewhere South and East of Bordeaux!!     

I suppose that knowing you are back gives me some satisfaction though!!!  Heh heh!!     

Best regards,
    
Ian

Hi Ian,

As a penance we went on Saturday to Enniskillen Co Fermanagh (N. Irelands version of the English lake district but without the mountains.) for a few days with our C&CC DA.

We were missing France already so thought we might feel better away in the van.

The rain has poured down and the rear window sprang a leak around the top of the frame (never happened before). They do say that for 6 months of the year the lakes are in Fermanagh, but for the other 6 months, Fermanagh is in the lakes.!!

Had to wear waterproofs. Even the stock of imported madeleines is running low already. Guess it's out with the sikaflex tomorrow.

Hope this helps you feel better.   And you with your plot of land in France!!

Davy

Davy,

The recuperative powers of a decent Merlot are often underestimated!     

The irony of Sunday was that we had a tiny sprinkling of rain at about ten miles, then absolutely nothing for the next forty miles and then an absolute deluge when I was having a leg massage at the Finish!  Lucky or what??

We were supposed to ride the 85 miles "Lap the Lough" next month but with the grandsons' lack of training we have agreed to put it off until next year.  I keep hoping that Lough Neagh will dry up in the meantime!

Just to stay on topic; it must be very reassuring to know that if anyone is out there trying to gas you they will probably die of pneumonia!!   

Best regards,
  
Ian

Hi Putting my statistic hat on,i would say the risk of a gas attack to be rare,but not impossible. That does not mean someone will not try.
The more likely risk ,as some of us have experienced, is a forced entry when empty.
So sleep well and dont have nightmares.


regards


Mike