last night our motorhome was broken into whilst we were asleep at night, our friends who were in a campervan next to us we’re also broken into but my friend was awoken to them being in the front of the cab and shouted at them. They ran off .(aires danne a4)
we found they had taken a phone and they had gone into my handbag taken cash but left credit cards and passport, they had taken cash and grabbed a pair of leggings which assumably they must’ve thought had a pocket which mihht contain vaulables
checking the van the next day it was clear that they had got in by putting a screwdriver up through the bottom part of the lock
i cannot understand why they didn’t take our cards frim our purses can they clone our cards?
my other real concern is how being a light sleeper myself and my boyfriend failed to hear them rumbling through our bags ,taking our phones when the bag and Phone will literally next to our heads.
Posted by
Green Bay
21137 posts
Sorry this happened to you. Not knowing what aires are, I googled it to learn about motorhome parking areas in France. I came across this site:
https://thegapdecaders.com/aires-in-france/
Scroll down for safety tips in the section "Are French aires safe?"
Posted by
Chicago
8550 posts
Gassing is a myth. What a horrible experience. When we took the night train, I slept with the money belt on since I knew if they entered the cabin (and it is easy to do especially if staff is conplicit) I'd probably sleep right through getting robbed. Glad you are okay.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
hi thanks.. we wish we had been more clued up.when we arrived at the proper campsite today in germany the receptionsist laughed when we said we had camped in an Aries on the motorway the night before saying “you shouldn’t do that you will get robbed “ we explained we actually had been I said I couldn’t understand how they managed to break in whilst We slept. still dont know why they left the handbags and cards and purses and just too the cash
Posted by
Green Bay
21137 posts
Cards can get cancelled right away and are evidence of their guilt if they get caught. Cash, and phones that are easily fenced are what they are after.
You are fortunate that this did not happen in the US, In 1993 a British man and his girl friend were shot napping at a rest stop in Florida. The man died, but his girlfriend survived to testify.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3982 posts
Were you in an Aire or an Aire de Service? It makes a big difference for safety. Glad that you are okay. As said above, gassing is a myth but light sleepers not being as light a sleeper as they think they are is quite common. So is incorporating a sound that you hear in your sleep into your dream which ca result in you not waking up for the sound.
As noted above, about the cards, yes they can be canceled right away so they are sometimes not taken. After my husband's wallet was stolen in Spain, someone found it and turned it in to the police station. All the cards were still there but the cash was gone. It was unfortunate that we had canceled the cards as soon as he realized the wallet was missing because the replacement American Express card that we drove to Nice to get never worked.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
hi motorway aire .. just a pull in with a toilet and quite a few lorries
we are in a proper campsite tonight but have hidden our valuables in the food cupboard tonight behind a multipack of Crisps as that will make alot of noise
if someone breaks in
I’ve also tied a bag of counters to the back door in case some breaks in that way and have been strapped both of the doors to the armrests with bunji straps
as we can see how they forced the lock it doesnt make sence why the window had been moved half down(too add the window blind was across the entire window and hadnt been distubed).
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10621 posts
I’m sorry this happened and hope you feel more secure now. I once used my purse as a pillow in a hostel and found it in the bathroom after it was stolen from under my head.
An aire de repos is a rest stop with only flush toilets, sinks, and a few picnic tables. It’s for a short break to stretch your legs.
The big stops have gas stations and nowadays multiple restaurants.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3982 posts
I am terrified of sleeping in regular rest areas for exactly the the type of incidents you and Sam describe.