Attempted Car Jacking in Spain
05 October 2007, 12:45 AM
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Attempted Car Jacking in Spain
Drove down to the Costa Blanca in the Scoob the other week with my Missus.
Going past Barcelona about 6am Saturday morning and I was having a kip (Missus was driving that shift)
I noticed a Silver Audi A8 4.2 going past. I was dozing, saw it with one eye and thought to myself, "Sweet Motor".
Couple of minutes later, saw another one (or so I thought, but it was the same one). This time I thought, "These Spanish have got plenty of big, tasty motors."
Then, a minute or two later, there was a huge loud bang, which jolted me upright! I immediately thought that the engine had blown up or something and if we stay on the motorway, the car will come to a stop and we will be dead very quickly.
All of a sudden a Silver A8 came past with the passenger waving for us to stop, as there appeared to be something wrong with the car.
Missus was not happy to but I insisted that we get off the carriageway immediately and pull over, right behind where the Audi parked, on the hard shoulder.
She reluctantly did so, the Audi passenger came running over, I told her to get out and have a look, as I was struggling to get out being on the wrong side of the car and dangerously close to the speeding past traffic.
Bear in mind I was just relieved to get off the carriageway, still a bit sleepy, thankful I had European breakdown cover, and was wondering how bad the engine damage was.
Also, I had been under a blanket while sleeping and had nowhere to put it, as the back seat was full. At this particular time, my vanity kicked in and I felt that I would look a bit stupid standing by the side of the road carrying a blanket, so took a few more seconds trying to think of what to do, before finally squashing it into the back seats!
The guy had looked totally inoffensive, (middle aged, slightly rotund, cap and glasses) put it this way I did not feel in the slightest bit threatened. He ran up to the drivers side of my car, saw me and gestured for me to come out and look too and seemed to want to show my Missus the rear drivers side tyre.
He was nudging her to move backwards and saying in Spanish to look, she is asking where, in Spanish, but no answer.
By this time I finally manage to struggle out of the passenger side, make my way round the back and am looking underneath the car. Missus is unhappy and trying to tell me that there is something wrong, I am not listening and summon her over to the back of the car to take a look also, asking if she can see anything.
She comes over and we are both looking. After a few seconds I look up to speak to the Spanish guy and he has run off, at least 30 or 40 yards away. I ask the Wife, "What's he doing?"
I am looking very puzzled and wave to the guy to come back. He is running like he is being chased by a Werewolf! The Audi is moving now and he has to dive into it as it moves off at high speed. The Missus says, "I think they were going to steal the car."
I tell her not to be ridiculous and carry on inspecting the car.
"I can't really see anything, why did they drive off like that?" I ask her after another minute.
"I tell you they were going to steal the car!".
"No they weren't, why did they run off?"
"I don't know"
"What was that loud noise then?"
"Perhaps they threw something at the car?"
So we look around the car and on the passenger rear quarter panel there is a large area which has been struck and dented and scratched slightly.
Turns out they had probably used a catapault to strike the car to make the noise to get us to pull over.
Anyway, it was all over as quickly as it began and I still cannot fathom why they didn't take the car, as we feel certain that they had us exactly where they wanted us, at least for a couple of seconds. Appreciate however that memory was hazy and it was just so quick.
Now, perhaps I had not got out of the car quickly enough, he felt unsettled by my Missus asking him questions and sounding suspicious, or he thought my car was too crap I don't know?
Personally, I think it was because he realised he wasn't bad boy enough to drive my car. My Missus reckons it was because he saw, only after she got out, that she is heavily pregnant and had an attack of conscience.
What do you thnk?
We reported it to a local Police station, who seemed to be very familiar with the MO and even asked me if it was an Audi A6, BEFORE i said anyting about the car! I said it was an A8, we recorded it, I pointed out some fella in their photo id book thing, as resembling our man and that was it. We carried on our way and had a great holiday.
We were also, I feel, very lucky, as we were so close to being left on the hard shoulder, middle of nowhere, no car, phones, wallets, passports, nothing whatsoever! Too scary to think about. Bit concerning too was that I was totally clueless as to what was really going on! Had it be me on my own the car would have simply gone!
Don't know how many of you drive past that way, but found out since it is notorious for that sort of thing, so thought you should know.
Asif
Going past Barcelona about 6am Saturday morning and I was having a kip (Missus was driving that shift)
I noticed a Silver Audi A8 4.2 going past. I was dozing, saw it with one eye and thought to myself, "Sweet Motor".
Couple of minutes later, saw another one (or so I thought, but it was the same one). This time I thought, "These Spanish have got plenty of big, tasty motors."
Then, a minute or two later, there was a huge loud bang, which jolted me upright! I immediately thought that the engine had blown up or something and if we stay on the motorway, the car will come to a stop and we will be dead very quickly.
All of a sudden a Silver A8 came past with the passenger waving for us to stop, as there appeared to be something wrong with the car.
Missus was not happy to but I insisted that we get off the carriageway immediately and pull over, right behind where the Audi parked, on the hard shoulder.
She reluctantly did so, the Audi passenger came running over, I told her to get out and have a look, as I was struggling to get out being on the wrong side of the car and dangerously close to the speeding past traffic.
Bear in mind I was just relieved to get off the carriageway, still a bit sleepy, thankful I had European breakdown cover, and was wondering how bad the engine damage was.
Also, I had been under a blanket while sleeping and had nowhere to put it, as the back seat was full. At this particular time, my vanity kicked in and I felt that I would look a bit stupid standing by the side of the road carrying a blanket, so took a few more seconds trying to think of what to do, before finally squashing it into the back seats!
The guy had looked totally inoffensive, (middle aged, slightly rotund, cap and glasses) put it this way I did not feel in the slightest bit threatened. He ran up to the drivers side of my car, saw me and gestured for me to come out and look too and seemed to want to show my Missus the rear drivers side tyre.
He was nudging her to move backwards and saying in Spanish to look, she is asking where, in Spanish, but no answer.
By this time I finally manage to struggle out of the passenger side, make my way round the back and am looking underneath the car. Missus is unhappy and trying to tell me that there is something wrong, I am not listening and summon her over to the back of the car to take a look also, asking if she can see anything.
She comes over and we are both looking. After a few seconds I look up to speak to the Spanish guy and he has run off, at least 30 or 40 yards away. I ask the Wife, "What's he doing?"
I am looking very puzzled and wave to the guy to come back. He is running like he is being chased by a Werewolf! The Audi is moving now and he has to dive into it as it moves off at high speed. The Missus says, "I think they were going to steal the car."
I tell her not to be ridiculous and carry on inspecting the car.
"I can't really see anything, why did they drive off like that?" I ask her after another minute.
"I tell you they were going to steal the car!".
"No they weren't, why did they run off?"
"I don't know"
"What was that loud noise then?"
"Perhaps they threw something at the car?"
So we look around the car and on the passenger rear quarter panel there is a large area which has been struck and dented and scratched slightly.
Turns out they had probably used a catapault to strike the car to make the noise to get us to pull over.
Anyway, it was all over as quickly as it began and I still cannot fathom why they didn't take the car, as we feel certain that they had us exactly where they wanted us, at least for a couple of seconds. Appreciate however that memory was hazy and it was just so quick.
Now, perhaps I had not got out of the car quickly enough, he felt unsettled by my Missus asking him questions and sounding suspicious, or he thought my car was too crap I don't know?
Personally, I think it was because he realised he wasn't bad boy enough to drive my car. My Missus reckons it was because he saw, only after she got out, that she is heavily pregnant and had an attack of conscience.
What do you thnk?
We reported it to a local Police station, who seemed to be very familiar with the MO and even asked me if it was an Audi A6, BEFORE i said anyting about the car! I said it was an A8, we recorded it, I pointed out some fella in their photo id book thing, as resembling our man and that was it. We carried on our way and had a great holiday.
We were also, I feel, very lucky, as we were so close to being left on the hard shoulder, middle of nowhere, no car, phones, wallets, passports, nothing whatsoever! Too scary to think about. Bit concerning too was that I was totally clueless as to what was really going on! Had it be me on my own the car would have simply gone!
Don't know how many of you drive past that way, but found out since it is notorious for that sort of thing, so thought you should know.
Asif
Last edited by AsifScoob; 06 October 2007 at 04:41 PM.
05 October 2007, 01:27 AM
#3
If you were asleep on the back seat - Maybe they thought your Mrs was on her own? Perhaps the sight of your ugly mug gave him second thoughts about chancing his arm? To be honest if it was me and my Mrs heavily pregnant and someone tried to 'Jack my car I would not stop short of deadly force.
Glad you were all ok though! 
05 October 2007, 06:41 AM
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This is something that happens a lot and many tourists don't realise it. The other way this operates is you pull into a service/rest area and one of the gang punctures one of the rear tyres. You then leave the rest area and some way down the road you're forced to pull over as you now have a flat. Then some good samaritans stop to 'help'. Your bags are either nicked while they distract you or they take the car, flat tyre not withstanding.
It's so common I'd go as far to say that any incident like this is more than likely to be an attempted robbery than mechanical failure or genuine puncture.
Moral of the story- drive on while you still can to a populated area whatever the case and if some 'friendly' people are gesticulating there is a problem then there most likely will be if you stop.
It's most common around the Barcelona area, airports and anywhere dopey tourists are likely to be. The 'tyre' method was tried on my Father but he was too streetwise to fall for it, sat in his car and phoned recovery while the robbers implored him to get out and take a loook.
I wonder how common this is in other countries as I've only ever heard of it being common in Spain.
Worse thing is it sounds a lot like one of those unwanted urban myth chain letters but I can assure anyone reading this that it isn't.
It's so common I'd go as far to say that any incident like this is more than likely to be an attempted robbery than mechanical failure or genuine puncture.
Moral of the story- drive on while you still can to a populated area whatever the case and if some 'friendly' people are gesticulating there is a problem then there most likely will be if you stop.
It's most common around the Barcelona area, airports and anywhere dopey tourists are likely to be. The 'tyre' method was tried on my Father but he was too streetwise to fall for it, sat in his car and phoned recovery while the robbers implored him to get out and take a loook.
I wonder how common this is in other countries as I've only ever heard of it being common in Spain.
Worse thing is it sounds a lot like one of those unwanted urban myth chain letters but I can assure anyone reading this that it isn't.
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05 October 2007, 09:37 AM
#9
Maybe they saw the Scoob, targeted it, then realised belatedly that it was RHD?
We got stopped once in Spain as the driver was eating a sandwich, with both hands off the wheel.
Trouble was, it was my wife, who was the passenger at the time
As soon as the copper approached the car, he explained, apologised and we all laughed and away we went.
Alcazar
We got stopped once in Spain as the driver was eating a sandwich, with both hands off the wheel.
Trouble was, it was my wife, who was the passenger at the time
As soon as the copper approached the car, he explained, apologised and we all laughed and away we went.Alcazar
05 October 2007, 09:49 AM
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05 October 2007, 09:50 AM
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yep -Me mam and stepdad were almost duped . This was an old sherpa van! them stopped in a lay-by after a hard days motoring some arab guesturing the back ends on fire , better get out take a look etc - at least one of them did get out the other didnt
05 October 2007, 10:22 AM
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As NACRO says, its an old trick usually perpetrated by Romanians these days on unsuspecting couples on the basis that either the female will start flapping big time or the bloke will want to protect her by handing over the valuables.
Last time I was there in the summer, I noticed a couple of blokes eyeing my car up but the fact that the Range Rover looked like a Tonka toy with me and a Rhodesian Ridgeback learing back at them possibly persuaded them that we weren't part of their target audience. That and the fact that with all the kitchen units crammed into the back of it made us look like a couple of pikies, so probably thought we didn't have any dosh.
Last time I was there in the summer, I noticed a couple of blokes eyeing my car up but the fact that the Range Rover looked like a Tonka toy with me and a Rhodesian Ridgeback learing back at them possibly persuaded them that we weren't part of their target audience. That and the fact that with all the kitchen units crammed into the back of it made us look like a couple of pikies, so probably thought we didn't have any dosh.
06 October 2007, 10:44 AM
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Thanks for comments.
It's absolutely true of course and yes my Missus was certainly more clued up than I was!
If I had felt in the slightest bit threatened or suspicious I would have reacted differently. My initial main fear was coming to a sudden standstill in the middle of the motorway.
A few seconds to think about things and not being asleep would have helped enormously.
You just never think it would happen to you!
Asif
It's absolutely true of course and yes my Missus was certainly more clued up than I was!
If I had felt in the slightest bit threatened or suspicious I would have reacted differently. My initial main fear was coming to a sudden standstill in the middle of the motorway.
A few seconds to think about things and not being asleep would have helped enormously.
You just never think it would happen to you!
Asif
Last edited by AsifScoob; 06 October 2007 at 04:35 PM. Reason: Punctuation!
06 October 2007, 10:52 AM
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This is something that happens a lot and many tourists don't realise it. The other way this operates is you pull into a service/rest area and one of the gang punctures one of the rear tyres. You then leave the rest area and some way down the road you're forced to pull over as you now have a flat. Then some good samaritans stop to 'help'. Your bags are either nicked while they distract you or they take the car, flat tyre not withstanding.
It's so common I'd go as far to say that any incident like this is more than likely to be an attempted robbery than mechanical failure or genuine puncture.
Moral of the story- drive on while you still can to a populated area whatever the case and if some 'friendly' people are gesticulating there is a problem then there most likely will be if you stop.
It's most common around the Barcelona area, airports and anywhere dopey tourists are likely to be. The 'tyre' method was tried on my Father but he was too streetwise to fall for it, sat in his car and phoned recovery while the robbers implored him to get out and take a loook.
I wonder how common this is in other countries as I've only ever heard of it being common in Spain.
Worse thing is it sounds a lot like one of those unwanted urban myth chain letters but I can assure anyone reading this that it isn't.
It's so common I'd go as far to say that any incident like this is more than likely to be an attempted robbery than mechanical failure or genuine puncture.
Moral of the story- drive on while you still can to a populated area whatever the case and if some 'friendly' people are gesticulating there is a problem then there most likely will be if you stop.
It's most common around the Barcelona area, airports and anywhere dopey tourists are likely to be. The 'tyre' method was tried on my Father but he was too streetwise to fall for it, sat in his car and phoned recovery while the robbers implored him to get out and take a loook.
I wonder how common this is in other countries as I've only ever heard of it being common in Spain.
Worse thing is it sounds a lot like one of those unwanted urban myth chain letters but I can assure anyone reading this that it isn't.
R
06 October 2007, 12:25 PM
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Thanks fo the heads up, always good to have a wake up call as you do get relaxed especially when you are a way on your holidays!
I was too relaxed in Jakarta a couple of years back and about 8 people attempted to mug me I was more shocked then scared as I just couldnt believe what was happening. Lots of shouting from me and an angry face just about managed to get me out of it (and by luck thank god i didnt lose anything!) probably shouldnt of been walking through the slum area anyway!
I am heading down to spain at christmas, do the gypsys still try and get you to pay for parking near the beach when it has signs up in spanish saying "Free Parking"?
I was too relaxed in Jakarta a couple of years back and about 8 people attempted to mug me I was more shocked then scared as I just couldnt believe what was happening. Lots of shouting from me and an angry face just about managed to get me out of it (and by luck thank god i didnt lose anything!) probably shouldnt of been walking through the slum area anyway!
I am heading down to spain at christmas, do the gypsys still try and get you to pay for parking near the beach when it has signs up in spanish saying "Free Parking"?
06 October 2007, 01:10 PM
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Common scheme targetting tourists, however it's usually to steal something from the car, not the car itself. A Scoob on UK plates would be a dead easy spot for the Traffico, and there is enough of them around to be able to round it up pretty quickly.
You staying in the car is what saved you being robbed I'm sure, if you'd got straight out and you and your wife were looking at the car (what usually happens I suppose) then they would have had her handback etc away from the car without you knowing a thing!
You staying in the car is what saved you being robbed I'm sure, if you'd got straight out and you and your wife were looking at the car (what usually happens I suppose) then they would have had her handback etc away from the car without you knowing a thing!
06 October 2007, 04:50 PM
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We've driven down a few times and to be honest was blissfully unaware of these things.
Plus, few times we have gone past that way in the dead of night and I guess even car jackers have to sleep too.
I don't know of any local scams, my place is in Torrievieja, which is not a bad part of Spain and luckily close to the beach, so no car parking scams there!
We had suffered a mini Romanian crimewave, which was mainly burglary by organised gangs, but fingers crossed, we have been ok so far. Couple of our neighbours, mainly Brits, but including other Northern Europeans, have been burgled.
Might be a while before we drive down again however.
Asif
Plus, few times we have gone past that way in the dead of night and I guess even car jackers have to sleep too.
I don't know of any local scams, my place is in Torrievieja, which is not a bad part of Spain and luckily close to the beach, so no car parking scams there!
We had suffered a mini Romanian crimewave, which was mainly burglary by organised gangs, but fingers crossed, we have been ok so far. Couple of our neighbours, mainly Brits, but including other Northern Europeans, have been burgled.
Might be a while before we drive down again however.
Asif
06 October 2007, 04:56 PM
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Yes. There was a case earlier this year of a bloke taking money to allow people to park in one of the river beds instead of the multi-storey across the road because they were too lazy. Unfortunately, most of them got caught up in flash flooding which I thought was amusing given that the bloke supposedly minding their cars was nowhere to be found.
06 October 2007, 09:38 PM
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Drove down to the Costa Blanca in the Scoob the other week with my Missus.
Going past Barcelona about 6am Saturday morning and I was having a kip (Missus was driving that shift)
I noticed a Silver Audi A8 4.2 going past. I was dozing, saw it with one eye and thought to myself, "Sweet Motor".
Couple of minutes later, saw another one (or so I thought, but it was the same one). This time I thought, "These Spanish have got plenty of big, tasty motors."
Then, a minute or two later, there was a huge loud bang, which jolted me upright! I immediately thought that the engine had blown up or something and if we stay on the motorway, the car will come to a stop and we will be dead very quickly.
All of a sudden a Silver A8 came past with the passenger waving for us to stop, as there appeared to be something wrong with the car.
Missus was not happy to but I insisted that we get off the carriageway immediately and pull over, right behind where the Audi parked, on the hard shoulder.
She reluctantly did so, the Audi passenger came running over, I told her to get out and have a look, as I was struggling to get out being on the wrong side of the car and dangerously close to the speeding past traffic.
Bear in mind I was just relieved to get off the carriageway, still a bit sleepy, thankful I had European breakdown cover, and was wondering how bad the engine damage was.
Also, I had been under a blanket while sleeping and had nowhere to put it, as the back seat was full. At this particular time, my vanity kicked in and I felt that I would look a bit stupid standing by the side of the road carrying a blanket, so took a few more seconds trying to think of what to do, before finally squashing it into the back seats!
The guy had looked totally inoffensive, (middle aged, slightly rotund, cap and glasses) put it this way I did not feel in the slightest bit threatened. He ran up to the drivers side of my car, saw me and gestured for me to come out and look too and seemed to want to show my Missus the rear drivers side tyre.
He was nudging her to move backwards and saying in Spanish to look, she is asking where, in Spanish, but no answer.
By this time I finally manage to struggle out of the passenger side, make my way round the back and am looking underneath the car. Missus is unhappy and trying to tell me that there is something wrong, I am not listening and summon her over to the back of the car to take a look also, asking if she can see anything.
She comes over and we are both looking. After a few seconds I look up to speak to the Spanish guy and he has run off, at least 30 or 40 yards away. I ask the Wife, "What's he doing?"
I am looking very puzzled and wave to the guy to come back. He is running like he is being chased by a Werewolf! The Audi is moving now and he has to dive into it as it moves off at high speed. The Missus says, "I think they were going to steal the car."
I tell her not to be ridiculous and carry on inspecting the car.
"I can't really see anything, why did they drive off like that?" I ask her after another minute.
"I tell you they were going to steal the car!".
"No they weren't, why did they run off?"
"I don't know"
"What was that loud noise then?"
"Perhaps they threw something at the car?"
So we look around the car and on the passenger rear quarter panel there is a large area which has been struck and dented and scratched slightly.
Turns out they had probably used a catapault to strike the car to make the noise to get us to pull over.
Anyway, it was all over as quickly as it began and I still cannot fathom why they didn't take the car, as we feel certain that they had us exactly where they wanted us, at least for a couple of seconds. Appreciate however that memory was hazy and it was just so quick.
Now, perhaps I had not got out of the car quickly enough, he felt unsettled by my Missus asking him questions and sounding suspicious, or he thought my car was too crap I don't know?
Personally, I think it was because he realised he wasn't bad boy enough to drive my car. My Missus reckons it was because he saw, only after she got out, that she is heavily pregnant and had an attack of conscience.
What do you thnk?
We reported it to a local Police station, who seemed to be very familiar with the MO and even asked me if it was an Audi A6, BEFORE i said anyting about the car! I said it was an A8, we recorded it, I pointed out some fella in their photo id book thing, as resembling our man and that was it. We carried on our way and had a great holiday.
We were also, I feel, very lucky, as we were so close to being left on the hard shoulder, middle of nowhere, no car, phones, wallets, passports, nothing whatsoever! Too scary to think about. Bit concerning too was that I was totally clueless as to what was really going on! Had it be me on my own the car would have simply gone!
Don't know how many of you drive past that way, but found out since it is notorious for that sort of thing, so thought you should know.
Asif
Going past Barcelona about 6am Saturday morning and I was having a kip (Missus was driving that shift)
I noticed a Silver Audi A8 4.2 going past. I was dozing, saw it with one eye and thought to myself, "Sweet Motor".
Couple of minutes later, saw another one (or so I thought, but it was the same one). This time I thought, "These Spanish have got plenty of big, tasty motors."
Then, a minute or two later, there was a huge loud bang, which jolted me upright! I immediately thought that the engine had blown up or something and if we stay on the motorway, the car will come to a stop and we will be dead very quickly.
All of a sudden a Silver A8 came past with the passenger waving for us to stop, as there appeared to be something wrong with the car.
Missus was not happy to but I insisted that we get off the carriageway immediately and pull over, right behind where the Audi parked, on the hard shoulder.
She reluctantly did so, the Audi passenger came running over, I told her to get out and have a look, as I was struggling to get out being on the wrong side of the car and dangerously close to the speeding past traffic.
Bear in mind I was just relieved to get off the carriageway, still a bit sleepy, thankful I had European breakdown cover, and was wondering how bad the engine damage was.
Also, I had been under a blanket while sleeping and had nowhere to put it, as the back seat was full. At this particular time, my vanity kicked in and I felt that I would look a bit stupid standing by the side of the road carrying a blanket, so took a few more seconds trying to think of what to do, before finally squashing it into the back seats!
The guy had looked totally inoffensive, (middle aged, slightly rotund, cap and glasses) put it this way I did not feel in the slightest bit threatened. He ran up to the drivers side of my car, saw me and gestured for me to come out and look too and seemed to want to show my Missus the rear drivers side tyre.
He was nudging her to move backwards and saying in Spanish to look, she is asking where, in Spanish, but no answer.
By this time I finally manage to struggle out of the passenger side, make my way round the back and am looking underneath the car. Missus is unhappy and trying to tell me that there is something wrong, I am not listening and summon her over to the back of the car to take a look also, asking if she can see anything.
She comes over and we are both looking. After a few seconds I look up to speak to the Spanish guy and he has run off, at least 30 or 40 yards away. I ask the Wife, "What's he doing?"
I am looking very puzzled and wave to the guy to come back. He is running like he is being chased by a Werewolf! The Audi is moving now and he has to dive into it as it moves off at high speed. The Missus says, "I think they were going to steal the car."
I tell her not to be ridiculous and carry on inspecting the car.
"I can't really see anything, why did they drive off like that?" I ask her after another minute.
"I tell you they were going to steal the car!".
"No they weren't, why did they run off?"
"I don't know"
"What was that loud noise then?"
"Perhaps they threw something at the car?"
So we look around the car and on the passenger rear quarter panel there is a large area which has been struck and dented and scratched slightly.
Turns out they had probably used a catapault to strike the car to make the noise to get us to pull over.
Anyway, it was all over as quickly as it began and I still cannot fathom why they didn't take the car, as we feel certain that they had us exactly where they wanted us, at least for a couple of seconds. Appreciate however that memory was hazy and it was just so quick.
Now, perhaps I had not got out of the car quickly enough, he felt unsettled by my Missus asking him questions and sounding suspicious, or he thought my car was too crap I don't know?
Personally, I think it was because he realised he wasn't bad boy enough to drive my car. My Missus reckons it was because he saw, only after she got out, that she is heavily pregnant and had an attack of conscience.
What do you thnk?
We reported it to a local Police station, who seemed to be very familiar with the MO and even asked me if it was an Audi A6, BEFORE i said anyting about the car! I said it was an A8, we recorded it, I pointed out some fella in their photo id book thing, as resembling our man and that was it. We carried on our way and had a great holiday.
We were also, I feel, very lucky, as we were so close to being left on the hard shoulder, middle of nowhere, no car, phones, wallets, passports, nothing whatsoever! Too scary to think about. Bit concerning too was that I was totally clueless as to what was really going on! Had it be me on my own the car would have simply gone!
Don't know how many of you drive past that way, but found out since it is notorious for that sort of thing, so thought you should know.
Asif
07 October 2007, 11:32 AM
#24
Scooby Regular
Paying the gypsies is no bad thing....I always do. It works like this...the parking is indeed free but they help you find a space and to manourve etc and you tip then a few cents for their help. But, by tipping in a car park, they will also look after your car... (they'll remember who has or hasn't tipped!) My local guy physically guards my car whilst I'm gone (it's a soft top and I always leave the top down), plus all his family leave you alone on other scams in the bars in the evening etc. Police seem to be quite happy with it, because apart from the odd irate British tourist refusing to tip, the car park is virtually crime free.
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