# A cautionary tale?



## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Having read of the attacks on motorhomers when parked for the night or even when travelling we had an experience on our recent visit to France which I will share with you.

It was our first day out from Calais and we were about 15 miles south of Orleans on the N20 making for our overnight stop on the aire at Nouan le Fuzelier.
We came across a sign informing us of a diversion due to roadworks in 13 km. A quick reference to our map and we worked out that the distance to Nouan le Fuzelier was more than 13 km and therefore the other side of the roadworks.

Taking the diversion southwest off the N20 we were taken to Chaumont-sur-Tharonne where we turned south for a while before turning east for Nouan le Fuzelier.

On this last leg which was on a quite narrow country road we became aware of a white Boxer type van following us. After following for a couple of miles he finally came past and MOH noticed the van's passenger gesticulating and seemingly pointing down at the rear of our van. The driver then came to a stop in front of us and the passenger jumped out.
The young man strode towards us and I opened my door (I was driving) when the driver of the van also jumped out of the van and came towards us.

They both came to a stop in front of us waved their arms about and pointed back towards the rear of out motorhome. I had by this time remembered the warnings I had read and quickly closed and locked my door.

They both stood there for a couple of minutes obviously exasperated that we wouldn't talk to them while we stared back and waved them away.
They finally looked at each other, went back to their van and drove slowly away while we followed even more slowly to let them draw a little away from us.

They were never out of sight until after about five more miles we came to the level crossing at Nouan le Fuzelier where we had to stop as there was a train due to cross. They were through the crossing before it closed.

While we waited we saw a small white van draw up behind us and after a minute or so the elderly driver got out and came up to the front of us AND POINTED TO THE REAR OF OUR MOTORHOME!

I got out and accompanied him to look at the passenger side rear wheel tyre WHICH WAS FLAT.

Obviously that was what the two young men had been trying to tell us and we had ignored their help because of the warnings about 'robbers' which we had taken to heart.

I had driven for at least five miles with a flat rear tyre and I had no idea that there was anything wrong so I gritted my teeth and drove the 500m to the aire.
As I'm now incapable of changing a wheel we then contacted Comfort who gave us the telephone number of the French recovery service and we had the tyre changed about an hour and a half later.

What would you have done given those circumstances?


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## 106573 (Aug 20, 2007)

You did the right thing................better Safe than SORRY..........You never know who's about these days?????


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Best thing to do Iwould have done the same

Dave P


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

You did the right thing, you cant take the risk, they could have been trying it on so you are safe thats all that matters.
You should have got your camera out and taken a photo of them and see if they scarper then.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

That could have been a bit risky Mavis considering the reality of what they were trying to do

Dave P


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> That could have been a bit risky Mavis considering the reality of what they were trying to do
> 
> Dave P


I wonder what they were saying to one another??

Ah ces maudits Anglais Vous ridicule stupide - stupide, vous l'homme?

I would love to know autostratus.


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## tubbytuba (Mar 21, 2007)

But - come on - only a woman driver would drive for so long with a flat without realising it! :lol:


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## bob44 (Mar 9, 2006)

Hi autostratus,

As you had not posted for a month we wondered if you were OK.

You surely did the correct thing - Pity there is no way of contacting your 'advisors' to explain your caution under the circumstances.

Maggie 'collected' a rear wheel MH puncture recently at 45mph - her symptoms were 'a juddering', and she stopped on a soft verge dual carriageway N of Oxford.

After our mobile phone conflab she crawled I/2 Mile to the next laybye where I was anxiously waiting ahead,
(BTW - we had a lot of fun in laybyes long ago, but I digress, thats another story).

Within the hour we were away, courtesy of the AA, but no-one passing Maggie had bothered to point out HER puncture.

Cest la vie


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

autostratus said:


> What would you have done given those circumstances?


Exactly the same Gillian, as would many of us, so you are in good company. :wink:

Jock.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Tyre*

Your Motorhome only has four wheels!

You said "I got out and accompanied him to look at the passenger side rear wheel tyre WHICH WAS FLAT"

How did you not realise this?

Trev.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

autostratus said:


> What would you have done given those circumstances?


I would have wound down the window, and asked what the problem was.

However, I think you did the right thing, Gillian, and I would have done the wrong thing, bearing in mind the warnings we see on here and elsewhere.

Gerald


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

I would have done the same thing but probably drove faster to stay in front if I could.

About 14 years ago coming back from friends near Chelmsford, we normally took a short cut across Dunstable downs over a hill where there is a large business college which I have forgotten the name.

It was after midnight and at the time we had a top spac Senator which was like greased lightening and probably overall the best car we have had. 

As we passed the road going up to the college there was a man who looked drunk peeing in a bush and a man in the middle of the road waving us down. I slowed down as there was no room to do anything else other than run over him and just as he came up to the window I floored the accellerator and we shot off. I could just see the man by the bush running back on to the road.

Before we really had time to say anything and charging down the other side of the hill, three cars came out of the undergrowth and blocked the road. Now I was really worried so I shouted out to the missus, "Hang on. I'm going for it and floored the car once again hoping to get through on a patch of grass on one side but hardly big enough to get through without damage.

As luck would have it when they saw this thing hurtling down at them they decided that dying for their cause was not necessary and two fo the three cars pulled off the road.

We did not have mobiles then but when we got home I phoned up the police and the next day they phoned me back with an apology saying that the weeing man and his mate and the cars was a police trap for reasons they could not say but he said as we shot past they realised we were not who they were after. The apology was because they had not used wander lights which they must do by law in those circumstances.

I can say for sure that anything at all like this happening and if there is an option to flee I will flee and worry about the consequences at a later date.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Tyre*



teemyob said:


> .......You said "I got out and accompanied him to look at the passenger side rear wheel tyre WHICH WAS FLAT"
> 
> How did you not realise this?
> 
> Trev.


I can't tell you why I didn't realise it was flat.
I drove to the aire after being shown it and although I was consciously 'feeling' for it I got no sensation of anything wrong.

The vehicle must have been well packed and balanced.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Tyre*



autostratus said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > .......You said "I got out and accompanied him to look at the passenger side rear wheel tyre WHICH WAS FLAT"
> ...


So what you mean is the tyre was LOW as opposed to on its rim?.

Trev


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

tubbytuba said:


> But - come on - only a woman driver would drive for so long with a flat without realising it! :lol:


I wondered if someone would be so bold (?) as to suggest that.
I won't bother going into my driving experience but will just say it's extensive and varied. I was an HGV3 license holder from the early 60's until I retired from the NHS in 1989.


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## chasper (Apr 20, 2008)

It was only flat on the bottom! :lol:


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