Getting gassed
 

The Italian guy I travel with in W.Africa is a truck driver from Italy. He's been all over Europe with his job for 20+yrs and for almost a year has been driving between Milan, Italy & San Sebastian in Spain.

Last Wednesday he pulled his truck over in an 'aire' just outside Montpellier (not a service station as he has to pay parking there) and as usual fell asleep in the cab.

Sometime during the night he was gassed, he doesn't know how as it was all shut up & he was secured locked in. 600 euros in cash and his credit card went (they took 50 & 9 = 59euros - probably for the peage & fuel)

We've travelled in Africa twice together, I know him well & the slightest noise will wake him up; hence his thought that he was gassed as he was woozy & still sleepy when he did wake.

I know this is a common occurrence on autoroutes in S.France & Spain in the summer especially in camper vans etc but at this time of year it's virtually unheard of ...

Anyone sleeping in their vehicles down this way - please take note!

Kira

Very valid warning this.

A French policeman told me, they are sure the criminals doing this use CO2, and it's only a matter of time before they kill someone. At the moment most people wake up late feeling sick with a splitting headache. Some people really are w:censored:rs!

I've heard that they use "easy start" an ether based aerosol for starting old diesel engines. You can get ether detectors to wake you up. Maybe they're using CO2 now instead.