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oThe increase in burglaries has led to more people quoting examples of those who say they have been "gassed" while burglars raid their homes. Is gassing a myth or does it actually happen?. Apparently, self appointed experts say it is not possible to use a product of this type, but most of us have read accounts of people who have suffered in this way. Can someone clarify this?Has tis happened to a forum poster?
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Shiny happy people - where?
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Yes it's a myth or Yes it has happened?
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** EDITED - Inciting - Against forum rules **
This message was last edited by eos_moderators on 02/07/2013.
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Shiny happy people - where?
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I can confirm that it has happened to many of my clients (over 6 yrs at least 4 a year were victims.)
I worked as a Villa Rep for a UK tour company who rented out local villas (on the Costa del Sol.)
I would be phoned by distressed clients the day after the gasing saying they had been robbed in the night and heard nothing/had not awoken. I asked them a few basic questions - including did they have a headache...
The answer was always yes... This is one of the known side effects of gassing.
Sadly it is quite common on the costa in summer months when they target known holiday villas.
Not very pleasant! (We could not actually put a warning about it in the co literature/villa book - all I could do was to warn, warn and warn again to lock all doors/rejas at night and to take precautions to foil theives entering.) But sadly many ignored the warnings.
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I can only speak from my experience; in 15 years as a volunteer interpreter with the National Police, a lot of that time, recruiting, coordinating and supporting, volunteers working at a total of five police station on the CDS, I have never been aware of one proven case of gassing. I have though heard lots of unsubstantiated 'stories’
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This sounds very upsetting and disturbing. It must be alwful to wake upand find out that you have had all your possessions stolen and someone else has been in your flat whilst you sleep BUT please be very careful with the advice that has just been given.
Imagine the situation where you have locked all your doors and reijas at night and gone to sleep. There is a fire in the appartment next to you - smoke streaming in - you go to get the screaming kids out of their bedroom - you struggle to unlock the door then you get to the reija - where is the key? With all the smoke can you find it? If you find it are the metal reijas to hot to insert the key into? Has the lock melted? Just imagine yourselves in a smoke filled room with locked metal doors as your only way out, the kids screaming in horror and you all just waiting to die
This scenario is awful please please be very careful a burglarly is bad but you are still alive at the end - a fire like this with all your security procedures in place could be final. No spouse, no children no life.
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These "gassers" ought to give up being burglars and instead make a fortune doing consultancy work for anaesthetists worldwide, as there are currently none extant with the know-how to mass-anaesthetise groups of indeterminate numbers of people of different weights, ages, allergies, medical histories, etc including pets of various specie & size (small animals & birds have minimal tolerance to toxins, which is why they used to put canaries down mines).......in different sized "gas chambers" varying from single rooms, small & large apartments, large villas, etc without a single recorded fatality......or leaving behind any evidence of their activity.
"I wuz robbed and didn't even wake up!"
"Have yer got a headache?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it I think I do."
"Ah, right mate, you've been gassed."
Case closed.
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Nigella as you say, “BUT please be very careful with the advice”
What you said is alarmist.
The advise was “….and warn again to lock all doors/rejas at night and to take precautions to foil thieves entering.”
That was not in any way over the top, lock the doors and windows as one would wherever they were. But as Susan said, many people leave them unlocked. For example, many people pull a door closed without actually turning the key. That means it is relatively easy slip the night latch with a piece of plastic (I have done in many times when executing search warrants, so that we could enter premises without those present being aware, and thus not giving them time to flush drugs down the toilet. I have also opened doors, not double locked, for locked out neighbours too).
As for fear of fire: Every dwelling should be fitted with smoke alarm(s) which are regularly tested. Smoke kills almost all those who die in dwelling fires. They just don’t wake up. I also suspect that if ‘gas’ were used then that might also set off smoke alarms, (but see what GuyT has added since I started typing this)
Locks melting, What an imagination. Brass melts at around 900ºC, steel much higher, dwelling fires would be no higher that about 500ºC. Metal rejas getting too hot, one would be dead long before that.
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Metal expands and contracts with change of temperature - in a house fire it is very likely that a key would not fiot a lock.
Yes my comments are alarmist, and yes you (hopefully) would not be in such a situation but you have to weigh up safety procedures for burglarly against fire. Having recently had a fire review of my business premises done by our local fire brigade I now can see potential problems that I would not have seen before. Basically with 2 locked barriers you are taking risks that in my opinion far outweigh the risks of burglarly. Remember a fire in a block of apartments could be something which is totally unrelated to you.
You may feel my remarks are over the top but fires are killers - if you don't agree ask your local fire brigade. It is better to be safe than sorry. Before you go and lock up everything and night thinking thats it no one can get in please consider if there is a fire how can you get out. You need to weigh the two things up.
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You may feel my remarks are over the top but fires are killers - if you don't agree ask your local fire brigade.
Having investigated a number of fires with scientific staff from the police laboratory and Fire Brigade I of course agree fires are killers, but smoke alarms ensure occupants are alerted normally in sufficient time to escape. (Ours, and probably your, toaster will set off a alarm).
Not having smoke alarms as I said, results in the fact that most fatalities in dwelling fires are as a result of them not waking up. The smoke sends them into deeper sleep.
Metal expands and contracts with change of temperature - in a house fire it is very likely that a key would not fit a lock.
For a fire to have reached a temperature to have that effect, would mean those in the dwelling would almost certainly already be dead from smoke inhalation.
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Don't totally agree with you on the last part - metal bends at quite low temperatures and door locks are often very complex. In connection with smoke alarms - thats fine if they are there but if you are renting appartment and they are not what are you going to do? Also do you test all the smoke alarms? Do you check they are in the right place ? Do you check the batteries? Even if a smoke alarm goes off if the fire is outside you appartment say the one above you or below you, it may still be very difficult to get out with everything locked up. Again anyone reading this please weigh up the potential loss of life or possessions and ensure that if this nightmare did happen then you could get out. I would hate to think someone died in a fire because they made their appartment to safe against intruders.
Every appartment is slightly different and everone should look at their appartment and make their own decision what is correct - but please don't ignore the risk of fire. Don't just think there are smoke alarms so I am safe. Also remember if you wake up suddenly from a deep sleep you take a while to become fully alert - will this give you sufficient time?
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Nigela.
Just on the point of renting. When we go on holiday to the Far East. Based on my experience of victims in fires, I always take a smoke alarm,
I see no point in repeating what I have said.
Readers can make up their own minds based your experience (which you have not shown) or on mine.
So if you wish, last word to you
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I would suggest you read the following link. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/07/nyregion/locked-iron-gate-blocks-escape-as-4-die-in-house-fire-in-queens.html
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QUOTE A locked, wrought-iron security gate on the front door of the house, at 11-09 Gipson Street, apparently prevented the victims from escaping the blaze, which was reported at 5:32 A.M. They died in a fire when they couldn't find the key when they needed it.'
That does not mean that Susan’s advice that if you do not want to be a victim of burglary, make sure your property is secure, is any less important, but it goes without saying don’t lock yourself in anywhere unless you have the key to get out.
But this is continuing to be way off thread, Gassing !
This message was last edited by johnzx on 04/07/2013.
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