27 Jun 2014 4:56 PM:
26.06.2014. This morning drove down to Barcelona from France and stopped at the last service station before Barcelona , and just after the last Toll on the AP7. We stopped for a coffee break and when we went back to the car a person in a car parked next to us said that our rear right hand tyre was punctured. It seemed alright to us so we drove off after another driver a few metres away mentioned to be careful as there are car robberies taking place in this area sometimes. We drove along the ap7 towards Barcelona when a message in our car said to check the tyre pressure. We very quickly became suspicious and the same driver that unknown to us was following us suddenly overtook us and was flashing his lights and making frantic signs to pull over. We became very frightened and kept on driving and headed to the nearest exit. The car followed us. We made signs to him that we were not going to stop and made sure he saw us making a telephone call. He then drove off. Shortly after, we stopped and called for assistance. Our tyre was completely flat by this time. We discovered it had been stabbed 3 times. We also learnt that we were about to be robbed and that is how they target tourist cars. We were very lucky but were left with a lot of frustration and an expensive bill from the local Mercedes garage. We have been driving down this motorway for many years and this is the first time we have experience this situation. We tend to stop in Toll areas which are safer. Our advise is to NEVER STOP IN SERVICE AREAS OUTSIDE TOLL ROADS AND IF YOU HAVE TO, THEN REMAIN BY YOUR CAR. IF YOU DISCOVER YOU HAVE A PUNCTURE AFTER HAVING STOPPED AT A SERVICE AREA DO NOT STOP IF A CAR THAT IS FOLLOWING YOU IS SIGNING YOU TO STOP. CONTINUE UNTIL YOU GET TO A PETROL STATION OR SEE A POLICE CAR. DIAL 112 EMERGENCY SERVICES.
-- Sophie L Jun 26, 2014 5:23 PM
Thread:
Driving to Spain with my car - checklist & advice
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