Thieves

[laserblazer]

We stopped off for a bite to eat at Senhora da Rocha. Whilst we were there a Brit famile had their car smashed into and money, cards, phones etc pinched. So beware!!!!

[blue]

A British woman had a bag stolen in the Intermache a couple of weeks ago, in it was passport, driving licence, purse with Portuguese & English bank cards + cash. Thieves were Portuguese one woman acted as a diversion while the other took the bag. Can't stress enough be ever vigilante.

[Michael Crane]

Having once had my hire car broken into and my backpack and £1000 worth of goods taken (little things really do add up), I decided last Christmas to leave the car unlocked and with absolutely nothing whatsoever in it!

It worked a treat. Nothing was stolen from it - 'cos it was empty! But, more importantly, it wasn't broken into - 'cos it was unlocked!

Someone did get into it a Guia . . . . but I didn't care.

[hoppies]

What a good idea. We had our hire car broken into this year at Ferragudo. I posted details on here when we got back. Not only did we lose a few important items but it cost us quite a bit for the lock to be repaired. Think next time we are there we will take a leaf out of your book and leave the vehicle empty and unlocked. Trouble is, doesn't that invalidate your insurance if it is stolen?

[maddi]

We once left the passenger door unlocked by accident in a hospital car park (it was a long time ago and central locking did not exist!) and the idiot thieves who broke into our car - jemmied the drivers door!!!!

[bifas 1st darling!]

A British woman had a bag stolen in the Intermache a couple of weeks ago, in it was passport, driving licence, purse with Portuguese & English bank cards + cash. Thieves were Portuguese one woman acted as a diversion while the other took the bag. Can't stress enough be ever vigilante.

I think you'll find it was Lagos not Lagoa

[blue]

O contraire! It was very definitely, positively the Intermarche in Carvoeiro. I know the unfortunate person very well.
It is obviously not an isolated or original incident & will have happened, I'm sure, in supermarkets up & down the Algarve.

[laserblazer]

Probably find it was both Last night there were a group of noisy kids in the square at 2:30am. Woke me up and I spent the rest of the night worried about the car. We had an early morning flight and we would have been scuppered if the car had been damaged.

[Cav Kid]

It always amazes me when topics like this are posted.

It always makes me wonder why people leave valuables in their cars, they know not to do it in the UK so why do it when they are on holiday.?

Also makes me wonder if every time people hear of a petty opportunist crime in their home town in the UK do they go on a local website to warn everyone?

Crime happens everywhere.

Don't make yourself a victim of opportunist crime by leaving your brain in the airport!

As in the UK or anywhere in the world

Don't leave windows and doors open in your villa or apartment.
Don't leave all your valuables on show in your vehicles!

Simple rules for a good holiday

[blue]

You obviously have a very low amazement threshold.

[Cav Kid]

You obviously have a very low amazement threshold.

[maddi]

Hi Cav Kid

I, too, live in a holiday area and the locals here have an expression which is usually used whilst shrugging shoulders, rolling your eyes and doing a lot of tutting and sighing:-

"well of course, you can't die on holiday".

It is probably true to say that after the stresses and pressures of every day life, we switch off a bit on holiday and whilst we know, intellectually, that we shouldn't, it is probably true to say that many of us do.

For a start many of us drink alcohol every day on holiday - whilst it is probably weekends only at home. We walk around in the barest minimum of clothes - whilst at home we wouldn't dream of letting anyone see us like that. Many of us assume that somewhere is pedestrianised as at home it would be. And of course we 'believe' the tourist spin that the area is virtually crime free, everyone loves children, you can walk the streets safely at night, etc, etc.

From April to October here the hospitals and the cells are full of people who don't live here, and I doubt it is much different in many holiday destinations.

[Michael Crane]

..... Trouble is, doesn't that invalidate your insurance if it is stolen?

Of course not. If the car is ever stolen then I left it locked and I have no idea how they broke in!

[White Rabbit 2]

I think it was reported a little while ago that pairs were working the carparks , on would say your tyre flat and offer to help repair , while the other snatched bags.
Ladies if when driving you put the handle of your bag over gear stick it makes it more difficult for thief to lean in and snatch at tfaffic lights or put behind or under seat. Also remember when at check out to hold onto cards and not put on side by cashier while packing bags ( english visiting police officer had his credit card taken this way ). I am always amazed even still at the amount of ladies who walk around with there handbags undone and purses on display , zip em up , put them under your arm.
( sorry will get down now !! )

[Misty]

There are always theives about, no matter where you are. We should just be thankful that the only major crime in the Algarve is theft, and that's non-violent theft.
As always, people on holiday think they are invincible, or similar. Its not just that they think they won't have a crime committed against them, the British also think they can drive LHD cars whilst on holiday (!) (and my apologies to those who can actually drive their LHD hire cars!)
I think the basic rule should be - when on holiday, don't leave your common sense at home.