THe new europe.

[DukeP]

Well. My parents just returned from a hometrip through France.

They where mugged.

Or rather, they where gassed inside their mobilhome, its electronics cracked to open the door.

THey are both allright, although their dog is in a sorry state. Gass able to take out grown humans wreck havok on a 10 kilogram dog.

The gang who did it had enough time to remove installed electronics, search all belongings and gather and fill 2 backpacks.

Notice that this is a small mobilehome -theres only 1 room in it - and they even searched the 2 drawers beneath the bed where my parents where laying unconscious.

We know when they did it, tho. My father kept a piece of paper with a fake code near his mastercard - so a machine took the card at 01:15 that night.

But quite a shock, to wake up (12 hours later) and find everything ransacked and all electronics guttered.

~~DukeP~~

[Dr Mordrid]

Door breaks, 12ga scattergun comes up.

Noises wake me, fast.

[KRSESQ]

Gas? What kind of gas?

If they were unconcious from gas, then neither of them would have been in condition to reach for a shotgun!

Welcome to the twenty-first century!

Kevin

[DukeP]

Yeah, sorry. Remember: Small room, 2 adults, 1 dog. Noone heard or smelled anything.

Just 12 hours of comatose sleep.

The credit card where used 9 hours before they awoke!

~~DukeP~~

[TransformX]

I hope they make a mistake soon and meet a crotch seeking pitbull.

[Alice]

That is seriously disturbing. I do wonder what kind of gas did they use.
The bright side of it (if there is any) is that with dangerous criminals like that, maybe your better off sleeping through the whole thing and coming out of it relatively unharmed.

I only got robbed once. Someone climbed up the window and stole my laptop. Losing the computer was not actually what made me mad, what made me sick to the stomach was those filthy footsteps on my bed.
The fact that someone invaded my private space was gut wrenching.

Where in France was that?

[DukeP]

I guess my parents where lucky to meet professionel criminals. Ones who doesnt stick you up with a gun, but deliberately goes after the least amount of notice.

If they had killed my parents, the entire EU policeforce had been after them.

Now? Its a matter for the insurance. I dont think the police has the time to get involved.

I cant help to feel that this is going to end very badly, tho. Most narcotic gasses are highly flamable, at the right mixture. And when You are dealing with flamable gasses in a confined space??

~~DukeP~~

[Evildead666]

Where were they in france ?

[DukeP]

Sorry, I dont know. Somewhere between Spain and Denmark (they where on their way home). Central france would be my guess. About on lvl but east of Paris.

~~DukeP~~

[KRSESQ]

Were they travelling in a motor home? Is it possible they simply fell victim to carbon monoxide poisoning, and some opportunists simply took advantage of the situation?

Or is this a growing problem over there?

Kevin

[gt40]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1560520/Beware-sleeping-gas-gang,-caravanners-told.html

[KRSESQ]

Wow, that's sophisticated. And effed up.

They might be using nitrous oxide. Normally nitrous doesn't fully anesthetize the subject. But using it on a sleeping subject might keep them from being awakened by noises or disturbances. Moreover, nitrous oxide is readily available from many sources.

Automotive nitrous would not be suitable because it usually has additives to make it unpleasant (at least!) to inhale.

On the other hand the effects of nitrous usually dissipate rapidly with few if any residual effects.

Kevin

[DukeP]

Most efficient gas?
I dont know. I would have used Isofluran or one of its never derivatives.

Its much less likely to explode.

Its rather expensive, tho. Unless one can get it made through a pirate lab.

You couldnt fill an entire mobile home with this gass for less than 350$. That seems a bit high, investment like.

Most cheaper alternatives have unpleasant side-effects: Combustion. To fill an enclosed space (which might have any sort of open flame you cant observe) with something that makes a great fuel-air mix from 1% and up - thats quite dicey.


~~DukeP~~

[Dr Mordrid]

....sevoflurane, desflurane and halothane. Sevoflurane and halothane don't cause as much irritation as desflurane though.

Here isoflurane is mostly used in veterinary work, at least partially due to mouse studies tying it to induced apoptosis and amaloyd beta protein aggregation. Research into these is ongoing.

[Umfriend]

Robberies (and assaults) have been occuring on French freeway restingplaces for years now. It just isn't very safe to spend the nights there in campers or caravans (or cars etc). It is well known here and any travellers guide will warn you.