Travelling scrap men

[olive]

We live deep in the campo and consequently don't get many strange vehicles around.

Twice recently we have had dodgy looking characters in battered vans cruise by very, very slowly taking in everything about your property and what might be lying about- both during afternoon siesta time.

The last time I surprised them and challenged them. Just looking out for any scrap you might have. None here sorry. Never thought to make a note of their number. A week later, talking to my Spanish neighbour his unnocupied furnished house had been comprehensively turned over. They even pulled his pump out of the well.

I have made a mental note to write down vehicle number and colour etc. in future. If I was brave enough I might even photograph it.

I suspect we will see a lot more of this stuff in the future

[Lavanda]

Agreed but take care. Revenge can be by tossing a lighted cigarette on to a very dry finca ....

[carrowcrin]

i'd be careful with the camera "probably illegal"

[barry]

Illegal or not, we did it with 'gas men' and emailed it to their 'company'.

I would do it and let them tale you to court.

[Martin Page]

So would I ....

Thi thing about it being Illegal to take photographs does not apply at all in Spain - so feel free to snap away

And so far the test cases bought in the UK of taking photographs without permission have, as far as I know, ALL failed - even the ones bought as terrorist threats.

Photography is NOT Illegal

[oliveview01]

We had a white van with men asking about scrap- we had none. Our neighbour noticed a white van a few days later going slowly along the track- he got a part numberplate- not sure if it was that night or a few nights later some folk had cable, metal etc stolen from their fenced plot. The next week they returned (the police think it was the same folk) this time they went into 5 gardens, stole what they could, lawn mowers, metal etc and broke into a house too. We try to get numberplates if we think a car/van looks suspicious. Another house, about 1km away, on an urbanisation, which are mostly weekend homes, was broken into, they even stole the lift used to carry the disabled son into the pool!

[gus-lopez]

Agreed but take care. Revenge can be by tossing a lighted cigarette on to a very dry finca ....

'Never leave alive someone you wouldn't turn your back on .'

Nothing's illegal when it comes to someone who is acting suspiciously.

[Mike.M]

Gus , never a truer word said!
Just had a meeting with the project manager of some reform work Im having done and he told me that 2 local families had stolen some railings and wheelbarrows from the site.
The soltion for the railing was to break into the house of the 'ladron' and repatriate the railings into our onsite lockup. b***** me, the mad woman that nicked them, came back on site that night, cropped the chain and took them again. The next day, the builders went en-mass to the daft bag's house, broke down the door, retrieved the goods and had very stern words - to the effect that if they evencaught her walking past the property, she would come to harm.
The wheel barrows were recovered from a guy that lives 5 doors away, after they'd driven a digger through his garage door and hit him 4 times with a crowbar.
This is not the norm here and it even surprised my Spanish Project Manager (the master of understatement), who commented that in this particular mountain village, they had a very different way of 'solving problems without involving the Guardia Civil'.
The GC were subsequently told about 'the problem' and are now doing regular drive-bys.
Most happy that I gave the work to long established locals, as they certainly know how to affect the right response that gets results.
You couldn't make this stuff up and it takes me back to my childhood village in the UK, where the local police (we had them in those days), conspired to solve any problems in 'the best way'.

Mike

[Chunky Monky]

Sounds like you've got some nice neighbours!

[Mike.M]

We've got some 'nice neighbours' in the UK as well.

It was in fact my next door neighbour here that did the 'surveillance work' to locate the stuff before the builders paid their 'visit'.

It's the same 'the world over'.

Mike

[curatokid]

There have been a lot of break ins in the Antequera area mostly attributed to these so called scrap dealers, same pattern as above where they drive around and knock at a door and survey the scene and return again at night,some houses have been burgled while the owners were in bed or watching TV, it is very unnerving for people living on their own in the campo, when I have spoken to the local police and Guardia Civil they just say that they can not be everywhere as they are short of staff, I think it is very important to denounce these people for any crime so that at least statistically the increases will be noted in the records..