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Rotten barstewards


Val_2

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Pulled up into Super U yesterday next to a UK registered TVR Tuscan. What a beautiful car and drawing lots of admiring glances from everyone. Anyway got talking to the owners who arrived with their shopping and they were very upset as in Brest centre the evening before they had to leave it in an open parking area and thieves had taken all four dust covers to the tyre valves which cost about £10 each to replace. That aside, they were amazed at how petty jealousy creates such attacks against a beautiful piece of engineering that is a very rare sight on the roads of rural Brittany.They had made sure all their future hotel stops had secured under cover parking involved as they were worried attacks might be worse. The chap was just an ordinary bloke who had saved hard and got his dream car,even his girlfriend said he tucks it up with a kiss every night and to bring it to a foreign country which is not a third world land and have it vandalised is beyond belief as the caps are no good for any other car. Dosn't it make you sick?
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Hi Val,

I would not be too hasty in blaming this on rotten jealousy.

When I was around 10 years of age, by brother (one year younger) was acting rather sheepishly one evening.  Then the dreaded knock came on the door.  Two policemen entered our house who were following a complaint that my brother, a car fanatic had been caught unscrewing the badge of a beautiful jaguar.  He had of course given his full name and address when caught by the owner.

When the police left, he had the biggest walloping of his life from my father and has never been in trouble since.  Unfortunately, young lads find it difficult to keep their hands in their pockets.

 

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Nicking the dustcaps doesn't sound like wanton vandalism - more like opportunistic theft.  But upsetting for the owner, nevertheless. [:(]

An example of envy and vandalism would have been a keying - even more upsetting and expensive. [:@]

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Not just France .........My son took in its first week out on the road  his Audi A6 Estate to Spain ...went onto the beach after parking up near some flats only to return and  find a  tyre with a slit in the side wall.....A group of lads Spannish  were pointing and laughing from the balcony of the Flats as he changed the wheel ...... it happens everywhere ..its the "You have got somthing better than me ..so I will bugger it up for you attitude of so many these days " 

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£40 for a set of (no doubt special) dust caps[blink]

I hope that he didnt throw away the original ones!

Seriously as the past and present owner of several specials this kind of thing goes with the territory, I understand his desire to park his baby safely wherever possible and remember well the feelings of apprehension when having to leave mine in some places I rather would not have. 

I hope he didnt let such a minor (in the scheme of things, it could have been vandalised, wheels stolen or worse) spoil his holiday.

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From his perspective, it's "a beautiful piece of engineering that is a very rare sight on the roads of rural Brittany".

From the the other party's perspective, it's a poncy car being driven around by some rich tosser who's got more than me, so it's fair game......

That's the way it goes, I'm afraid.

 

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To be honest, I cannot understand why they didn't go for secure parking in the first instance [8-)].

We always did when we were driving the Caterham in France of the UK.

I'm not saying they asked for it, but if their car was so precious to them, why didn't they ensure it wouldn't get damaged or stolen?
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We get a lot of Brit tourists here at Apremont (Vendée). The other day I counted 30 (yes, thirty) nasty, great overbearing 4x4's next to each other. Frankly I think such ostentatious displays of affluence at vulgar and provocative. I put bent nails under the rear offside tyres of the whole lot. And one I really upset by asking him how his big Tata car was.

Years ago, back in the early '60's the flash people of Europe were the Germans who had money and big Mercedes to prove it. Frith how we used to hate them as the Brits managed on a £25 allowance and a nasty dose of Socialism and Unionism. Overtaxed and over regulated, we really felt it as the bastards put their towels on our chairs and feasted to the refrain of Deutschland Uber Alles, as we shivered in the back room to the one star hotels in the cheap end of Lloret del Mar.

I quite like the Germans now compared to the Brits.

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[quote user="Clair"]To be honest, I cannot understand why they didn't go for secure parking in the first instance [8-)].
We always did when we were driving the Caterham in France of the UK.
I'm not saying they asked for it, but if their car was so precious to them, why didn't they ensure it wouldn't get damaged or stolen?[/quote]

There used to be a South African system for electrifying parked cars. Could be an idea that has come again.

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

From his perspective, it's "a beautiful piece of engineering that is a very rare sight on the roads of rural Brittany".

From the the other party's perspective, it's a poncy car being driven around by some rich tosser who's got more than me, so it's fair game......

That's the way it goes, I'm afraid.

[/quote]

Sunday Driver, I see you now in a new (and for me improved) light.

But after your recent near death experience I guess it is not surprising.

If I have to wait another 3 years to laugh at your next unexpected posting it will be worth the wait [:)]

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Bugbear, you beat me to it.

Is envy acceptable to the point where anyone who has money shouldn't spend it on anything that shows ?

I saw a truly beautiful car at the weekend. A red 1948 Jaguar S XK140. It did occur to me that it might be worth a lot, but I didn't envy the owner at all. If I'm honest though I do envy people who can afford really high quality clothes. Maybe it's just another male/female difference ?

Hoddy

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Only if you see 'achieving' as owning a certain type of car - frankly all I need is to get from A to B.

I mean flashing it round in areas of France where wages are low and people cant afford this kind of thing. Keep it for shows or the UK or the South of Fr'ance.

Is Finistere particularly badly off ?

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[quote user="Val_2"] The chap was just an ordinary bloke who had saved hard and got his dream car,

[/quote]

Worth repeating from the OP as it sure doesn't indicate to me any reason why this should incite such derogatory comments of the owners of this type of vehicle.

Something to do with freedom of choice I think, though I'm sure there are some who would have us all driving round in Trabbants.

 

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