The most dangerous place...
Won't you be afraid to stop in dangerous places?
Let's just say that with a few tricks and some research in the area, one can avoid running into some inconvenient places. The basis of everything is clearly common sense, to which the traveler always refers. Let's call it a "traveler's sixth sense," which, based on his experience, allows him to guess and consequently decide whether to stop or not. The question about fear is quite general, in fact, depending on the country and the place he is in at the time, the answers may change. Now, there are travelers and travelers, those who meticulously research, ask locals, go on the Internet and as a last test ask the police whether or not it is a safe place. On the other hand, there are those who rely on chance and decide to take certain risks without much questioning. As mentioned, there are places where a few questions would not hurt, and others where one even has the feeling of being at home. This is a totally subjective issue and in no way will it be possible to outline a kind of "Vademecum" of fear. Lucky or unlucky is certainly an important factor, but without relying too much on chance it will be good to evaluate the situation and eventually make a decision. There are, however, some tricks that a traveler knows well and learns along the way, one of which is definitely deciding in time where to stop. It often happens that you overrun by a few hours and realize that your available daylight hours have come to an end. In the anxiety of not being able to find a place for the night, haste induces us to stop at the first place that comes along. Since it is now dark, one really has no idea where one has happened to be, and without being able to take a look around we park and good night! This is clearly one of those situations where we would gladly ask for a hand to luck, hoping that everything will go well....
Aren't you afraid of being robbed?
We often tend to think of pickpockets as somewhat shady-looking men, but in fact in most cases they are distinguished and reliable-looking people, the classic unsuspects. This category also includes women and children between the ages of 10 and 16, who because of their younger age and considering that they often walk around without papers, even if caught in the act, cannot be arrested. Also stay away from small groups since pickpockets never act alone: a couple of people distract the victim, who unaware of anything, is meanwhile robbed by a third person, who then passes the goods to another gang member. Being robbed while traveling can prove to be the biggest hassle of your life. But, the traveler knows that necessity sharpens the wits and in this regard there are some "tricks" we can rely on. The first and classic trick is to carry with you....It is worth noting that these "tricks" have as their main purpose the creation of a diversion, in fact, at the delivery of the objects it is good to get as far away as possible and disappear from the place. It is important to remember that on these occasions it is advisable not to be a hero and under no circumstances to trigger a violent reaction. Let us remember to comply with the requests that are made of us and you will see that in a few seconds everything will end for the best...
Aren't you afraid that your truck will be stolen?
Honestly, no! Stealing a heavy vehicle is not the same as stealing a car, and between you and me, among travelers who own these types of vehicles, there are "mechanical tricks" to make theft virtually impossible. This I MIGHT explain another time!
So you are not afraid of anything?
Of course I do! But contrary to what you might think, my fear lies not in the journey itself, but rather in the moments when we will have no control over our vehicle. Let me explain:
During some phases of the trip it will be mandatory to ship the truck from one side of the ocean to the other, during these shipping phases unfortunately, due to the known worldwide pandemic it is no longer allowed to travel aboard Cargo ships. In fact, until a few years ago, this procedure was allowed without any particular inconvenience. For those who were fortunate enough to be able to do so, such an experience proved to be a journey within a journey. The Dakar / Montevideo crossing for example, lasts approximately three to four weeks. During these weeks of sailing you have the opportunity to meet other travelers, you are in contact with the crew who can tell you their sea stories, and last but not least, in the hold of the ship you can visit your vehicle from time to time. It is clearly not a cruise and not a full-fledged vacation, since there are no cinemas, bars, game rooms or swimming pools on board. But, I think the atmosphere on board is something unforgettable and leaves an important mark on the traveler. A transoceanic crossing is an experience all its own, and if we add the fact that once you dock the ship you will not enter a hotel but rather you will drive across the Americas, it will certainly be a story to be told. To this day, unfortunately, it is still not possible to relive this, in fact, the actual expedition only takes place for the vehicle, forcing travelers to take a plane and fly to their destination. Shipping requires some organization with its attendant bureaucracy in tow. Now, it is possible that once you book the ship you will have to do the customs paperwork in advance, so once the vehicle is inspected and consequently cleared through customs, there may be the possibility that your vehicle will remain in port while waiting for the ship to arrive. This wait can safely extend for several days, and since the vehicle has already cleared customs and is inside the port area, you will no longer have the right of 'access to the entire area. From testimony of travelers, I have ascertained that on some occasions, despite the adhesive seals placed on the vehicle, thefts of materials have been found within them. Whether the thefts occurred in the port area or on the ship during navigation, no one knows, the fact remains that shipping the vehicle still turns out to be the riskiest part of the entire trip. This is my fear! Not everyone has experienced theft and not everyone is equally unlucky, but the time your vehicle will be "alone" and unsupervised is definitely a lot. This time can clearly be reduced if you are fortunate enough to be able to arrange it in such a way that the vehicle does not stay for too long outside the ship, but as we all know, plans do not always work out, and in any case, in the weeks of sailing the vehicle will still be at the mercy of its fate...
In conclusion, I sincerely hope that the relevant shipping companies and shippers will restore the pre-pandemic rules in the coming years, thus taking one less worry away from the traveler...
In addition to the nightmare of theft, one will have to deal with the possibility that the ship may experience problems...
We might laugh but...
The cargo ship Felicity Ace carrying a cargo of nearly 4,000 Volkswagen Group cars (including 1,100 Porsches) sank on March 1, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Atlantic waters 407 km off the coast of the Azores archipelago.
This was made known by MOL Ship Management, which speaks of rough seas and high waves that caused the ship to tilt 45 degrees on its port side and caused the freighter to sink, severely damaged by flames and adrift for days
.The fire before the shipwreck
Since the morning of Feb. 16, the freighter with a cargo of cars had been abandoned, on fire and adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the island of Faial in the Azores archipelago. The freighter was nearly 200 meters long, more than 32 meters wide and could carry 5,232 cars. It had 3,965 Volkswagen Group cars on board including 1,100 Porsches, 189 Bentleys, as well as an unknown number of Audis and Lamborghinis.
The ara ship departed from the German port of Emden on Feb. 10 and was headed to the United States for the unloading of vehicles on the docks in Davisville, Rhode Island, scheduled for Feb. 23.
The 22-man crew were rescued and evacuated thanks to the intervention of the Portuguese navy and several other freighters and a tanker that came to the rescue. The cargo-ferry, named Felicity Ace, had been built in Japan. Also on the maxi-ferry were an unknown number of Volkswagen vehicles, including Golf GTI, Golf R and ID.4
Knowing all this and drawing the sums, it becomes clear that the fears concerning a journey can, depending on the individual, take on different importance. Personally, I would rather be robbed of everything than see my truck at the bottom of the ocean like the wreck of the Titanic....
Bon voyage!!