As an aside...

[andmcit]

I'd just like to say a big thank you to those of you who have pm'd/mailed me with help/
suggestions today regarding my migraines and suspected dietary/diabetic issues. In the last
6-12 months things on several levels have really taken a nosedive and most worryingly my
health has been the one that has had it's obvious worries! I'm not on my last legs but things
aren't totally hunky dory either not helped by external issues; as an aside to paint a picture
of one part of my current woes troubling me further, yesterday evening I discovered this:





has now been altered into this:




This is the latest in an escalatingly nasty degrading 'attacks' on my families and my Citroens.

Other 'attacks' have seen the wheel bolts loosened on the rear of a Xantia estate (which
promptly shod the wheel after a sudden vibration set up on the M4 whilst I was in the middle
lane slowing down rapidly from 80odd mph to exit at the next junction...

damn near got hit hard by my own wheel bouncing along the hard shoulder when i "landed"!

superglue in the doorlocks of every car including those on the property...

the removal of the sump plug and all traces of the oil from the sump of my Activa with the
obvious consequences on a cold engine being revved to lift the suspension which with 10 spheres
takes an eternity on an Activa whilst all the dash lights waited to go off...

I could go on but my anger is rising. Of course the Police have been called in and I am about to
install a set on infra red wireless cameras which look like they may cost another small fortune
but may now put an end to the unwelcome car problems.

I'm not after tea and sympathy, but am answering some queries made my several of you guys
to comments I've probably made along the way as I visit the forum to take my mind off my woes!!

Yesterday as well as the silver car's new footprint, I was told by the vet that my fantastic Boxer
pup (well he's 2 now but they're still puppies 'til the end!) will need a spot of keyhole surgery
costing in excess of £1000 to spare him from a permanent life shortening llimp on his shoulder.

<distant violins playing?>

And you thought you had problems!

Well, my job seems to be holding and able to support my Citroen habit and I'm now down to my
last 100 cars!!!

Haven't lost my sense of humour though!!

Andrew

[Richard]

Yep! Can go with this. Two years ago we had a Landrover Disco - traded it in for the present XM in March this year. My wife was driving about twelve miles from home, called me and said the car was unstable, she couldn't steer it etc.
Got out to her, only to find the rear nearside wheel nuts had been loosened, all except the locking nut.

Odd, Landrover wheel nuts are an odd size - 28mm I think! So whoever did it was prepared.

Called the Police, at that time the local copper lived in our village, and he said, 'there's nothing I can do.'

I told him if I ever found out who did it there would be a cross on our village green and a man nailed to it!

The copper's reply? 'Not on my watch, please, too much paper work.'

Only the week before last, my wife was returning late one night from a meeting - part of her job - called me at home and said the XM was handling badly, steering and braking was very difficult and with twelve miles to go, didn't think she'd make it. Also, the red light on the lower warning panel was up!

She got home at nearly midnight, with next to no brakes and manual steering only. She was exhausted.

Next day, I checked the car, only to find the near side low pressure return pipe to the reservoir had been hacked through.

Told the police and they said, 'we'll give you a crime number.'

My reply is unprintable!

I could go on with similar tales...

[Richard]

Andrew, what is the vet's diagnosis on your Boxer?

[Ciaran]

Very sorry to hear of your woes Andrew. Is it any wonder your health is suffering with all the stress of dealing with something like that, on top of whatever other issues.

I can only imagine how angry you must be at the sustained (and potentially life threatening) attacks on your cars. I've had trouble with kids in the street (non intentionally) damaging my cars, and their parents not giving a damn, and I was livid. I can only imagine how you feel with this level of mindless thuggery. It puts me in mind of Roddew's awful incident last year....

I hope the hidden cameras yield some results for you, I really can't think why anyone would stoop so low to carry this out in such a sustained manner, but hopefully they'll be caught. Loosening wheel nuts, draining oil, totally not on and not even mildly funny.

Ciarán

[andmcit]

Hi Richard.

Dave's almost telepathic posting elsewhere going through the merits of Homeopathy is uncanny as
this is where there appears to have been a break through. My poor Dog has had a progressively
worsening limp that was originally diagnosed by me as a badly torn nail split longitudinally into
the pad of one toe of his paw and was very nasty - this in hindsight was the visible sign of
a nasty fall/accident missed by myself on one of his walks and a side effect of a loose piece of
cartilage in the dog's right shoulder.

Having blown away in excess of 6-700odd quid over the past 8 weeks on courses of treatment
including X-rays on his whole leg and shoulder we had drawn a blank. On the suggestion of a
lister on another forum he was seen by a local animal Homeopathy Vet for the princely sum of
£14 and the muscle wastage and compensation on the other shoulder has been determined as
being due to a damaged shoulder joint. The Italian specialist Vet was so taken by the dog that
he was most insistent on getting my current vet to make a referral to a specialist to make
immediate plans for a repair operation.

I think with most things, don't "knock it" until you've tried it and seen it work/fail...

Andrew

[Richard]

Andrew, I shouldn't jump to conclusions but ... vets and doctors, well.

If homeopathy works on the dog, then go with it. It's the result you wanted. I truly hope it does work (I have three Border Collies here beside me now, so I know about loving dogs) But do post up any improvements and or results. There's things other than expensive vets out there

[andmcit]

Hi Ciarán.

My foe is clever in that they know enough mechanically to be a real nasty bastard.

The scratch/kick is always in a spot impossible to repair by simple means and the roof,
front/rear wings are always targeted. Being a bit belligerent about things I probably
goaded them on by deliberately leaving more cars parked about the place rather
than less as I'm damned if I'm going to be intimidated by them and I guess the cars have
subsequently borne the brunt of their mindless aggression.

I even "primed' a particular car as bait and watched it overnight expecting activity but
nothing came of it. I believe it's one of only two possible neighbours but as yet have not
been able to prove my feelings.

Andrew

[andmcit]

Andrew, I shouldn't jump to conclusions but ... vets and doctors, well.

If homeopathy works on the dog, then go with it. It's the result you wanted. I truly hope it
does work (I have three Border Collies here beside me now, so I know about loving dogs)
But do post up any improvements and or results. There's things other than expensive vets
out there

The Homeopathy fella has suggested alleviating the dogs discomfort by acupuncture and
exercises on the leg to keep the muscle from further wastage but the verdict for long term
benefit is removal of the loose cartilage. Harvey on a better day:



Andrew

[Richard]

Aaaaaaah! Just lovely ... what else can I say. A faithful dog is as good as most humans for trust worthiness and loyalty. My three are villains, rogues and whatever, but they see me and my wife as theirs. Never fear a break in at my house.

I've long used my older dog, a blue merle Border Collie with attitude, as a logo for the computer business and a travelling companion.

Take care of Harvey... as the hair colour ad says... he' worth it!

Is it L'Oreal, don't watch enough tele to remember.

Whatever, he's really worth it.

[Richard]

I'll find a good pic of the 'rat pack' and post it.