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[duggs]

Heck !  If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !

Take care down there...eyes open !

[Kevin Wood]

Heck !  If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !

Take care down there...eyes open !

I felt safe enough in a Corolla. The tyres were in decent condition though*.

It did have a rather flimsy accelerator pedal, which meant I kept getting into it, flooring the accelerator without realising it, turning the key, and wondering what the whirring noise was as it bounced off the rev limiter.

I guess there are probably more mechanically sympathetic ways to start an engine from cold.

Kevin

*- Before I drove it.

[pscocoa]

Heck !  If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !

Take care down there...eyes open !

Am now back from Cape Town - well about 30 miles inland - no security issues at all - not like Joburg etc.

Second time in this area in last 4 years - no problems - just the hire car.

Might tackle Kruger game parks later in year which will mean going via Joburg but have a Joburg based contact.

[pscocoa]

Forgot to mention there was another problem - at least I assume it emanated from South Africa - an attempt to access my bank account right at the end of the holiday which I did not find out about until yesterday. LloydsTSB were on to it and nothing went through the account. Someone tried to spend £2000 at Dixons whilst I was in SA.

[duggs]

My son, who's in the military, is on holiday in SA at the moment....5 months PAID leave...

He had the same problem. SA is famous for Credit Card fraud and it seems he used his card in the wrong "establishment" at some point and he card was put on stop. He had to phone SA to UK to be able to use it again.

[pscocoa]

I used mine in 2 apparently ok shops and 1 quality restaurant - card is being replaced. First time this has happened to me in 33 years of going to Africa.

First time for everything I suppose.

[Kiksomass]

OMG this fruad thing happened to my folks recently. They hired a Harley and went biking around the Cape(as you do 8-)) from a Harley dealership, but when he got back to blighty, some dodgy garage had charged about 400 quid....for car repairs in SA! I don't think the two were connected but knowing the old man, he is just so naive and probably used the card in some petrol forecourt. Sorted now though

[duggs]

Yep !  Wife is South African.  Sadly the country has gone down hill fast in terms of violence, fraud and corruption. Nothing we've sent via mail has ever got to the destination down there....Hang on !  Not quite true.  Relatives HAVE received several envelopes and parcels with all the contents missing.

She has NO interest in going home now.

[pscocoa]

Great shame as it is a fantastic country in terms of mountains, wine region, nature in general. Paarl, Franschoek, Worcester, Tulbagh areas were not a problem at all. Will definitely do other areas but take safeguards.