Should I be worried about my daughter in Spain?
Sep 22nd, 2008, 11:32 AM
#1
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Should I be worried about my daughter in Spain?
It's been a long time since the ETA reared their ugly heads and of course it would be while my daughter is studying abroad in Valencia. I get the typical "Oh Mom" when I warn her about safety. She is planning a four-day weekend to Barcelona and then Madrid within the next few weeks which makes me a little queasy. Am I overreacting? She was in Italy during the London bombing and made it home okay, but Spain has me a little more worried.
Sep 22nd, 2008, 11:41 AM
#2
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If she'll be visiting mostly tourist areas, and keeps a vigilant eye on her purse (meaning keeping it in front of her, with her arm over it, never draping it on the back of a chair, never putting it on the table at an outdoor cafe), she'll be fine. No backpacks! (We were in Madrid last month, and had no problems at all -- we stayed near the Puerta del Sol and walked EVERYWHERE. We were as alert as you should be in any big city, particularly one with a reputation for being pickpocket-friendly, and especially in crowded areas. Again, we never saw anything amiss and had zero problems ourselves).
Sep 22nd, 2008, 11:45 AM
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>> I get the typical "Oh Mom" when I warn her about safety.<<
This time, daughter is right. Don't worry. ETA is not active any more. Barcelona and Madrid are safe cities.
In terms of statistical risk, the moste dangerous part of traveling is the drive to the airport in your hometown.
This time, daughter is right. Don't worry. ETA is not active any more. Barcelona and Madrid are safe cities.
In terms of statistical risk, the moste dangerous part of traveling is the drive to the airport in your hometown.
Sep 22nd, 2008, 11:55 AM
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"ETA isn't active any more"
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ETA_attacks#2008, which lists 17 ETA terrorist attacks in 2008 alone, latest only two days ago.
But I agree, chances of tourists being involved in any of their attacks are pretty remote, though some of their latest attacks have targeted the tourist industry, such as a beach in Torremolinos and marina at Malaga.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ETA_attacks#2008, which lists 17 ETA terrorist attacks in 2008 alone, latest only two days ago.
But I agree, chances of tourists being involved in any of their attacks are pretty remote, though some of their latest attacks have targeted the tourist industry, such as a beach in Torremolinos and marina at Malaga.
Sep 22nd, 2008, 12:03 PM
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>>>I'm sorry, I guess I missed the part about ETA - and I don't know what that is, although I now suspect it's some terrorist organization? <<<
"For more than three decades the armed organisation Eta has waged a bloody campaign for independence for the seven regions in northern Spain and south-west France that Basque separatists claim as their own. Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna, Eta, whose name stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom, first emerged in the 1960s as a student resistance movement bitterly opposed to General Franco's repressive military dictatorship."
"For more than three decades the armed organisation Eta has waged a bloody campaign for independence for the seven regions in northern Spain and south-west France that Basque separatists claim as their own. Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna, Eta, whose name stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom, first emerged in the 1960s as a student resistance movement bitterly opposed to General Franco's repressive military dictatorship."
Sep 22nd, 2008, 12:05 PM
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That was from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3500728.stm And the Madrid train bombings were Al Quada´s.
Sep 22nd, 2008, 02:42 PM
#10
Hi Jayne,
<<She was in Italy during the London bombing and made it home okay,>>
LOL - I was in london during the IRA bombings but lived to tell the tale.
some poor unfortunatecop was blown up by ETA today. Presumably this did not feature on the US news.
but they are not interested in your daughter. IMO your DD will be safe as houses. spain is a big place.
regards, ann
<<She was in Italy during the London bombing and made it home okay,>>
LOL - I was in london during the IRA bombings but lived to tell the tale.
some poor unfortunatecop was blown up by ETA today. Presumably this did not feature on the US news.
but they are not interested in your daughter. IMO your DD will be safe as houses. spain is a big place.
regards, ann
Sep 22nd, 2008, 05:29 PM
#12
I think she's much more likely to be a target of pickpocketers. We warned our nephew until he thought we were nuts, but he had his backpack (passport, cell phone, a little money) stolen in the first week of his semester in Madrid.
Sep 22nd, 2008, 05:40 PM
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Hi, Here is my story and how I feel about it. We were in Madrid, on the way to the Atocha Train Station to pick up our rental car when the Train Station was bombed. Last March my 30 y/o daughter had her purse snatched in Madrid when she laid it down for a moment. Yes, I warned her over and over and got the same, "Oh Mom". She lives in NYC and was there when 9/11 happened. Of course I worry about her safety all the time. It's just something we live with, but it doesn't rule our lives. Here we are in Kansas just grateful that our little girl has the opportunity to see the world and make memories, some good, some not so much. Stuff happens. If you have raised a smart cookie, she'll be as safe as if she were at home. It's called common sense and street smarts. I still love Spain. I just know to watch my belongings when we're there.
