Padraig

GST is being alarmist. I think it is part of a "nuke Iran (even though I'm a Democrat)" campaign.

I don't have any trip to London in my plans, but the current situation would not cause me to reconsider. It's not because I want to make a point that the terrorists are failing. It's not a matter of my being brave or foolhardy, because I am neither. It's simply that I rate the danger of being the victim of a terrorist attack so low that it's not worth worrying about.

I was in London when there were security alarms. It was a minor inconvenience, no more than that.

Baghdad is not currently on my list of preferred destinations. Come to think of it, I don't set a high priority on going to places where I might have difficulty getting a glass of wine with my dinner.

janecg

Really. 30 years ago London was being bombed. I walked through Victoria just before it was bombed. Life goes on. Watch out for that drunk driver in your "safe" neighborhood.

dncdave

I just posted that the exchange rate makes me hesitate to return to Europe.

If it were not for the economics, I would go to London tomorrow in a New York sentence, to mix cities.

I don't know if the current situation raises your normal danger from 1 in a million to 2 in a million, but it is not a huge rise in the personal danger rate.

We went to Portugal the year of the Gulf of Sidra crisis, and had a great time. After decades of chants of "Yankee stay home" a lot of them did and it was great for those of us who didn't.

Finally, on a personal note, I have been to London and England more than any other city or country. As kids say, "It's my ATF." The current situation makes me terribly upset. I want to thank the Brits for the wonderful time that I have had there for over 30 years. I am with you in admiration, sympathy, and solidarity.

I shall return.

Girlspytravel

No, Padraig, I am NOT being "alarmist"-most people (outside this website) actually DO listen to alert levels when traveling overseas, because who wants to be in the middle of a crime scene search, to have to move out of the way when there is a false alarm, and go to a place where there is every possibility that another random attack will occur?

Most people go on holiday to be care-free, and not have to think and watch and consider where it is they want to go, and weigh what method of transportation they want to use-however cavalierly you wish to dismiss it, the situation in London IS unstable, they ARE on highest alert for additional attacks and you would be quite foolish to ignore those realities.

kenderina

I booked my plane tickets last week for going to London 27-30 July. And that's what I'm going to do.

RM67

Girlspy - Your repeated anti-British posts/highly biased comments about the quality of British Intelligence are becoming somewhat troll-like in their frequency. You're entitled to your opinion but you don't need to pepper every thread on UK travel with them.

You also need to understand that there is a cultural difference between the UK and US in that we do not want to live in a fortress nation, with armed police on every corner and total erosion of all civil rights. We accept that risk cannot be completely removed from everyday life and we live with it here, rather than shut ourselves away.

hetismij

If you cancel then the terrorists have won. Their aim is to terrorise people, to stop people doing what they want to do, to take away your libery through fear. Please don't give them that.

hetismij

Gypsy I can't say that US intelligence was exactly on the ball a few years back - can you?????

dadaland

I think you should ask you and your partner how comfortable you would feel if you go. If you feel you would spend most of your time being paranoid and uncomfortable, then don't go, it would ruin the holiday, being too afraid to use public transport and not enjoying yourself.
I went to London the weekend after its 2005 bombing, I went about as usual and didn't let it ruin my stay there. It's all about the state of mind!
Something unfortunate can happen even if you stay at home. But if you ask me, I would go.
BTW I'm flying from Glasgow next week and I have no plan of cancelling it.

robjame

Girl - Your [pretended] expertise on world affairs is outed by your outlandish statements and radical solutions. They lack the Intelligence that you belie with your moniker.

Girlspytravel

Moreover, it begs the question of why it is ONLY happening here, doesn't it? It's not happening at all in Italy, or Paris or Madrid or Barcelona, Germany or even Brussels, the last which is traditionally thought to be a weak point.

It absolutely defies belief that they would be banning vehicles at airports JUST NOW, and not have reinforcements in place already at the airports. Or that they JUST NOW have gone into the highest terrorist alert. It's non-senical, just like when the G8 summit was in the UK in 2005, they didn't even raise the alert-look what happened. Sheesh!

TravMimi

They raise the alert level when they think something will happen or after something happens and they expect more. Why raise it for no reason, people will just get comfortable with it.

sunstar

According to Fox news (fair and balanced), someone from Sky news there reported that the British Government has estimated that there are about 2,000 persons of Islamic backgrounds who the government thinks are dangerous.

If that is the case, why doesn't the UK kick them out?

If these people do not respect the laws of this country or any country and are preceived to be a threat, then hand them their walking papers.

Buh bye. Have a nice day and btw, do not let that door smack yah on the sit down on the way out.

There will come a time when I can see countries doing this. UK, USA, Germany or wherever.

I am not for just packing them all up and sending them out without good reasons, but if there is absolutely no doubt that they might pose a threat, give em the ole walking papers.

Now playing:

Robert Palmer: Get outside

robjame

<<why it is ONLY happening here, doesn't it?>>

So... 911 would have happened in Mexico except they had better Intelligence than the US...?
But another example of your faulty logic, Girl.

dadaland

What about Madrid train bombing in 2004?

hetismij

The reason the British government doesn't kick them out is that they are British Citizens. Where do you suggest they send them? Guantanamo Bay?

JoeTro

Girlspy, except that terrorism is not just happening in Britain. Wasn't there just a recent ETA attack in Spain? The fact of the matter is, terrorism is happening in so many countries that were not part of the Iraq war. The idea that if only we would be nicer to terrorists/if only we hadn't invaded Iraq, things would be okay just boggles my mind (not that anyone on here has expressed this sentiment).

AAFrequentFlyer

A TSA flunkie that believes she's in the forefront of world security....

Need I say more?

kelkel

Y'all, I am unsure about leaving in 3 days. I wish it were August or Sept. for our trip plans but, it isn't. I have 2 little ones also and I am concerned. Others say though, security is heightened so it is probably even safer. I am not sure I agree.

kenderina

Recent ? Today !! Well, they announced (their usual way, through a euskera language newspaper named Gara) they had put a bomb on Ibiza's airport. So the airport was emptied, flights cancelled and has been all day closed while they search for the bomb. It still hasn't appeared..