As a Londoner over the last few days we have been told in no uncertain terms that London will be the victim of a terrorist attack and there is only so much that can be done to prevent it. Security on the tube and railway has been further hightened and yesterday I certainly picked up a vibe of apprenhension as I traveled across town.

Whilst I agree with the opinion that we must not let the terrorists win, I can't help but wonder whether many will be put off visiting London.

Our security forces are already claimimg to have thwarted some attempts - but there is a sense of resignation - 'where there is a will there is a way!'

Have any Fodorites been put off traveling to London? How is London being presented in other countries? Safe or not?

Would be interested in your thoughts.

bbib

We'll be in your wonderful city in late April. Nothing has changed for us.

My brother died, years ago, from injuries sustained in a road accident here in my own country. Sadly, he is just as dead as if he were killed by a terrorist, so for that matter are my friends who died of cancer. The only difference is that as a cause of death, terrorism 'advertises' itself better.

I don't want to die of cancer or head injuries any more than I want to get blown up by a bomb, but if I think too much about stuff over which I have no control, I'm gonna never get out of bed in the morning, let alone go to London.

London has been a victim of terrorism many many times over the past thirty years as a result of the IRA, and before that, the blitz bombings during the Second World War that killed thousands of innocent citizens.

I think we know what we're dealing with. The Brits will put the usual stiff upper lip into play, the blitz spirit will prevail, and life will go on as normal, regardless of the terrorists. Normal service is resumed.

Hi bb,

How does the current terrorist threat compare to the days when the IRA was planting bombs in London?

The biggest difference is that the IRA used to give us a warning from time to time. But sometimes they didn't even manage to do that. So it's the same really.

What was the effect on tourism of the IRA terrorism?

No real effect. Millions of people still flocked to London to see the Changing of the Guard.

It's interesting to see people's reaction to the tragedy in Madrid. Ever since 9/11, surely everyone has now realised that nowhere is ever going to be safe, and more importantly, nowhere ever WAS. The 'war' on terrorism seems very selective, some cynics say based on oil, who knows, but with other parts of the world announcing their intention to build nuclear warheads, all the 9/11s and 3/11s you could dream up will just amount to noise when the tactical warheads land.

I lived in London in the early 90s, with a real threat of terrorist bombs. We were never directly affected, other than minor inconviences. Off course, this was during the time when terrorists could find refuge in the US, where celebrities would organize petitions to stop them being extradited to the UK. I remember the then mayor of NY renaming a square after a suspected terrorist who was being held there.
Anyway, different terrorist nowadays, and I am still going to London later this week, where no doubt everyone will be on the alert again for suspect packages.

>... when the tactical warheads land<

I am afraid that, unfortunately, they will be carried in suitcases or concealed in crates of stuffed toys.

Too true.

I'm coming to London to visit an old friend next week (one who actually lived through the blitz as a child). I live in New York City, so I don't think it matters whether I ride the subway here, or the tube there.
I am not at all put off from coming to London by terrorist threats! I can't wait to visit one of my favorite cities again! bbib, see you there!

London's not in my plans in the near future, but if it was I wouldn't give the possibility of terrorism a second thought. Thousands more people die in their bathtubs each year than will ever be injured by terrorists.

Most people would be better off worrying about something that has a statistically greater chance of killing them - like choking on fish bone, being caught up in a tornado, or perhaps getting hit by a meteorite.

We will be visiting London next week. We've been, sadly reminded lately of 'their' persistence in terrorizing and obliterating us. We were also there when there was a threat ( by IRA) to Victoria Station. But I have children living in Chicago, Oak Ridge TN., and in London and worry about the safety of them all. We aren't safe...but will keep on keepin' on.

The terrorist threat today is from Al-Quaeda not the IRA. Terrorism anywhere, anytime is dreadful and cowardly. It is, however, a grim reality.

For European nations that are cringing before it to whom will they surrender? There is no Hitler to fawn before. Today what shadow or spook do they present their sword to in surrender?

I ride a subway every day in New York City. I work in the financial district. Both are prime targets of the Islamic fanatics. My daughter barely escaped from the WTC 9/11 horror.

To me there are two choices before us: Root out and exterminate the terrorists or act like France and Germany and try to ride the tiger's back.

One postscript to bbib's respondents. There was 300 years of terrorism in Ireland perpetrated by the English monarchy, the same corrupt gang that you read about in your daily papers. All terrorism is awful whether perpetrated by today's IRA or when Winston Churchill sent the Black & Tans to Ireland.

Hi ira

Gauging from fellow Londoners, I think people are a bit more nervous about an attack from al-qaeda than they used to be from the IRA - maybe because of the sheer scale of al-qaeda's attacks and the suicide nature of incidents.

With the threat of IRA bombimgs people were vigalent but the scale of attacks were smaller (exception being canary Wharf). I think people feel there is a greater chance of themselves or a loved one being caught up in an al-qaeda attack and it seems ineviable to happen. Its like a waiting game.

We had just moved to London in 1982 when the infamous Hyde Park bomb was set off by the IRA. I remember the city was extremely upset because a number of the Royal Horseguard horses had been killed or injured. It was unnerving to see all the signs everywhere about unattended packages, but you got use to it.

We will be in London in May. Hopefully, everything will be fine, but no terrorist threats will make me stop traveling.

Since today is the day we celebrate the greatest British Isles anti-terrorist of them all -- St. Patrick (well he did get rid of those terrorizing snakes!), I think this is a good time to reaffirm my attitude that I won't let terrorists win.

I am sometimes amazed at the silly presumably young people we get on this forum. For goodness sake, read your history books with special reference to the Red Brigades, the Baader Meinhof gang, Algeria, ETA, the IRA etc.
Europe has been suffering from terrorism for decades and has done precious little cringing. In fact some of the terrorists were actually funded by Americans.
I sometimes get the impression from across the Atlantic that terrorists are people who attack Americans.
You can't have a "war against terrorism", you use intelligence in both senses to track them down and submit them to due process of law.

Exactly.

To answer your question as to how "London is being presented in other countries"....that I know of nobody, especially travel agents, is "presenting" the city as some sort of ground zero of terrorism with an attack just waiting to happen. And, frankly, I'd like to know where this information about "not if, but when" is coming from. If it is from some sort of "official" source is certainly isn't "news" to you, is it? You could say this about almost any city and if you WAIT LONG ENOUGH I suppose it will come true.
I suspect, if anything, the prices of some hotels in London and the not absolutely fabulous currency exchange rate thanks to our own government's pursuit of a "weak dollar" policy will do more to "put off" travel than some vague terrorism threat.