RE:London Please help me & please don't judge me
 

My husband and I have been to London several times and are going again in November. My much older sister is very determined to convince us not to go back to London. FYI...We live in Texas.She has a friend that lives in the countryside of England. She has convinced my sister that we should not go to London again and her reason is that there are protest demonstrations in London by Muslims and Pakistanis. She goes as far as saying that it is extremely unsafe for us to go.We have Muslims and Pakistanis where we live. Please give me your input and feedback. I refuse to to let her influence our plans. We also have friends who are going with us and now are somewhat scared to go. Thanks in advance for your help and advice from those of you who reply.

Go. It's fine. There's always some sort of protest in any major city. I watch the BBC World News every day and have heard nothing of violent protesting.

You should have watch 20/20 last Friday night. The whole program was devoted to the "fears" that American have, what we fear, and why. In a nut shell, the average AM is very poor at judging risk. We are fearful of the things that pose little risk and rare fear the things we should. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART of your trip will be the drive to the airport. Your chances or being hit by lightning are greater than a problem with a terrorist, Muslims, Pakistanie. We will be there this summer and I have not given a second thought your concerns. You have nothing to fear.

There have been no recent protests by Pakistanis in London. At least, none large enough to make any news outlet at all, not even the right-wing racist segment of the press, which suggests that the only violence is occurring in your sister's friend's mind.

My 21 year old sister is in London as we speak...no sign of violence. Go and enjoy yourself.

My husband and I just come home from London and enjoyed the trip tremendously. We met an elderly man who took the time to show up around for over 3 hours and told us the best times to see many things we would have missed out on. Our daughter livies in Europe and has for quite sometime now. Go and enjoy yourself. Those who live by fear, watch the media, lock their doors and live inside a home.

I suggest being afraid of those things that deserve fear: Like North Korea, Iran, and any other nation either already with or developing the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon long range.

Your sister is afraid of free speech?
Unsafe? Not more true there than here, pure and simple. Our violent crime rate is higher!!

Bob -- you should have watched the program. The crime rate in this country has been on a steady decliine for the past ten years. And the nuclear threat is equally low.

Thanks for all of your replies. I knew I could count on you. We will definitely keep our plans. I plan to avaoid any conversations with her about our trip and possibly not even mention it until the week we leave. I have to remind myself that since she is so much older than me she tends to mother me. I appreciate her love but my husband and I live our lives on the present and not the what ifs. Thanks again everyone.

It's a shame your sister is trying to throw a wrench in your plans. You're right not to allow her to influence your trip. Are you looking to reassure your friends?

There may or may not be protests in London, but either way it would have little effect on tourists. Protests and demonstations aren't riots after all.

Forgive me, but your sister and her English friend don't sound as though they are very sophisticated; there are always people in the 'boonies who fear cities and caution others to avoid them. If it's not "protest demonstations by Muslims and Pakistanis" it's the crime. Or the traffic. Or the young punks. Or whatever. Some people think there is danger lurking at every turn.

You can reassure your friends because you've been to London several times, you know your way around and what's what. You obviously love the city. I'm sure your friends will relax once they get there.

In the mean time, I would recommend thanking your sister for her concern, but you have decided to go ahead with your plans and you'd rather not discuss the issue any longer.

Good luck, and do have a great trip

I have travelled to europe for work for the past 5 years. No problems yet!! All democratic countries allow protests and some get violent. They are all localized, not city or country wide. I have been in Seoul, Korea watching the student riots back in the 80's, great fun!!
The point is, to be safe and pay attention to what is around you. Don't go to an area if the local news reports of planned protests. London is a big city, you have been there before and all turned out well.

If there were riots in the street, that'd be one thing (though even then, I know people who were in Paris during both the banlieu problems and they didn't have any problem). Protests are something entirely else, and not at all dangerous unless you get in the middle of one gone wrong. So, just avoid getting in the middle protests, and nothing at all to worry about. By all means, go.

I suspect anything could happen...NINE months from now but I seriously doubt there would be any problems going to London (other than the poor exchange rate).

I assume your friends got concerned because they somehow found out about your sister's concerns (IOW don't do that again!!!).

Thank your sister for allowing you to make the final decisions about your trip. I do think going into the countryside in the UK is an excellent idea but not because your sister has a friend who obviously doesn;t appreciate the presence of "foreigners."

Do not let your sister influence your plans.

The English countryside - which is presumably what you're worried about - is NOT inhabited by people who equate protest with danger, or who walk in perpetual fear of Jihad.

From Stow-on-the-Wold to Nether Wallop, our country-dwellers reserve their fears and paranoia for realistic issues. Lunatics who want to ban hunting. Shops in danger of closing down. Doctors' surgeries' inane appointments systems. Trains with insufficient seating or excessive heating.

You may walk our country lanes with no risk at all of being assailed by conspiracy theory survivalists, or by white supremacists. You might be asked to contribute to the fund for the new church roof though.

Are you sure your sister's friend really lives in England? If so, she has an overactive imagination!

Actually we have gone to several areas of the countryside. We want to spend more time in London going to museums that we didn't get enough of. Our friends want to do the same. We will take a few days and visit other areas.Since our friends have never been there we will do things we've done before...Windsor castle, Bath, maybe York. At least we have several months to decide what all we want to do/see. We are really looking forward to be with our friends since they've not been anywhere out of the US. Thanks again, and I always welcome more input on things to do in London.

these types of threads are never productive. the great thing about the internet is that you can read just about any news source for yourself.

the pattern of these threads is always the same....someone fears something and everyone falls all over themselves to:

1. comment on how americans fear everything
2. comment on how europe is infinitely safer than america in every possible way.
3. comment on how everything is safe in european country X and nothing will happen to you.

most of this is just peoples' agendas rather than real facts. i think it's much more productive to spend some time reading various news sources rather than to ask questions that just initiate predictable responses like these. i'm not saying it's unsafe, just that, at best, this process gets you no closer to the truth and, at worst, it misleads.

I am sorry but I totally disagree with Walkinaround in this particular case.

The responses are "predictable" because they are true IMO.

I won't get on my soapbox here, but if you'd take the time to read web-sites with London news on them, for instance news.bbc.co.uk you will find no mention of the bloodbaths dreamt up by your sister. Let the facts speak for themselves.

"the sky is falling!" again.........