A relative phoned to tell us about the terror alerts for railways, highways and public transportation in Italy. I'm nervous about traveling there in the next couple of weeks. Yet I think this will also mean heightened security. Any thoughts?

As many others have said --- GO! Your chances of getting killed crossing the street or in a car accident at home are still far greater than being involved in a terrorist attack overseas. Don't give in to those idiots who want to change our lives.

Well, you can stay at home (if you're from the US) and enjoy the terror alerts we have here for our public tranportation venues. Orange I believe is the level.

Maybe you just better stay in your house for the rest of your life.

New York has been on an orange alert since 9/11...and our lives go on pretty normally each day.
The first two posters have said it all quite accurately.

Patrick - They are going to Italy! The risk of getting killed crossing the street is higher in Italy than here.

You just have to work it out for yourself and your own comfort level. I'd go tomorrow anywhere!!!!! I sooooo need a vacation. My neice is leaving for Copenhagen for a year in a couple of weeks. I've heard several times on the news that Denmark has been threatened as a target. I know my brother is going nuts....he's a worry wort and I know in his heart he wished my neice would stay home and I know she is NOT going to stay home. Her dad won't try to stop her but I know he wished she would change her plans...but you just can't. Who knows when or from where the next thing will come....and I have no doubt it will come but I'm too damn old to say I'm stayin' home..I don't have that much time left. Now would I go to Darfor at this moment? No, I think not...and there are several other areas that I would just as soon stay away from, but to not go to the places I wish to visit when time and opportunity show themselves...well, I just can't do that..I will go.

If you are going to die, would you rather it be in Italy, or waiting for a bus in your hometown.

Well, that crossing the street story was not meant to be taken lightly. I've told this before, but good friends of mine were in France visiting their son and family who live there during 9/11. The cut their trip short and returned to the US, thinking they should and that they'd be safer at home in Florida. A week after returning she was crossing the street near their house and WAS killed by a bus.

Unfortunately statistically speaking because of 9-11 you are more likely to be in a terrorist attack in New York than even in Tel Aviv, based on casualty counts, I hate to be morbid at such a sensitive time but facts are facts.

We have an orange alert here in Boston.

Lets see-my son left for England tonight; my daughter just phoned and needs to be evacuated from her college in Florida by 4PM tomorrow and I fly to Rome every week for work....What stress?????? Keep traveling people otherwise you know when your "number is up"- even that tree outside could fall on your house in a storm!

Terrorists depend on cooperative news media and the government (yes, the government) to fan hysteria after even the most minor terrorist attacks. The idea is to do something that is frightening (even though the damage and casualties may not be huge in absolute terms), and then let media sensationalism, public hysteria, and government desire for ever-increasing control over the population do the rest.

Recent terrorist activities have been extremely successful in this respect. Small investments, highly visible results, and the willingness of the media and government to do the rest for the terrorists.

It doesn't always work. London survived the Blitz, and Hitler eventually had to give up when it became obvious that he could bomb the UK until doomsday and they'd never spook. Unfortunately, today many people lack the courage of the British in those days, especially in the USA.

India also! They are amazing.

Hear! Hear! Anthony A.

Those cable news channels have 24 hours to fill every day.

Personally, I'm feeling very much on high alert. I've been pacing back and forth between my computer and my windows, checking for terrorists. They could be *anywhere*.

Seriously elle7 -- Go, don't worry.

I remember when...10 years ago or so, I was sitting in Epcot Center in Disney World, at the British pub there, where I met a couple who were on their honeymoon from the UK. I remember so innocently asking them how they lived the day-to-day of constant threats of IRA bombings. They said "you get used to it and live your life." Boy, I sure know all about that now.

Go, live your life. A rock could fall on you from outer space, a car could spin out of control, or you could just get a nasty virus that could kill you, all in the comfort of your own home.

Personally, I think it would be much more glamorous to die in Italy.

Jules

Jules, funny you should say that. Friends we shared the evening with, leave tomorrow for Italy and said the same thing when someone asked them if they were scared.

It is understandable that Elle should feel a little uneasy but I am with Patrick. That is what these people want!Have courage and live life as well as we can and don't let these things cower us. I wish you well Elle and hope you go and enjoy that lovely country.

You could look at it this way:

The attacks were very well coordinated, so some planning had to happen first, so this was not a spur-of-the-moment action.

All this speculation about whether these carefully-planned attacks were designed to protest the G8 meeting, to protest Iraq, to disrupt the Olympics - all this is speculation leading nowhere. The real purpose? The real purpose of these attacks is to create TERROR!

The beginning of terror is fear, fear of the unknown - what if there is another terrorist attack when I/my loved one is in ...(name a country)?

As the others have said, don't succumb to this line of "thinking". It's where the terrorists want you to go.

The way to defeat the terrorists is not to go where they want you to go.

You could look at it this way. If you did, then you would go on your trip and have a good time.

Remember, we non-terrorists are billions strong!

easytraveler
(yes, I have a loved one in London and families of several good friends are in London at this moment)

A year ago in March, a friend and I flew to Spain for a tour. We arrived there one week after the bombings and there was still evidence of it at the large Atocha Railway station. Some people scheduled for the tour cancelled. We had a wonderful two weeks and were glad we had not cancelled. The Spanish people we met thanked us for coming in spite of the violence. Previous posters are correct--if you let fear guide your life, you might as well lock your doors and never leave your house. Then, again, locked doors don't always save you. Just my opinion.! mhm

My thoughts are to use more taxis and rental cars when traveling.