Steve Mueller

<BR>The terrorists have pronounced that they will target Americans everywhere. <BR> <BR>In the US, I am one of 280 million Americans. In Belgium, I might be one in a few thousand. The odds of being targeted are considerably greater in Europe.

Dave

Howard- <BR> <BR>She asked a question on a public board. She didn't ask you personally. MYOB doesn't apply here. Sheesh. <BR> <BR>Jackies questions, while somewhat offensive, are Socratic in nature. Perhaps she's missing something. I have the same problem. I leave tomorrow for Europe, but I want to make sure I haven't missed something. <BR> <BR>I think irrational is the wrong word. I can find no logical reason to not go, but many emotional ones.

clairobscur

No offense taken, I'm not even Italian. I just didn't understood what you meant by Italian defense. I was figuring Afghan paratroopers landing on Rome, or something similar....

bly

As someone who was trying to fly home on Sept 11 from Rome and diverted over the Atlantic into Amsterdam for 5 days, there is a serious concern of not getting home. <BR> <BR>Of course I knew eventually that I would get home. And Amsterdams a great city. At the same time, there were nearly 10,000 people stranded that night. Only 1st & business class passengers got help with hotel reservations. Because there was a large convention in town as well, that left 85% of the passengers to pay out whatever hotels chose to charge or sleep in the airport or refugee camp (both of which I did). Yes, we were considered refugees. <BR> <BR>I did take the opportunity to do somesite seeing during the day, but couldn't concentrate when all I wanted to do is be with my family and make sure my friends were ok. <BR> <BR>From a personal economic standpoint, I lost 3 days of work, had to pay out for 3 nights of hotels and food and expenses that I hadn't budgeted for.

Howard

But, Dave, I think my response reflects the feelings of many, not just me. No one should have to apologize for, explain or justify their reasons for cancelling!

bly

ooops - got booted before finishing my post. <BR> <BR>Jackie: I wouldn't cancel because I feel safer at home. I would cancel because 1) I may be indefinitely be delayed and unable to get home 2) Uncomfortable on a plane after seeing repeated images of the planes crashing 3) can't afford to with current economics situation (layoffs, etc) 4)Uncertainty of what action the military might take and how this will affect air travel. I don't think these are "irrational fears". <BR> <BR>Yes, I do feel safer in my small mountain town in Colorado, than a large European (or American city) but that's not the reason I would cancel, its those listed above. b

John

Lots of good reasons given and people have a right to cancel if they want but I now think that European business have some justification in holding on to deposits etc. <BR> <BR>European businesses shouldn't have to pay the cost for this (much of which is self-indulgence once again)

Cindy

I am less willing to go through with travel plans involving air travel for two reasons: <BR> <BR>1. All of my travel is vacation travel, and so it is all discretionary. I see most of the beefed-up security in the U.S. as window dressing. The only way I can send a message that we need real change is to refuse to fly until it happens. <BR> <BR>2. If my family's financial situation tanks along with the economy, I'll need that vacation money to pay the mortgage. <BR> <BR>

mike

Perhaps one reason for differences in view depend on the observer's past experiences travelling under similar circumstance. I have travelled over SE Asia during the height of the Vietnam War as a civilian. The civilian planes, such as Air France, would always have US soldiers on board to transport random soldiers not justifiable to fly military transports. Each airport would have B52's on runways with F4 take off and landing continually sharing the runways with 707, DC-8's. I have flown over Vietnam on civilian planes several times and would see US planes and fighters flying toward their missions below me. It would not have been difficult to shoot our plane down with a SAM. Yet, people still had to run economy and make living. It was then accepted as something they had to live with, the life went on. <BR> <BR>I continued to fly in Europe during the wars in former Yugoslavia, Gulf War, after Lockerbie. I have loved ones at home, too but I have also seen faces of resilient people. <BR> <BR>Looking all around the world, people have more peace now that people travel into other cultures and interface with each other. We easily forgot that there used to be more yakking at each other when each kept much to themselves, anything foreign was a threat. It was a daily event. I surely hope we do not go back to the times of reduced exchange between different cultures with increased antagonisms between clans, fiefdoms, and tribes of yesteryears.

Heidi

While I'm not cancelling my upcoming trip to Paris in November, you should have seen me in my office on the day of the attacks. Even though our company closed down, I needed to stay to meet a deadline. And when I finished my project, I contemplated going home. I was here with my production manager, and neither one of us felt like going outside--we simply didn't want to leave the building and be alone. Call it irrational fear, but it felt more like seeking comfort in familiar surroundings. The mom in me likes to call it "nesting." <BR> <BR>Now I'm about 30 miles southeast of NYC, but I'm also located right between an army fort and a naval weapons station. It has been surreal here over the past two weeks, but at least I'm not afraid to go outside or drive myself home. <BR> <BR>I will travel to Europe in a few months. However, I also don't blame anyone for wanting to nest and seek comfort. Hell, I didn't even want to leave my office two weeks ago! Maybe this sounds crazy, but logic doesn't always work in emotional times. This is what separates the humans from the vulcans, after all....

Sue

I suspect that Jackie is a European whose irrational questions stem from a fear of losing American tourist dollars and who wants someone to blame; I sympathize. Europeans are not the only ones hurting—hotel-casinos in my home town Las Vegas are laying off thousands of employees. But please don’t seek to blame those of us who choose not to travel at this moment. This is an uncertain time. As you can tell by the posts, there are many reasons for not traveling--economic, political, emotional, personal. Perhaps this dialogue will help Europeans understand our state of mind.

notgoing

There are a bazillion practical reasons for canceling foreign travel these days -- many of which have been given, but to answer some of Jackie's questions: <BR> <BR>Do we feel safer at home in the USA? Uh, yes. That's one of the reasons hundreds of thousands of people line up every year to gain entry to the US. <BR>Do we think European cops are inept? No,, not inept, but not as good as in the US. Deosn't everyone feel that everything's better at their home base? And, despite the events of Sep. 11, the US authorities' record on preventing terrorism is better than most other countries'. <BR>You want to get into my head? Trust me, you don't. <BR>

belle

To travel or not to travel is all relative. If I had small kids, or had close relatives involved in the attack, I probably wouldn't go on my trip. But such is not the case, and quite frankly, if I got stuck in Turkey for a couple more days--I wouldn't mind. People's circumstances dictate whether they are going to travel and their perception of reality. For me, I could "What if" everyday for my entire life---and not do a blessed thing. How droll...But that's just me. If someone doesn't want to travel at this time--whether I agree with them or not--it's their choice to make.

minbrooklyn

My flight and trip were cancelled by events--we were scheduled to fly to Paris on 9/13. I'm waiting to reschedule the trip not out of "irrational fear" but because the US has troops massed in the Middle East right now and we don't have a clear idea of the fall out from the conflict. <BR>On top of that I was strongly affected by the tragedy, I was crying for days, and having other emotional reactions. I couldn't see myself enjoying this trip I've been planning for and dreaming of for over a half year. <BR> <BR>I'm happy with the decision I've made, but I have to say reading everyone's posts have made me look at other sides of the question. I'm in NYC, the primary target for the terrorists this last time around, so I can't say being in France would make me feel less safe. It is scary being here right now, people are on edge, cars are being stopped for security reasons right down the block from me. We had a bomb scare a block away yesterday, the streets were barricaded by the police. And to see so much of lower Manhattan in rubble is mind numbing, to say the least. <BR> <BR>The news is reporting that over 400 arrests have been made in connection to terrorism in the US. People have been posting about arrests in Europe as well. <BR> <BR>I do think the tourist and travel industries need our money. I couldn't think of anything that would make me feel better right now than to walk through the streets of Paris. I'm still going to make it happen, I just need a little more time.

Denise

Jackie, You Are The One That Is Completely Irrational, Delusional And Unsympathetic. Are You So Daft That You Are Trying To Brain-Wash Americans Into Believing That They Should Abandon Their Loved Ones, When A War Can Brake Out At Any Given Moment, Just To Go Vacation In The South Of France??? What Rock Did You Just Crawl Out Of? Your Ignorance Is Overwhelming!!!

kk

BTW, you all, where is Jackie now??? <BR>Is she a troll? <BR>I don't think so, but a friend of mine was wondering. <BR>She/he sure can't take the heat, that's for sure.

Jackie

I thought the responses to my orginal message was interesting. It is amazing how fearful some people are and how open to risk others are. People sure look at things in a variety of ways. <BR> <BR>I really can not argue with people who disagree with me and think it is just not a good idea to go on a trip now. With so many people cancelling I feel real sorry for each and everyone of you and the people who will lose their jobs and busineses because people are either afraid or unwilling to travel. <BR> <BR>It is a crazy world we live in.

Sue

Bravo, Jackie. I’m still not sure you "get it," because you continue to divide the world into fearful vs. open-to-risk, but I certainly agree with your last sentence and I feel sorry for us all.

Adam

Would I walk into an active volcanno? No. And neither would I leave my safe rural area of the USA for a city in Europe right now. Just wait a week or so until Bush attacks with massive bombings and deaths in Afghansitan. There will be strong retribution and I would be large sums it will be in a European city this time. Some sort of bombing or chemical weapon used. If you think these "terrorists" only have it in for the USA you are mistaken....they are against the European nations just as well.

em

Adam - why is it that every thread I look at has you on it, confidently predicting doom for "Europe" ? Should we just forward you email address to the authorities right now, since you seem to (think you have) info the rest of us don't possess?