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-   -   Travel plans with possible terrorist attacks (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/travel-plans-with-possible-terrorist-attacks-717240/)

kelkel Jun 30th, 2007 07:53 AM

Travel plans with possible terrorist attacks
 
I am abviously watching the state department website...planning to leave for London on the 3rd. On the 7th, need to go to Barcelona to get on cruise. If for some reason, airports in London were to be closed on the 7th, how could I get to Barcelona?

endlessummer Jun 30th, 2007 08:09 AM

Eurostar to Paris and then you could either fly or take overnight train to Barcelona. Whilst you can't predict the unpredictable, I'm sure all will be fine. Safe travels!

MissPrism Jun 30th, 2007 08:10 AM

I'd cross the bridge when you come to it, but if push came to shove, you could go by train.
According to The Man in Seat 62
http://www.seat61.com/Spain.htm

"It's surprisingly easy to travel from the UK to Spain by train. In fact, it's amazing that some people still think you need to fly. Take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris in just 2 hours 40 minutes, then the excellent overnight trainhotel from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona, with onward train connections for Alicante, Malaga, Valencia, Seville or Granada. The trainhotel has cosy bedrooms, a restaurant and a café-bar. The Gran Classe bedrooms even have a private toilet and shower... It's affordable, too, as fares start at £59 return for Eurostar from London to Paris plus £50 each way for the trainhotel from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona including a bed in a 4-berth sleeper for the night. Better still, how about £107 each way per person in a 2-bed Gran Classes sleeper with private shower & toilet, dinner with wine and breakfast included in the fare..? This page will tell you train times, fares, and how to buy tickets."

Jed Jun 30th, 2007 08:14 AM

A bridge from London to Barcelona? Amazing. ;;)

sunstar Jun 30th, 2007 08:22 AM

Fox news (Fair and balanced) is reporting yet another *possible* terrorist attempt. This time on the Glasco airport.

Sheesh, when will this bullhooyey stop?




flanneruk Jun 30th, 2007 08:23 AM

Why on earth are you asking the question?

How often in the past ten years have all London's airports been closed for any reason? (hint: the answer's a very round number)

Now how often have America's airports all been closed?

Shouldn't you be more worried about getting out of America in the first placd?

sunstar Jun 30th, 2007 08:30 AM

The Glasgow airport I meant. I thought I'd correct the speling before the spellcheck cops on here got lose.

Now playing: Lynyrd Skynyrd: "All I can do is write about it"

Dukey Jun 30th, 2007 08:34 AM

Somehow I suspect "Lynyrd" wouldn't notice

sunstar Jun 30th, 2007 08:40 AM

I take it you're not a fan of the Skynyrd boys? LOL Maybe you are. I know damn well I like the bluesy, gritty,blue collar sound of that great rock anhd roll band.




Girlspytravel Jun 30th, 2007 08:45 AM

Flanner: More absurdity from you.

Question: When WAS the last time "America's airports were closed" huh?

6 years ago, right?


And when WAS the last time there was chaos in the British airports, specifically, Heathrow, because of an imminent attack against civil aviation, specifically directed against American aircraft, because the Brits didn't disrupt the plot sooner?

Last August, right?

And WHEN was the last time there has been a terrorist attack or attempted terrorist attack in ANY European country that is al-Qaeda inspired, (other than Madrid, 3 years ago) EXCEPT Britain, huh?

The greatest terrorist threat, bar none, to other European countries and this country, is BRITAIN. And that's because your officials took WAY too long to get the picture. It's not like the intelligence agencies around the world were not telling your country where the danger was-you just refused to do anything about it!

kelkel Jun 30th, 2007 08:50 AM

Flanneruk:

I am asking the question to be well advised in case it is needed. I recall a day 9-11 when all of America's airports were closed.

waring Jun 30th, 2007 08:57 AM

Phew! Girlspy really doesn't like the British!

Can't say she's wrong though. The woolie hatted Guardian reading soft and fluffy liberals do have part of the blame to share.

The Muslim Council of Britain really is a disgrace and should be disbanded. To quote

"the MCB urged MPs, to vote for the removal of the ‘glorification of terrorism’ clause from the Terrorism Bill." Fortunately the clause went through.

AND they are state funded.

kelkel Jun 30th, 2007 08:58 AM

Endlesssummer and Miss Prism,
Thanks for your input. It is much appreciated.
Girlspytravel,
Thanks for your rebuttal. I am afraid I detect a hint of sarcasm from flanneruk.

endlessummer Jun 30th, 2007 08:58 AM

Kelkel - I should have added that if there is ANY issue whatsoever with UK airports in London, RUN don't walk to Waterloo station and get on the first Eurostar you can. You will be in competition with heaps of similarly minded people, including businessmen trying to get to the continent for meetings, etc.

kelkel Jun 30th, 2007 09:01 AM

I have my running shoes with me.....thanks for the sound advice!

gplusg Jun 30th, 2007 09:04 AM

Not a bridge JED-----a tunnel

Jed Jun 30th, 2007 09:08 AM

sunstar, as a spellcheck cop, I arrest you for speling.

gplusg - so MissPrism would cross the tunnel when she comes to it? ;;)

Girlspytravel Jun 30th, 2007 09:13 AM

By the way, you know Richard Reid, aka "the shoe bomber" had an accomplice? His name is Sajid Badat, British born and bred. At the last minute, he decided not to go through with his loaded shoe bombs back in 2001 intended for an American flight out of another European gateway.

He "renounced" his terrorism. The English judge praised him, for turning to a life as a "Muslim scholar" then pronounced sentence on him for exactly 13 years-that was in early 2005.

Fast forward several months, still in 2005, after the London terror attacks in July, the very next month, August-at Badat's jail cell in Cambridgeshire.
Cambridgeshire.

Badat has been ALLOWED to hold regular prayer sessions with the inmates, after an imam left. He and a couple of fellow prisoners, after one of these visits, look around the prison grounds, FIND FERTILIZER AND WEEDKILLER, AND PUT TOGETHER A DETONATOR TO MAKE A BOMB, SET IT OFF, CAUSING DAMAGE BUT NO CASUALITIES-AT THE PRISON!

So much for renouncing terrorism, and this was a few weeks after the deadly London attacks. Badat was sent to solitary.

On December 19, 2005, the U.S. State Dept. formally announced that Badat was on the list of individuals officially associated with Al-Qaeda.

I can't conceive of something like that happening anywhere BUT BRITAIN.

fnarf999 Jun 30th, 2007 09:17 AM

"The greatest terrorist threat, bar none, to other European countries and this country, is BRITAIN. And that's because your officials took WAY too long to get the picture. It's not like the intelligence agencies around the world were not telling your country where the danger was-you just refused to do anything about it!"

What? What? What? That's completely absurd.

Britain's police and intelligence work has been vastly superior in every possible way than America's.

It was the Brits who told us the yellowcake uranium and aluminum tube stories were bogus, but we went with them anyways. The British government participated in the lies and coverup but British intelligence and British police know the truth. About the idiotic mixing liquids bomb "threat" as well: stopped by boring old British police work, not by any TSA idiocy about ziploc pags.

Britain, a terrorist threat? Are you mentally ill?

waring Jun 30th, 2007 09:28 AM

She's wrong about the intelligence, but correct in that fluffy liberals and freedom of speach allowed the situation to continue.

On a point of interest. One of the things the 7/7 bombers had in commons was that their families were from Pakistani hill tribes with a strand of Islam that insists on organised marriages.

All of them switched to another branch, allowing men to choose their own wives, however with a particularly hard line on Jihad and topping Infidels.

Questions:
Should arranged marriages be made illegal?
Should the particular sect be banned as a terrorist organisation?
Shall we simply give them a cuddle and hope it all goes away?


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