I strongly encourage everyone NOT to travel at this time!
 

I sincerely believe this is not a good time to travel. America is moving its troops to the middle east and war is coming. This is not a time for silly trips on an airplane or staying at a hotel. Stay close to home to be near your family and friends so when war starts you will be safe and near people you love. <BR> <BR>The economy is heading down fast. People say that you should have at least six months of savings in case you lose your job, By spending valuable cash now on a trip that is not necessary, or safe, you are wasting your cash that will be needed if you lose your job. <BR> <BR>Please stay home, close to family and friends! God bless America.

Well, I agree with some of what you've said, but not all of it. <BR> <BR>The only legitimate reason not to travel, IMHO, is that the airports are really not any more secure than they were on the day of the attack. Oh, sure, we have window-dressing, like dogs in airports and more uniformed personnel. But all indications are that real reform is not going to happen, and airport security will remain a hodgepodge of ineffective measures administered by the lowest bidder and performed by people who couldn't get hired to inspect poultry. <BR> <BR>People who wish to trust their safety to poorly trained airport security personnel confiscating plastic knives and shaving cream, ground workers who have never had background checks and who could hide anything on a plane, and pilots with baseball bats can go right ahead. That's not good enough for me.

This is a most irresponsible statement.. We must not let the terrorists bring down the economy of this country. The tourism industry is going to suffer, cruise ships are going out empty, travel agents are being laid off. One of the Four Freedoms we have in this country is Freedom from Fear.. and I refuse to allow "them" to get the best of me There will be bargain rates and prices to entice you to travel, flights won't be as easy to book and probably more expensive, but I urge you to support your country and the people who are in the tourist industry, i.e. hotels, restaurants, etc. I for one am off on a vacation next month and hope to plan my winter vacation shortly. If your really afraid...stay home, but please do not cancel your trip your cancellation or your continuing to travel affects the economy of this country.

Open your eyes to what's around you Stacy. Your plan will only help to accomplish the 2nd part of bin Laden's mission--bringing our economy to a grinding halt. <BR> <BR>Having 3-6 months salary in savings is hardly a new concept!! It should have been there already, and not considered part of your vacation stash.

That is a good reason for you not to travel. However, there is really nothing I can do here at home to help at the moment, other than donate money. My little girl is too young to really understand what is happening, so she doesn't need me to comfort her at the moment. If my own industry (educational supplies) were to be affected, it would only be in the long term, and no one can tell another person whether they can afford to travel or not. I have no information on others' financial circumstances. I agree with grounded. Security for us while traveling is most important. Everyone's situation is different.

As a flight attendant, I stronly urge everyone to start flying again. There are sooo many more security measures behind the scenes that the average flyer is unaware of - if I didn't have confidence in the measures in place, I would be the first one off the plane--

Stacy: <BR>Your intentions are good but your reasoning is bad. I agree strongly with the above posters. We cannot let the perpetrators of the WTC atrocity put us on hold. Our way of life is threatened true, but we can't yield to the terrorists. That's not the American style. <BR> <BR>The travel industry is absolutely vital to our economy. Thousands of jobs are at stake. <BR> <BR>I'm attending my sister's funeral tomorrow in Chicago. I don't consider that trip "silly".

Stacy, we are NOT yet moving TROOPS to the Middle East. By definition, "troops" means ground soldiers and armor. The only US forces that are going to the area as of 9/20 are Navy carrier groups and air support. <BR> <BR>And, as others have said, by disrupting your life, you are letting the terrorists WIN!

Grounded: Be careful who you call names. <BR>Not everyone working for airport security is as you say. <BR>I know there are many retired people doing this job. <BR>I also know there are many people that do not have to work but want something to do part time and think this job is interesting, and fun. <BR>I agree, there are airports that have problems with who they have doing this job, but you cannot go around saying this about the entire group. <BR>

Each individual must assess his/her acceptance of risks vs. benefits and move forward from there. This is a Standard Operating Principle, and in my case, was in place prior to 9/11/01. I respect everyone's approach; however, I will continue on my SOP, which includes travel. OP, thank you for your concern. Continue to follow your SOP, and I will do the same with mine. Peace.

LOL= laughing out loud

I posted this sentiment before, but bin Laden may have been in his hole at the time. So, once more into the fray. Stacy, if it's all the same to you, I am headed to Africa in two weeks (no, Osama, I will not pinpoint the country for you), and in December to Paris for NYE. So, Osama, let me reassure you you're still number one with me, guy ... as evidenced by that single finger you see hoisted in your direction. Osama, you have your dirty little hole ... but I have a life to lead. For those who feel the need to stay close to home ... I can empathize. But from those who refuse to stop travelling, I have a message: screw you, Osama. Ciao

Yup, thats just what we need right now. Everyone cowering and hiding under their metophoric table. Stuffing mattress with dollar bills, and terrifying our young children by changing our most basic behaviours. Yeah I'm scared too but its going to take a lot more to keep me down.....They can knock us down but they CANNOT KEEP US DOWN!!!

I think that Stacy is a Muslim terrorist trying to carry out the second part of the mission of those idiots. <BR> <BR>If she is for real.......then she's an idiot. <BR> <BR>The terrorists were not just trying to knock the building down....they were aiming for the economy too....there's a report out today that some group made a large purchase of down turn stocks (stocks that make money if they go odwn)...they bought United, AMerican, and Merril Lynch among others. ABCNews is reporting that whoever did this turned around 100000 into severla million. Biggest insider trading job ever. <BR> <BR>Stacy......keep your mouth shut before you sink us all

I have said all along: No madman is going to make me sit home and watch TV. I am going to go about my business as planned. I find I am taking more notice of the wonderful people and things that surround me. I am very lucky. I am also very stubborn and determined to keep working on the things that make this a great country to live in. I'm flying to Chicago for a 35-yr high school class reunion this weekend, renting a car and staying in a hotel for two nights. Some of my friends aren't making this long-planned trip, but I respect their choice. I'm sad not to see them sooner rather than later.

Whew! IMHO, there is no right way or wrong way to deal with how we react to the current situation, at least in terms of travel. Frankly, I find it positively heart rending that thousands of people in travel related industries are loosing their jobs, and small businesses all over the world that rely on tourist money will be suffering or going under, especially in NYC..after all they have been through already. <BR>Stacy, if you believe it is not a good time to travel, that is your decision to make, I certainly wouldn't be one to URGE you TO travel, but likewise, you should not URGE people NOT to travel. People will make their own choices, based on their percieved risk factor and how valuable the freedom to travel is to a "free" society. <BR>Honestly, I could postpone our upcoming trip abroad and be killed in an Earthquake here in my Los Angeles Condo. <BR>Call me a fatalist, but when your number is up it's up, regardless of weather you are in your bedroom or an airport.(just IMHO). I would rather go out, following my dreams then hiding under my bed. But again, that's just me.

Of course it's hard to make a decision to put yourself or your loved ones in harm's way if that's what you think it is. Balance and perspective are needed, though; you have to be careful on the freeway and in the bathtub, too. We're all (well, most of us) adults and taking calculated risks is what adulthood is all about. <BR> <BR>But for Americans I can't think of any better way to put it than Dave Ross, a local Seattle radio personality now with a CBS slot, said it a couple of days ago (paraphrasing): <BR>Don't forget America isn't just the land of the free, it's also the home of the brave. If we don't back up our singing and flag waving with some bravery and risk-taking, then the terrorists have truly won and the flags we wave might as well all be white.

OK, that's the funniest thing anyone has said in a while. Someone defends the skill of baggage screeners on the theory that they find the job "interesting" and "fun?" They want "something to do" and are retired? <BR> <BR>You are not making me feel any safer at all. If they want an interesting and "fun" job, they should go work at WDW. We need to hire trained, motivated, background-checked professionals. Airport security is a national security issue, and it should be treated like one.

Stacy, Have you ever read the story about "Chicken Little?" IMO, you are another Chicken Little running around in a panic. If people don't travel, airlines, hotels, rental cars, restaurants, convention centers, travel agents, meeting planners all suffer. Not to mention tons of jobs and the money that tourism brings to our economy. Just this morning I read in the paper that several conventions in my hometown have been cancelled. This affects everyone! Not to mention, that people traveling abroad are helping other nations economies and fostering good will and ambassadorship! What better way to understand another's culture than to travel and meet other people! <BR> <BR>You have the right not to travel--but please don't go running around telling everyone else what they can or can not do. The Sky is not falling yet... <BR>

I urge everyone to read the following two pieces on the abysmal state of airport/airline security: <BR> <BR>'Paying The Price'by Paul Krugman <BR> <BR>http://nytimes.com/2001/09/16/opinion/16KRUG.html <BR> <BR>'Even Workers Can See Flaws in Airlines' Screening System' By <BR>STEVEN GREENHOUSE and CHRISTOPHER DREW, <BR>NY Times, Sept. 14, 2001 <BR>http://nytimes.com/2001/09/14/national/14SECU.html <BR> <BR>