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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I the only Londoner...

114 replies

Mustbemad123 · 14/11/2015 20:01

Who is flinching every time a firework goes off? Can't shake the feeling that London will be the next target...

OP posts:
TwoSmellyDogs · 14/11/2015 20:11

It might be. It might not. But you cannot - or should not anyway - allow these barbarians to impose that kind of fear onto you. That is exactly what they want. The awful truth is that it no longer really matters where you are or what you are doing - you could potentially be caught up in something dreadful. Don't let them do this to you!

Shinyhappypeople9 · 14/11/2015 20:11

If we don't get involved with the bombing in Syria then it is unlikely to be as this is almost their message. You bomb Syria, you get bombed/attacked. They want to stop these countries bombing Syria and for the people to start pressurising their governments to withdraw. If they target anywhere then every country might as well get involved which would do them more harm.

This and their tactic to stop the economic benefit of holidaymakers in countries where the local population relies on this in the hope that more people will join them.

Time will tell if they work but tactically these are no mugs. They seems to know what their game is.

The West has to find a way to match and better this.

This is a world war already but against an enemy that will be very hard to totally defeat.

wowfudge · 14/11/2015 20:12

I'm not in London and have not enjoyed hearing fireworks tonight, but the best thing we can all do is to carry on with our lives and not bow to the attempts to make us live in fear.

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 14/11/2015 20:13

We probably will be the next target. Nothing you can do about it. KOKO.

londonrach · 14/11/2015 20:13

I was in birmingham today in a shop where a staff member dropped something very loudly that sounded like gun shots. Sadly i dropped to the floor. The poor guy ran over to pick me up. I apologised for being so jumpy and so silly but he understood why and offered me chocolate. As someone who has lived in london im not sure i could cope at the moment. Yanbu op. Thoughts with france x

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 14/11/2015 20:15

I used to live in London and can sympathise. Everyone was jumpy after 9/11 and 7/7. Give it a few days of carrying on as normal and you'll feel better.

liyonthe · 14/11/2015 20:20

I have to admit I haven't given it much thought today, I'm a Londoner but haven't been outdoors today as it's rained so much and I've got a bit of a bug. But it hasn't crossed my mind to worry about imminent attacks or consider changing my daily routine. The threat level is 'severe' but it's been like that for a while.

I'm not hearing fireworks where I am either, we'd normally hear the Lord Mayor's fireworks from where we are but they've been called off.

Original poster
Mustbemad123 · 14/11/2015 20:29

It's so fucking sad isn't it? They have got us where they want us... I was supposed to he going out in central London this evening but I have decided to stay home, just in case. Makes me so sad. What is wrong with the world??

OP posts:
Devora · 14/11/2015 20:32

I think I must be very thick-skinned, because it doesn't get to me in that way. I was caught up in 7/7, and didn't feel nervous after that either. But as I work right in the centre I should probably shake off my complacency.

Brew for you, OP. Grim times.

KeepOnMoving1 · 14/11/2015 20:35

I'm in Central London and there's fireworks also police sirens, but this is normal every weekend stuff. It's still scary though.

HackerFucker22 · 14/11/2015 20:36

Unless you live very close to somewhere that would be an obvious target then yabu.

I am zone 1 but not anywhere I'd consider to be a target for terrorists I'm being realistic not complacent

Us Londoners are made of tough stuff!! Be vigilant but don't let the terrorists win!!

PeppasNanna · 14/11/2015 20:37

Im in London & in all honesty havent given it a second thought. I wouldn't cancel coming to London!

HackerFucker22 · 14/11/2015 20:39

Want to add that we were out in tourist London yesterday (London eye, Covent Garden, Oxford Street) and if you asked me would I have gone today I'd day yes we went yest because of the weather but I'd be a little big iffy about taking the kids if I'm completely honest. Say maybe YANBU.

JeffsanArsehole · 14/11/2015 20:42

I'm not going to stop living my life

But I've been grumpy all day at the thought of going to work on Monday. I'm working in an area that's very wealthy and could easily be a target.

I do feel more stressed by it.

BlueJug · 14/11/2015 20:44

I went to the West End today. Shops not so busy. Decided I would go although had a few reservations. Piccadilly, Oxford St, Regent st.

Tonight three times big fireworks have gone off - and I have jumped. One was so big that I checked the London news to make sure it wasn't a bomb. So yes, I understand. YANBU

spiderlight · 14/11/2015 20:45

I'm not in London but I'm in another major city. We had to go into town today and my anxiety was sky-high - DH (ex-Londoner) thought I was being daft, but we actually ended up being evacuated from a shopping arcade because of a bomb scare (false alarm) and it was honestly the scariest few minutes of my life. Proper tunnel vision, towing DS through the crowds. I wanted to go straight home after that and shook for ages.

StrawberryTeaLeaf · 14/11/2015 20:49

I remember the Canary Wharf bomb. You couldn't have mistaken that noise for a firework.

ghostspirit · 14/11/2015 20:49

im in london. can hear fire works going of.. i think most people are worried about london being bombed but thats been a possibility for a long time. Just have to get on with life.

ilovehotsauce · 14/11/2015 20:53

Your probably safer today than you were on Thursday due to heighten state of alert. (Exlondoner)

HRMumness · 14/11/2015 20:54

It could be next but who knows? I'm not going to stop living my life because of the fear of what may be. I certainly didn't change my plans after the July 7 bombing and I'm certainly not going to change it because of what happened in Paris.

We had actually booked for myself, my husband, my two small daughters and my parents-in-law to go to Paris for NYE this year. We are still going. We also received an invitation to a wedding in the suburbs of Paris for next year too, which we will also attend.

kungpopanda · 14/11/2015 20:56

Tactically it makes sense for an attack on London to be a few weeks away, once the Paris events are no longer in the forefront of people's minds and the place is crowded out with shoppers daytime/office parties and revellers in the evening.

chillycurtains · 14/11/2015 20:57

The only problem with being vigilant HackerFucker22 is that people are absolute idiots with their belongings. I live in London and work in a public building. It never ceases to astound me the amount of bags, laptops, tablets and personal possessions that are just left unattended with the owner not even close to the items. I'm not disagreeing but sometimes I don't really understand how to be vigilant without emptying the building five times a day due to unattended belongings. I'm not even exaggarating.

OP, I agree. Enough with the fireworks. I have enjoyed them less for years though - the very recent events have little to do with it for me. I think people is other countries are going to sleep to the sound and fear of bombs everynight and it doesn't sit right with me it being a sign of celebration.

chillycurtains · 14/11/2015 20:58
  • in
SkaterGrrrrl · 14/11/2015 20:58

\I was caught up in 7/7 and I understand how it feels. But if we cancel plans and stay in, the terrorists have achieved their aim, surely?

RiverTam · 14/11/2015 21:01

I have to say it hasn't occured to me to be terrified. Maybe I'm just not very imaginative.

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