Worried about ds going to London.

[Throughautomaticdoors]

He's in year 3 and 7 years old. They want to take them to the national history museum. I know all about his unlikely it is that anything will happen or that he's more likely to crash on the coach than get involved in a terror attack.
And yet I'm worried sick over it. He seems so little. It's the thought of him effectively being on his own in the event of anything happening rather than with his family.

Would you be happy to let your primary aged child go? Am I being ridiculous and over the top?

In the nicest possible way, yes you're being ridiculous and over the top. (Understandably so.)

Think about how many children go to school in London every day.

I love the natural history museum. He'll have a great time!

I just feel like the history museum is a prime target. It's British history and there are no security checks to get in.

You are being a little bit over the top, sorry! When I was a kid, we regularly took trips into London for school. I'm sure that the teachers will look after him.

Also, as a Londoner, if I worried about every potential, highly unlikely terror attack, I would never leave the house!

He'll be fine. Just like all the kids who live here are fine. Really important to assess risk in a rational fashion.

Are you sure they're not going to the Natural History Museum? With the dinosaurs? I lived in London for 20 years & never heard of a National History Museum (but then British history is not my thing so I could be very ignorant here).

You do know its NATURAL History not national (dinosaurs & wildlife)

Natural History Museum is not about British history btw.

"there are no security checks to get in."

I'm pretty sure there are bag checks - there usually are at major attractions.

My year 2, six-year-old son went to the Natural History Museum yesterday. They all had a great time. Do you live in London? I think it's easier to be casual about trips into town if it's something you do often.

Cross-post with Bip and Ballet!

Also, there are security checks both at the NHM and the British Museum (which isn't about British history either!).

My DM freaked out when I went on a brownie trip to London during the height of the IRA bombings. Her fear really rubbed off on me and I was terrified when the day came to go.

It's natural to feel uneasy but I wouldn't stop my kids going and I would try not to let my anxiety show to them

He will be fine. Ds had a trip to the houses of parliament and Royal courts of justice in the last two weeks.

I'm pretty sure there is security. It isn't very intense, but there is I am sure a squad of people in uniform looking you over as you go in, and doing the odd bag check.

It is a brilliant day out with school.

The new thinking seems to be that the next terrorist attack won't be London as London is well prepared and policed...

Sorry but you are being ott I'm currently in London and have actually just visited a police station. It's chilled and calm.

There are security checks at all the museums too.

They won't be a high target tbh due to the high presence of kids they way casualties but if they targeted kids then tbh all he'll would break loose there are way more easier targets than a museum

We went in the summer holidays and there were bag searches.

Ha ha I'm thick. For some reason I was saying national even though I've been and know it's natural!
I was thinking of the British museum and the two got mixed in my brain. Blame the sleep deprivation.

It's ott

My children are at school in central London. All children walk, bus, tube to get there, through the middle of town ( and often past the museums). It's day to day life

The museums do have bag checks for small bags and security scanners now for any larger bags.

In the event of a major disaster, if any child happened to be split up for their parent/ teacher, do you really think the general population wouldn't just notice a small child alone and promptly move them to safety or away from immediate area or to some police or similar? People help others in need regardless

Don't let the bastards win...

Yeah but if my child was caught in a terrorist attack I sort of feel that have won?

Not really, what if your child is say 5 years now and caught in attack at 55 years old. What if they had spent 50 years panicking and worrying about going places? That's when the terrorists win.

I worked at the museum temporarily a few years ago, they do have security and I had to sit through a very long briefing regarding security and what to do in each situation. All staff are actively looking for anything unusual because it would make the day more interesting.

There is security to get in!

The UK security services are excellent and we haven't had any attacks for years because they smash all the plots.

They could only bomb or do a gun attack in the NHM. They couldn't get a bomb in there and people in London are too alert to the threat not to notice. The kind of semi-automatic weapons they need for a gun attack can't be obtained in the UK.

I would be most worried about a lorry attack on the queue outside but school children bypass that. He'll be fine.