To be in two minds about going to London this Friday.

[katedan]

I have never been one to bow to the terrorists and change my plans, was in London the day after 7/7 but we have booked to go to winter wonderland with the kids this Friday and since the horrible events in Berlin I am feeling very nervous about it and wonder if I am being irresponsible to be taking the kids to London at such a high threat time. AIBU?

YABU. What do you think the millions of us who lives there do...

YANBU to not want to go to winter wonderland tho

Ugh. The 'don't let the terrorists win' line is being trotted out again.

Sorry, but I'm scared. I'm a Londoner and I'm pretty scared right now. For my children, who these people would happily see dead, and for my husband who takes the tube daily to work in Canary Wharf.

I live here (in London), work here, and I rarely think about it. Th probability of an attack hasn't suddenly shot up because there was one in Berlin, it's the same as its been for months - years probably, now.

I live in London also. People are being a bit mean, WW is fine! Yeah it's over priced and built naff but it does put you in the Xmas mood. And ffs London isn't bloody hillsborough. It's really not so busy that you just wouldn't go. I'm taking my 3 in this week. of course terrorism crossed my mind, but I can't live my life like that.

My DH goes to CW too JanisNedob
I don't know if he tells you but probably every 3 months they do full scale police and other services practices for what would happen. They shut down some of the tube (DH got a message at work the other day saying to find a different route home if they could because of this ) and rehearse scenarios.

He also told me there are checkpoints for vehicles coming into the wharf and the buildings are all protected with bollards so vehicles can't get close.

Thought I'd let you know if you didn't know, just for even a tiny bit of reassurance . I worry too but I try not to or I'd worry all the time.

1. They can't kill us all at once, so the odds are very much in your favour that nothing will happen. Statistically speaking you are probably more likely to be knocked over on a zebra crossing by a local pensioner with eyesight problems than run over by a terrorist at a random Christmas event.
2. We have a moral obligation to go out and enjoy ourselves as much as possible to flick the bird at any terrorists who are trying to keep us indoors quivering with fear. Don't let them win.

ugh, yeah you lot all live and work there there, but the OP DOESN'T live and work there, and had planned a probably timeconsuming and expensive trip into london for FUN ….. and now doesn't feel it would be so fun for her… and kids are smart and we rub off on them… so why should she still go?

I think you had better watch out and take care because santa claus is coming to town, never mind those draped in bombs

I wouldn't let it change your plans, but as a PP said, WW isn't all that.

DD was 5 when we went and aside from being pushed aside in the very long queue by more than one drunken family, it wasn't really worth all the hassle of getting there and getting in. DD enjoyed it once we were in (and I didn't remonstrate with the families so as not to spoil it for her), but it sure took the shine off it for me.

2. We have a moral obligation to go out and enjoy ourselves as much as possible to flick the bird at any terrorists who are trying to keep us indoors quivering with fear. Don't let them win

My "moral obligation" is to not spend my family's money on outtings that we won't enjoy because the adults are on edge.

A load of MNers wandering around WW out of obligation isn't the answer to world peace!

Don't come if you will be really anxious and concerned.

However, I live and work here, I spend a lot of time in and around central London, soho, Regent's Park, and I can honestly say I feel safer here, than when I go to visit my family in Birmingham.

Winter wonderland is amazing (busy but lots of fun) and it will be a shame if you miss out.

@UnicornInDMboots yes that does help
Thank you :)

tinsel you sound very angry and SHOUTY
And op never said she didn't want to go. She said she thought it was "irresponsible" to go to London "at this very high risk time" which is a bit silly.
But you are right that kids are smart and we do rub off on them. So all the more reason not to live our lives in fear surely? Especially as we are lucky to live somewhere that is generally very safe.

We have a moral obligation to go out and enjoy ourselves as much as possible

We really don't

I was in London on Monday & I was surprised at how relatively quiet it was for Christmas week. It is so statistically unlikely that you would be somewhere where there is a terrorist attack & even if you were in the exact place at the exact time then it is still very unlikely you would be involved statistically. There were over 30,000 people in Nice on 14 July - 86 deaths. So 0.28%, which is absolutely tragic of course but far less likely than being killed crossing the road.

I worked in Oxford Street in the 1970s as a teenager, when the IRA threat was ever present. I remember a bomb threat to Broadcasting House and we all had to lie on the floor away from the windows. So this sort of thing doesn't particularly phase me but of course, its always in the back of your mind.

I think I'd rather go to London than a smaller city with less security.

I was at a train station in another city and felt unsafe because the security was shit. A woman left her bags in the cafe and wandered off to the cash machine and when a guy said to the staff "Erm, someone just walked in, put their suitcase there and then left again..." (Not hysterically, just flagging it up) the staff shrugged and said "I'm sure they'll be back when they realise". An off duty policeman was deeply unimpressed with them.

I think in London the security is likely to be the highest in the country and this week is probably the safest week to go to somewhere like WW or a market.

I w just come home from panto in soho, it was busy but not much busier than a normal Saturday. I feel safer in London than I would in a provincial shopping centre. We have security everywhere & police with big guns. If I was going to launch an attack I would do it somewhere that wasn't waiting for it

YABU.

Even with the threat level as it is, going to London is still one of the safest things you can do. Certainly safer than, eg, travelling by car every day.

(Winter Wonderland is so not my thing but I passed by it two days ago and everyone seemed to be having a marvellous time.)

Coming up to Christmas I have felt a bit apprehensive about terrorist attacks over the holidays. UK being on high alert etc.
However I think you just have to take reasonable precautions and reasonable risks.
Going to London with children is not irresponsible.

I live about 20 minutes' walk from Winter Wonderland. I'd advise people not to go because it's not very good.

I hate the idea on these threads that we're all standing up to terrorism by nobly going about our daily business

A load of citizens carrying on with their normal routines, enjoying their freedom, rather than staying home scared of people trying to subvert democracies, certainly is an excellent way to ensure world peace.

The Royal Family are allowed to not go about their normal Christmas routine though...

YWBU to cancel because of fears over terrorism. But Winter Wonderland is crap and I can think of far better things to do in London.

Well I have been on the tube three times with my son this week and we're still alive...