To think school trip to science museum tomorrow is not a great idea ! After Westminster.

[OopsDearyMe]

My daughters school have a trip arranged for tomorrow to the science museum in London. I know I'm gonna look like a bubble wrapper, but I'm not sure why but I'm not comfortable with the idea of a school taking a group of 100 kids to a known landmark and possible terror target , just a few days after what has just happened.

I know the threat is more likely to be for political places , but look at the bataclan (sp) and beach attacks. I know we should be standing firm and not be cowed, bu my daughter is profoundly deaf on one side and as a result gets lost easily and struggles in busy places. Should something happen even nearby, I'm not sure she would be able to react quickly etc.

I'm also annoyed because the statement sent out, was quite insensitive about what happened and was full of feeble reasons as to why they could not cancel (it would cost them to re book the coaches, the terror threat has not been raised and they have plenty of staff).

I used to work in the West End, when 7/7 happened and still went to work, so I'm no snowflake....

I live in central Paris and my DD attends a school that is a stone's throw from major monuments. Despite what some posters seem to think, all sorts of precautions are taken by school, the police and the army in the face of the increased risks posed by terrorism and these are communicated to families. Life as normal (pre-terrorism) is not the recommended strategy. Indeed, many things we did a few years ago, unthinkingly. are no longer allowed.

Perhaps they should move all the children out to the country?

How would the OP going help? Magic Anti Terrorist Mummy Dust?

As far as I know no children have been killed in acts of terrorism in the U.K. in the last 5 years.

Also why are people suggesting the OP goes too? What would that achieve? Would she stop the terrorists or with her spidey instincts whisk her child to safety ahead of any attack?

Ontopof I wasn't aware we'd had ANY terrorist incidents in the UK in the last 5 years.

It is ok to be scared but please don't let that completely rule your decision.
Police officers are working long days and giving up rest days with their families to try to reassure people and seeing you go to work as normal, school trips being done as normal means that at a time when they are hurting from losing a colleague and wanting to curl up with family for comfort that they know the loss of those people and those long hours is not for nothing.
Respect is stopping for a moment when you cross the bridge and saying a small prayer or hugging your child as they go on that trip while hiding the fear you feel. It is about not looking at all muslims and blaming them for the acts of a madman alleging he does it in their gods name.
Respect is a smile as you walk along at a complete stranger despite those fears.
I understand your fear, understand your concerns but it comes down to one question
Do you want your child to live life to the full or live in fear?

I'd let her go as she will be carefully supervised. My DS went on a school trip to London yesterday which I felt awfully nervous about but he went.
I have stopped him going alone (teenager) this weekend though because he is not at all familiar with London and doesn't know his way round the underground well so wouldn't cope if something happened.

I think the school should cancel just because you will NOT be the only parent concerned about this.

Dm nearly had a fit when I decided to move to London. Swore blind I would be killed by an IRA bomb.
Then they bombed my home town

Sorry to be unsympathetic, but I don't understand this at all. There are millions of people in London every day, going about their business. If they all decided they were too frightened to go in, the country would ground to a halt.

At the moment, the Westminster attack looks very much like one man who was acting alone. There is no reason whatsoever to suppose there'll be another attack in the next few days, at the science museum or anywhere else.

Understandable OP but looking at it logically. It's probably the safest place to be at the moment. Their security will be tightened up even more than usual and it will be armed to the teeth with armed police (pardon the pun) and extra security staff. I don't think even terrorists are that stupid to try and attack the same place twice in two days.

I can't believe people go around not just thinking like this but also allowing their issues to affect their children's lives.

What expatinscotland said.

A couple of years ago I saw a motorbike lying in the middle of road near Westminster Bridge, and an ashen faced policeman who would only say 'it was bad' when I asked him what had happed. That didn't even make the local news, but I doubt the motorcyclist's mother missed them any the less.

Moral of the story being that you'll do a lot more to keep your children safe by campaigning for safer roads than by worrying about a few fuckwitted idiots who like to think of themselves as 'terrorists'.

I suppose having grown up in London through the IRA years, and being evacuated from public places because of bomb scares more than once plus being on the tube going through St Pancras at the time of the 7/7 attacks I just dont beleive there's any way to avoid such random risks. Its so unlikely. Dont be afraid.

Did she go?

I think you have to let her go and busy yourself because if the trip is postponed, when will be new 'safer' date be? I can be fairly confident a safer day isn't on the horizon, the threat level will remain in place and the risk will remain there for the foreseeable future.

Oops, didn't realise the trip was today. I hope it went okay and the children had a wonderful time. The Science Museum is excellent.