so an attack is imminent

[myoriginal3]

AIBU to be a little freaked, living in London?

Lockheart That's exactly how I look at it all too. Living and working in London I feel there is safety in numbers; even if terrorists targeted the tube while I was using it, there are nearly 300 stations so you're unlikely to be affected.

I am travelling to Manchester tomorrow for a pre-planned work trip, and weirdly that feels less safe to me purely because it's a smaller city.

I agree Mackerel. Bizarrely, having lived in London my whole life, I don't feel at risk of a terror threat here - I suspect in part from being exposed to the thread my whole adult life, and also because of the very real and valid statistics posted upthread about actual risk rather than perceived.

However, DH and I have just been seriously discussing whether it's a good idea to go to Download in June because of the risk of something happening. Feels more risky for some reason.

And, I'll repeat, they were not raised today. They were already at this level, it's just that we didn't know about it.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come out with this cobblers.

There are always posters who want to be seen to be "in the know", next you will drip feed that your partner/son/ daughter is in the "emergency services" and knew this weeks ago.

It's bollocks.

The terror threat levels are set by JTAC, who are independent.

Politicians may then try to capitalise on the circumstances, but they don't set the threat level.

People saying these terrorists want the collapse of western civilisation, I thought what they actually wanted was for the west to stop interfering in the Middle East? -

ISIS (mainly) are responsible for murdering "At least 6,878 Iraqi civilians" - more facts and figures here www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-isis-casualties-civilian-islamic-state-un-figures-united-nations-middle-east-mosul-a7507526.html

I'm sure our interference over there hasn't helped our situation but I doubt it's the only reason we've been a target given that they are responsible for so many deaths in the Middle East themselves?

She has no source. This I know because there were no soldiers on the streets yesterday but there will be tomorrow. She's talking through her arse.

I'll admit I'm scared. My DP is going to London this weekend for the rugby at Twickenham, will be using the tube etc. I'm honest, I really don't want him to go. It's selfish but I'm trying to persuade him not to.

He'll still go. He's just saying 'it'll be fine'

I suppose you have to just carry on

is that if they have someone in the West with the ability to make sophisticated bombs that person is unlikely just to make one bomb and blow themselves up. Instead they will send other people on as many missions as possible before they finally die themselves only when they know their capture is imminent

is it really any surprise that we have sophisticated bomb makers in the uk when many jihad's have come back battle hardened from Syria? ( I have quoted you bill but my post not directed at you)

do we think they come back - and go and work in the coffee shop forgetting all about it.

What does it go to show, Rose? That no one should ever go on a school trip on the off-chance of terrorism?

It goes to show I would have allowed my DD to go on the first trip, and I allowed her to go on the second trip and out of over 365 days - on the very day she is in London she is very close to Westminster and the attack. You say it should calm me it doesnt,

I bet the parents and relatives of these deceased people do not come on here. It irritates me - because it has happened to someone.

Life comes with many risks, cancer, fire, cars, fumes, silly accidents.
I know my family has fallen victim to these " it will never happen don't be so silly" things.

hmcASwas, the conservative AGM was a rare excursion into political targets. It was mostly people shopping or drinking in urban centres.

Google major IRA bombings - it is eye-opening.

I am astonished that more people aren't openly discussing the IRA campaigns and the British response when discussing current home-grown terrorism (IRA and all other terrorist groups on both sides in NI were home-grown).

Britain has dealt with a major terrorist disruption on its own soil within the past 40 years and yet it is as if it never happened when dealing with this one. bizarre.

I suppose at least the government have learned from their mistakes and haven't had the army fire on its own citizens, suspended habeus corpus, or introduced torture (all of which happened in the NI conflict).

But what's the point of the level being raised if people don't know about it?

The 7th of July wasn't on the 22nd and that's the biggest one on British soil in recent years. The shooting in Orlando was on the 12th June. One of the biggest attacks in Paris was on 13th November (I remember this well as I was in Paris 2 days later).

I don't think the 22nd is a particularly auspicious date for terror attacks but by all means if you don't want to go out on the 22nd July then that's your business and none of mine!

Since the beginning of time, people have wanted to kill other people for political purposes. This isn't something new. There have always been wars/power hungry people, and there is now too.

We are all so petrified of death that we can't get on with living. You just have to get on with it - if you start restricting your and your kids' movements in order to keep them 'safe', your kids will end up being anxious about everything and that is no way to live.

I live in Seoul- should I be scared in case something happens with North Korea? Or I can come back to the UK? But then I have to be scared of terrorism. Or I can move to the US - oh someone might shoot me.

There are crazy bastards in every country, during every period of history. You aren't safe anywhere and you never have been. And yet, humanity continues to go on.

It's very sad what happened yesterday but let's not act like it is something new and unheard of.

As night follows day you can bet top dollar that after any terrorist attack the apologists will be out in force performing all sorts of mental acrobats in order to blame 'the west'.

Utter cunts.

DD supposed to be seeing a show in London on Thursday and DH and I supposed to be seeing Iron Maiden at the O2 on Saturday.

Hear all the 'we mustn't give in Yada yada' but my anxiety is through the roof.

DD and I were planning a trip to London this summer.

We have changed our mind. Going somewhere that feels safer.

shiny we all know cars are dangerous we have laws to try and prevent stupid driving and attacks, its the risk we choose to take with cars. I do not choose to be killed or maimed or my family wiped out by a pointless stupid nutter on pointless crusade

That's just an illusion of control. Most crashes are caused by driver error and, even if you're the best driver in the world, you can be killed by an idiot in another vehicle. Or by dumb luck.

No one is keen on being blown up by nutters but we don't have a choice about the threat. We do have a choice about how we respond to it. Whipping each other up into a frenzy of anxiety on social media does no one any good and is really harmful to people with disabling anxiety. I can't see any viable alternative to keeping calm and carrying on.

It is a bit worrying although I don't actually think an attack is imminent.

Well that's reassuring, mumeeee

I suggest you believe what the experts have stated as fact based on huge amounts information, rather than your gut feeling.

I am trying to focus on all the positive, kind acts shown. The queues to give blood, the free taxi rides home and the other small acts of kindness shown on the streets of Manchester today. But, it is very hard to feel positive for my 2 teenage DDs and their future.

People saying these terrorists want the collapse of western civilisation The core pure ISIS followers want to turn us back to year zero they want to have what they call pure Islam.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

many people they target for attacks may have other issues may not be really religious and brainwashed into it - on the fringes of society - etc but the poison and core - and point is coming from that ^^ and how the hell do you fight that>

Google "The Law of Large Numbers" Lockheart. Your post is riddled with incorrect cognitive bias.

Its just sad I can never send my dd to concerts as a teen and never think will she make it through? will she be killed in a random nail bomb?

formerlyknownasuser someone posted about the threat being critical already (and emergency services but not Joe public were in the know) ages ago. On page 8 I replied asking them to provide some clarification. They didn't.

The threat level was raised by MI5 not the government which scares me more as it's not a public reassurance action, it's because of intelligence. Let's all be vigilant and look up from our phones and take notice of what we see around us every day.

How many more posts about worrying about a random trip to London? Yesterday was Manchester. That's not London. And there are lots of other major cities in the UK that are just as much at risk of something like this. Some of us don't have the luxury of deciding not to make a 'shopping trip' because we live in the heart of the bloody things.

Parma, I think on this occasion you don't need to worry too much about London. As I said earlier, this happened in Manchester and if there is someone up here with bombs or bomb making material they are not going to want to take that long distances and increase the risk of capture.

Plus, security services have been saying for a long time that attacks would move to the provinces. It's hard to attack London and the population, businesses and organisations are hyper aware and well practiced in spotting and preventing problems. The thinking was as it was becoming so hard to attack London terrorists would move to softer targets outside the capital. And they have.

Then feel free to correct it Rhythm. 22 out of 21000 will always come out to 0.1% no matter how you dress it up.