To consider cancelling London trip?

[Anxiousannie89]

It's DH's birthday this weekend and we had booked a trip to London to celebrate.

With what happened in Manchester, we both felt a little uneasy about going but were resolved to go and "get on with our lives" and enjoy the birthday trip. Now I see that the threat level has been raised to critical meaning a terror attack may be imminent and I'm starting to think the trip may not be a great idea.

I've always had quite high anxiety about terrorism so I can't figure out whether I'm being irrational. I should also point out we would be going with our 2 year old and I worry that I'm potentially putting him at risk. I can't figure out whether cancelling the trip is a sensible move in light of the fact we'd be travelling with our young son and the threat level is critical, or whether I would be acting a bit irrationally? DH is happy to go but equally if I said let's cancel, I don't think he would mind.

What would you do?

To be honest, I'd be more concerned about going to a small city/town. There will be fewer police around and little or no ant-terrorist services; it would be a lot easier for a suicide attacker to operate. Places like London have far more security personnel and surveillance 24x7.

Ifailed I agree. But I'm in a smallish city myself. Recently went to a big event which was classed as a potential terrorist target. Stewards and police aplenty. I got talking to one steward chap we transpired to be ex army so I (and the rest of us) literally couldn't have been in safer hands.

I think the thing with this is to be vigilant but not fearful. Our security services know what they're doing.

I know how you're feeling op.
Although I don't have anxiety, me and my boyfriend are going to Manchester this weekend to a gig, it's the first time we've left our baby dd. So I was feeling nervous anyway. I did kinda hope they'd cancel the gig, but so far they haven't and we will still be going.
As someone up thread said, it could be anywhere next, my boyfriends working in Leeds near the train station and he said there was far more police than normal there yesterday.

Unfortunately I don't see this ending anytime soon and I'm not willing to put my life on hold until it does!

Someone ipthread said they've never lived in a country where the prime minister said the threat of an attack was imminent.

Don't you live in the uK then? The last time it was on imminent was 20 years ago. After an attack they usually step up the security level and visible presence of security on the streets to reassure citizens of control and security.

The point about random acts of terror is to strike fear in people's hearts that control and security is fragile. But these acts are just that - very very rare and random. It is very hard to carry out just deeds undetected and it is big news when it does happen because it is so unusual.

Be careful crossing the road and in your car folks. That's where the real danger lies.

We've got tickets for Harry Potter studios for my birthday next month, I am scared to go, but it won't stop me
We travelled to Disney land Paris last December a week after the terror attack was stopped, the only time I felt worried was the last evening when we were watching the spectacular, the crowd was so massive it did make me wonder how the hell we would get out if anything happened :(

Yes please - the fewer people here, the better, ta!!

Seriously though, if you're not going to enjoy it, there is no point. But I would suggest you look at the likely odds when making your decision. They really are in your favour. The Manchester attack was fucking sickening, as was Westminster, nice, Stockholm etc - but statistically even the huge number of people there weren't hit.

It's easy for people to say 'carry on as normal' and 'enjoy your trip to London' but you have to do what you feel is best. For me personally I would not go but then I live in the middle of the countryside and London scares the hell out of me anyway, this just adds to my anxiety. I know a attack could happen anywhere but realistically it's likely to happen in a city and somewhere where there's lots of people (maximum impact) so for me I feel very safe where I live.

If it's going to make you anxious and worried then you will not enjoy the trip so why go?? It's not a point of proving to these people that they won't stop us doing things, it's about protecting yourself and your family.

I'm commuting to work on the tube this morning in London. I can't not go to work. We have to carry on with our lives.

Can we consider the positive points in all this please. What happened in Manchester was horrific. We've all be affected by it and I can only begin to imagine what families directly affected are going through!

However the police clearly believe there was a group involved. They knew who the attacker was pretty fast which shows they have a good idea of who to watch. Increased security and vigilance can only be a good thing. Please let's not forget every day extremist lunitics are arrested in this country yet the attack rate is proportionately tiny in comparison to the threats.

France, Belgium etc all increased their risk rating. It's to put off opportunistic copy cat attacks and to make sure as many police are available as possible. It's a good move. I would think it's possibly the best time to travel. i hope as about to travel and only human so yes slightly nervous

There have been more than a dozen terrorist attacks while I have been living in London and I don't know anyone who was directly involved. A man I know was killed in one of the recent European attacks however. I don't think anyone can predict the likelihood of danger.

the BBC report that 5 people have died in a car crash on the M6, I wonder how many people will now avoid driving their kids to schools this morning?

Do as you wish OP, but you will be safe in London.

Not related to your situation directly, but I had a friend cancel a visit to London (from another country). She told me London 'is too dangerous'. There's something quite insulting about that to me - fine, so it's too dangerous for her, but she's 100% fine with me going about my daily life here? Does she think everyone staying in London is an idiot? Maybe if she had suggested that I should get out of the city, but no...

I know I'm being a little unreasonable.

I was just coming on here to say 5 people have just died in a collision on the m6.

Are you going g to stop driving on motorways too?

I genuinely don't understand why anyone would even consider cancelling, it makes no logical sense whatsoever (and I suffer from anxiety so am familiar with illogical fears!). I also know though that you don't give in to irrational thought or you're on a slippery slope.

We're off to London in 3wks time and I can't wait! I don't panic every day when I get behind the wheel of my car so certainly no need to panic now about something much safer.

Personally I wouldn't go

Basically the only way you can sure of not being a victim of terrorism is to live in a village in a remote place and never leave!

There is a point in this - plus, the irony is that, as someone who lives in a pretty remote village, my children and I are at far more risk of a fatality every day, driving to school down narrow country lanes.

It's all about getting risk into perspective. You don't want to put your children at risk? Of course you don't. But then you'd never let them get in a car. There was someone killed in a park a few years ago when a tree branch collapsed and hit them on the head. I knew a lovely little girl very tragically killed by a fall from a horse. I could go on. Ultimately, there is no such thing as zero risk. As a parent, your job is to manage that responsibly. But to do that, you need to understand it and be rational about it. It's hard to do that in the face of all the awful news coverage, but it's important to put it into perspective. You don't fancy going? Then don't. But don't cancel on the grounds of "safety" as you are at far, far greater risk driving around in your car. Which we all do every day, without giving it a second's thought.

I wouldn't go - mainly because the atmosphere will be tense and you probably won't enjoy it if you are jumping at every little thing.

5 people have died on the M6 this morning. Have you stopped driving or using road transport, OP?

I believe we all have to jog on, but I also believe that if your anxiety is that bad that you wouldn't enjoy the experience, then don't go.

You can get evil and nutters in small towns too. Dunblane was every bit as bad as this :(

I genuinely don't understand why people would cancel either. I grew up in London at the height of the IRA bombings, and you just go about your everyday lives.
I am going to twickenham this weekend with my children, wouldn't even cross my kind to cancel same as I went to the O2 with them the day after the Paris attacks.

OP I am a Londoner - I live and work in central London and I am old enough to remember the IRA campaigns of the 70s and 80s - close enough to hear two bombs very clearly.

I live near two 'tourist' attractions, Portobello Road and Westfield. There are streams of people visiting them especially on Saturdays and this one will be no exception.

Your chances of being caught up in a terrorist incident are tiny. You have a choice of living your life as normal or sitting at home cringing in fear.

I do feel some sort of perspective needs to be put in place here. People in WW2 lived with the certainty of bombing every night over a period of time - see this website for London www.bombsight.org/#15/51.5050/-0.0900

There are people living in war zones. Do not be afraid a a few lone crazies and let them rule your life. Please get a grip and put the whole thing in perspective.

Forgive me if I am sceptical of the PR opportunity this have given to Mrs May and her cronies, but I cannot help thinking this whole incident is being cynically milked.

OP - do what you feel is best. The only thing I would say isn't related to terrorism - it's about your anxiety. Obviously the odds of you being hurt or killed in an attack are extremely slim, but you know that. I suffer from anxiety myself, especially in relation to planes. My husband quotes the stats at me til he's blue in the face - 'you're more likely to be killed driving to the airport!!' but I can't help it, I haaaaate the fuckers (planes) and everything about the experience.

I think terrorist attacks and plane crashes are similar kinds of fears - we know how unlikely they are but they cause us anxiety because we've got zero control over them and because they get so much media coverage.

People say that if you don't go it'll be 'letting them win' - I'm not sure I agree with that, I don't think some Islamist nutter cares if you go to London or not. But I think that if you don't go, it will be letting your anxiety win. Ive got to take a flight on Saturday. I fucking hate planes. I'm even more reluctant to get on one with the terror threat at this level. But I'll feel sooo ridiculous if I force DH to cancel our holiday, lose all that money, and nothing happens at all. And we're stuck here next week instead of being on the beach. My anxiety will definitely have won.

One of the best bits of advice I've been given in relation to anxiety is 'control your mind - or it will control you.'

No way would I cancel

And no way would I spend the rest of my life in flat shoes just in case I had to run for my life !

5 people died in a fatal collision on the M6 this morning. The world is a scary place but we should live our lives, in whatever way makes us happy and content.

Make the decision that you're most comfortable with, OP.

I lived in London for years it is just something to take for granted that there may be security risks/on the alert for terrorist attacks etc. I was there throughout the 1980's and the IRA we would just vacate the office if there was a bomb scare.

I think if karma means you are going to leave the mortal coil then it will happen. If it isn't meant to happen it won't happen.

At the end of the day you need to weigh up sensible living with having a life and branching out and if that means visiting London then just enjoy life. I am going with ds Saturday to London for four days as I love going back regularly and am quite fine about the whole thing. I think living through those bomb scares years made me resilient.

Try to enjoy your time there I would say.

It's always raised to critical after an attack. Then there's no attack for ages. Probably the safest time to go actually.