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AIBU?

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Original poster

Going to London tomorrow - what to do :(

453 replies

pinkunicornsarefluffy · 15/09/2017 11:52

Posting here for traffic, I am going to London tomorrow, train from here to Paddington, then Euston, then Watford Junction.

Having just seen the news about the bomb, I am now terrified. I rarely go to London and this is so scary. There will be 3 adults and 3 children aged 9, 10 and 13.

If we don't go, we lose £600, but what price your life or your kids life?

We are still thinking of going and doing bus or taxi from Paddington.

Has anyone got any advice on transport ?

What would you do?

OP posts:
Brittbugs80 · 15/09/2017 19:43

You are probably safer than ever the day after a terror attack as everyone is on higher alert.

Plus your more likely to die in a car crash.

Go, it will be fine and HP world will be amazing! Love it there

BananasAreGood · 15/09/2017 19:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuckKeidis · 15/09/2017 20:08

I live in London and like snakes.

alibongo5 · 15/09/2017 20:19

Not meaning to be harsh but this sort of reaction always reminds me of an ancient Arabic tale about death retold by Terry Pratchett I think in the Colour of Magic
"A servant to a rich Baghdad merchant who goes to the market and encounters Death there, who gestures at him. Convinced that this is a very bad omen indeed, the servant rushes back to his master in a great panic and begs him for a horse, so that he can ride to Samarra and escape whatever calamity will befall him should he stay in Baghdad. The kind master gives the servant a horse, and goes out to investigate for himself. When the merchant finds Death and asks him why he frightened the servant so, Death replies: "I wasn't trying to scare him, it is just that I was so very surprised to meet him here, because I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra!""

I try to be fatalistic - if it's your time, you can't avoid it even by running away!

Liiinoo · 15/09/2017 20:23

Alibongo
TP - always amazing! I wish I had half his wisdom. But not his awful taste in hats and jewellery.

silverbell64 · 15/09/2017 20:24

This sort of thing feeds the beast. As another poster has already stated it's probably the safest time too.

thekittensmittens76 · 15/09/2017 20:34

Business as usual here! And I say this as a recent newcomer to London (by a matter of weeks). I took the tube to and from work today, and I'll be taking it to an art exhibition tomorrow. You'll be fine.

TiesThatBindMe · 15/09/2017 20:37

Well it's at Critical now.

alibongo5 · 15/09/2017 20:41

@Liiinoo - aww, while I wouldn't wear his hats, they suited him! A brilliant, lovely man!

trinity0097 · 15/09/2017 20:42

You'll be fine. I took a party of nearly 30 kids on a trip to London today. A chap on the train sidled up to me on the train and told me about the incident, but we carried on, nothing we went on was disrupted and London was going about its business as normal.

HanutaQueen · 15/09/2017 21:26

OP, I'm usually the least tolerant of folk who can't do public transport but I know the sort of place you live and I completely get why you'd be a bit freaked out by it all!! Not being patronising, it's just so far removed from that sort of place.

The quickest and least 'I'm on tube and unfamiliar territory' type journey for me would be train to Paddington, taxi to Euston, train to Watford (providing the line is running). It is a fast train. It is basically the same as you coming in to Paddington from out of London. It is about 20 mins from Euston to Watford Junction if I remember rightly (worked there for a couple of months earlier in the year). Loads of folk going to HP studios too! It is a very short walk to the Holiday Inn, it's just round the corner. The HP studios connecting bus is well signposted.

If you are worried about using unfamiliar transport then this is just a train. Watford tube is a little out of the way; same as the overground, although Watford isn't a big place and I don't think you'd get lost. You don't need any extra stress.

Bobbins43 · 15/09/2017 21:40

You'll be fine, honest. Get a taxi from Paddington to Euston and jump on a train. 20 minutes to Watford. You'll all have such a lovely time.

Bobbins43 · 15/09/2017 21:41

SunSeptember, observant Muslims would be at prayers on Friday themselves. And also, don't go blowing people up

HTH

Bobbins43 · 15/09/2017 21:44

OP, you might not have to drive through London. Try using Google Maps and under Route Options, click "Avoid Motorways". It'll show you a route using A roads only. I don't drive on motorways either and find this really helpful.

Bobbins43 · 15/09/2017 21:49

Watford Met Station is about a mile away from town and about a mile and a half away from Watford Junction. If you can get to Watford Junction, I would go there. It's very well signposted for the HP shuttle bus too.

OP, I live very near there. If you want some travel advice, just send me an message.

hellejuice91 · 15/09/2017 21:54

Go. If you don't you are teaching children a lesson that they should be scared. I work in Manchester and did not want to go in the day office the bombing but I forced myself to and I'm glad I did x

Maria1982 · 15/09/2017 21:58

I would go, and do my best to enjoy myself.

Realistically , go and take your common sense with you - I.e. Report unattended baggage.

But really there's no need to be paranoid. I loved in London for years, including 7/7.
I was in Barcelona the day after the attacks this summer.
I wasn't going to change my plans out of fear. The way I see it if I do that, the terrorrists have won already.

Good luck and enjoy!

Maria1982 · 15/09/2017 21:58

Lived not loved! Although I did love London

SunSeptember · 15/09/2017 22:01

Bobbin please don't offer help too me, go and tell that to the jihadis who write the how to attack the West guides. The jihadis who...see themselves as doing god's work....

ShoesHaveSouls · 15/09/2017 23:23

Do terrorist attacks happen on Fridays particularly? Sounds a bit unlikely as the Westminster/LondonBridge attacks happened on a Wed and Thurs. 9/11 was a Tues. 7/7 was a Thurs. The Bataclan attacks were on a Friday, but the Nice attacks on a Thurs, and the Brussells attack on a Tues. I'm aware of "Bloody Friday" - but in light of the above, there doesn't seem to be a "Friday because Muslims are all in the Mosque" pattern to me.

StickThatInYourPipe · 15/09/2017 23:32

Harry Potter studios aren't even in London

LOL! Do you love under a rock? I don't like HP and even I know there is a mahoosive theatre show based on it in London at the moment!!

OP I don't actually think YABU to be a little nervous, especially with anxiety but tbh it will do you the world of good to get out there. As pp have said you are more likely to be involved in a car accident and you can't put your life on hold becuase of a few arseholes.

YABU however to imply that people who travel in London value their families lives less than people not in the city. Although I not think that's really what you meant

StickThatInYourPipe · 15/09/2017 23:34

Maria1982 I've just done the exact same thing!

Do you live under a rock that should have said. If you do your loving under a rock, well really that is none of my business Wink

Bobbins43 · 15/09/2017 23:45

Harry Potter Studio Tour is based in Abbots Langley, in Hertfordshire. About 2/3 miles away from Watford Junction.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is a play that's on in the West End in London

Jihadis are not the same things as Muslims. Read many jihadi guides, have you, Sun?

StickThatInYourPipe · 15/09/2017 23:56

Bobbins43

Apologies, I know there is the tour in Hertfordshire but I think it is quite clear that the OP is attending the theatre show. Unless she thinks Watford is in London.

That comment just made me laugh quite a lot as every newspaper and well pretty much everyone I knew was talking about trying to get tickets when it came out so I was surprised that someone didn't know about it being in London.

I agree with the Muslim comment, pisses me off every time I see a bloody thread like this and people use Muslim as a word for terrorist, as if the two were interchangeable. They are not, people really need to wake to fuck up to that!

Androidsdreamofelectricsheep · 16/09/2017 06:54

I have been told several times that people were going to Harry Potter World in London. I think people in the sticks just see anywhere near London as part of London. Bobbin isn't HPW in Leavesden? D M lives in Abbotts Langley and is always at pains to make the distinction (snob).