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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 15/09/2017 12:34

The rural roads you travel on daily are far, far more deadly than a couple of hours on London trains.

Please get medical help for your anxiety and please don't let it ruin a day your children must be so excited for.

thecolonelbumminganugget · 15/09/2017 12:35

Stick to plan A. Right now your brain is filtering out the very many likely scenarios that could play out tomorrow which all end you in returning home from London safely having had a really lovely time and instead giving huge mental airtime to one highly unlikely scenario where you don't. Try and step back and think about what past experience has taught you about situations where your brain has done this before and what the actual outcome was - chances are every time without fail you have been safe and had a really lovely time!

Stick to plan A and go have a nice day x

Original poster
pinkunicornsarefluffy · 15/09/2017 12:37

I don't do motorway or city driving and there are 6 of us so can't fit in my friend's car. She also does not want to drive to London.

I live in a very rural area, I have had no need to travel very far and when I was married my ex husband used to drive everywhere.

and no, I am not turning this into a drama all about me, I am asking for help and advice.

I thought twice about posting in AIBU due to the nasty responses that people get, but as I said, I posted for traffic. My own fault.

OP posts:
babybubblescomingsoon · 15/09/2017 12:37

I'm a Londoner. Here's what we do. We live our lives. We don't stop just because some idiots want us to. You will be fine, if you weren't us we thought it, nobody wouldn't be living here right now.

paxillin · 15/09/2017 12:37

If you have nothing nice to say - say nothing. I won't be quiet about this.

It is uneccessary to make every attack about (insert current me-me-me person) who might come into (insert city) after (insert attack or incident) to do (insert jolly) and might now lose (insert amount).

Real people are caught up in these, real people live in those cities, with their children. Millions in the case of London. What price your kids life my arse. We're not some sort of uninhabited fun park to give a wide berth after this shit.

Ummmmgogo · 15/09/2017 12:39

to be fair you did start it with your what price your kids life comments! go. have fun. let us know how it was.

notanurse2017 · 15/09/2017 12:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MissPatty · 15/09/2017 12:39

I'm really sorry you're feeling anxious about this, OP. I do suffer from anxiety and I get that everyone has their own little triggers and it sounds like you're already feeling worried about the journey etc anyway.

Please don't let this stop you going to Warner Bros - it will be a lovely day out. I am an hour out of London, my husband commutes there most days and I take the DCs in for days out now and then (taking one into the centre tomorrow, in fact). I just don't worry about this anymore, it could happen anywhere. I was in Borough Market in June, we left a restaurant an hour before the attacks happened - it felt extremely close to home but I still went back again the following week and my husband still went to work on the Monday morning. Everyone must carry on and I hope you can find a way to feel less anxious about the trip.

maggiecate · 15/09/2017 12:40

Best time to go - there will be stepped up security and everyone will be hyper-vigilant. I was in London during the Westminster Bridge attack - there was police everywhere for the next few days, but other than that you wouldn't have known anything had happened. London is remarkable in its ability to 'Keep Calm and Carry On.'

It's an easy tube journey from Paddington to Euston - the best way is taking the circle line (Yellow on the maps) or Hammersmith & City (Pink) to Euston Square and then walk along to Euston Mainline station - its not a deep underground line and takes about 17 minutes total. When you get to Euston Sq it's signposted where to go, it's literally one block - come through the ticket gate, go up the steps for the North side of Euston Road, turn left at the top of steps, walk one block - it's well signposted. It's also less bottleneck-y as you don't have to faff about with the escalators & ticket hall etc at Euston underground.

Or you could get the number 205 bus but the tube is quicker!

Don't be alarmed if you get the the station and see armed officers - it's always a bit odd when you're travelling from the sticks to see them tooled up to the nines, but it's reassuring as well as they are generally pretty smiley! You will be fine. Have a great trip, very jealous you're going to Harry Potter!!

SlothMama · 15/09/2017 12:41

Please go OP, have a great day with your children. Don't let these monsters win!

PattyPenguin · 15/09/2017 12:41

You'll be fine.

Just make sure you know what services you're catching and where you're getting on and off, including location and number of stop if using buses. (I use Streetview to check bus routes and walking routes.)

If you know where you're going, it gives you confidence and you can relax a bit more.

As you have 3 adults and 3 children, make sure each child is in close contact with a specific adult when travelling. The 13 year old won't want to hold hands, necessarily, but should walk, stand and sit close by.

These things make sense at any time. I'm being travelling for years and I always plan ahead thoroughly.

LonginesPrime · 15/09/2017 12:41

OP, you will be fine and I'm sure your kids will have a great time.

I appreciate it must be hard with the anxiety, but I think there's more risk that your DC are going to develop anxiety issues akin to yours if you let this ruin your trip than there is that you would get caught up in a terrorist attack.

I live and work in London with my DCs and felt the threat of terrorist attacks (from the IRA) far more acutely in the 80s and 90s growing up outside of London than I've ever felt down here.

Obviously, I feel sorry for anyone hurt or scared by this morning's incident, but please do remember that people on social media love to be dramatic and get attention, so every situation will be overdramatised and hundreds of people who were nothing to do with it will be sending messages saying 'I'm safe' or saying they saw someone who knows someone who nearly took that train, etc.

Please take all the drama you're reading about with a pinch of salt and enjoy your day out.

dolcezza99 · 15/09/2017 12:41

What do you do? Stop being so silly, put on your big girl pants and deal with it, like millions of Londoners do every day.

Original poster
pinkunicornsarefluffy · 15/09/2017 12:42

sorry to those who have been insulted by the "what price life" comment.

I meant that I thought it was selfish to say, but we have paid £600 therefore we must go, because what does money matter against safety?

but some people seem to have taken extreme offence to it, so sorry for that.

OP posts:
Pootlebug · 15/09/2017 12:42

You live your life in a tiny area and miss out on so many potential experiences because of that. If you give the message to your children that this is normal, that cities are scary, etc then they may well end up doing just the same. Poor kids.

MissPatty · 15/09/2017 12:43

Could you hire a bigger car? Share the driving. Which are you more anxious about; motorway driving or using public transport the day after an attack?
I know your friend doesn't want to drive in London (I wouldn't like to do it in a huge car, either) but Warner Bros isn't really like driving around London

ShatnersWig · 15/09/2017 12:44

Every time there is an incident we get one of these threads. And the replies are almost always identical.

Maybe we should have a sticky somewhere at the top of a section which reminds people they are more likely to die from falling down their stairs, scalding themselves to death in their bath or being trampled by cows than by being killed in a terrorist attack.

Despite these "increased occurrences" the number of people killed in terrorist attacks in the UK in the last decade pale into a very small number compared with those killed during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and even 1990s.

Original poster
pinkunicornsarefluffy · 15/09/2017 12:44

My friend is now leaning towards getting a taxi from Paddington to Watford Junction. We are in a hotel there.

OP posts:
dontbesillyhenry · 15/09/2017 12:45

But it's just a completely unnecessary over dramatic comment. If you were going to Florida in hurricane Irma maybe but Harry Potter studios ?

Curtainsider · 15/09/2017 12:45

Well it's an advice site for parents.

dolcezza99 · 15/09/2017 12:46

That's ridiculous. Watford Junction in a taxi will cost a fortune. Get public transport like everyone else and stop being such a baby!

Ummmmgogo · 15/09/2017 12:47

you lot must have money to burn 😂😂😂
stop it now op. put on your big girl pants and give your kids a nice day out.

Phosphorus · 15/09/2017 12:47

A taxi to Watford junction will cost a fortune. Surely the train is cheaper?

lovelyupnorth · 15/09/2017 12:48

go to London and enjoy yourselves

pinkingshears · 15/09/2017 12:49

OP. like you I am very rural.
I am on crutches, and not been to London (anywhere!) for 10 years.
My Ds has ASD. I booked HP for my b'day this year.
My (ex) H refused to come at last min and I went with two kids in costume, on crutches and oral morphine for the pain. Almost in tears.
I lost my ticket, stuffed up the Oyster system, generally 'failed' ;)
And, We had the BEST time! Kids told me they were 'proud of me'.

HP is FAB (but dont buy the Butterbeer- its rank, or pay for the photos when you can take better ones on the train greenscreen round the corner).
I was twitchy too (anxiety as well) as I knew I couldn't run if I needed to. But, it was fine. I was in a restaurant on KS station and the alarms went off and the station was cleared. It was fine. The kids saw me being calm and happy, we had a ball, and this weekend everyone will be on high alert. I have just re-booked for next year (once is not enough!).x