To change my xmas plans because of terrorist threat

[questabelletreetop]

We have afternoon tea booked in London tomorrow, I was planning on taking my two DC ages 12&4 with my sister. The plan is to do that then take the open top bus along Oxford Street to see the lights, ending in Trafalgar Square for carol singing.

My question is with such a huge terrorist risk in London this Christmas would you be taking your children, especially a four year old who can't run?
Is this a sensible thing to do?!

Huge Terrorist Risk
Oh, you mean the 1970's and the IRA

we coped

The terrorist risk is not huge. It is really very, very small.

Just get on with your life and don't worry about it.

I used to live in London and travelled on one of the tube lines bombed on 7th July 2005 (luckily on a train further back so not directly affected). The next day I was back travelling to work. The chance of being caught up in a terror attack is tiny, the risk of being hit by a car/bus while crossing the road in London, is probably far higher (especially silent electric cars!!)

If anything, I feel safer in London than lots of other big cities, maybe because I feel that London is geared up to terror threat risk and therefore maybe more well prepared.

Probably less than 10 minutes, Bunbun.

In the London Bridge attack, police were at the scene within one minute. The attackers were dead within 8 minutes.

Not to belittle those affected, every attack is horrendous and frightening - but the way I see it, we don't let these bastards stop us living life.

Definitely don’t do it. Stay in, hide under the table, draw the curtains, triple lock the door.

Should we be evacuating central london like they did in the war?

Threads like this are such bollocks

“That could have been me! My cousins neighbour visited there in 1968”

Look at the recent false alarm at Oxford Circus - the police were there in minutes. You’ll be fine. Make yourself a contingency plan if it helps you to feel better (we have one, it is essentially that DH takes DS and runs, and I try to keep up!) but go, and enjoy your day.

I've been in central London all day every weekday over the last year, bar the odd few days off for holidays. I seem to have survived the terrorist threat.

Don't do it!!

Give me the booking ref and I'll go in your place. DM me the details. HTH

I don't think you should be deterred by the terrorist threat. You might be deterred by not wanting to deal with the crowds or the traffic, I couldn't face Oxford Street tomorrow!

No more risk in London than in any other city. Maybe London is even more protected, as police etc will be well aware.

Living in Birmingham, the awful car crash at the weekend in which six people died really brought home how dangerous things can happen anywhere anytime, but I still get in the car and drive to work.

Try not to worry about it.

I went in last week, I didn’t give it a thought until I was walking across Westminster Bridge. Even then it was just a ‘how sad for those families’ 😢

Just make sure you have a map and a plan. London is only small but unless you know your way around you can walk a lot & not see what you want to.

John Lewis is well worth a visit, their windows are (nearly) all the Monster from their advert and a Monster house (free) on the 4th and you can go up to the Garden Rooftop on the 6th floor, fab views and a good space for the kids to let off a bit of steam. Nice cocktails too!

The Carols in front of the huge tree in Trafalgar Square are lovely and no more of a risk than anywhere else.

You don’t need to get the open top bus, just take a regular bus (kids under 11 free. Over 11 is free too but a bit off a faff as you need a photo Oyster card. One day, I’d just pay. There might be another way, it’s not something I’ve needed).

South Bank market (along from the London Eye) is nice this year, make sure you go into the Reorderling Cider bit, there are a few stall & several with food. The entrance is misleading as it looks like it’s ONLY a Cider Bar, it’s not. There are some lovely wood burning, warming, fire boxes in there - it was lovely.

There is too much to enjoy, not to go, for the 1/billion chance you’ll be in the wrong place at exactly the moment some fuckwit does something dreadful.

I would, but if it will ruin your day don't. The threat level is severe, but I work in Westminster and we just get on with it. Here is some guidance -
www.gov.uk/government/publications/stay-safe-film

Don’t be so ridiculous!

We’re going in to London to the theatre tomorrow with dds 6 and 8 🤷🏼‍♀️ Unless you have a crystal ball and know more than us, I’m still going.

I’d be more worried about the shitty air quality.

In the nicest possible way - you are being absolutely ridiculous.

To put the threat levels in perspective for you (just because you mentioned a "huge terror threat in London this Christmas")

The UK threat level has actually downgraded in September to severe, so the threat level is lower than it was in summer. And it has been hovering albetween critical and severe since 2014 - not sure if you have been in London between 2014 and now; but if you have then there's no difference between then and now.

And again just to put things in perspective... the current threat level of the IRA to the UK is at substantial which is only the level below what we're at now and there hasn't been an IRA attack in about 16 years.

Just have a nice time and enjoy your day

You do realise OP that an attack could happen anywhere, not just in London?

Best not go out anywhere, just in case hey.

I think some people are being quite mean to you OP, it's a valid concern that you have! I've never felt unsafe in London before (used to live there a couple of years ago) but when I was back for a visit a few months ago I was so on edge.

Tbh I would make plans to see friends away from central London where possible. Obviously if what I want to do is in central London then I'd just do it but I would be feeling on edge the whole time.

I think it's different if you live in London because you have daily positive reinforcement that everything's fine cause you visit London every day with no problems. It's different when you're not living there. That's what I feel anyway.

OP I understand. And truthfully? No I wouldn't go in.
I'm terrified. I wish I could be as brave as everyone on here but I'm so scared, my anxiety has gone through the roof.
It's not healthy and it's not sane, but it's where my mind is

Honestly these threads fucking annoy me

MILLIONS of people live, work, study etc in London daily. You. Are. Ridiculous.

Thanks everyone who has given an opinion/advice without condescending and patronising me.
To all those who saw cause to be unkind FYI:
-I am a Londoner born and bred

• I suffer from huge anxiety surrounding death after a tragic accident in my life.

-I booked the day out because I'm trying my hardest to not let my anxiety affect my children, I want to take them to my home city because in my opinion there is no place like it, especially at Christmas. I thought I could do it.

Unfortunately the terror threat is real, so is dying in a car crash which I also have anxiety over. Most people go about their daily lives thinking that tragedy is what happens to other people, that there is such a slim chance of anything happening to them that there's no point in worrying. But if it has actually happened to you then that threat is incredibly real. The way I look at it is that (as someone else mentioned) why would I take a risk?

I am a Londoner but I don’t work in town any more. I think it’s worse when you aren’t there. I never used to worry when I went into town every day. Occasionally now I think ‘oh maybe not there’ but actually when I need/want to go into town I just go without thinking about it!

I remember after one of the recent attacks thinking maybe I would avoid walking over any bridges for a while. I only remembered i’d decided to do that AFTER I’d walked to London Bridge station from Tower Hill one day.

I think once you’re there you won’t worry. Also I agree re Oxford St. It’s grim at the best of times. My top tip for tourists is to get the no. 9 bus which goes rounds lots of interesting places for a lot less money than the open top one.

You are more likely to die in a bathtub than in a terrorist attack