Fearing public transport

[Justcallmebabs]

I've always been a Londoner and used the tube daily as I work in zone 1. I worked up to 38 weeks and would get public transport daily, often with a seat offered from kind fellow commuters. Since having my son (4 months old) I am so fearful about using transport in light of the terror risk. I know thousands of people use the tube daily without any problems but I can't help but think through horrific scenarios which are leaving me unable to sleep at night. My DH simply says I need to work through it and he is right but I don't know how. He feels it might be a sign of PND but I don't feel that I am being irrational. We are on the highest terror alert and the tube has been targeted before. The recent attack has increased my nervousness.

I am due to visit work this week with DS but am lying awake now thinking about it. I don't want to let this beat me. I am also feeling the same about flying. Has anyone felt the same, and how did they overcome this?? I am not normally irrational or nervous. I continued to travel through London when the 7/7 and 21/7 bombings took place. All that has changed is having my little boy

I can imagine that having your first child brought up worries which you never had to even consider.
I think that driving a car wit ha LO in is statistically greater danger than using a public transport.

Have you made your visit now, babs ?

If so, how did it go?

It's completely understandable that your perception of risk has changed since you've had your DS. The stakes are higher and your DC is the most precious thing in the world, of course you will worry.

To try and contextualise this risk, there a 4.8 million journeys made on the London Underground every day. It's been more than 4,300 days since the last terror attack on the Tube. That's 1 in 20,630,400,000 journeys (I don't even know how you'd say that number - 20.6 billion?!) that have been affected by a terror attack. That's exceptionally low.

Since the last attack, emergency services have improved procedures and protocols for responding to terror (or suspected terror) incidents. Technology has moved on by a whole decade, and people are altogether better informed and prepared.

Similarly, around 8 million people fly every day. Only a vanishingly tiny minority experience any form of incident whatsoever.

I know that anxiety is not rational, but I hope you find the numbers some comfort. It's not impossible that something could happen, but it's extraordinarily unlikely.

I completely understand, I barely used to give things like this a thought before having a child. I mean, obviously when there have been terror attacks it is always awful, but I've just not really ever applied it to myself.
More like "it's awful but the city must continue running" until having a child and suddenly you just see danger everywhere.

My only recommendation is to do it anyway. Maybe start with taking DS on the tube for a few stops locally and back again just to build up trust in it again. And good luck!

It must be that you become this worried from having just had a child. In my town we had a terror attack just one month and three days ago, a truck ran down people in a busy shopping street not far from where I was, and I regularly go there and had indeed been there just two days before. Anyway, I took the tube back home today, and forgot to think about anything that might happen, but technically it could - as you also point out - happen again at any point in time. Sometimes I avoid the busiest junctions due to this. If it helps, you could consider travelling in the very front of the first car or at the very back of the last car (probably even better). Have you tried working with relaxation techniques and breathing techniques?

I think you just need to get back in there. Even if you travel one stop, then get off. Then when you can do that, do two. Then manage an interchange etc. If you can't manage, then I think you will need to see your GP to get a referral for help. How do you feel about returning to work at the end of mat leave (leaving aside the travel problem)?

B

So sorry!! Never received alerts that anyone had replied so have just seen these. Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I did visit work back in April. Was a really quiet time of day and all was smooth. I am now back at work and doing the daily commute and feeling ok. Occasionally goes through my mind but I feel happier. I leave early for work and my husband takes LO to nursery. I think I overall feel better but occasionally thoughts do creep in, like I am glad husband and I don't get the tube together incase something happens to one of us. Or if I am walking down Tot Ct Rd, which I do everyday, I purposely choose where I will walk incase somebody decides to mount the kerb. I think though that this isn't irrational thinking, though possibilities are so low.

Just a shame that this is the way we have to think now!