No European travel for me in the near future.

[RandySF]

I'm letting the news affect my travels habits for the first time ever.

[Squinch]

1. I'm going to Europe in August. A little edgy about it...

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Going to France in August. Not that concerned.

[SheilaT]

2. Unless you'd been planning to visit an actual war zone,

you are generally quite safe while travelling.

It's like all the people who freak out when there's a crash of a commercial airliner, vastly overestimating their actual risk of being in a plane crash.

On the other hand, there are lots of other places you can go to, that's for sure.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

22. Most war zones have fairly well defined combatants

I have been in a few war zones and the psychopaths with AK-47s who were riding around in the back of Toyota pickup trucks were completely indifferent to my existence other than shouting nationalistic slogans in broken english when I had a camera out.

The ISIS Twitter followers on the other hand would be happy to kill me. Despite rejecting just about everything about Judaism and Israel in their entirety, I couldn't look more Jewish if I tried.

[MADem]

33. Try sporting a keffiyeh! It'll change your look completely.....

Every fault's a fashion, nowadays.

[JennyMominFL]

3. Not me

I'm going to Norway, Italy, Spain and the UK in September. I will be gone for 5 weeks. I live in Orlando. The risk is everywhere. I will not be reckless, but I will live my life.

[CurtEastPoint]

7. I told someone at work, 'I could have been in that bar in Orlando.'

You cannot let this ruin our lives.

[Dirty Socialist]

4. Me Neither

I am underemployed and can barely pay my bills week to week. No money for travel. The employment situation in Dayton still sux.

[1939]

42. I spent a month in Dayton one week NT

[HassleCat]

6. Better avoid the US then.

Your chances of being shot, raped, mugged, etc. are higher here than in most of Europe, even if terrorism continues to increase.

[pangaia]

17. Amazing, is it not.. people's irrational fears, ignorance and paranoia.

[LanternWaste]

18. Consider the cost-benefit analyses we all do everyday, informally in our minds

Consider the cost-benefit analyses we all do everyday, informally in our minds, apply that to the OP and then realize the irrelevance/petulance of your response.

It's kinda difficult for Americans to avoid America...

[HassleCat]

21. Not really.

Canada is right next door.

[cwydro]

41. I think you missed his point.

And I rarely agree with him.

But I got it.

[Surya Gayatri]

20. ^^^AMEN to this!^^^

[6chars]

8. just be careful

stay away from crowded attractions, airports, synagogues, concerts, nightclubs, sporting events. you will probably be ok.

[Lance Bass esquire]

12. Just stay on the plane.

Safest Bet.

[pangaia]

19. What if there is a bomber on that plane !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

better get off it before something happens.

Oh, but then there might be a bomber in the airport, or out front.. or...

Better to just stay home in bed under the covers...

[SheilaT]

24. And home the roof doesn't collapse on you,

of a tornado doesn't rip through your town and kill you.

Yeah, people are quite irrational about such things.

A while back when that Germanwings plane crashed a bit over a year ago, someone here totally freaked out because it was a flight he took on a semi-regular basis. Thought he'd better cancel his next planned trip on that flight. Not sure if I got through to him that the same flight almost never crashes again, least of all a short time later. The ONLY instance I know of was a pair of plane crashes in Bradford, PA. One on December 24, 1968, the other two weeks later on January 6, 1969. Both flights were landing, but coming in from different directions. Weather does seem to have been a factor.

[pangaia]

28. THE ROOF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE ROOF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's ok. it's still there... Whew !!!!!!!!!!!



" the same flight almost never crashes again."

Especially since the pilot and plane are caput !!! or is it kaput ?

[cwydro]

43. I remember that.

I've flown a lot.

You either live your life or curl up in a rocking chair somewhere.

[pangaia]

13. Also stay away from hotels, subways, busses, restaurants,

street food strips, grocery stores, public baths, massage places, health clubs, shopping malls, stores of any type..


In fact, probably better just to stay home in bed.

[pangaia]

9. You have a much greater chance of being hit by a car crossing the street here,

well, unless you live in the middle of Montana, than traveling to Europe and being killed by some terrorist.

Forget it, if you can. It's irrational.

GO !!!!!!

[GOLGO 13]

10. Yep, going to stay out of the EU for a bit.

Maui or Tokyo? Hmmm fuck it, I'll do both. Winning.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Not me. I always feel much safer there than in the USA.

Going to Paris, France in December.

[MADem]

14. I wouldn't let it stop you.

Here's the thing--the overwhelming majority of people in a location are NOT affected by these attacks.

I would recommend that you get out of the airport as quick as you can manage, and exercise caution in crowds. It's like living in London during the troubles--watch for unattended packages, e.g.

Unless you want to retreat to somewhere in small town America, where you know everyone and everyone knows you, you're always going to be at risk, even here...at a nightclub, or a movie theater or a fast food restaurant.

[greatauntoftriplets]

29. I was in London during the 1993 Bishopsgate bombing.

Fortunately I was on Portobello Road that day (it was a Saturday!) but had been in Bishopsgate the previous day. Aside from relief that I wasn't in the financial district that day, my only concern was to let my elderly mother know I was fine before she heard about the bombing on the news. Then I went about my business.

I'd go to Europe in a minute if I could!

[MADem]

32. I was on a busy street in Iran during the Revolution

and got shot at by The Shakiest Gun in the Pasdaran, apparently, who was on a roof with some sort of long gun taking pot shots at people. He hit three in quick succession before he missed me.

The guy--literally-gave me a haircut. I bravely (LOL--total chickenshit, I was-- it was guilt and respect for the aged that made me stop for her, the mean old thing) grabbed a deaf old lady who didn't see what was going on and dragged her into the jub (basically, an open drainpipe, full of all sorts of nasty things, that sometimes has concrete covers on it, but sometimes not--this was a mostly "not" and the jub was fortunately quite wide). After I managed to make her understand the danger, we crawled through the shit in the jub around the corner and escaped safely. The miserable woman didn't even say thanks! Hee hee! I heard the Pasdaran was shot and dragged off by the army, but didn't hear more about that afterwards. Talk about a heart lurch!

Ever since then, I figure it's all gravy and luck. I could have so easily been toast. I've had other scary experiences with bombs and so forth, but that one was probably the most compelling from my POV, anyway.

Have you seen the pound? This is the Best Exchange Rate EVER for travel--and in high season, too! Might not last, so now's as good a time as any. I've got some commitments in the middle of the country coming up, but I would like to try to get over the pond before Christmas--if not UK, Spain or Italy....but heck, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to show France a little love...?

This "keep your wits about you" shit is the new normal. The See Something/Say Something business is something all of us are going to have to adopt.

I am appalled at what happened in France, but I'm not going to let some twisted jerk modulate my behavior. I'm too old for that crap.

[greatauntoftriplets]

36. You're lucky that he missed you. Those were scary times in Iran.

Back in the 1970s, I missed by a week or so a couple of bombings at a local courthouse a couple of blocks where I've always stayed in Dublin.

The pound's exchange rate is lower than I've ever seen it -- or spent it, more to the point. Now that I'm retired, though, I just can swing it financially. If Trump wins, though, I might throw myself at the mercy of my relatives and seek refuge in Luxembourg! Easy to get to France from there, Paris is a three-hour or so train ride.

I hope that you get to Europe this year or next. Seems like I'm an armchair traveler these days. The latest attack in France is beyond belief.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

15. I'm supposed to be moving to Toulouse next year, I'm definitely feeling a little iffy about that.

I don't think the Battle of Algiers playing out in the streets of French cities is going to be very much fun. A few years ago I would have thought a Muslim insurgency in Europe was comically improbable, but now I'm not so sure.

[NightWatcher]

16. Do you go to the movies, church, mall, school, restaurants?

Odds are better of getting shot here in the good ol USA.

[Nye Bevan]

23. People worry about the wrong things.

A couple of months after 9/11 a neighbor of mine decided to drive down to Florida (from Connecticut) instead of flying. A ridiculous decision because the risk of being targeted in a terrorist attack is infinitesimal compared to the risk of being killed or injured during a 2-day drive down I-95. Similarly, your risk of being involved in a terrorist attack on a trip to Europe is insignificant compared to your risk of being killed in a car crash on the way to or from the airport.

Seeing a crash on the interstate and vowing never to travel by motor vehicle again unnecessarily would be a more sensible decision than refraining from European travel because of a couple of terrorist attacks. Don't live your life in fear. Always wear a seatbelt, don't text and drive, take sensible precautions when traveling, and don't let fear of terrorism affect your life.

[Matrosov]

25. You'd probably be safer in Europe

Violent crime is typically higher in the US.

Think of plane crashes (Europe). They seem pretty scary, but you're much more likely to die in traffic (US).

[MowCowWhoHow III]

26. Avoid Turkey for a bit

[GulfCoast66]

27. Your choice

But it is an emotion based not fact based decision.

Posted on another thread.

Murder rate in US is 3.9 per 100k population. In France it is 1.2 per 100k population. And even lower in most other Western European countries.

So if safety is your concern get to Europe ASAP.


We are traveling to France next year for a 3 week trip.

[MFM008]

30. Just be watchful and stay out of large crowds.

My dad used to say keep your back to the walls.

[HipChick]

31. I don't feel the US is any much safer

[hobbit709]

34. Fear is the mind killer.

[AngryAmish]

35. Ireland and Scotland in September

Tralee, Ballybunion, Lahinch (gonna poke my head over at Dunbeg but not tell anyone over here that I am doing it. I think I got Mairfield squared away, North Berwick for a few days and where ever else my hosts want to go. Plenty of golf to be had.

Nothing bad happens on a golf course.

[vanlassie]

40. Watch out for lightening!!

[jpak]

46. Nessie lad

Nessie

yup

[TacoD]

37. Going next week

Italy, Croatia, France and Spain.

[seanbnewyork4]

38. This tragedy will NOT deter me from traveling

After all, you only live once. I personally would love to go to Europe, but I'm too busy these days.

[cwydro]

39. Lol, sorry, but that is a bad way to go through life.

I'll travel where I want and when I want.

Probably safer in Europe than any day of the week in our wild west country.

[GoCubsGo]

44. Same here.

But, it's because I'm broke and can't afford to travel, and not because I'm afraid. (Rot in Hell, George Bush and your ilk.) I fear the gun-humpers in my own neighborhood, of which there are many, far more than any terrorists in Europe.

[jpak]

45. So, where in 'Merica is off your list?

Lower Manhattan?
Charleston SC?
Orlando?
Ferguson MO?
Newton CT?
San Bernardino?
Malheur national wildlife refuge?

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

47. Just got back from Berlin, Dublin, London

when your time is up its up. Recently in Sarasota, FL a man was killed in his own yard by a stray bullet from some yahoos firing guns in their yard. Still haven't found the actual shooter yet. So live life to the fullest but I wouldn't book any tickets to Turkey.

[PasadenaTrudy]

48. I'm going to Albuquerque, even more dangerous! nt