I live in Chicago - back in December we had a group of men that did 28 armed robberies of people on the street (the culprits were driving around and would attack people they saw walking alone and rob them), all on streets I frequent. First week of January there were attempted break-ins on the street right behind my apartment on several different nights.
Back in the fall there were two muggings on my boyfriend's street. The second one happened right across from his apartment, 20 minutes after I had left his place to walk home.
Terrorism is at the bottom of my list of concerns at the moment.
My sister lives in Europe right now, but I'm more worried about my parents that live in Colorado Springs since there have been a ton of shootings there the past year.
As others have said, I'm more worried about something bad happening locally. Not just the crime either - I nearly got mowed down by the biggest truck I've ever seen while crossing at a stop sign the other month.
I won't lie. I think about it on the metro from time to time.
Dsd came to visit a few weeks ago and we were on the metro and she saw people running on the platform and she FREAKED!!! It took some actual time to assure her that it was people running to catch the train. Lol!*!
Nope, not all. I was a smidgen nervous when my brother and I went to Greece and Bulgaria about 5 years ago because there was a lot going on at that time (and we did stumble into some bad areas, saw police in riot gear, etc) but mostly I don't think about it. My friend and I were coming home from NYC via Amtrak the day of the Boston Marathon bombing and that was a little nerve wracking when our train was stopped and searched, but so far I haven't encountered anything that would make me scared to travel, especially domestic travel.
I sometimes worry about it when traveling but I would go anywhere in America. Unfortunately it's the world we live in today. It was on my mind when we went to Egypt (and Israel and Jordan) a few years ago, but I NEEDED to see the pyramids in my lifetime, so... I just went for it and don't regret it for a second.
Nope. It hasn't stopped me from traveling. I don't let it alter my life, if it does then they win because they are making you respond to their actions.
Nope. It hasn't stopped me from traveling. I don't let it alter my life, if it does then they win because they are making you respond to their actions.
I know this isn't really what you mean, but it comes across as a bit flippant to act like people who alter their behavior are "letting terrorists win." I avoided the hotel that was attacked in Bamako (my employer didn't let us stay there, but I tried to avoid meetings there as well). I won't stay in western branded hotels in a lot of countries because I know smaller, non chain brands are less of a target. I don't actually get to determine whether the terrorists win. I have no delusions that I am that powerful. But I do have a certain amount of power when it comes to my own self-preservation and I'm not ashamed to exercise it with careful consideration of the risks associated with destinations I visit. The Marriott Islamabad and the Abuja Sheraton seem to be doing just fine without me, given the insane rates they are charging.
Sorry, I didn't mean it to come across this way. I didn't let it alter my travel, but it did alter my movements some. For instance....
We were in Paris Christmas day and on the 22nd, we went to Notre Dame. We went back on Christmas day and the security around Notre Dame was NOTHING like it was 3 days previously. In fact, it was easier to get through security at the airport to get onto the plaza in front of it! There was a huge military presence there, metal detectors, etc. I had no idea what was going on and suspect that due to the holiday and the landmark, it was considered a target. We stood there watching what was going on, and I got a hinky feeling and we got out of dodge.
We also avoided chain hotels as well during that trip. It wasn't entirely because of the terrorists, but the thought did cross my mind. Avoiding them was more because I can stay in a Holiday Inn anyplace in the US and I was not in the US, so we stayed more in boutique hotels. I had chosen most of the hotels (but hadn't made the reservations) about a month before the terrorist attacks in Paris.
I do feel very "aware" and cautious when I'm at our local mall. There was a shooting there 3 years ago and I still feel very nervous and on edge when walking through there.
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Post by Velvetshady on Jan 16, 2016 20:00:07 GMT -5
Think about it? Of course. Worry about it? Nope. I survived my childhood when I was an actual valid terrorist target and still managed to visit most of the Middle East. I'm pretty sure the odds I'll be killed by a jackass driver on I66 are much higher now than by a terrorist attack. Or not. But I'm not to going to spend my life worrying about it.
No. I went to a conference in NYC a few blocks from the Freedom Tower on the 9/11 anniversary this year. That's a pretty decent and specific target. I even thought about not taking the subway because I fear being trapped underground in a crisis. But then I shrugged off the paranoia and lived my life.