Security and safety -----------------------> US Department of State warning

[FreeStateCruiser]

The moderators can certainly and obviously move this to a more appropriate sub-forum if indicated.

 

Am taking the spouse on HAL from Copenhagen next month and our Dept. of State issues this

stern warning:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/Europe.html

 

I know the odds of being a victim of terrorism are about the same as the odds of being struck by lightning

but still, reality intrudes, doesn't it? The spouse and I will try to be street savvy and practice situational

awareness. If we all cower at home, the terrorists win for sure.

[easyboy]

The moderators can certainly and obviously move this to a more appropriate sub-forum if indicated.

 

Am taking the spouse on HAL from Copenhagen next month and our Dept. of State issues this

stern warning:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/Europe.html

 

I know the odds of being a victim of terrorism are about the same as the odds of being struck by lightning

but still, reality intrudes, doesn't it? The spouse and I will try to be street savvy and practice situational

awareness. If we all cower at home, the terrorists win for sure.

This alert you share is useful too for new cruisers.

You are right. Extra caution is needed, and not allowing terrorists run our lives.

[Sancho_proudfoot]

First and foremost, I think you would have to be desperately unlucky to be in that " wrong place at the wrong time" and caught up in a terrorist incident. They are, fortunately, exceedingly rare, and only get the news media attention because they are rare.

 

Be vigilant, of course; however, most recent attacks here in Europe have been by use of a vehicle as a weapon, driving into crowds. However vigilant you are, that kind of (rare) incident is virtually impossible to avoid if you're there

[beachbum53]

No matter where you go or what you do while on vacation, there's always a certain risk of something bad happening. It could be nature, such as being struck by lightning, or it could be caused by a human, such as being attacked by a terrorist. When traveling, whether in your own hometown or abroad, just be aware of your surroundings and try not to put yourself in a hazardous situation. Given a choice between cowering in fear at home and going out and enjoying all that life has to offer, I choose the latter.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just to put that into perspective, this is an excerpt from the Australian Government Smart Traveller website for travel to the USA:

 

"Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. There have been numerous politically motivated attacks in the United States in recent years, with perpetrators having a range of ideological and religious motivations.

We assess there is currently a heightened threat of terrorist attack in the United States caused by those motivated by the rhetoric of extremists involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq."

:eek:

[Nitemare]

You are still more likely to be pickpocketed on vacation than involved in a terrorist attack, so keep track of the basics and the things you can control.

[TC1957]

Being alert and aware of your surroundings is a good idea if you are traveling internationally...or at the park two blocks from your home.

 

I take the approach that life is to be lived and sooner or later, regardless of how much I worry and how many precautions I take, something is going to cause me to die. It is one of the very few certainties of being alive. One is only left with the decision...would you prefer to be having a wonderful time with family or friends when it happens or cowering in the corner filled with fear?

[iancal]

I think that many of the warnings are based on CYA and politics.

 

We have travelled to Turkey, Thailand, UK, France etc. while similar warnings were issue. I think that you need to exercise common sense and caution when visiting many countries that have this warning. I am just as concerned about travelling in the US as I am in some of the countries that State has issues warnings about.

[newport dave]

There were more terror attacks in the UK and Europe during the 70-90's than there is currently. Never saw the US government issue these warnings back then, when the IRA were systematically and randomly bombing throughout the UK. Wonder why that was.....:confused::confused:

[sfaaa]

There were more terror attacks in the UK and Europe during the 70-90's than there is currently. Never saw the US government issue these warnings back then, when the IRA were systematically and randomly bombing throughout the UK. Wonder why that was.....:confused::confused:

 

IRA weren't targeting Americans. ISIS is.

[newport dave]

IRA weren't targeting Americans. ISIS is.

The IRA were targeting any member of public in the vicinity of their bombs, exactly what ISIS are doing in Europe. The only difference between now and then is, the US government aren't openly allowing its citizens to support a terrorist organisation now.

 

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[VMax1700]

The IRA were targeting any member of public in the vicinity of their bombs, exactly what ISIS are doing in Europe. The only difference between now and then is, the US government aren't openly allowing its citizens to support a terrorist organisation now.

(y)

and I believe you have more chance of being a victim of a mass shooting in a U.S. city than you do travelling in Europe. But then there is no warning issued for that is there? People use their common sense!

[whogo]

This is a U.S. Department of State travel alert, not quite as dire as a warning.

 

"Travel Alerts

"We issue a Travel Alert for short-term events we think you should know about when planning travel to a country. Examples of reasons for issuing a Travel Alert might include an election season that is bound to have many strikes, demonstrations, or disturbances; a health alert like an outbreak of H1N1; or evidence of an elevated risk of terrorist attacks. When these short-term events are over, we cancel the Travel Alert."

 

"Travel Warnings

"We issue a Travel Warning when we want you to consider very carefully whether you should go to a country at all. Examples of reasons for issuing a Travel Warning might include unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, or frequent terrorist attacks. We want you to know the risks of traveling to these places and to strongly consider not going to them at all. Travel Warnings remain in place until the situation changes; some have been in effect for years."

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html

[happy_trees]

IRA weren't targeting Americans. ISIS is.

 

Not even vaguely true. ISIL's main civilian targets are other Muslims, primarily Shia Muslims and other non-Sunni sects. That's based on their religious beliefs. And that's their primary goal. Where there have been attacks in the west, it's been mainly in response to perceived social threats (Mohammad cartoons, for instance) or to create chaos around festivities (Christmas markets, Bastille Day). Not against Americans. Almost all of these have been in Europe. Again, not against Americans.

 

Not saying they're to be ignored. I'm saying that being accurate allows you to be more accurate in how you assess situations and protect yourself.

[mom says]

First of all, the title of the thread, and the OP, is misleading, if not sensationalized. No warning has been issued; it was simply an alert. These are two VERY different things. It only means get your head out of the clouds and pay attention to your surroundings. Such alerts shouldn't even be necessary for the average person who pays attention to current events.

 

IRA weren't targeting Americans. ISIS is.

 

Um, no. The terrorist acts in London and France were not targeting Americans. Not sure how anyone could twist that.

 

And, like some others, I'm much more worried about encountering violence in the States than I am in most of Europe.

[FreeStateCruiser]

First of all, the title of the thread, and the OP, is misleading, if not sensationalized. No warning has been issued; it was simply an alert. These are two VERY different things. It only means get your head out of the clouds and pay attention to your surroundings. Such alerts shouldn't even be necessary for the average person who pays attention to current events.

 

 

 

Um, no. The terrorist acts in London and France were not targeting Americans. Not sure how anyone could twist that.

 

And, like some others, I'm much more worried about encountering violence in the States than I am in most of Europe.

 

People have the freedom to interpret these things as they wish. Am feeling totally safe here in "the States" having experienced zero violence here during six decades of life. The relative risk of being a victim of a mass shooting in the US is 0.00000339 incidents per square mile per year. That is about as close to zero as can be interpreted.

 

My hunch is that our Department of State must know something of concern if they want us to be aware of the following:

 

"U.S. citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning.

Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities as viable targets. In addition, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, high-profile events, educational institutions, airports, and other soft targets remain priority locations for possible attacks."

 

This isn't the same as some generic guidance such as "watch you back".

[newport dave]

Both Japan and Turkey have issued several travel warnings to their populations, concerning the high levels of danger from mass shootings in the USA. You just haven't heard them in the USA.

The UK Foreign Office has an alert for the possibility of terror attacks in the USA.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

 

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[mom says]

People have the freedom to interpret these things as they wish. Am feeling totally safe here in "the States" having experienced zero violence here during six decades of life. The relative risk of being a victim of a mass shooting in the US is 0.00000339 incidents per square mile per year. That is about as close to zero as can be interpreted.

.

 

Whatever helps you sleep at night. Feel free to ignore the statistics from your own National Center for Health Statistics that show 33,599 deaths due to firearms for the last reported year. And this is only deaths. Doesn't include gunshot injuries or injuries/deaths from other violent means. You may consider that negligible. I consider it horrible, and definitely a cause for concern when I have to travel to your country.

 

You might choose to google the incidence of violent crime in different countries. The US rate is 5 times that of France.