I don't feel scared of terrorists, am I wrong?

[surveyor]

mcdjl said:

AreOut said:

rolex said:

My brother recently visited from Oz, he certainly made the conscious decision to avoid Malaysian Airlines

I'd fly with them just for the sake of it (oh, and cheaper ticket). It must be spooky atmosphere in the air and a big relief when you land (successifully).

I'd fly with them on the basis that statistically they've had quite a lot of years worth of crashes this year so they're theoretically safer than other airlines.
I remember walking past the docklands bombing sure as a child and being unimpressed as while a lot (all) of windows were broken the buildings looked ok. The lack of bins anywhere was far more annoying.

The 2nd crash could have been any plane. For instance some of the US Majors had been using that corridor

[AreOut]

https://fbcdn-photos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-x...gda=1422862954_1a4d7ca8e29f28aa01f641310b620fe4

[fandango_c]

surveyor said:

mcdjl said:

AreOut said:

rolex said:

My brother recently visited from Oz, he certainly made the conscious decision to avoid Malaysian Airlines

I'd fly with them just for the sake of it (oh, and cheaper ticket). It must be spooky atmosphere in the air and a big relief when you land (successifully).

I'd fly with them on the basis that statistically they've had quite a lot of years worth of crashes this year so they're theoretically safer than other airlines.
I remember walking past the docklands bombing sure as a child and being unimpressed as while a lot (all) of windows were broken the buildings looked ok. The lack of bins anywhere was far more annoying.

The 2nd crash could have been any plane. For instance some of the US Majors had been using that corridor

The 2nd crash could only have been an airline using that corridor...

[Watchman]

mcdjl said:

AreOut said:

rolex said:

My brother recently visited from Oz, he certainly made the conscious decision to avoid Malaysian Airlines

I'd fly with them just for the sake of it (oh, and cheaper ticket). It must be spooky atmosphere in the air and a big relief when you land (successifully).

I'd fly with them on the basis that statistically they've had quite a lot of years worth of crashes this year so they're theoretically safer than other airlines.
I remember walking past the docklands bombing sure as a child and being unimpressed as while a lot (all) of windows were broken the buildings looked ok. The lack of bins anywhere was far more annoying.

Unless they were targeted for *being* Malaysian Airlines planes, or there's something at work that tied both disasters together (poor maintenance, bad design, environmental factors, specific air lanes within which they operate, etc), then statistically they are as likely to be the subject of the next crash as any other airlines. Random is random.

[MentalSarcasm]

I live in London and I don't consider myself particularly scared. But then when I was born in the mid-1980's and spent part of my childhood seeing my Dad commute in to London on a daily basis during the IRA attacks. In the past he's told me that at one point he had been through more bomb drills than fire drills, someone organising it all decided they were more likely to be bombed than have a fire. In my experience, those of us that grew up in and around London (and had parents commuting in) during those times are the ones less scared about the current threat, the ones panicking most are those who moved to London from further afield, or are too young to remember it all.

At the end of the day if I went around feeling constantly scared then I'd never get anything done. My grandfather lived in London during the Blitz and mention many years ago that after a while he was so fed up with being woken up by air raid sirens and having to go to the shelter that he just ignored them and stayed in bed, he figured that if it was his time to die then some corrugated iron wouldn't stop a bomb landing on his head, so he might as well die comfortable and asleep. I try to keep that in mind, I won't go out of my way to take risks, but neither am I going to stop using trains and buses on the off-chance that they might be attacked again.

Planes are a different matter as flying makes me feel a bit travel sick, 4 hours in the air feeling nauseous is not how I like to start my holidays.

[Justin Cyder]

The odds of being caught up in a terrorist attack in the UK are infinitesimally small, so live your life & don't sweat it.

I recall meeting a bunch of obviously mil Americans in a bar in Tignes years ago & getting chatting. Turns out they were in port in Genoa for a couple of days, had looked up the nearest decent ski resort & there they were. We asked what they did & they exchanged a few uneasy glances & were clearly unwilling to elaborate, so my guess is they'd been told to keep a low profile, but I remember thinking at the time, really? Al Qaeda Val D'Isere branch?

Anyway, three hours & lots of beer later, they ended up in a huddle at the end of the bar jumping up & down, shouting; USA! USA!

[catso]

PorkInsider said:

mcdjl said:

I'd fly with them on the basis that statistically they've had quite a lot of years worth of crashes this year so they're theoretically safer than other airlines.

On a similar theme my Dad always claims that travelling by air with him is safe, as he was in a plane crash (RAF) in the 1950s and so the chances of him being involved in two crashes must be very small...

[Hoofy]

Butter Face said:

But I don't expect you have to worry about a tractor being on your side of the road whilst driving

Muslamic tractors!!

[Shaoxter]

catso said:

PorkInsider said:

mcdjl said:

I'd fly with them on the basis that statistically they've had quite a lot of years worth of crashes this year so they're theoretically safer than other airlines.

On a similar theme my Dad always claims that travelling by air with him is safe, as he was in a plane crash (RAF) in the 1950s and so the chances of him being involved in two crashes must be very small...

Why does a statistician always carry a bomb on a plane?
Because the probability of there being 2 bombs on a plane is tiny

[Negative Creep]

Something that's always confused me about such groups is that they only go after high profile, well guarded targets. Surely it would be far easier, and install a far greater panic, if they placed bombs in random towns and villages throughout the country?

[onyx39]

Chrisgr31 said:

I work in the City of London and really couldn't care less about the risk of terrorism. The chances of me being killed or injured in a terrorist event are remarkably small, and equally the chances of knowing someone involved in one are small.

I spent weeks persuading my Mrs to go on a trip to London back in the 90's.
She did not want to go, as she was worried about the danger of an IRA attack.
I told her not to be so ridiculous.
We arrived at Piccadilly Circus tube station, ascended the stairs, only to find Regent Street closed due the John Lewis IRA bomb.

[TVR1]

rolex said:

My brother recently visited from Oz, he certainly made the conscious decision to avoid Malaysian Airlines

But that's quite different isn't it? As far as we know, neither were as a result of a planned terrorist attack.

I'm totally unafraid of a terrorist attack. I take my own preventative measures with chance and statistics.

For example, every flight I get on, I make sure I have both a carry on bomb and one secreted about my hold luggage. You tell me the chances of 3 bombs being on an aeroplane at any one time? None!


Eta: just read the post above mine. Oops!

[onyx39]

I have to say, I was going to post something similar to this thread.
I have used the train a couple of times recently from Reading Station, and have felt decidedly ill at ease.
Back in the days of the IRA, at least there was some kind of warning, and a chance to evacuate, but with these people, the first you will know is when the person standing next to you explodes!

[TVR1]

onyx39 said:

I have to say, I was going to post something similar to this thread.
I have used the train a couple of times recently from Reading Station, and have felt decidedly ill at ease.
Back in the days of the IRA, at least there was some kind of warning, and a chance to evacuate, but with these people, the first you will know is when the person standing next to you explodes!

If someone next to you explodes, you definitely won't know anything about it. So why worry?

[MentalSarcasm]

Negative Creep said:

Something that's always confused me about such groups is that they only go after high profile, well guarded targets. Surely it would be far easier, and install a far greater panic, if they placed bombs in random towns and villages throughout the country?

I suspect they want the perfect balance of fear and casualties. In most villages they'd end up VERY scared, but the casualty rate is likely to be a duck or two and some rabbits, possibly a passing badger if you're lucky.

[onyx39]

TVR1 said:

onyx39 said:

I have to say, I was going to post something similar to this thread.
I have used the train a couple of times recently from Reading Station, and have felt decidedly ill at ease.
Back in the days of the IRA, at least there was some kind of warning, and a chance to evacuate, but with these people, the first you will know is when the person standing next to you explodes!

If someone next to you explodes, you definitely won't know anything about it. So why worry?

I wouldn't be so sure

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11710662

[Grumfutock]

onyx39 said:

TVR1 said:

onyx39 said:

I have to say, I was going to post something similar to this thread.
I have used the train a couple of times recently from Reading Station, and have felt decidedly ill at ease.
Back in the days of the IRA, at least there was some kind of warning, and a chance to evacuate, but with these people, the first you will know is when the person standing next to you explodes!

If someone next to you explodes, you definitely won't know anything about it. So why worry?

I wouldn't be so sure

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11710662

I have read a lot of reports of mortar and artillery shells landing amongst groups and some die, some are badly injured and some escape scot free. I guess it is pot luck.

[ShaunTheSheep]

onyx39 said:

I have to say, I was going to post something similar to this thread.
I have used the train a couple of times recently from Reading Station, and have felt decidedly ill at ease.
Back in the days of the IRA, at least there was some kind of warning, and a chance to evacuate, but with these people, the first you will know is when the person standing next to you explodes!

You've hit the nail on the head, this is exactly what i'm trying to reconcile.

There's as near as makes no difference, no chance of this happening to you. Or even happening to someone you know. You have more more chance of winning the lottery (that happens to someone in the UK almost every week) or being killed by heart disease.

Yet there's no way on the train journey you'd think "i should stick a lotto on" or "I should really cut back on the saturated fats".

How does this work, what is the influence or factor i'm missing?

[hairyben]

MentalSarcasm said:

I live in London and I don't consider myself particularly scared. But then when I was born in the mid-1980's and spent part of my childhood seeing my Dad commute in to London on a daily basis during the IRA attacks. In the past he's told me that at one point he had been through more bomb drills than fire drills, someone organising it all decided they were more likely to be bombed than have a fire. In my experience, those of us that grew up in and around London (and had parents commuting in) during those times are the ones less scared about the current threat, the ones panicking most are those who moved to London from further afield, or are too young to remember it all.

At the end of the day if I went around feeling constantly scared then I'd never get anything done. My grandfather lived in London during the Blitz and mention many years ago that after a while he was so fed up with being woken up by air raid sirens and having to go to the shelter that he just ignored them and stayed in bed, he figured that if it was his time to die then some corrugated iron wouldn't stop a bomb landing on his head, so he might as well die comfortable and asleep. I try to keep that in mind, I won't go out of my way to take risks, but neither am I going to stop using trains and buses on the off-chance that they might be attacked again.

Planes are a different matter as flying makes me feel a bit travel sick, 4 hours in the air feeling nauseous is not how I like to start my holidays.

I think everyone "experienced" the IRA; I'm a little older than you, grew up in the 80's in the country and moved to london in '01 and am quite blase about the terrorist threat. Despite claims that every man, woman and child is a legitimate target, muslim terrorists have never specifically targeted women and children such as with bombs in shopping malls like the IRA did, at least in this country.

also I'm of the opinion that the fundamental problem with those who plant bombs is they're a couple of fairy cakes short of a picnic, al-qaida or the IRA/cause or whatever is little more than a enabler.

[agtlaw]

In Britain today, you are statistically more likely to be killed by a policeman than a terrorist.