More prayers for all those involved in the new terror attack in London

Another heartbreaking news...
My thoughts and prayers for all those involved in this tragedy.

We leave in 23 days and are concerned, of course, but this will not stop us from taking our trip. This trip has been a dream of ours for years, we spent the last 10 months planning. If we give up our dream they win, not letting that happen! Praying too.

We leave in 18 days; only change planes in London, but still... I know at least one family member is going to ask us to not go. Not going is not an option.

I have another friend here who is worried because her sister is headed to England next week. My response is, more people are killed in Tulsa -- Tulsa -- in an average week than in all of Europe. Every single day there's at least one story in the paper about someone being killed; sometimes there are four or five.

But yes, thoughts, prayers, and hopes to those affected by this latest tragedy.

We go every year and this year for Christmas. We've always felt safer in London than many American cities. Life goes on. Keep on traveling is a motto we've heard someplace...... and follow.

It's true that, statistically, American cities have been and continue to be far more dangerous. But statistics don't always tell the whole story. What differentiates these terror attacks is that they specifically target people who are trying to enjoy life in ways that tourists often do. In American cities, the vast majority of murder is committed by people who know each other and have reasons for conflict, by gangs involved in the drug trade, and by hot-headed people in domestic disputes. By in large, their victims tend not to be random people enjoying dinner in a bistro. So these are just not "apples to apples" comparisons, especially for the type of person posting on a Rick Steves' forum. I am planning to visit Germany and Switzerland in July, but will probably adjust some of the itinerary to avoid large crowds and/or peak mass-transit times. I suggest each and every person who plans to travel in Europe this summer consider some basic self defense training. Sorry, but I don't necessarily agree that any of us keeping our plans to eat at a trattoria in Rome is going to make a terrorist feel that he's losing. What will make the terrorist feel he's losing is if he's locked up and or killed before he can slaughter innocent people enjoying themselves while taking a stroll on a bridge across the River Thames.

Well said. jhouston1971. In the USA, most murders tend to be between people who know or are related to one another or done by gangs or criminals because of an easy opportunity, not on tourists eating at a bistro or crossing a bridge due to religious fanaticism. You can usually avoid crime here by staying out of bad neighborhoods and by taking simple precautions (example- don't use atms at night, don't walk alone on city streets at 3 am while drunk, etc). On the other hand, if you are walking on London Bridge with lots of other tourists and religious fanatics decide to slaughter groups of tourists or shoot up the bistro or throw a homemade bomb, it doesn't matter how smart or brave you are, you can't avoid it. Be as careful as you can.

I know this will prob get deleted because it's a bit political, but random shootings/murders occur in the USA as well...people at the airport in Florida, people going to the movies in Colorado to watch batman, people on a train in Portland trying to defend two girls. They just don't call these people terrorists (not all were religiously motivated, of course, but some def are). And the same can be said that most of the murders in Europe are done by people acquainted with each other.

I would think the odds are the same in North America as in Europe. People just going about their every day lives. Wrong place wrong time. It sucks, but I guess if it's going to happen, it will. You can't stop living your life...or travelling!

Hmmm.....

In the US we are safe because our violent attacks are different

I'm sure the people of Orlando, Atlanta, Auora, Boston, New York and other places would not agree with this argument.

I assume you mean "I am safe as long as I never go out my front door"

Some countries reel from terrorist attacks; others don't.