would you fly to europe now?

[Climb01742]

next week i'm scheduled to fly to london on business. the purpose of the trip would be useful, but far from essential. given the last two weeks of news, i'm reconsidering the trip. am i being prudent or a wuss?

[JohnS]

You have nothing to worry about. Only the good die young! ;)
Seriously, I wouldn't worry. I already have tickets for a May flight to Ireland. I'm flying British Airways, too. Anyone trying anything on a plane will be ripped apart. When it's your time, it's your time...

[oracle]

not to worry- you still have a far greater chance of encountering death on your ride in an automobile on your way to the airport. hell, i'm flying to the middle east a couple of times this spring this spring - and i'm far more concerned about the drivers than the terrorists.:banana: :banana: :banana:


oracle

[Kurt]

I just got my tickets for July to cycle in the south and see a few stages - air france. When its your time that is it.

[pbbob]

a little of this on the flight:beer: might help you feel like this:banana: on arrival. works for me.

[flydhest]

hmmm,

Well, I just got back Saturday from Europe. We flew to Stockholm, spent a week, flew to Brussels, spent almost a week, then flew home. A couple of minor delays, but no real problems. Airports were working efficiently (or as much as they ever have in the past couple of years) we saw Laguardia, JFK, National, DeGaulle, Arlanda, Charleroi airports. Not a definitive list but quite a few. My brother and his wife flew back a day or two before on Air France, apparently, a fighter escorted them for a few miles. They had delays, but it was claimed to be mechanical before that. My parents flew from Heathrow to Dulles on Jan 1 or 2 with no incident, delayed only 15 minutes . . . somehow.

Go on, have fun, we win when we live our lives as we normally would. We lose when we let them change who we are.

[TimD]

I'm with oracle on this one; I'd estimate that riding a bike thousands of miles a year in the Boston metropolitan area is way more likely to result in an injury than is one airplane ride from Europe to America. Have a great trip!

[djg]

Without the kids I'd do it. With them I wouldn't. That's partly because I don't want my children subjected to various risks I'd find tolerable for myself and partly because I don't think I could stand it. Tried to drive them to the beach in South Carolina last summer. I cannot remember any details, but just typing this message is difficult because the topic seems to cause my hands to tremble.

I wouldn't say that you're a wus for not going. There seems to be a real--if small--risk of a catastrophically bad thing happening. How small is hard to say. My guess is that it's really pretty far from fool-hardy to go, but not just paranoid to say "no."

[saab2000]

...that the American "media" are forgetting to say. That is that the French and the British have plenty of bad experience with terrorists. Neither of those countries are run by idiots and their national airlines are well run airlines which take security very seriously.

I would, without any hesitation, board an aircraft of any major airline flying over the Atlantic. The only reservations I would have would be regarding delays or cancellations.

[duke]

Go!
I'm doing Miami this week, Portland OR next and then to Singapore the following. Beats sitting in this lovely New England weather. The best part is I'm taking my CSI to Singapore for a couple of weeks of warm weather riding.
Good Luck.

[shinomaster]

I feel your pain...I'm a wuss too. We are 1,000,000 times more likely to be killed riding our bikes than flying though.:beer:

[Climb01742]

i've never had a second thought about flying anywhere ever in my life (and i've got almost 800,000 FF miles) but something about this has me spooked. signed, the honorable senator from wussville.

[jason]

I think you will be just fine. Seems to be a lot of black propaganda (what other kind is there i wonder) being pumped out by the ever obliging mass media on behalf of govt. elites all over the right wing industrialised world on this general subject. Perhaps the powers that be would rather Americans stayed home and not be 'exposed' to dangerous 'alternative' views of the world being put about in Olde Europe. It's odd that such stories come out when everyones so stuffed with turkey that they can't move from in front of their tv sets. It's perfect timing to reach the biggest possible audience and have the greatest possible psychological impact. it's mind games. I'm sure a Madison Avenue firm is being handsomely rewarded for their 'campaign' strategy on this one by Tom Ridge and his boys. Homeland Security- sounds rather Orwellian to me. Sinister even. Get out there and......err......don't forget the parachute.

[weisan]

Originally posted by duke
Go!
I'm doing Miami this week, Portland OR next and then to Singapore the following. Beats sitting in this lovely New England weather. The best part is I'm taking my CSI to Singapore for a couple of weeks of warm weather riding.
Good Luck.

Hi Duke,

I am originally from Singapore but now residing in Austin, Texas. Please be careful when you are out riding in Singapore roads, expect lots of traffic and aggressive drivers. The only place I know of that you can ride safely is on the east side of the island, a place called East Coast Park. There's a dedicated bike path that runs for about 10~12 km one way (I think). You will run into huge crowds on weekends.

Anyway, glad you get to visit my hometown, enjoy your stay and the humid weather. And if you are there on Jan. 22, you get the extra bonus of encountering the festivity of Chinese New Year. It's one of the biggest event ever celebrated on a grand scale in the year.

take care,
weisan

[stever]

JohnS writes:

When it's your time, it's your time...

I guess I'm a wuss too, because I believe you have a great deal of control of when your time is. If climbing a mountain in a lightning storm is acceptably risky then you have put your fate in the hands of God or whoever it is that controls the weather. If you decide to turn back until the weather clears you have taken control of the situation. Granted, you may be killed in the car on the way home, but doing your best with the information you had on the mountain will generally let you climb another day.

Personally, unless it was important to take this trip, I would postpone it.

[Kevin]

Climb,

Go. You will be fine. If you don't, you will be letting those idiots win.

By the way if you need help changing your will to leave me your bike collection drop me a line. Otherwise, I will have to get Sandy and Dave N to act as witnesses when I sign your name for you. Did I tell you that I am a part-time airplane mechanic?

All kidding aside, get on the plane.

Kevin

[Elefantino]

I fall on the "fly" side.

Flew last July to Paris to see the Tour. Never felt unsafe, even going through extra security.

Frankly, if I <i>could</i> fly to Paris tomorrow, I would.

[MallyG]

I've just flown to and from Tel Aviv without a worry and I'll probably be going to the USA soon too. The way I look at it is if I stop flying, the bastards have won. By the way, there are plenty of Americans in London right now, all having a great time.

[Balf]

get a grip. You're more likely to be killed falling down the stairs let alone, of course, riding your bike.

I just find it incredible that anyone would have serious reservations about flying from the US to Europe on the grounds of security or indeed any other grounds that aren't medical. I had a few concerns about flying to Pakistan last year when I made three trips there and flew around Iraq in March but I needn't have bothered.

[JohnS]

There is a BIG difference between climbing a mountain in an electrical storm and flying a major western airline to Europe.

[stever]

JohnS,
I agree, there is a big difference between climbing a mountain in an electrical storm and flying, I was just pointing out that you do have more control over what happens to yourself than just relying on fate or destiny. Each person has to determine what is their personal level of risk is and go from there.

[Kevan]

London is a great town. Pretty safe as major cities go. Try to have some fun amongst the work.

[Climb01742]

i appreciate everyone's input. and i very much agree that logically, there is far greater danger in everyday life. but perhaps a bit of background for my "spooked" feeling.

i live in boston. one of the flights that went into the towers on 9/11 was an 8 AM American flight out of boston bound for LA. a flight i've taken between 10-20 times. the morning of sept. 11, two of my business colleagues were sitting on planes on the tarmac at logan waiting to take off to fly to nyc. their planes never left. up until two months before 9/11 i worked a few blocks north of the towers. and on 9/11 my girlfriend watched the towers fall from her apartment in brooklyn. i've flown a bunch since 9/11, and never a second thought. i can't explain why this trip spooks me. it ain't logical, it ain't reasonable. but for some reason, it spooks me.

[Kevan]

this is something you have to address yourself.

I'd still go.

[MartyE]

Climb,

My company does alot of international contracts and subsequently
lots of international travel. Currently they are saying that we
(americans) should be vigilante and aware of our surroundings
but do not have any advisories for air travel to Europe or UK.
I'm with the above posters that you'll be fine, that security
is very tight on international flights departing from and arriving
into the US.
As to the post concerning 9/11 you have every right to be
concerned, and to have those feelings. As stated above:
by Kevin If you don't, you will be letting those idiots win.

Marty

[MallyG]

Climb
I appreciate and understand your comments re: 9/11. I'd never be so flip as to say nothing could ever possibly happen, however, life is one long risk. You know, I was once seriously injured in a car accident (a drunk driver drove head-on into us) in which two of my closest friends were killed. Biggest tragedy that ever happened. Something you never get over. However, do I never get into a car again? Obviously, I have to - life (as they say) goes on. I don't think anybody who saw the events of 9/11 could have failed to have been affected - suddenly everything we thought impossible was now very possible. But the way I look at it, their aim is to disrupt my life and the lives of my kids. They also wish to rob me of my freedom and liberty. If my family and I withdraw into our own cocoon, then we have taken that freedom and thrown it away. I can't do that. I love freedom too much. (Guess that's partly why I love to ride).
I think that in 2004 - more than any time for years - you guys need to come to us and we need to come to you.
In the past few months I've taken my family to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Israel and almost everywhere in the centre of London. I have no plans to change.

[Climb01742]

mally, exceedingly well put and exceedingly true. thank you. climb.

[victoryfactory]

I just flew NYC-Frankfurt-Singapore_Bali and what almost killed me were the seats in coach, talk about terror.
PS I have not seen any road bikes here at all.
Victory Factory

[csm]

nope