Feeling safe in London....

[ardcarp]

I am sure many members of The Forum are entirely used to city life.

I seldom venture up to the smoke these days and the apprehension I usually feel is that of any bumbling bucolic suddenly time-warped into the now of it. I catch an early train, skulk in the Tube popping up like a disoriented mole at the places I need to be, then scuttle home again.

This time, I wondered (and so did Mrs A, back at HQ) whether I might find the City in the grip of a terrorist threat. Not a bit of it. Life seemed to be going on in its polyglot way much as it ever did. There seemed even to be an unaccustomed humour around. The entire capital, all ages, abilities, creeds and colours, seemed suddenly expert at the first person present indicative of etre. Journals, tee-shirts and bill-boards exclaimed je suis everywhere about everything from Avocados to Zen.

No-one can discount the possibility of a random lunatic doing something unspeakable, but I felt entirely safe.... an insignificant speck in a roaring metropolitan universe.

[Petrushka]

It's always important to keep a sense of perspective in these things. I remember someone from Belfast once saying that the first they knew of an IRA explosion was when they watched the news same as we did!

Just been to London myself and it's as you say. Life goes on.

[Flosshilde]

Indeed - the first we knew of the bin lorry incident in the centre of Glasgow was when people phoned to see if we were all right. Similarly when the helicopter crashed into the Clutha bar.

[teamsaint]

I would prefer fewer armed police at the Railway stations. don't know what the point of them is, though I do have opinions, but the police with automatic weapons don't make me feel safe.

I am constantly amazed at the non stop aspect of london life.

got the 22.20 back to Amazingstoke on Thursday, ( when they are still going every 15 minutes)and the train was full.

I think commuting to Woking or Basingstoke needs a BIG salary (or, I suppose, a lot of what used to be called job satisfaction) to justify the stress.

[Petrushka]

Indeed - the first we knew of the bin lorry incident in the centre of Glasgow was when people phoned to see if we were all right. Similarly when the helicopter crashed into the Clutha bar.

I went to London a fair bit during the IRA years and I never had any problems though I did miss the Knightsbridge/Life Guards atrocity by less than 24 hours and I was there on July 21 2005 when there was another terrorist alert resulting in the shooting of an innocent man. The constant barrage of 24 hour news gives viewers a false perspective and peddle an agenda that puts the fear of God into people. Like ts, I have my opinions on this.

It might seem facetious to say that 17 people died in Paris 10 days ago but two million didn't but it is nonetheless true.

[MrGongGong]

I would prefer fewer armed police at the Railway stations. don't know what the point of them is, though I do have opinions, but the police with automatic weapons don't make me feel safe.

I think the phrase is "security theatre".

"Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" ?

[teamsaint]

I think the phrase is "security theatre".

"Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" ?

Thats the one.
i prefer the Martha Reeves song though..

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ABbc-O_3_Ac

This is a much better use use of human talents and energies.

[Honoured Guest]

I went to London a fair bit during the IRA years and I never had any problems ...

Lucky you! However, you're one of a biased sample because the people who were killed are unable to post here in response to your reminiscences of your personal good fortune.

[muzzer]

As someone who was on the tube 20 minutes ahead of one of the 7/7 bombs - which is not even a lucky escape - I have to say that the more armed police and cctv the better.

[Flosshilde]

Lucky you! However, you're one of a biased sample because the people who were killed are unable to post here in response to your reminiscences of your personal good fortune.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say that I found Christmas shopping was brilliant during the IRA campaign - the shops in the centre of London were so quiet ...

[Flosshilde]

As someone who was on the tube 20 minutes ahead of one of the 7/7 bombs - which is not even a lucky escape - I have to say that the more armed police and cctv the better.

The cctv didn't do much to prevent that bomb, did it? & the best-known result of having armed police is the death of an entirely innocent man. If someone has a bomb concealed on them cctv & armed police aren't going to stop it, are they? Only airport type security will do that. I'm sure you can imagine how that would go down on the London undwerground during rush hour!

[muzzer]

Well, with respect, I don't think we're in a position to judge the overall deterrent effect. But ymmv obviously. Surely we must just all hope for the best in the circs.

[Stillhomewardbound]

"UK police on highest ever terror alert after Belgian arrests" was a headline in the newspapers last night. Funny I thought, I was filming all around Whitehall and Westminster yesterday and aside from the regular detail outside Plebgate (aka Downing Street) I didn't a see single copper. Lots of parking attendants, mind. Perhaps that's the new strategy for beating the bad guys. Ticketing them and fining them into oblivion.

Regarding armed police at the main train stations which is becoming a frequent sight, I very much doubt it does anything to make our world safer. As it was termed earlier, the 'theatre of war' along with the 'presencing' that is police sirens. As for CCTV, that is just another 'must have', along with new and added powers of electronic surveillance, de-encryption rights and the like. Statistics very much nail this 'we need the CCTVs to make our cities safer' falsehood when it is borne in mind that with a population that is 1% of the world's total, we have 20% of the CCTV cameras. Hardly what could be called proportionate.

On Newsnight in the week a security analyst made the observation that the intelligence services have access to far more data than they can usefully utilise, as it is. Oh, and by the by, David Cameron at his White House love-in with Obama yesterday put out a claim that 8 out of 10 British companies had been subject to cyber attack. Really? Is there any substance to this claim, or was that just election time hyperbole?

Anyway, back to London, I'm glad there are those on here who remember the days of the IRA campaigns as it does give a proper sense of perspective to life in the capital these days. As an Irish man, most of them are ingrained strongly on my memory as moments of shame for actions being carried out allegedly in our name. Ironically, I could lead a group of my London friends on a ghoulish tour of where IRA attacks took place and they'd be familiar with hardly any of them.

On the lighter side of London life, my greatest fear is having to use the Underground during the rush hour, especially if I have to change between lines. Although I'm just turned 52 I clearly move too slowly for the much younger, gym busting, bottled water-guzzling commuters who audibly cluck at me for being so inconsiderate as to be in their way. I'm afraid I have very little patience with impatience and it can bring out the devil in me, a bit. Such as when I feel someone on my wheels and I have that sense of them trying to get around me through that non-gap on my left, so I just drift a little to the left and then drift a little bit back to the right, knowing full well they'll change tack.

Can I be so bold as to assert that it is the younger females in our community who most obviously display this 'get out of my way' mode of behaviour.

I may get a plaque made up to hang on my back: 'Hey citizen! This obstacle is prone to arthritis. Be glad your not and chillax!'

[ardcarp]

I may get a plaque made up to hang on my back: 'Hey citizen! This obstacle is prone to arthritis. Be glad your not and chillax!'

Nah. It's got to start je suis....or no-one will take any notice.

[Flosshilde]

It has been said that cctv doesn't deter street crime - just pushes it on to other streets.