Cycling UK Forum

Just wondered what people's thought were on terrorism and cycle touring. France is a popular country for touring. There have been a lot of terrorist attacks in France lately. I know the chances are low, and probably even less for a cycle tourist as we tend to go off the beaten trail and avoid crowds. Also there is transport to consider - whether you use ferry/train/airports etc. I'm going to France at the end of August and I'm not going to let it put me off - but I won't be going through any major cities.

but I won't be going through any major cities.

A good idea for a whole host of reasons and I doubt that risk of terrorism even makes it onto my list.
On the other hand I do find the increased security against terrorism a bit scary and a slight nuisance.

I am inclined to agree with the official (disingenuous) line that letting these terrorism threats interfere with your day to day living, is handing them the victory that they are after. Which I find quite easy to do in practice as the probability of getting caught up in anything is negligible.

I don't think the IRA ever put anybody off moving about in Britain. Or Ireland for that matter, though I suppose you might want to have avoided The Falls Road in the bad old days.
The risk of death by terrorism is pretty low down the scale.

wearwell wrote:I don't think the IRA ever put anybody off moving about in Britain. Or Ireland for that matter, though I suppose you might want to have avoided The Falls Road in the bad old days.
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Don't be so sure. We wanted a family holiday in Ireland some twenty years ago. Our eldest son 10 or 11 refused point blank to go to Ireland. Obviously news items had influenced him.

Grown up now he did go to Dublin for the Giro

I remember when Sly Stalone was to scared to come here. The Italian Stallion was a frightened little pony. I avoid cities on my bike here and after many visits to France have never cycled in a big city or been to a gig or festival there.

Al

wearwell wrote:I don't think the IRA ever put anybody off moving about in Britain. Or Ireland for that matter, though I suppose you might want to have avoided The Falls Road in the bad old days.
The risk of death by terrorism is pretty low down the scale.

also not so sure, brought up near a Coventry catholic school and with cousins who were catholic, we knocked around with a mixed group of friends some of NI extraction, when one of those visited relatives in the 70's he was told not to open his mouth while out and about in Belfast.
In the early 80's I wanted to go cycle touring in Eire and b/f of the time would not go, a year on, b/f no longer on the scene I went Eire. People were surprised that they had very few English tourists, and always assumed i was American or Australian.


Lets be honest you could be anywhere; ferry port, airport, tourist attraction, and be in the 'wrong place at the wrong time'.
So no I would not let it put me off going to France, especially as at the moment it seems uncertain whether this was a terrorist attack or someone with a violent streak when not on medication and a current disturbed personal life.

Though am glad i have no plans to go to Turkey at present.

Being alive is an intrinsically risky business. Terrorism is a much smaller risk than road traffic accidents - especially for cyclists.

wearwell wrote:I don't think the IRA ever put anybody off moving about in Britain. Or Ireland for that matter, though I suppose you might want to have avoided The Falls Road in the bad old days.
The risk of death by terrorism is pretty low down the scale.

I think it did put people off. What you meant to say is that it shouldn't have done. A couple of tourists were blown up by the Harrods bomb, but I think that was the only case.

If I wanted to go to Paris, or Nice or wherever, I would go. Not much real risk, and in any case you don't want to let the buggers win.

pwa wrote:If I wanted to go to Paris, or Nice or wherever, I would go. Not much real risk, and in any case you don't want to let the buggers win.

Me too, though I have limits - I wouldn't have gone to Ireland in the seventies, and I don't fancy the middle east at the moment, but that's due to the general situation rather than jihad.
Biggest impact for European travel is likely to be inconvenience attending enhanced security, which always seems to increase queueing...

I would suggest that people take the same precautions as they would when visiting populated areas, events, using public transport or the roads as they would in this country.

What those precautions are would be up to the individual and will vary greatly.

DaveP wrote:

pwa wrote:If I wanted to go to Paris, or Nice or wherever, I would go. Not much real risk, and in any case you don't want to let the buggers win.

Me too, though I have limits - I wouldn't have gone to Ireland in the seventies, and I don't fancy the middle east at the moment, but that's due to the general situation rather than jihad.
Biggest impact for European travel is likely to be inconvenience attending enhanced security, which always seems to increase queueing...

Being half Irish I did visit the Irish Republic in the 1970s. No problems at all. The locals did not know I was half Irish. To them I was just a tourist from the North of England. They would ask where I was from, then tell me about their own extended family connections in Leeds, Manchester or wherever. I don't remember the IRA ever targeting UK tourists, unless you count Lord Mountbatten.

I'd give Turkey a miss. Any mainly Islamic country, for that matter. What happened in Tunisia can happen in any mainly Islamic country. It only takes a small number of extremists to make it happen. You are statistically unlikely to be a victim, but you you could get your flights cancelled. You have to feel sorry for the locals...

Misplaced assignment of risk: worry more about a road accident. About 3000 die each year in road accidents in France.

I'm not taking any particular line, but we are accustomed and accepting of everyday risks but over-react to others.

Enjoy your trip.

al_yrpal wrote:I remember when Sly Stalone was to scared to come here. The Italian Stallion was a frightened little pony. I avoid cities on my bike here and after many visits to France have never cycled in a big city or been to a gig or festival there.

Al

Yes i remember that

Wasn't it during his he-man rambo period?

Once had some potential italian visitors agonising over possible IRA threat/thinking of cancelling.

After a while, i couldn't be bothered to argue/reason any more.

I do remember that i advised them to look at the differential between uk and italian road/traffic deaths.

Then i left them to it.

They came.

I glad I went to many Islamic countries prior to all this nonsense, though I do remember not being at all put off by the Kurds bombing the Ionian littoral around that time ( I'm sure I thought they had a fair grievance)
A lot to be said for doing the scary stuff when one is young and rational !!!

I did see a rather not too welcoming sign in Wales once ( and they'd written on the asphalt in both directions too ) !

Really though, cyclists face death on every ride....probably should be an effective safety campaign one day ?