Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am an American citizen who has lived in Europe since Jan. 2000, about sixteen of those in Portugal.
The U.S. embassy in this country sends out warnings over and over again. Every single national holiday here they email warnings that these holidays and their events could inspire rioting and violence; and, therefore, could be dangerous areas....blah-blah-blah-blah and yackety-yack.
The first time I received one of these, I was taken aback and presumed that the U.S. government thought there was a real danger.........but, by this point, my reaction is to yawn and hit the delete key. Nothing has ever happened in all these years. It is obvious that this is a knee-jerk operating routine with the American embassy.
Now when I see one of these messages on my screen, my immediate reaction is to think of Chicken Little and Henny Penny. Not the response the U.S. government would want, I'm sure. But after so many, many of these routine idiot warnings I have become inured to them.
So, I read the latest warning - the one about all of Europe - with the same reaction. And I reacted to it as just more boosheet as a result of the embassy's history of issuing warnings about anything and everything. In a country where life in big cities, small towns and the countryside is remarkably safer and more peaceful compared to life in similar U.S. locales I have to think that the U.S. embassy in Lisbon has been staffed with a pack of cloistered paranoid nutters for years.
Is there a danger of terrorism? Sure, just about everywhere.
So they are issuing warnings about whole continents now? Maybe they should issue a warning about Antarctica. I hear someone once tripped over a penguin and cracked his head open. There's no way that could have been an accident. The penguin must have deliberately tripped him. It was undoubtably a Jihadi penguin but don't worry I'm sure the USAF will take care of the problem forthwith by napalming the whole place.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,175 posts, read 13,455,286 times
Reputation: 19472
The UK Threat Level is currently at Severe, according to the UK Governments own Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, this is one below the highest level which is Critical. So the US State Department is merely repeating UK Government threat analysis.
The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is SEVERE
What the threat levels mean
Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack.
LOW means an attack is unlikely.
MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely
SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is a strong possibility
The Finnish foreign ministry has had an ongoing travel alert for the US for many years, just like for countries like France and Japan. Should I be worried?
I think people misunderstand what a travel alert actually means.
Personally, I feel completely safe when I travel in the U.S because I apply common sense.
The Finnish government doesn't know whether its citizens have the common sense to stay safe in the U.S.
Some Europeans do not know where the bad neighborhoods are. Inner city Detroit, Newark,NJ, Oakland,CA, and many other ghettos are not much better than Paris.
Personally, I feel completely safe when I travel in the U.S because I apply common sense.
The Finnish government doesn't know whether its citizens have the common sense to stay safe in the U.S.
Some Europeans do not know where the bad neighborhoods are. Inner city Detroit, Newark,NJ, Oakland,CA, and many other ghettos are not much better than Paris.
You mean a ghetto in Detroit is not much better than Paris?
Lol... is that a fun question, OP? Worried about safety in EU?
US people seems to be terrified and paranoid about everything. It's called panophobia.
No? https://goo.gl/XwFXI9
You are 25x more likely to be shot to death in America than in any other developed nation.
I am already planning my next trip to EU.
This has been discussion a zillion times on the forum.
The higher crime rate doesn't translate into more dangers for U.S residents who want to travel to Europe.
Most crimes in the U.S are concentrated in ghetto. If you can afford vacation in Europe, the chances are you live in a decent neighborhood where you are extremely unlikely to be shot.
Just like Mexico, Europe can be pretty safe if you are more cautious.
I am just trying to say there are always safer places and more dangerous places in every country(maybe Japan is the exception).
yeah, do us all a favour by staying at home or the Carribeans you guys can never have enough of.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
or the Carribeans you guys can never have enough of.
