Passing through Frankfurt airport recently, site of the recent terrorist attack on US troops where two were killed, we were more concerned with finding the exit for Deutsche Bahn (DB), than watching out for signs of danger. In fact it was considerably later that the thought even entered my head.
Living in London, and regularly using railway stations and airports, we are constantly reminded that we are at risk. The current threat level is "substantial," meaning that a terrorist attack is "a strong possibility", and it is set to rise for next year's Olympics. But it is impossible to maintain a state of high alert.
At Heathrow we are no longer removing our shoes for the security checks. Coming back from EPL in Copenhagen, no-one batted an eye when a lipstick case deep in my handbag set off the scanner alarms.
It's good to be vigilant, but if we stop congregating, or going into city centres or travelling abroad, we will be handing victory to the bad guys.
(NB This posting was written before the Oslo attacks on 22 July 2011.)
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