Advice please...

ric

ric

Well-Known Member
Well, maybe not so much advice, but more an opinion...

My girlfriend and I have tickets for Coldplay in Stade De France, Paris in July (i got them as a Xmas present)...

She is now wary of going due to Paris being frequently attacked (we stupidly watched a programme on TV the other night which basically spelt out why ISIS hate France more than any other European country)...

I'm all for still going as i don't want to give in to these bastards, but she's talking about France being in a "state of emergency" until November/it's a large gathering or mostly European people at a concert in Paris etc etc... I can see where she's coming from, but it'll be such a waste if we're sat at home looking back at what would have been an amazing life experience that we missed...

There's a lot of risks, but also a lot of positives...

What would you do?? :confused::confused:
 
ric said:
Well, maybe not so much advice, but more an opinion...

My girlfriend and I have tickets for Coldplay in Stade De France, Paris in July (i got them as a Xmas present)...

She is now wary of going due to Paris being frequently attacked (we stupidly watched a programme on TV the other night which basically spelt out why ISIS hate France more than any other European country)...

I'm all for still going as i don't want to give in to these bastards, but she's talking about France being in a "state of emergency" until November/it's a large gathering or mostly European people at a concert in Paris etc etc... I can see where she's coming from, but it'll be such a waste if we're sat at home looking back at what would have been an amazing life experience that we missed...

There's a lot of risks, but also a lot of positives...

What would you do?? :confused::confused:
Click to expand...

Personally I would go. Odds are very low, there are a lot of events at the Stade De France between now and then, and even since the last attacks there. You can't live your life in fear of what if, despite the Manchester attacks this week we all attended a number of events in London and yes there was a very visible armed police presence around you just have to get on with it. Same with the IRA in the 90s etc...
 
Just come home from a long weekend at a wedding in France - traveled on the Eurostar and came via Paris (Gare du nord)...didn't seem any different in France to what we're seeing in all the big stations in London at the mo - visibly more police about and armed police at that...but no panic on the metro or anywhere around the stations and people still going about their daily lives.

Tough call with the concert, can understand the both arguments for and against going, but yeah main feeling would be not wanting to let them win.
 
I agree with you and what everybody has posted above... but if she has these concerns, would she be able to enjoy herself? Would she constantly be on edge?

Would she feel more comfortable still going to Paris, but doing something different to the concert? If yes, maybe flog the tickets (I assume they're like goldust?) and use the the cash to do something else?

Of course, there's no guarantee other tourist places won't be targeted by terrorists. Would she feel the same about visiting London? No city in the West is "safe", that's the unfortunate truth of the situation.
 
She's talking about getting taxi straight to the concert then straight back to hotel, spending the remaining 3 days of the trip in the hotel, with a taxi straight to the airport to end it... That all seems a bit pointless to me... Spending 3 days in a hotel, in Paris, in the middle of July... :(

There aren't the same feelings about other major cities (she actually lived in London for 6 months last year)... It's basically because of the current "state of emergency" in Paris, the very recent history of major attacks, the fact they they utterly despise the French and the large gathering of people in this situation...

I have insurance on the tickets and haven't paid of hotel yet, so the money isn't an issue...
 
ric said:
3 days in a hotel in Paris
Click to expand...

I say turn any negative situation into a positive one! ;) :twisted: :spank:

Joking aside, I see your dilemma. It seems like it's a non-starter (is anything really going to change her mind?) So take that money, and do something else with it. Maybe a country retreat in the UK?
 
I would still go....horrible as it is It could happen anywhere....

But if shes contemplating on doing what you say. I wouldn't bother as you wouldnt be happy staying in and she wouldnt be happy going out....

"Don't let the bastards grind you down"
 
ric said:
She's talking about getting taxi straight to the concert then straight back to hotel, spending the remaining 3 days of the trip in the hotel, with a taxi straight to the airport to end it... That all seems a bit pointless to me... Spending 3 days in a hotel, in Paris, in the middle of July... :(

There aren't the same feelings about other major cities (she actually lived in London for 6 months last year)... It's basically because of the current "state of emergency" in Paris, the very recent history of major attacks, the fact they they utterly despise the French and the large gathering of people in this situation...

I have insurance on the tickets and haven't paid of hotel yet, so the money isn't an issue...
Click to expand...

Can you not leave it a few months? You'll always be able to easily shift the tickets in September time. She may change her mind
 
(Flew Stansted to Dublin return this weekend and didn't really notice any extra security.)

On the OP, as others have said, wait a little before deciding?
 
I almost said hold on for a bit or maybe try and see them elsewhere on the tour, but the sad truth is if it can happen at Ariana Grande on a Monday night in Manchester, it can happen anywhere..

No use going if you really aren't going to leave the hotel, but if she is willing to still go to the gig, maybe she can be swayed? Such a shame sounds like an ace trip.

Horrible to think this comes into consideration at all now...
 
Concert is 18th July so we have around 6 weeks to decide (probably less if i want to get any kind of refund organised)... :(
 
If I can be of any help, I'm french and the state of emergency is just a way to adjust the security level of the whole country to the ongoing (europe wide) threat.
Under a state of emergency we have festivals, road jams on holiday saturdays, concerts, schools are opened... We even have strikes and demonstrations (french national sport) !
So it's not a "lockdown" and not a war state.

That being said, the general mood in Paris isn't what it used to be. Army and armed policemen patrol on the streets. People mind their business and go on with their lives but as soon as something isn't going as usual, people freak out.

I went to a Muse concert at AccorHotels Arena the week end following the killing at the Bataclan (2015) and security was really well handled : many queues, many checkpoints, being searched at least twice.

I would go. Avoid crowds (galeries lafayette, montmartre) and maybe don't take the metro if your GF is paranoid. A good opportunity to go off the beaten track and enjoy Paris !
 
The Uk is on its highest level of alert at the moment. Armed Police (fully ready to shoot guns overt style) are patrolling all major shopping centres and tourist attractions near me. I don't blink an eye, it's becoming the norm unfortunately @ric
Spend some time trying to reason with your girlfriend as it's sounds like terrorism has sadly had the desired effect on her.
In other news, I crossed the road earlier today and didn't get knocked down by a bus.
 
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