Todd Adamson wrote:
Our public image has taken a beating over the last decade. A lot of us still travel abroad, but we tend to disguise ourselves as Canadians.
I know! Us Brits get the same small-minded reaction. Personally, I blame Mel Gibson, which is ironic since often people abroad think I'm Australian
I did a quick search on the subject of "tourists killed" and came across a website page that has a long list of incidents that killed, injured, or kidnapped American citizens. I had not seen this list before.
This list is focused on American citizens, so that is a limitation. From my perspective, it is not important what nationality was involved, but it may be particularly interesting to some on this forum for that very reason.
It is also focused on "Middle East" terrorism too.
Still, I found the list interesting to see and some of the incidents seem focused on tourists (as targets) and others may have been just rotten luck (being in the wrong place at the wrong time applies to all of them).
Others reading this thread/topic may find this interesting too.
Here is a quote: "Excluding the September 11 attacks, approximately 700 Americans have been killed and 1,600 wounded in terrorist attacks since 1970. "
The last entry on this list is from 2006, so it could be considered a partial list of incidents/deaths.
While the numbers are there, of course those "event or incident" numbers are small compared to some other incidents where other people have been killed by terrorist attacks (Iraqi civilians for example, Spanish civilians, etc.).
I am posting this just to add to this discussion topic, and I have no political agenda or comment related to this information or this link.
From my perspective, terrorist attacks of any kind on any nation or people are abhorrent.
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In all of the cases on this list, I don't think a baton would help.
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Here is an unusual case that wound up with a dead American tourist (not on the list above):
This happened in Italy:
Mr Phel and his wife drank drugged cappuccinos offered by a man who later robbed them and left them wandering around the station in a confused state. The robbery was filmed by security cameras at a nearby café.
"This man approached these two tourists and earned their trust, and then offered them two cappuccinos with drugs," the spokesman said, adding that the suspected robber, a 54-year-old Italian man, chatted with the two tourists before fetching the coffee at a local cafe and adding a mix of drugs, including sleeping pills.
Odd, when I googled what Jeremy had shown as evidence as "too much FOX news"(were there WMDs in Iraq), the listings didn't come up with the same listings as he posted. What's up with that..............
No Americans were killed by terrorism in 2009, though over 10,000 US citizens were murdered with a firearm. It kind of puts it in perspective.
If people are worried about a country they are going to they should take a hostile environment training course. But really, unless you are visiting a war zone common sense, forward planning and good manners will see you through unscathed.
No Americans were killed by terrorism in 2009, though over 10,000 US citizens were murdered with a firearm. It kind of puts it in perspective.
If people are worried about a country they are going to they should take a hostile environment training course. But really, unless you are visiting a war zone common sense, forward planning and good manners will see you through unscathed.
vchowdhary wrote:
Indians in Australia might be a different story? Ofcourse, that wouldnt show up on the TRI though.
Hey, I am married to an Indian, in Australia (well Fijian Indian anyway), don't believe all you hear or read.
While we do get the odd racist d..head, I believe most cases of Indians being attacked here are just because they have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most are/were students working part time jobs at convienance stores/ garages etc at nights. Unfortunately this not only puts them in dangereous situations, they are often going to or returning from work when the drunken idiots are returning from a night on the piss.
As others have said, carrying a weapon instantly changes your mindset and arguably makes it much more likely that you'll be harmed in any (extremely unlikely) incident - get insurance instead.
FWIW, I've been to Turkey (and a fair bit of Eastern Europe) many times as a lone motorcyclist. The only weapon I have required is a sense of awareness and confident, no-nonsense outlook. Not looking like a 'target' is the most important thing. Conversely, the most 'threatened' I've ever felt was when I took a wrong turning in San Francisco and wandered into a dubious neighbourhood ...
aussie_dave wrote:
Hey, I am married to an Indian, in Australia (well Fijian Indian anyway), don't believe all you hear or read.
While we do get the odd racist d..head, I believe most cases of Indians being attacked here are just because they have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most are/were students working part time jobs at convienance stores/ garages etc at nights. Unfortunately this not only puts them in dangereous situations, they are often going to or returning from work when the drunken idiots are returning from a night on the piss.
Don't take what I said seriously, I added a smiley for that very purpose. I have never been to Australia but have always wanted to visit.
Have some friends from India who work for Infosys, who've worked in Australia and now are in the US for IT projects as short term contractors and the vast majority of them prefer the weather, people and overall feel of Australia to the US.
I for one am thankful that Ive not faced any racism or negative behavior in most countries I've visited and the one I currently live in (USA). As you said, there are the odd racist d...heads everywhere.
I lived there as military dependent from Dec.,2007-2009. Living on a Nato base was cool until you mingled with the Americans. So don't like an American. Are you black? If so, expect to be stared at and maybe touched or petted. They love cats and black skin. Some thought my friend was Micheal Jordan.lol
Also learn this word Merhaba. It means hello.
This photo took around 3 hours in the bad side of town in a dry river bed.
Wow. I'm amazed. Not to argue as eveyone is entitled to their own opinion but those that say carrying a weapon emboldens you or makes you feel invincible and more likey to be harmed don't know what they are talking about. Yes there are is a small fringe of idiots that tote and gun or knife and it makes them "feel" powerful or make them say or do something they shouldn't, but that's not the norm. The soundbite, "If you carry a gun or knife you are more likely to hurt yourself or get hurt....yada yada yada" is just a soundbite created and repeated a million times by the anti-gun crowd. There is NO credible data to back that statement up. It falls under the fallacy that if you repeat something enough then to the uneducated, it becomes true. In fact the opposite is true in the US which is one of the only countries left with the god-given right to protect oneself. And there are data and credible facts to support it. In fact when you carry a weapon you are less likey to get involved or escalate a situation because you are aware of the potential you have. This is the case for a majority of the weapons carriers in the US. This is being proven over and over again in cities all across the US. Again there is that small, extreme fringe that is the exception and those are the ones that are always drummed up by the media and gun-grab folks as the norm. If you look at all the cities in the US that ban or are most restrictive on firearms (anti-constitutional) they have the highest crime rates; LA, NY, Detroit, DC.
I'll get off my soap-box but I'm tired of hearing the same 'ol untruthful sound bites being thrown around as fact. Learn, study, and know the actual facts please.
Being smart, awareness/avoidance, and preparation is the only thing that will greater your chances of survival of life or serious injury. Denial and hope that a criminal will not really hurt you is not a good plan.
Evan Baines wrote:
As someone who has above average experience in sketchy places:
Carrying any kind of weapon is a commitment and a responsibility. I am perpetually flabbergasted at US concealed carry permit holders who believe that going to a static range a few times a year and shooting a box of ammo slowly and methodically (never from the draw) is adequate training to employ a deadly weapon under extreme duress. Any weapon that you bring along (even a baton) may give you a false sense of security, leading you to take risks you otherwise wouldn't... but more importantly, the level of training required to produce the baton quickly and employ it effectively (there IS training for baton use!) is significant. Attempting to produce a weapon, or producing it but ineffectively utilizing it is an instant escalation of conflict that may provoke your assailants to a higher level of violence.
My point is not that one should never carry a weapon, but that if you choose to carry a weapon without extensive training with that weapon under realistic circumstances, you are probably worse off than if you had left the weapon at home....Show more →
Quoted for truth, it iritates me that my dept. and many others rely on officers getting their own training and continue to 'test' us on a static range
ContagiousIdea wrote:
Quoted for truth, it iritates me that my dept. and many others rely on officers getting their own training and continue to 'test' us on a static range
A test is just that......
How you train is up to you. You decide. I instruct and hear the common arguments, but the problem is a majority don't want the level you want. They also lack the skills and desire to ever reach that level. If you raised the bar, they would fail.
I agree with some of the previous posts concerning using the weapons you have. I gave the wife the camera on the tripod, when we ran into several undesirables in Atlanta.
Had I not been carrying a gun and pulling it out to stop the robbery, I surely would have used the tripod set-up to my advantage.
I have traveled all over the world and found that weapons are easy to purchase, wherever you visit. Just make sure what you buy is legal there. No need to get locked up in a foreign land
