Has 9/11 affected your travel plans?

Jenna

Hi everyone, I'm a second year Geography student in NUI Maynooth doing a project on how the events of 9/11 have affected Irish people's opinions towards travelling to the U.S.A.. It's a group project and by interviewing people, we've already come up with some of the following:

A lot of people feel they'd still travel to America though the threat of terrorism is now at the back of their minds, whereas before 9/11 terrorism was not an issue for them.

The fact that the events of 9/11 involved normal, everyday people means that 'that could have been any of us'. Many people are aware of this fact and do get nervous about it when they travel.

Some people feel they'd rather not travel to America, not because of the threat of terrorism, but because of the 'hassle'. They feel going through security is intimidating.

Most of all, people feel that to alter their travel plans would be 'giving into the terrorists'. Terrorism can happen to anyone at any time, whether it be on a plane or a bus or a train etc, therefore why should we let it affect our attitudes toward traveling to America?

The reason why I am posting this is because I would appreciate if people could give me their opinions and views. Have you been to America before or after 9/11? Would you go again knowing what happened in September 2001? Is the threat of terrorism now an issue for you? Do you think Irish people in general have been affected by these events so much that their attitudes toward traveling to America have changed?

I just want to get an overall view of what people are thinking. Thank you for your time.

aidan_walsh

I have travelled to America last summer, and any apprehension I felt was purely because I had never flown before.

I'm not going to be afraid to use a London bus, or a Spanish train, so why an American plane?

jhegarty

Short Answer:
No

Long Answer:
The day we do is day they win....

TheNog

I've been to the US twice since 9/11 and it deosn't bother me at all. The way I see it is if I'm gonna die then its my time. Of course I would try to do everything I could to prevent my demise.

The security checks since 9/11on the US side seem a bit much to me. Customs control ppl are quite intimidating but hey I just gave them a smile and said hello.

breadmonkey

I no longer want to go to the US because of:

a) Draconian security measures
b) A nation half full of idiot hicks who support Bush

mikedragon32

The 9th of November has never had any effect on my travel plans, to the USA or otherwise.

Much less the 11th of September.

Jenna

Thanks guys, keep your opinions and views coming.

Carrigman

Doing a survey on the impact of 9/11 on people's travel plans in 2007? It might have some relevance in 2001/2002 but surely not now. The fact that Aer lingus flights to the States are full of shoppers every Autumn/Winter and have been widely reported in the media must surely render this survey utterly redundant. The facts speak for themselves.

Time Magazine

I went to America in 2002 and I will be returning in the summer with my gorgeous girlfriend who is a second year Geography student in NUIM .

Jenna

Carrigman wrote:

Doing a survey on the impact of 9/11 on people's travel plans in 2007? It might have some relevance in 2001/2002 but surely not now. The fact that Aer lingus flights to the States are full of shoppers every Autumn/Winter and have been widely reported in the media must surely render this survey utterly redundant. The facts speak for themselves.

I appreciate your point. To be honest the real purpose of this project is to gain experience in gathering primary research data, i.e. conducting interviews, surveys etc for use in a larger, more serious research project to be carried out next October. The actual subject material of this project is less important, it is the experience gained while doing it that matters. However, I must add, if you are to state 'The facts speak for themselves', make sure you know what the facts are first. I don't know the facts, hopefully the project will give me a further understanding of how 9/11 has affected people's opinions, but I certainly don't expect to learn 'facts' as this is a smale scale project measuring 'opinions'. If you want 'Facts' then perhaps you should consult flight and travel agent records, and not what is 'widely reported in the media'.

Tipsy Mac

I think the EU needs to introduce fingerprinting and photographing of all visitors coming in from US, it was here that the 911 terrorists bypassed all security.

The Roach

I flew to New York about 8 weeks after 9/11, and I didn't think twice about it. Sure, the security measures were a bit of a pain, but I honestly wasn't worried about my safety on the plane. I still get on buses and cars after seeing some horrible crashes, so as far as I'm concerned planes are the exact same.

Ruu_Old

No choice really as I travel alot but I had no problems apart from the extra hassle and longer security lines but that was bound to happen. I am annoyed by this warning system malarky used by the US DOT, it doesn't help imo.

metrovelvet

I travel regularly to the US and I have found it far more security hassle to travel to London from Ireland.

I travel to the US on my US passport and within the EU on my Irish one.

Darren

breadmonkey wrote:

I no longer want to go to the US because of:

a) Draconian security measures
b) A nation half full of idiot hicks who support Bush

That pretty much sums up my feelings on the issue!

Rabies

It doesn't bother me. I have flown there a few times since 9/11 and plan on going again this year.
Even if there was another repeat of 9/11 a few days before my flight I would still travel if the airline was operational.

breadmonkey

I rememeber when I was about 10, everyone (me and my mates!) thought that the USA was the coolest place ever. My how times have changed.

DublinWriter

breadmonkey wrote:

I rememeber when I was about 10, everyone (me and my mates!) thought that the USA was the coolest place ever. My how times have changed.

In the 70's/80's you'd see them in their plaid leisure-wear on Grafton St. and think to yourself 'rich people'.

Now you look at the and wonder how they can afford to come over here.

Personally, OP, I fly as little as possible now, just purely because of the added hassle since 9/11 plus the Calcutta-Central now known as Dublin Airport. I was going to fly to NYC for the pre-Christmas shop, but I just went 'meh' about it when all the added hand-luggage restrictions came in and hit ebay instead.

The threat of terrorism doesn't bother me because you could get blown up anywhere now, being blown up in a 'plane is least likely of places these days.

robinph

Been over since 9/11, and also during the middle of the sniper thing in Washington. Doesn't bother me in the slightest about the terrorists but it does annoy me with all the pointless security measures that they are now coming up with in order to try and keep us all scared.

Tuesday_Girl

I've travelled to the US about 15 times since 9/11 and it has never bothered me at all, although the additional security restrictions do make for longer travel times. I got stuck in immigration and customs in LAX for hours yesterday, that really sucks after an 11 hour flight and another 6 hours travel ahead. But apart from that, I fly a few times per week and never worry for one minute about terrorist attacks.

ArphaRima

I am an extremely regular traveller. I have hundreds of flights under my belt. I dislike travel in America intensely. I have had arguments with immigration before. I have an intimate knowledge of immigration, customs, airlines, airports and procedures. I know I am right, and can be proven right, and my company and embassy will back me up.
Yet they continue to act the way they do. There is a prevailing righteous attitude that fortress America is where everybody wants to be and that everybody else should be privileged to be there. This is especially true of the 2nd generation immigrants manning the blue collar jobs like border control, immigration and police. Essentially everybody the tourist or traveller meets first.
9/11 did not change the travellers, but rather gave the administration the excuse to treat foreigners differently. Nobody likes being treated as a lesser person. Generally the irish are treated better than the developing countries citizens. I would positively go insane if I was treated like I have seen their citizens treated. I guess its only racism if they are coloured US citizens.

Not so long ago irish homes had 2 pictures in their home. The pope and JFK. I guess what they and their respective organisations represent to the irish has become less attractive to us over a rather short time period.

ScumLord

I've only been once since 9/11. Considering all the security measures that I'd heard about (this was about 2002/2003) I surprised how quick the lines moved even when I got pulled aside it went fairly smoothly.

I don't really have any interest in going to the states, I wouldn't have any fear if I did want to go I think it's really only internal flights that are the danger but there's to much for me to do in Europe to even consider a long haul flight to America.

cold_filter

Here's what happened to me, a year after 9,11. I was flying to LA via dulles. Anyway was catching my connecting flight to LAX and had to go through metal detector i beeped for those who have been to spain on holidays usually what you'd do is just take your watch off and step through, the cop said "sorry son it aint that easy take a seat" so i sat on a bench and a cop with a sniffer dog comes over (a german shepherd) i've had a few of them the dog was quite friendly and licking my foot the cop standing there very stern anyway went to pet the dog the cop snapped into action "sir if you place your hand on my k9 you will be arrested for assualting a police officer" apparently k9s are considered sworn members of polcie force in most states so if you kill on its c onsidered killing a cop (mental). So this big black guy (not racist) but he was utterly enourmous like a basketball player id say a good 6 foot 10 inches im 6 foot so he was quite intimidating, comes over with rubber gloves on "oh **** i was thinking" anyway he patted me down used the hand held metal detector and made me take of shoes etc gave them to dog to sniff and practically slobber all over. Anyway i was given the all clear.

Q return trip. for those who have never been at LAX international departures are at terms 8 and 9 i was flying with united. The cab driver asked me what airline i replied united he dropped me at term 2 as that was domestic departures, now to be honest i looked like your average irish person on holiday i had to walk from t2 to t9, i was stopped 15 times, 4 by police, 6 by national guard twice by security guards and twice by the same person in a suit, he was very scary.
anyway get up to the metal detector to got through the lard ass cop asks me to take everything from my pocket which i did bar my wallet as it had no coins in it, anyway i went to step through she jumped up and put her hands on my chest and said very sternly " sir please remove everything from your pocket" at this stage my box of other stuff had been through the detector and got the all clear and i had forget that i had my wallet in my pocket and way she lost her rag at me and called over a couple of other cops and they start moving they're hands to their holsters i just said here take what you want, she takes my wallet from my pocket and says "sorry sir you can go through with that" she though i had a block in my pocket that looked like clay ie plastic explosives.... 1 year on from 911 it was scary, i've been to NY the following year and it was fine, ran over people!