Manchester On High Alert

[The Snap]

The city centre of my beloved Manchester is today under high alert, after Birmingham was evacuated yesterday. Piccadilly Station is closed due to bomb scare yesterday. :roll:

 

[Techniquest]

FFS! This is taking the piss...

Cardiff will be shut off tomorrow probably for a bomb scare...

Hope not, but all the big places are getting it at the moment!

 

[jd]

Birmingham was closed due to a significant threat backed up by intelligence, and there were 2-4 (depends on your source) controlled explosions carried out. I don't think evacuating a whole city centre (30,000 people) is a decision you make lightly, without good reason.

 

[Gareth Hale]

I really hope my family are safe :cry:

 

[Coxster]

I really hope my family are safe :cry:

If you read carefully, the city was evacuated. The only explosions were controlled explosions.

 

[Dave A]

Good! We do not need a repeat of London :cry: This is for the best.

However, IMO, this is a game. I reckon theres some f*cked up people playing tricks. But of course, its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[The Snap]

You can still get into Manchester but it's not reccommended. Manchester is the third bigesat city in the UK so it does have a reason to be worried. :x
Terrorists = :x :x

 

[bunnahabhain]

FGWFan, isnt it Stanley Martin who died in 43019 at Ufton Nervet?

 

[yorkie]

The problem is they now know they only have to say there's a bomb somewhere for the whole area to be evacuated.

It would be nice to believe we wont change our way of life, but unfortunately it's already happening.

If city centres are evacuated on a regular basis it will seriously harm our economy.

If railway stations are evacuated on a regular basis people will switch to road transport.

I do fear for the future.

 

[Dave A]

The problem is they now know they only have to say there's a bomb somewhere for the whole area to be evacuated.

It would be nice to believe we wont change our way of life, but unfortunately it's already happening.

If city centres are evacuated on a regular basis it will seriously harm our economy.

If railway stations are evacuated on a regular basis people will switch to road transport.

I do fear for the future.

I agree. We have to take every threat seriously now. Whether its serious or a completely f*cked up person playing pranks, how would we know?

This could completely screw up the country! :x

 

[Julian G]

The problem is they now know they only have to say there's a bomb somewhere for the whole area to be evacuated.

It would be nice to believe we wont change our way of life, but unfortunately it's already happening.

If city centres are evacuated on a regular basis it will seriously harm our economy.

If railway stations are evacuated on a regular basis people will switch to road transport.

I do fear for the future.

people are just taking the mick out of this

 

[David]

The problem is they now know they only have to say there's a bomb somewhere for the whole area to be evacuated.

It would be nice to believe we wont change our way of life, but unfortunately it's already happening.

If city centres are evacuated on a regular basis it will seriously harm our economy.

If railway stations are evacuated on a regular basis people will switch to road transport.

I do fear for the future.

people are just taking the mick out of this

I agree.

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/165/165330_bomb_squad_called_to_station.html

Someone with more time than sense on their hands, me thinks...

 

[yorkie]

I think we may have to make a choice:

Either we accept the fact our lives are going to be constantly disrputed, that rail travel is going to have to be abandoned due to constant disruptions and all go by car, or decide not to take such high precautions.

People will say it was right to close the station for 3 hours for safety reasons, and it's hard to argue with that. But, rightly or wrongly, the downside is that some people will inevitably travel by car instead (and long term if this continues many will abandon trains altogether, as they have done in the past), which will inevitably result in more injuries and more deaths on the roads (as road travel is simply less safe than rail travel, plus the more vehicles you put on the roads the less safe it gets).

I fear we're doomed to more and longer station closures and mass abandonment of trains if this continues. I hope it doesn't.

 

[The Snap]

I doubt it will come to that, actually, I very much doubt it will come to that! There's a 0.000001% chance of that happening. Terrorists don't strike every week or month, sometimes not even years. Not if, but WHEN Binladen is caught, I think this may shudder to an abrupt hault.

 

[yorkie]

I doubt it will come to that, actually, I very much doubt it will come to that! There's a 0.000001% chance of that happening. Terrorists don't strike every week or month, sometimes not even years. Not if, but WHEN Binladen is caught, I think this may shudder to an abrupt hault.

Even if the terrorists don't warn of an attack, one of the many items of luggage left unattended each day will inevitably spark a further scare.

As for if Bin Laden is caught I doubt it will end there. I doubt he's capable of launching attacks now anyway, probably too busy hiding. Unfortunately the actions of Bush and co will continue to antagonise people and inevitably breed more terrorists. I can't see the cycle ending any time soon.

 

[jd]

I think that people who call the emergency services to tell them theres a bomb should get treated under a "you-think-you're-a-terrorist-then-we'll-treat-you-like-you're-a-terrorist" policy. Ditto people who leave bags unattended.

 

[yorkie]

I think that people who call the emergency services to tell them theres a bomb should get treated under a "you-think-you're-a-terrorist-then-we'll-treat-you-like-you're-a-terrorist" policy. Ditto people who leave bags unattended.

I agree on the first point. (Although I think such people are often mentally ill).

As for the bags unattended, I don't think so if there's no intent! But it is very difficult to define. e.g. if you go to the buffet it's fine to leave a suitcase where it is but you must take 'hand luggage' with you. I think it's a total minefield and I can't see any easy solution to the problem.

 

[clagmonster]

I'm with Yorkie on this one. People could and often do leave luggage unattended by accident, for example: through forgetfulness. These are the people who ring up TOCs asking if there property has been found. Also, they could drop something without realising.

 

[jd]

Yeah, but I'm thinking of people who think "Oh, I'll just go and look at the departure board. I can't be ar**d to take my bags with me".

 

[The Snap]

I think it's Bush's fault! Al Quieda (or whatever theycall themselves - muderers would be good) said that they will only harm people who harm Muslims. If Bush and Blair had taken out troops out ages ago, this may not have happened, as we wouldn't have killed any Muslims. One other point, why are we still in Iraq????? :x If they want to blow eachother up, then let them, it's got NOTHING to do with us, we've got Saddam Hussain, now let's just go!!!