Would you go on a long-planned trip to Northern Virginia?

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DH and I along with our two younger kids (14 and 8) are supposed to go to a long-planned wedding of my cousin in a DC suberb this weekend. We would be driving up I-95 through Richmond and up to about 12 miles from DC. We had planned to stay Saturday evening at a hotel near the wedding, then spend Sunday and part of Monday touring museums and monuments in the city -- an approved educational trip for the kids. I was really looking forward to the event because I haven't seen some of my first cousins for almost 10 years and I love Washington.

Not surprisingly though, we're really getting cold feet. Over the weekend, we decided we would go to the wedding only and cancel the DC part of the trip. Ironically, we had thought we would make sure to make our last pit stop around Richmond, so we wouldn't be at interstate gas stations in Northern Virginia. Now, we're thinking seriously about cancelling. My 14-year-old has already said he's not going and my dh said tonight he doesn't want to go unless there was an arrest.

I'm so torn. Both cancelling and going as planned (complete with the sight-seeing tour) seem totally rational. Any words of wisdom from my DIS friends?
 
I don't think I'd go because I'd be too scared. Now you will hear this and you will hear "go, don't let them/him win".
However, I'd vote to stay home.
 
If i had a trip planned i would go and not change a thing about it!!! I will ge going to VA this summer amnd if the sniper is still on the lose i will still go and enjoy myself!!
Not going would be a over-reaction IMHO!! And the DC areas near the historic sites as safer than every with all of the enhanced security since 9/11. If people cower in their houses than the terrorists or criminals will win and we all lose, from not enjoying ourselves to the small business owner trying to make a living on the tourists who visit! Nothing says you shouldnt be cautious but staying in our ho,mes isnt the answer.
 
Did you know that in 2001, 220 people were killed in Richmond Distric in traffic accidents. That averages out to 1 person every 1.63 days. On average, 81 people per day were injured in traffic accidents in Richmond district. There have been 12 sniper victims in 19 days, or 1 person every 1.58 days.

The sniper is scary, absolutely, but are you any more at risk than being killed or injured in a regular, ol' traffic accident? Now, I don't live anywhere near Virginia, so I don't know how I'd feel actually being there. But I think I'd feel just as worried about a drunk driver, or someone chatting away on their cell phone and rear-ending me. Since those things don't impact my decision to cancel my vacation, I don't think I'd cancel a trip to DC. Yes, I could die, but I could die staying at home too.

If anyone is interested, here's a link to the traffic accident statistics for Virginia 2001.

http://www.dmvnow.com/webdoc/citizen/drivers/crash_facts.asp
 

I wouldn't go and I certainly wouldn't put my children at risk.
 
I wouldn't go. We're suppose to visit family in that general area before January. Unless there's an arrest, we're not going. And maybe our relatives should visit us instead to give them a break from the daily stress.
 
i would go, but only to the wedding.

also, if it makes you feel any better, the sniper hasn't targeted downtown dc yet. i feel better when i'm downtown. people have theorized that b/c of all the traffic, it would be harder to get away.

good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)
 
I would go. My parents live there and they aren't scared. In the Virginia part, just stay away from I-95 and you should be fine. (while you are there - not driving there)
 
This harkens back to the discussions about "Would you fly?" shortly after 9/11.

My view then (and my view now) is that what is "right" is NOT an absolute. WHATEVER you decide is right for YOUR family is right. You know your kids and how they are handling the situation better than anyone here. What is "right" for Bob O may not be "right" for you.

That said, I do think that hopemax has a good point. The chances are much higher of being in a traffic accident than being the victim of the sniper. Of course, if YOU happen to be that victim, then all the statistics in the world won't matter much, will they?

And yes, the monuments and museums in DC ARE wonderful, but they will be around for quite a while . . .


Take care in whatever you decide . . .
 
I don't know what I'd do....I have to drive up to Northern Virginia in about an hour, and I'm worried out of my mind.:(
 
The sniper is so sporadic and so random with his targets, he literally could strike anywhere (even at a wedding), this person or persons is just plain sick. I would stay home, but that is my personal choice.

:bounce::wave::bounce:
 
One additional factor that you may want to consider...

Granted, statistically the chances of becoming a victim of a shooting are miniscule, however, your chance of being affected by the situation is alot greater. For example, this morning thousands of us were stuck in stopped traffic for hours, the same thing happened to travelers on Saturday night. While this is all a necessary part of our existence for the moment, I'm not sure if I would volunteer to be a participant.

Weigh the opinions of your family members and decide. I'm sure that you will be safe, just know that the trip may not be smooth sailing.
 
I would want to go , but I would not. I think that it is bad enough for the people who live in the area and I would not place myself or my family in an area where there is danger. Today on T.V., Moose said that they cannot guarantee anyone's safety.
 
I'm afraid to visit my relatives in the area, but I'm more afraid for them. Every time a murder happens I map it out, to see how close it is to where they live, or work! I don't know how much more of this I can take. I would much rather have the sniper stalking my area instead, I hate worrying about other people.

No, I wouldn't go!:(
 
I really don't think I could, but that is just me!
 
As much as I would like to tell you to come, as much as I feel for those working in the tourism business here (which never fully recovered after 9/11), I have to say if I didn't live here, I wouldn't be here.

Of course, as others pointed out, the chances of being a victim to a sniper attack is very slim. You have to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision for yourself.
 














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