My mom thinks bad things will happen - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

pj_ali · 07-06-2005, 04:16 PM

Hey, Can anyone help convince my mom that I’m gonna be OK when I visit India this fall? I’m going as part of a school program and don’t plan on doing any sightseeing alone. But she read about that suicide bomber in Ayodhya, which is a ways away from the city where I’ll be anyway, and now she’s afraid I’ll be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know she loves me and just wants me to be safe and all, but seriously, if she starts to warn me on how to spot Islamic extremists again, I’m gonna wig out.

**TheJake** · 07-06-2005, 04:32 PM

invite her along!

foofiter · 07-06-2005, 04:47 PM

All you have to do is remind your mom that it can happen at home too. Has she forgotten about Sept. 11? That was a murder/suicide bombing in the USA. Oklahoma City...The train in Spain...The guy with the shoe bomb on the plane...unibomber...the list goes on.

The point is that it can happen anywhere...not just in India.

And before someone flames me I am in no way saying there is no difference between a solitary suicide bomber and Sept. 11. I am giving this person some fuel to fight with.

best of luck.

foofiter

**TheJake** · 07-06-2005, 05:12 PM

a terrorist is a terrorist

pj_ali · 07-06-2005, 05:28 PM

Ha, thanks for the tip Jake. But I think in the realm of packing light, Mom's gotta stay home!

**TheJake** · 07-06-2005, 06:07 PM

tell her in a country with a billion people who's gonna notice one little white person running around eh?

**omisan** · 07-07-2005, 12:23 AM

Your chances of being struck by a car in your own neighborhood are infinitely higher than those of getting killed in a terrorist attack, being in a plane crash, or getting your money back from a Tunisian street hustler.

Qwardian · 07-07-2005, 06:38 AM

I'd be more worried about the public washrooms.

Sorry, I just watched Eurotrip this morning before work.

**elfmaiden** · 07-07-2005, 06:48 AM

Well as we've seen this morning, bad things don't just happen in certain countries. Anywhere at any time. Don't let it deter you though, I'm not going to let fear decide the course of my life. 'Cause that is exactly what terrorists and bombers want.

Jenn

**bellelass** · 07-07-2005, 06:48 AM

Well add London to the list foo.

foofiter · 07-07-2005, 08:19 AM

Case and point. I bet your mom would have had no problems at all if it was London instead of India before today. Sometimes you have to remind your parents that you are an adult and you can make your own educated descisions. You will probably get hit by pickpockets instead of bombers. The broder near Pakistan is the "hot spot" from what I have heard isn't even that bad. You just need to lay down the law and go!

foofiter

**elfmaiden** · 07-07-2005, 08:31 AM

Exactly Foo!

I know at some point I will have to make sure it's clear to my mom that I'm still going to London on the 30th of this month. As much as she doesn't like it, there is still more of a chance of me gettin' hit going to work than something bad happening while I'm travelling.

Support other countries and don't let fear bring ya down.

Jenn

**SuDz** · 07-07-2005, 09:23 AM

Yeah no matter the points you bring up the Moms are going to worry. It's what they do. Everytime you travel she will probably be paniced and find out terrible incidents that happened in the ocuntry city whatever your going to. Expect her to do a good search on the bombing in stead of "Went to India was safe and happy" searches.

Mine is panicked about my Mexico trip I am doing this month and next year if all goes right, she will be worrying about me going to Africa. I expect it every time, but you can live within its boundries. Try giving her the itinery so she at least knows where you should be if she hears something on the news. Thats what mine hates most, is I just wander around and wind up where I wind up hehe. Keeps her on her toes.

SuDZ

**benna2** · 07-07-2005, 01:01 PM

I agree wholeheartedly with Sudz. Mom's worry, it is just in their biological makings. Especially about their "baby" going off into some far off land where bad things might happen.

But you have to respect that too. If she wasn't worried about you, wouldn't that hurt just a little? Tell your mom (but actually mean what you say!!) that you are going to try your best to be careful, stay out of trouble and trust your instincts. Parents have to be able to have faith in the job they did in raising their kids and trust them when it comes time for these journeys.

Give your mom a big kiss and tell her thanks for worrying and that you love her too.

lbpierce · 07-07-2005, 01:22 PM

Hello, Pj ali! I visited Agra and Delhi last year and was just smitten with a lot of things in India! Keep popping your malaria pills! Of course, there are quite a few factors – the children running around in obvious need of more supervision and medical attention is the big one – that made my first-world eyes rightfully cloudy. Those are the things your mother probably brings to mind when she thinks of you being in India, rather than the Taj Mahal and wonderful food you envision. I’m just saying to remain sympathetic to your mom’s perspective in this. As you said, she loves you and wants you to be safe. Help keep her reassured by making yourself accessible. Does the program you’re going with provide phones? If not, you might consider OneSuite, which has extremely cheap rates to India, or if that’s too costly, there’s always email. The main thing is to make sure your mom knows you plan on keeping her informed of every great thing you see. Namaste!

lbpierce · 07-07-2005, 01:27 PM

I want to bring up London, as I read it right after my last response. These sort of things can happen anywhere, as other have already pointed out. But to make sense of such violence, do we resolve never leave our homes? Or do we go out to see the places, all the places, so we can to get a broader understanding of where different people are coming from and then do something with what we've learned?

You can certainly poach my argument to give to your mom. if you want, tell her I used to be social studies teacher.

**TheJake** · 07-07-2005, 02:43 PM

luckily for me I set off on my first solo trip when I was 12 for 3 weeks to costa rica, so needless to say my mother no longer worries too much about me. It's basically a "well see ya when you get back and don't spend too much"

**ted** · 07-07-2005, 03:00 PM

You went off solo when you were 12? That’s pretty sweet Jake!
Your parent’s hippies?

**TheJake** · 07-07-2005, 04:22 PM

no they are more like anti-hippies but they trusted me

**juliagulia** · 07-07-2005, 04:33 PM

whoa that awesome. ive gone without parents when i was 12 but i went to relatives houses and friends of families... did you do that or did you stay at a hotel by yourself, etc.?

thats awesome...