I know this is just what they want, to get me to think about the risks I'm taking every day. Fear is what they try to spread. I have to give them that, they are doing it very effectively. Who are 'they'? I'll tell you.

Terrorists

Pauline and I were in Leiden (my university town) yesterday. On our way back we had to wait for the train that would take us home somewhere halfway Apeldoorn (our hometown) and Leiden. While waiting there the announcer told us with his beautifully computerized voice that we should never leave luggage unattended. At first I thought pickpockets were roaming the station halls and trains again, but it wasn't until I had arrived home when I found out there is a 'faint terrorism threat' goin on at our stations now.

Normally I'd say this is a way for the government to keep people aware of what might happen to them if they become careless. Always keep the minions on alert, that's what works best. I also know that my reaction is precisely what terrorists want. I started calculating what the chance is that I'm a direct victim of a terrorist attack on our train system.

We have a funny way of running trains. You guys might think of trains as luxureous ways of getting from point A to B, with bars, plenty of room to relax and a nice atmosphere. Our trains are not. Our country is so small that our trains are run like metros, with the exception that they go every 15 minutes or so instead of every two. Needless to say these things are packed with people during rush hours. Believe me when I say that our trains are a more attractive target for terrorists than the London metro.

The distance between my house and Leiden is huge. I'm on one end of the country, Leiden is on the other end. It takes me a little less than two hours to get there, and the way to get there is by using the train. It's free for students here. I'm spending 4 hours a day in the train. Seeing how Leiden is in the west of the country, and how all our major cities are located there I cross at least two major stations on the way to Leiden, and on the way back I cross another two. I'm almost always in the train during the rush hour, either in the morning or in the evening. Fat chance indeed. A very fat chance. The terrorists have me where they want them. I know how big the chance is that I'm going to be killed in a terrorist attack. It's pretty big.

I'm not avoiding public transport. Our country is meaningless. Still we are at a huge risk, according to our intelligence agency and the CIA. I'll believe them for now. Seeing how we are still supporting the USA with all we have got we are an easy target, especially we've got so many muslims living here (almost 2 million, total population 16 million) and a lot of natives who think the USA is a total pile of crap. Bombing our trains would be a good way to bring down our government and have people vote for the leftists who oppose the USA. So yes, in reality we might be at a bigger risk than I've always wanted to believe.

My fear is not very prevalent. I'm not stepping into the train with shaking legs. In fact, I almost never think about it. But the slight fear is there. I'm always in the front or the back of the train. Not only because I can make it to the exit of the station quicker so I'm arriving in time at the univeristy, it also decreases the chance of me getting blown to pieces, should a terrorist have hopped on board. Their only goal is to kill as many people as they can, so most likely they'll be squeezing themselves into the masses in the middle wagons of the train, significantly raising their chances of killing a lot of people at once. He would make less casualties if he'd be in the front or the back of the train.

I rather not think about it. I'll just have to live with the thought that I might get hit and might not get home one day. I'm also pretty sure that we will get hit one day, maybe in the very near future. I'm hoping I'm not there when it happens, after that we will probably have had 'our share' and I can use public transport more safely. Strange how terrorism affects us all.