Danger in the eyes of the beholder
“As Seen Through Tourists’ Eyes, U.S. Can Be Dangerous” (Travel Insider, Jan. 12) reminded me of an experience I had while backpacking through Europe in 1982.
On a ferry from France to England, I struck up a conversation with a couple from Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the time, Belfast was constantly in the news because of the religious and political tension and the IRA bombings. I asked the couple if they feared for their lives. They said they felt very safe, adding that all the violence was solely political and they were not involved in the political war. I was amazed.
They asked me where I was from. When I said Los Angeles, they were astonished that I was living in and had survived such a dangerous city.
Robert L. Benun
Hollywood
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