Don’t shoot me down in flames- a genuine question.

We can't wrap them up in cotton wool even though we might like to.

Stay together - even if they do have a tiff as someone else said and take sensible precautions.

As DH says, it's only the parents (and grandparents) who worry!

I moved to London when I was 20. Everyone at home in my small Welsh town warned me of the disasters awaiting me - rapists, muggers and murderers on every street corner. I lived in Central London for 5 years and walked around, often on my own, at all times of day and night. The worst thing that happened to me was the IRA bomb threats. That was a long time ago and there are different dangers now, as mentioned by others. But in reality London is no more dangerous than any big city and a little bit of commonsense and awareness makes a huge difference.

I saw a YouTube video recently made by an American woman. Every year when their children are on holiday they move to a different country for a couple of months. This year her husband wanted to move to London and she was scared after reading so many bad things. At the end of the two months she was in love with London and they've decided to come back next year. So it can't be that bad.

Life is risky even if they stayed home.

London is as safe as any city anywhere, and safer than many.

Tell them not to leave London though, as the further away you get the more heads people have...!

I’m in Berkshire, but travel to London frequently, on my own, and out and about late …. Have never had any problems or concerns and with two teenage (girl 17 and boy 19) grandchildren in Kew who also travel into town frequently, and DGD went to Boardmasters in Cornwall with two friends, while DGS went inter- railing round Europe in the summer, just use common sense, am sure the teens in question are more savvy than you think, and will have a great time. DGS had previously gone to Oz on his own and stayed 9 months as part of gap year, he’s now at Uni.

A lot of this fear about London has been whipped up deliberately by Yaxley Lennon (Tommy Robinson) feeding lies to Elon Musk who then parroted them back by phone to the adoring crowd on the recent Unite the Kingdon march - which was about nothing of the sort.

The event was covered by the international media. Musk would have the world believe that London is an entire no-go area awash with thieves, rapists and murderers and that everyone else in the UK (villagers he called us) is at the mercy of a marauding mob. It’s nonsense.

The most dangerous things at that march were Yaxley Lennon and his thugs. Dozens and dozens of his EDL followers have been convicted of sexual crimes against young girls, boys and women.

London is no different to any other major city. You have to be careful of casual thieves. It has always been so. Read Dickens. Paris and New York are no different.

I see young girls and women everywhere with phones, if not in their hands, then on display in the back pocket of their jeans. It's a silly affectation. They might as well carry a sign saying Casual Thief, Please Rob Me.

London is awash with tourists day and night. Around 22 million visit every year. A million people travel into central London every weekday to work. Why would they do that if it was the no-go area Musk claims?

I was born in London and worked in the City for 50 years from 1971 to 2021 (the last year WFH due to the pandemic). I often stayed late for cultural events and travelled home alone cross-London by bus, Tube and train. I am still there regularly for cultural events. In 70 years. I have never witnessed any kind or crime or been a victim of one. Not saying it doesn't happen but by the law of averages, you would thing I would have witnessed something in 70 years.

Yes, there are parts of outer London I wouldn’t go to at night just as there are in any city or town where young male crime may be high and knife carrying is common but tourists have no need to go to those places.

Stick to the major sights, keep personal belongings out of sight (a small crossbody bag is a good idea) and don’t accept invitations from men to go to bars and clubs and they’ll be fine.

Don't forget to have one of those "protective" credit card size cards with their credit and debit cards if they are the type one swipes across the pay thingies (technical word...). It's just as well anyway - though I made sure I stuck with traditional old-style insert type cards anyway for my credit and debit cards. I gather the limit payable with those "swipe" type cards has gone up from £100 to unlimited recently.

I've walked through THE Mafia areas of Sicily with an Italian friend of mine years back and her advice was to:
- walk along head up looking confident
- keep cash etc in a moneybelt worn underneath my clothes

Don't know if we've got to the same state yet here in London - but could be an idea.

In the event - the Sicilian police were more bother to us than the Mafia - but they stopped as soon as they heard a confident English voice (mine) asking them what they were doing...and they left.

My DGD had her phone stolen in London at the weekend and she is a city girl, sensible (usually) and aware, so risk is everywhere.

I should have added, even for different parts of towns.

There are crime stats easily availanle.
Even for smaller towns.
An eye opener.

You'll still worry nanna8, we mothers and grandmothers can't help it. We just don't tell the younger generation how we feel do we.

I would give exactly the same advice travelling to London, or anywhere else, to teens travelling.

Stay together
Use “bum” bags for cash etc
Uber is quite safe, but don’t use any other private cabs
Watch your drinks
Don’t give your personal details out to strangers you might meet
Have secondary ID, as well as passport
Photograph your passport and ID

Have fun

Its about 5 years since I went to London so it must have changed a great deal. I have travelled solo all over Europe and the middle east (Iran, Syria. UAE, Egypt, Morocco etc) and never felt myself to be in danger. I always take reasonable precautions in hotels and use a door wedge which will prevent anyone entering - even with a passkey or key card. I dont walk around with a mobile in my hand even at home! Always deposit my passport and spare money/cards in the hotel safe.

nanna8

Thanks everyone - I feel a bit better about it now and will pass on the precautions.

It's natural to worry. One of my GD's went off travelling with her best friend. She told me they were staying on Kao Tao, also known as the Death Island. Of course, I have to Google it, don't I? This island bears this name due to the number of assaults and murders of backpackers. That really comforted me!! All was well in the end and she is now happily living in Brisbane and applying for Australian citizenship. Absolutely adores the place. Your girls will be fine.

Lots of good advice, don't leave drinks unattended, keep glasses right in front of you. Scam video showed a girl being chatted up, and the Guy managed spike her drink. He told her afterwords, as he was making the vid to warn people.
I always advised, no matter if you fall out, stay together. Leave no-one behind. Good luck and safe journey to them.

BlueBelle when I lived in a lovely area in Shropshire someone once mentioned that they would never live there (not knowing I lived there). This person said she understood that the police went about in two's. I had to smile and inform her that in all the years I had lived, in this very lovely rural place, I hadn't even seen one policeman, never mind two.

Thanks everyone - I feel a bit better about it now and will pass on the precautions.

I was in Barcelona last year and in Las Ramblas and never saw a thing out of place but like anywhere it can get a reputation
Anywhere can harbour pickpockets thieves etc but it doesn’t mean everyone is going to experience it and you just need to be sensible but not frightened

I was pick pocketed years and years ago in HK that isn’t everyone’s experience of HK though

The ll have a great time Nana8

Two of my grandaughters early20s are adventurers (not together I might add) and have both travelled extensively alone
with no trouble they have only ever found helpful people

Yours need to be cautious whatever city they are in and always have their wits about them London (in most areas) is no more dangerous than most cities
My big (boxer built) grandson was robbed of his dead Dads neck chain in Netherlands it was gone, in a crowd, in an instant.
I haven’t been to London for a while but never felt unsafe when I did used to go and I certainly wasn’t only in the tourist parts Used to love Camden Shepherd’s Bush Notting Hill Southall When I was in NZ and struck up a conversation with a NZ man he told me categorically that no one in London could go out after dark because there were so many no go areas I asked him when he’d been to London last and he said never I asked how he knew and he said he’d read about it !!!
Say no more
Aldom I was told on here GN by someone who had probably never been to my area that I lived in a crime ridden town !!!
We have some petty crime here stolen(borrowed) bikes maybe some teenage stuff after dark, some shop lifting, but very little else I ve never ever felt scared or concerned out on my own
Rumours fly fast

I don't know what Melbourne is like but in London, especially on the tube, it's not usual to make eye contact with people

Oh yes, one of mine had her purse pinched on the Tube. That was before she went travelling overseas so it was a salutary lesson. The thief was quite blatant!

Keep vital cards, passport, money in a money belt under clothes. I bought a nice flat one, not at all bulky, I think it was online.

I would echo the warning about Barcelona.
We stopped there a few years ago on a cruise and heard later that one passenger had his wallet stolen and another his passport in Las Ramblas which is notorious.
Far worse than London in my experience.

Despite that it will be a fantastic experience for the youngsters.

I am really past days out wandering in London now, I grew up in London and one thing that was always drummed into us was to keep moving and look as though we knew what we were doing. You can always go into a shop or museum etc to check your phone and sort out any location problems. I hope they have a lovely time.

As long as they stay together and don't accept drinks or go off with anyone they've just met they should be fine, but that's the same anywhere.

I have a backpack which opens on the side that's against my back, not easily accessible to someone else.

When I've taken my minded children to London for the day I've always taken a full-length photo and a headshot before we set off.
If anything happened or they got lost I'd have a current photo to show the Police, in the clothes they were wearing that day.
That would be something the girls could easily do.

Similarly when we go away we have a printed photo of our passport pages in case they get lost or stolen.
I've done this since my Dad was pick-pocketed on Las Ramblas and had to go to the embassy to arrange a new passport.

I don't know what Melbourne is like but in London, especially on the tube, it's not usual to make eye contact with people 😒

As many Gran's have stated as long as they take sensible precautions they'll be fine.
Young people these days are very savvy, they know all-sortsstuff!
Some of them could certainty teach us to suck eggs as the the saying goes. 😶

I live in Greater London and go into the centre very often. I go to the theatre and the opera and walk back to the Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road more often than not on my own.I don't have my phone out and do watch where I am going. Common sense really. I am 87 , not that that matters. They'll have a great time.