Stupid bombs

OMFG.

A bomb exploded in one of the malls I used to frequent in the Philippines. There were casualties, there were injuries, and there is instant reaction.

I know the Philippines has long been blacklisted among tourist spots but I never took it seriously. It had been going on so long that it all seemed perfunctory. What was the big deal? I lived there and I survived. There was nothing to be scared of except the usual petty criminal or the more dangerous drug addict. The usual stuff you’d see anywhere in the world.

Okay, so maybe there was a difference. There were a TON of bomb scares and security measures taken while I was living there (and is probably still on-going). Before you entered any mall, it was common to pass through a joke of a security check where you zipped open your bag for the guard to wave his or her “wand” inside it. It was all a nuisance, really, a cause of long lines at every mall door.

Sure, maybe the security measures taken did deter the casual prankster, but for the determined bomber, isn’t it all about “where there’s a will, there’s a way?” And so they found a way to blow up part of the most popular mall in the financial district.

Would I stop going to that mall if I still lived close enough to go to it? No. But the whole incident just changes your perspective about places where you think you’ll be safe.

Nowhere is 100% safe.