Originally Posted by dhuey
I must admit that the Eqyptian terrorists' targeting of toursits makes me less likely to travel there. For me, safety is not just about statistical risk. If my risk of dying in countries A and B is equal, but the risk in A is by accident and in B by murder, I would feel much less safe in B. It's very disturbing to me on a human level that I'm in a subgroup of people (tourists) that others are specifically trying to kill.
All things being equal, your position makes sense... But I think this isn't the proper comparison. The risk of "A" at home is much, MUCH greater than the risk of "B" in Egypt. Furthermore, the risk of "A" in Egypt is remarkably low, and virtually nil if you avoid intercity buses, which are the cause of most accidents. There's practically no violent crime of any kind, especially against foreigners; in my experience (having talked to Egyptians about this), Egyptians know better than to attack foreigners...it gets them BIG prison sentences or worse.