English couple on terror trail

London, Dec 22 (PTI) An English couple have been labelled
"tourists of evil omen" as every time they went on holidays to
New York, London or Mumbai, they have been on terror trail.

However, the couple, Jason and Jenny Cairns-Lawrence from
the West Midlands, must be among the world's luckiest people
as they escaped unhurt after being in the cities during the
terror attacks.

"It's a strange coincidence. The terror attacks just
happened when we were in the cities. I shouldn't be laughing
about it, but it is a strange coincidence," Jenny, 26, a
dental laboratory worker, said.

"Maybe we will think about putting it all down on paper
some day, but neither of us is a good enough writer," she
added.

The Dudley-based couple love their holidays but wherever
they go, the cities seem to experience devastating terrorist
strikes.

They were in New York on September 11, 2001 when about
3,000 people were killed after plane hijackers crashed into
the World Trade Centre, bringing down the twin towers.

Four years later, they were in London on July 7 when four
terrorists used suicide bombs to blow up tube trains and
buses, claiming the lives of 52 commuters.

And on November 26 this year, Jason and Jenny found
themselves in Mumbai when the Indian city came under siege
from the Islamic terrorists, but here too they succeeded in
cheating the death.

Praising Mumbai, the couple said the speedy recovery of
the Indian city had been an inspiration.

"I would say that Mumbai sprang back to its feet faster
than New York or London. New York took almost a week to come
back to normal. But Mumbai was back to its usual business from
day three. It was just amazing," Jason, a 42-year-old sales
manager, said.

"There's something that's missing in Mumbai which wasn't
missing in New York or London and that is terror," he added.

"As I looked around, it was impossible to tell that such
a ghastly thing had happened. In New York people carried the
look of terror in their eyes for weeks after the carnage. In
London, the police appeared more scared than the people,"
Jenny said.

But the couple refused to cut-short their holiday after
the Mumbai attacks which took nearly 183 lives. PTI