On the first day of the seminar I was asked by a student whether it was safe to drink everywhere we were traveling in Europe. It struck me what poor information many Americans had about Europe. Stories about the Black Death or unsanitary conditions in the Middle Ages, which we are taught in history classes as students, must permeate into our understanding of European countries. It is similar to our misperception of safety and violence in Europe. Film and popular culture portray Europe as a place where young Americans are kidnapped and held for ransom, creating a sense that it is very risky to travel in Western Europe. This fear has been exacerbated by recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. Yet, it is the case, that people are far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime in the United States than in Western Europe.
My reply to the student who was concerned about the safety of drinking water was short and succinct, perhaps too much so for the first day of travel. I simply replied that given the situation in Flint and other American cities, the drinking water in Europe is probably safer than in the United States.
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