To be considering selling our olympic tickets as I tink it will be too stressful to go

[katedan]

We got 5 tickets for the athletics in the ballot last year and were thrilled. You could only request a date not a time and we were allocated 6 -10pm. Kids will be 9 and 5 yr old twins and having looked at the transport links it is going to take hours to get home after the event. (we only live in Reading). We have been told to allow 2 hours each side to get in and out of the venue, you are not allowed to take bags or water etc in and I think the whole thing will be nightmare with the children getting very tired and not enoying the event. I realise it is a once in a lifetime event butI am dreading in.

So AIBU?

[alphabite]

I would buy them from you.

[bytheMoonlight]

Travel will be a nightmare.
Waiting times will be long.
Food and drink will be expensive.
It will be crowded.

You have to weigh up if you think your children can handle all that and enjoy the event.

My 4yr and 1yr old couldn't.

I think a 9yr old definitely could, and a five probably could as a one off. But they are your children and you know them best

[YouOldSlag]

I'm 42 and I couldn't cope with no bag and queues for drinks and long journeys and children.

It's not really a People's Olympics is it? I think they've really fucked it all up.

[QuickLookBusy]

YANBU

I go to London often. Travelling around has been even worse than usual recently. Heaven knows what it will be like over the Olympics.

Having said that if your 9 year old was really keen and understood he will be hanging around for a very long time, I would take him. I wouldn't take the 5 year olds.

[eurochick]

No bags? That's just daft. Are you supposed to juggle your wallet, phone, tampons and whatever else you carry with you for several hours?

[LadySucre]

Do you tink so?

[takingiteasy]

No bags? They can't do that surely?!

[YouOldSlag]

By going mad on security measures they have made the Olympics non user friendly. How can you just go to a huge sporting event lasting many hours, with your kids, and with just your purse in your hand?

[Mrskbpw]

No bags?! Seriously? The whole thing is a shambles.

[angel1976]

I'm sorry but you all sound like such wet blankets. I was at the Sydney Olympics and they had all the same 'problems' as London (concern about special traffic lanes for Olympics buses and officials, there was massive hooha about the beach volleyball stadium being built in Bondi and I lived in Bondi then but it was all done, dusted and dismantled and now of course, no one bloody remembers the hassles over that one stadium!) but I went to every single event I could get my hands on (fencing, athletics, hockey) and had the most brilliant time. The atmosphere in the whole city was electric for the whole two weeks. Everything worked fine as far as I could remember. I couldn't actually remember any actual problems, just that it was such a brilliant time in my life.

We've only got tickets to the swimming this time but I am positive we will get more tickets closer the time (I actually remember buying some of my tickets from a 'booth' in the city in Sydney) and I am going to enjoy it. I also happen to think I am very lucky that I would get to experience the Olympics twice in my lifetime. I wish people would just go along with it, then moan about every single thing!

Back to OP, I think you can (and should) do it as a one-off. My kids are 4 and 2 and I think they are too young to appreciate it, which is such a pity. However, we did recently fly to a holiday on a flight that got into our destination at midnight and we had a bit of a kerfuffle over where we were staying and didn't get into our villa till 3.30am! They had a sleep on the plane, woke up, slept again in the rental car and we 'transferred' them. They were hardly scarred for life!

[Pootles2010]

Where has the no bags thing come from? Is it on your tickets/official?

[Callisto]

It sounds like my idea of hell on earth, but then I have no interest in athletics. I would sell the tickets for £££ and go on a nice relaxing holiday instead.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Listen, if you really really wanted to go then you would think sod the inconvenience we can manage wouldn't you.

You've got your tickets and now cant really be bothered - and I dont blame you, it's all such a faff. You may as well pass them onto someone who thinks of it as the opportunity of a life time and who thinks the pleasure will outweigh the pain.

I plan to commute as little as possible when the olympics are on, it is gonna be one giant pain in the arse :)

[PiousPrat]

Yep it is mentioned in the little pack that comes with the wallets. We only have tickets for the football up near me so travel won't be anywhere near as bad as for events in London, but we are still advised to allow 2 hours to get in and out of the stadium.

I'm taking a football mad 11 year old, an Olympics mad 12 year old and a 13 month old so while I can get through a few hours with the older ones without needing anything more in my pocket than phone, wallet and keys, that clearly isn't going to work with the baby. I'm assuming there wont be a problem with taking bottles in for the baby but I think that toddler snacks might be a grey area.

[Pootles2010]

I just wondered whether they might be more bothered about sponsors/advertising with the no bags thing? In the past, big sports events have had issues with this, and the official sponsors get very pissy about it. Basically what happens is that companies who aren't officiail sponsors stand outside venues giving everyone freebies, then the whole stand is filled with their logos.

I imagine they'll be ok with it really, just make sure it's cheap bag that you don't mind having taken off you.

[PandaG]

you can takes bags into the venue, just no larger than 25 litres in capacity. I have just read that on the official website. They just prefer you not to take bags YOu can only take liquid in a container no larger than 100ml and no part filled bottles, but you can take an empty water bottle to fill and water will be available free. see www.london2012.com/mm/Document/Documents/General/01/25/44/10/Restrictionsonliquidsaerosolsandgels_Neutral.pdf here

yes it will take a long time to get in and out - we will be travelling from Norfolk and will probably have a 20plus hour day, but as a one off I think it wilkl be worth it

[LaurieFairyCake]

Obviously you're allowed to take your handbag and/or nappy bag if you have a baby

They just mean no giant shoppers full of snacks/water.

[PandaG]

bags are allowed in Wembley, see official website www.london2012.com/venue/wembley-arena/visitor-information/ here

[izzyizin]

What you've described is my idea of hell. Sell them and stay home where you'll have a better view on tv.

Complete Olympic here. IMO it's an exercise in pumping up the already over inflated egos of a few at the expense of many.

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

I can't understand why anyone would want to endure the conditions they are imposing on would be spectators, let alone subject children to them. That said, I am a "hater" and think the whole thing has been really badly handled and is more than likely going to be a complete fiasco from start to finish, especially for "ordinary" people.
Sell your tickets and spend the money on something nice.

[NoTeaForMe]

How much would you want to sell them for? Can I buy two?

Think it does sound a bit of a nightmare with the 5 year old twins to be honest...but it's a one off so do-able if you wanted to, but you don't! So I think you should sell the tickets (to me!) and move on!

[katedan]

Was hoping for a few more posts along of the lines of "it will be a wonderful experience and it will be so well organised that it will be a great day out for you all".

Interesting that small bags are allowed and water bottles. I think my 9 yr old will be fine but the twins have no idea what is happening (keep asking if Mario and Sonic will be there!).

I feel bad as so many people want to go and in years to come they will ask why we did not take them but I just wish it was going to be easier to travel and not in the middle of the night!

PandaG - How old are your children?

[littlecrocodile]

You are able to take bags into the venues, up to regular sized day backpacks/handbags are fine. It's just lots of shopping bags, suitcases etc that are banned. You can't take bottles of water in but you can take empty bottles in and there will be ample facilities to fill these up free of charge. You also can't take food in, but this is a pretty standard restriction for venues/events these days.

[DreamingofSummer]

If you don't want them, I'll take them off your hands