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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be a bit perplexed by the ticketing for the olympics?

24 replies

crapbarry · 15/02/2011 21:03

DH and I are thinking of TTC DC2 later in the year, so if all goes to plan, we would potentially have a 2 or 3 month old by august 2012.

I was just looking at the 2012 ticketing website, and saw that you must have a ticket for EVERY person with you - no matter their age. So, I checked with the organisers (well, their minions, via the 'contact us' linky) and they said I have to buy a ticket for any children, even those not yet conceived, just in case.

This isn't normal, surely? To charge for people who don't yet exist? Also, tickets go on sale in March 2011 - that's 16 months before the games begin. So unless you KNOW you're TTC, you may end up unable to attend because you have a new baby by the time the games begin. Hmm

AIBU to think this is a bit crap?

OP posts:
chabbychic · 15/02/2011 21:04

I wouldn't worry you'd just be able to hide him or her in a sling!

YANBU though it's very daft.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 15/02/2011 21:06

YABU - do you honestly think they should hold tickets back for people who may or not have a baby? Shock

PukeyMummy · 15/02/2011 21:07

YAB a bit U.

This scenario will only apply to a small number of people and the organisers can't keep everyone happy. If you don't buy the tickets, someone else will. They care about bums on seats, full stop.

I think you just have to take a punt and buy what you think you might need.

I went to the Athens Olympics and it was the same. We were due to go with friends who then conceived and couldn't go.

I was able to sell on their tickets to other people in Athens. Someone else will buy them.

Original poster
crapbarry · 15/02/2011 21:07

no notsuch - I don't think you should need to buy a ticket for a baby who will be in a sling/sleeping/unable to participate!!

OP posts:
Meglet · 15/02/2011 21:08

A baby won't need a seat though. I would hope the organisers would let babies in without a ticket.

Original poster
crapbarry · 15/02/2011 21:09

ah - meglet manages to say what I'm trying to say much more succinctly!! :o

OP posts:
PaperView · 15/02/2011 21:10

YABU - tickets aren't on sale yet, you might not even have a baby and you might not be physically up for going either.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 15/02/2011 21:11

Anyway, you're jumping the gun a bit you probably won't get any tickets Grin

i registered on that website last year but i'm not holding my breath. All the posh nobs will get tickets - not the likes of us - we just have to pay for it.

PukeyMummy · 15/02/2011 21:17

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow - they let me in to the Athens Olympics, so they'll let in any old riff raff Wink

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 15/02/2011 21:20

yeah but I want front row tickets for the opening ceremony Grin

caughtinanet · 15/02/2011 21:24

Everyone who buys tickets so far in advance knows they are running the risk that their circumstances will be different by the time the Games start.

I'd guess a fair few people who buy tickets will die between now and then. Its the nature of the beast

YABU to expect a worldwide event to cater for your childbearing activities Grin

Foxinsocks · 15/02/2011 21:24

I can't wait

need to plan which events to aim for

I will be mightily pissed if I don't get any especially as I'm in a London borough and will no doubt pay for it through council tax

Foxinsocks · 15/02/2011 21:26

Notsuchasmugmarried - I'll probably see you in the 7th heat of the 53kg judo or somesuch. It's probably all the likes of us will get Grin.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 15/02/2011 21:29

LOL - I am so not holding my breath about getting any tickets at all.

perhaps they'll let us press our noses up against the window

PukeyMummy · 15/02/2011 21:29

FWIW, the way it worked for Athens, if I remember rightly, was that locals got first preference on tickets, then Greeks in general, then Europeans, then the rest of the world. Each category got a certain allocation.

I don't know if that's how it'll work for London.

But, like the Lottery, if you don't enter the draw for tickets, you won't get any! You can always sell/pass them on to someone else if you can't use them.

Go for it - we won't get something like this on our soil again in our lifetimes (well, fingers crossed for the footy World Cup but...don't hold your breath!).

MorticiaAddams · 16/02/2011 09:55

The information I have says that you pay their age for children so technically the child will be 0 and you can get a free ticket for them.

Original poster
crapbarry · 16/02/2011 10:13

I thought that was just for selected events morticia - but yes, it's not such a big deal if you can get a pay your age ticket. It just seemed odd to me that you have to get a ticket for someone who doesn't exist, and when they do exist, they won't need a seat. Especially since most places don't charge for under-2s or under-5s sometimes.

Like others have said though, what are the chances of actually getting a ticket anyway?! :o

OP posts:
nymphadora · 16/02/2011 11:02

We are planning the Paralympics instead (hopefully someone we know is competing) so will have more chance of tickets for there!

AlaskaHQ · 16/02/2011 12:03

Some of the tickets (with a blue flag by them) have cheaper prices for children - they pay their age, up to 16 pounds ... so a new baby ticket will be 0 pounds. But this isn't for all seat classes and all events.

Pennies · 16/02/2011 12:05

People aged 16 or under on 27 July 2012 will be their age in pounds for a ticket. Those who are 60 and over on 27 July 2012 will pay a flat fee of £16.

Butkin · 16/02/2011 13:22

I think YABU - if you plan to take a baby then you should expect to pay for a seat. it is in their rights to demand that each person has their own seat.

I'd suggest you'd be better off leaving a little one with GPs or a carer anyway for this type of long day/evening out - not fair on it or other spectators.

I'm more worried about how to be sure of tickets. Not sure if it is best to go for the really expensive ones or just pay for the cheaper ones and keep fingers crossed.

Also confusing that you can't book certain areas of the stadium - just prices - so how do you know you'll be close to the particular action you are interested in.

Also with the team sports it is doubly confusing as you don't know yet - and probably not until next Spring - which teams will be playing and on exactly what dates.

We definitly going for the Equestrian Cross Country though and keeping fingers crossed for early rounds of athletics.

I suppose no harm in going for later rounds as well as presumably will get a refund if not lucky in ballot.

PukeyMummy · 16/02/2011 15:11

Butkin, if you want to be 100% sure of tickets then I think you have to stump up the extra cash and go via Thomas Cook for one of their hotel packages. Hmm

We just went for it with tickets for Athens, applied for all kinds. We went to the football final, which was Paraguay versus Argentina. It was great fun, even though we didn't support either team, and some bloke called Carlos Tevez scored the winning goal (this was in 2004).

Don't forget there are events like the marathon and road cycling where you (and kids) can spectate for free and still be part of it.

Butkin · 16/02/2011 16:09

Thanks PM - don't think I'll be going for a hotel package when I'm a short train journey from the stadium but thanks for the idea.

To be honest the Cross Country eventing at Greenwich Park shouldn't be a sell out at 55 quid a ticket and that is the event we most want to attend.

I think we'll just apply for a couple of athletic days at the mid-range prices and see what we strike lucky with.

PukeyMummy · 16/02/2011 17:40

Fair enough Butkin! We're just out of London so also not planning to go for a hotel package. The cycling comes quite close to us, which is handy. Loved the rowing at Athens, so might go for that too, also out our way.

Just don't go buying my tickets Grin

Although I have also applied to be a volunteer, so could end up trackside!

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