Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Miltary + Olympics will make London an unfit place for kids to live?

99 replies

bochead · 22/12/2011 15:45

I want to remove my household from London during the olympics as I have no desire to see my child live under seige for a month.

Am I being unreasonable to think that so many troops on the streets, a warship, ground to air missiles etc + all the congestion of the event will make parts of London unfit for ordinary family life. The announceement of a warship and military patrols on the Thames was the last straw for me.

I think it'll be a threatening environment for children in those parts of London closest to the Olympic venues, and am looking for alternative accomodation for the event elsewhere in the country. This is based in part on my experience of this summer's riots. We went camping rurally at the time & as a result my own child did not experience the worry and upset that many of his peers did.

Are others thinking of escaping the Olympic mayhem for the sake of their child's wellbeing?

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 22/12/2011 15:47

Do you live very nearby then?

OldGreyWassailTest · 22/12/2011 15:48

I don't believe this post, I really don't ! Seriously??

Gigondas · 22/12/2011 15:51

We are going on holiday then as commute to work will be a nightmare.
I haven't seen detailed plans on security but i thought the ground to air stuff was based in airbase outside london or at discrete locations near London site. Also warships come up the Thames reasonably frequently and are limited in size due to river so that is not unknown.

Also unless you are actually going to Olympics or one of the notified routes (eg to greenwich on horse riding days) or live next door you are not likely to see much of it.

Gigondas · 22/12/2011 15:52

I must admit old grey I was a bit Xmas Shock. Transport concerns esp if you are going to an event are one thing, but security? Have you been through any major european or us airport in last ten years?

GypsyMoth · 22/12/2011 15:54

I wonder what harm you expect your child to actually come to?

BeattieBow · 22/12/2011 15:55

I'm thinking of going away and renting my house out for squillions a week, but that's the only reason. i'm not worried about the rest of it.

Original poster
bochead · 22/12/2011 16:06

Yup I live bang smack in the middle of it all. Living somewhere is NOT the same as being a tourist and being able to get back "home" and heave a sigh of relief away from the crowds. We won't have the luxury of being "tourists".

Visiting is not the same as needing to take the dog for a walk 3x a day past rows of armed troops, or getting to work via stations that'll be over congested etc, or pushing through crowds to buy a pint of milk. Why should my kid have to see troops on the streets whenever he leaves the house? It sounds like it'll be like living on some kind of film set from Hollywood, threatening rather than exiting for children. There's lots of places I love to visit as a tourist globally but couldn't handle living in full time. How is this any different? I have many friends who freely admit the inner city is not the place for them to live full time under normal circumstances, though they love to come visit & see a show etc.

7/7 was summat I was also caught up in - NOT pleasant, so I'm not anti-security for the Olympics on principle just not convinced that it'll be a "liveable" healthy environment for ordinary familes in the areas affected.

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 22/12/2011 16:07

Troops? Or the odd one or two!?

It won't hurt him!

GypsyMoth · 22/12/2011 16:08

I'm wondering why you live in London?

aldiwhore · 22/12/2011 16:08

You live in a capital city. You can change that. You can move. Sorry YABU.

troisgarcons · 22/12/2011 16:10

Some people are so neurotic.

yellowraincoat · 22/12/2011 16:11

Ha ha. If the kids can cope with growing up in Stratford in general, they'll probably survive Olympic madness.

OldGreyWassailTest · 22/12/2011 16:14

One obviously does not want 'troops' in London. One thinks they should bugger orf to some foreign country where they can neither be seen nor heard.

GypsyMoth · 22/12/2011 16:17

Hold on... The 'troops' are in London ( in prettier uniform) 24/7 anyway.... Guards at buck palace, trooping the colour, horse guards parade etc etc..... Or are they only acceptable in pretty red coats snd bearskin hats!?

BranIsLonelyThisChristmas · 22/12/2011 16:20

Rent out your home if it's handy for the Olympics and use the money to push off for the duration.

IslaDoit · 22/12/2011 16:21

YANBU to not want to be in London for the Olympics. I fully expect traffic chaos and I don't particularly like tourists.

YABU to be so overly dramatic about it all and I doubt children will be bothered. I as an adult will probably be bothered and will be house-swapping or decamping to MILs for the duration... if only to save you all from my AIBU threads Grin

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 22/12/2011 16:23

We're going to the Olympics and living in your house will save us the hassle of public transport. Can we do a house swap please?

I promise not to let my ds let off a ground-to-air foam missile, run riot with a nerf gun or play Battlefied 3 on the Xbox whilst we're in residence

TheAnnoyingSatsuma · 22/12/2011 16:23

Total over-reaction IMO Hmm

coccyx · 22/12/2011 16:24

you live in London, I would hate to live there with children, Olympics or not.
You sound a bit hysterical. Not all going to be stationed at your front door

Kewcumber · 22/12/2011 16:26

No we're not moving. DS would never forgive me because apart from the fact that he wants to be able to say he was in London during the Olympics he will be thrilled to watch the ship patrolling the thames.

And yes I too was caught up in 7/7 actually on the tube near liverpool street and yes I got back on the tube the next day. And for those of you old enough to remember I was also on the tube underneath Harrods when the bomb went off there in the 1980's.

I'm looking forward to it (though not commuting)

Rhubarbgarden · 22/12/2011 16:28

Bit OTT.

Kewcumber · 22/12/2011 16:28

coccyx has some great things to do as well as the disadvantages if you have kids - same as anywhere really.

lisianthus · 22/12/2011 16:34

Yanbu. Not sure about the troops point, but the congestion is going to be carnage. In our area we might as well forget about driving anywhere for the 8 weeks minimum it will cover, plus public transport is going to be absolutely rammed.

notyummy · 22/12/2011 16:36

Oh good grief. There are many reasons that I could understand Londoners being hacked off over the Olympics (crowds; congestion etc.) The presence of military personnel surely must be quite far down the list. 'Live under siege' Hmm. I don't think they are going to be spraying your house with blasts of automatic weapons fire or banging their riot shields menacingly in your front garden just to scare you for shits and giggles.

Why not hire your house out for bazillions if you are that scared of the nations military (or for free to me and I will defend it against the marauding hordes of bloodthirsty uniformed killers? ) Just make sure you go well away from the capital, as that ground to air defence will range to quite some distance out on the whole. Best you check your camping location though in case you are near a military base and they have armed guards on the gates.....(I used to be a member of the military btw, and I think that most people on MN who have met me in RL would say I am relatively stable....even after lots and lots of gin.)

coffeesleeve · 22/12/2011 16:41

I live in Peckham. I'm slightly dreading the added congestion, but on the other hand I love London and I won't be shipping out! OK, so my journey to work will be a bit more difficult - but if necessary I can take the bus, and I doubt most tourists will be using buses. I think the Olympics will be worth it. I have tickets to see the Paralympics and can't wait!