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AIBU?

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Original poster

Full price babies at the Olympics

311 replies

littlepinklizard · 06/01/2012 15:12

I'm shocked by the conversation I just had with the London 2012 ticketing poeple. My dh and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the horse jumping on 8 August. Our baby is due 2 June, so was enquiring about what I need to do about tickets for the new baby.

They said eveyone needs a ticket - fine.
Children's tickets are £1 - fine.
But there are no children's tickets for the horse jumping so I have to pay £95 to have a 3 month old in a sling!!!
I said I was planning to bf and couldn't go without the baby.
They said the only alternative was to re-sell my ticket or give it to someone else.

I can't justify £95 and I know lots of people who would love the ticket so I guess I just have to transfer it. But I am fuming.

AIBU or are the 2012 people?

OP posts:
TadlowDogIncident · 06/01/2012 15:13

YANBU for fuming.

YABU to want to go to the Olympics. Tis the biggest rip-off in the history of London.

bemybebe · 06/01/2012 15:16

WTF?? I thought 3month would go free. I would contemplate to just turn up.

KatAndKit · 06/01/2012 15:17

That's ridiculous to charge 95 quid for an infant in a sling that isn't even going to occupy a seat. If they charged you a nominal amount to take the baby that might be fair enough. The whole thing is ridiculous, there are people who bought tickets before their babies were even conceived - how are they supposed to know to buy a ticket for a child that doesn't exist yet?

There should be more complaining about this policy. It's nuts. It won't affect me as we haven't got any tickets and I intend to watch the olympics with my newborn baby from the comfort of my sofa. But I'd be gutted if I'd got tickets and then couldn't go. Perhaps there is some sexual discrimination angle to it, but I doubt you'd get far with it tbh.

GypsyMoth · 06/01/2012 15:17

Yabu for calling it 'horse jumping'!!

bemybebe · 06/01/2012 15:18

BTW, my baby is due on 19th June, but we decided to give it a miss just because I cannot imagine what the traffic/public transport will be like with such a small baby (plus dh is disabled, plus we are happy watching sports from the couch).

bemybebe · 06/01/2012 15:20

"Perhaps there is some sexual discrimination angle to it, but I doubt you'd get far with it tbh."

I think it is always worth a try. I am sure there are many parents in this situation and MN is a great forum to gather a mass complaint.

kdiddy · 06/01/2012 15:20

It's bloody stupid. The baby isn't taking up a seat, and if they're worried about fire regs or whatever then it's not as if the baby isn't going to be with you at all times - essentially you should be counted as one person IMO. The baby's not using the facilities on its own!

I have no idea how they can justify £1 for a child ticket with seat, but then charge £95 for a baby not taking up a seat.

Sounds very money-grabbing to me and I would definitely keep complaining.

ninkynonker · 06/01/2012 15:20

I was under the impression that it went on ages, £1 for a 1 yr old etc meaning a babe in arms would prob be free. That sounds nuts, I can't believe it!

We thought about going to the sailing but decided with a 2 yr old and a prob 3 or 4 month old it would be a nightmare.

ninkynonker · 06/01/2012 15:22

But even if taking a seat, surely a seat is a seat? Why the set number of adults and kids?

peeriebear · 06/01/2012 15:26

Go to the press, I'm sure they don't know or they would have trumpeted it far and wide.

Lueji · 06/01/2012 15:27

Express and leave baby at home?

KatAndKit · 06/01/2012 15:28

I think there is a discrimination angle - essentially women should not have had the audacity to bid for tickets in case they conceived in the meantime. If the woman is breastfeeding she can't attend without the baby. An older child using a seat would be a different matter, but that child would already have existed when the tickets went on sale. Under ones should be allowed in free on parents lap.

cumbria81 · 06/01/2012 15:28

Perhaps I'm being naive but I don't see why you can't just show up with your baby on the day without a ticket? They will let you in and it won't be an issue

KatAndKit · 06/01/2012 15:30

Well they might turn you away and then you have missed your chance to get your money back on your ticket and have spent lots of money making a wasted journey with a small child. I wouldn't want to do that.

StrandedBear · 06/01/2012 15:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gigondas · 06/01/2012 15:32

This is odd- have taken dd when baby to sports events (cricket and rugby) . Never had to buy a ticket on basis that she would be in sling/on my lap.

I think points made above about potential long wait to get in/out and long event relevant with baby. Rugby was manageable but cricket games too long for dd. I imagine eventing/show jumping sessions likely to be longer than rugby game .

sleepdodger · 06/01/2012 15:32

We got some v popular tickets for athletics and are hoping family at other end of country will be willing able to look after ds who can't come & sit on knee etc- we didn't know about him when we did ballot but can't buy ticket either
Even if we had it would be a waste as he'd be on our knee, which would seem even more criminal that the seat gets wasted!!
It's bloody ridic!!
Angry

Gigondas · 06/01/2012 15:35

This thread making me feel glad- we got one set of tickets but now decided to sell those and go on holiday instead due to commute nightmare during Olympics .

Well I say sell but apparently the reselling website not working...

bonkersLFDT20 · 06/01/2012 15:40

Gigondas can I have 'em?!

AChickenCalledKorma · 06/01/2012 16:09

I definitely wouldn't "just turn up". The FAQs on the ticket-selling site are quite clear that babes in arms need tickets and the travelling will be hellish enough without arriving at the gate and being turned away!

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 06/01/2012 16:27

But this policy isn't just confined to the olympics. My local football team made a final at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff a few years ago and there was coverage of people having to buy regularly priced tickets for small babies - although there was probably a children's rate.

roadkillbunny · 06/01/2012 16:33

YABU for calling it 'horse jumping' transfer your tickets so somebody who at least knows what the sport they are going to see is called can get a chance to go

YANBU in regards to being asked to pay £95 for an under 1 but I already believe that the tickets prices go against the Olympic spirit, they are not accessible to most of the population due to the cost. I will be watching the show jumping, eventing, dressage and para dressage at home with my dd wishing we could have been there but glad at least we know we will get a good view of the action.

OddBoots · 06/01/2012 16:33

When you get quotes from car insurance companies (bear with me here) some will quote a shockingly high amount because they just don't want you as a customer. I think that if there are no child prices for the event you are going to then they are probably saying they don't really want babies attending.

Meglet · 06/01/2012 16:33

I'd just turn up and raise hell if they don't let you in.

You could wear a light, baggy t-shirt over the sling and smuggle the baby in!

BertieBotts · 06/01/2012 16:39

I once worked on front of house for a farming event. It was held on a school day and there were no children's tickets - set up to discourage people from bringing children, mainly because of insurance issues, there was large farm machinery etc on display. Of course many did anyway as the children were part of the farm workforce and they wanted to bring them as a learning experience.

However any babies/toddlers being carried we were instructed not to charge for - it seems odd that they would charge for this.