Full price babies at the Olympics

[littlepinklizard]

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?

I really don't think the Olympics is any place for babies or any small children. The stress levels of keeping them quiet and under control would be unbelievable!

With all the distractions, your baby might not bf well, which could lead to a quite whingy baby (talking from experience on this point). You could end up missing the entire event as you constantly try feed and settle your baby.

It really is not fair on the people you will be interrupting and inconveniencing. Imagine if you cannot quiet the baby and need to move to a quiet area once an event is underway. You may need to walk in-front of a row of people with a squalling baby in arms, baby bag and other stuff in tow. And are there likely to be any restrictions on moving about once an event is underway?

It really can be as simple as express and leave with a baby sitter. Start expressing milk and freezing it a few weeks in advance, so you won't be under pressure to have enough milk expressed. Start looking for a babysitter now. And enjoy a baby free day with your DH.

Just stuff baby in your jumper. If they notice shout out:

"OMG I have given birth, we shall name her (excuse me Mrs Ticket Checker lady what is your name?) OK no, we won't call her that, we shall call her Greenwichia"

A1980 just hope that the OPs baby does not grow up to become one of the Countries top Show Jumpers in future years and you get refused entry to any display he/she participitates in,you are very uncaring,where do you think our future athletes are going to come from in years to come,IMO anyone who pays these stupid amounts of money for these Olympics tickets after the Country paying ever increasing amounts for them to be staged must have more money than sense,or is it just to be able to say they have been to the Games.Take your baby with you and if questioned tell them sorry but you are B/F and would they like the Worldwide Media informed of their stupid system.

A1980 just hope that the OPs baby does not grow up to become one of the Countries top Show Jumpers in future years and you get refused entry to any display he/she participitates in,you are very uncaring,where do you think our future athletes are going to come from in years to come

WTF are you on? A month old baby denied entry to watch the show jumping and was unable to fulfil her dream of becoming a champion show jumper?! What do where our future athletes come from have to do with this scenario.

I don't even like equestrian sports. I would never consider taking a baby to the olympic games either.

The OP is not being denied entry. 3 months is not too young to be left with a babysitter.Tthere is no reason why she can't go without her baby she just wants everything herway, right now and life doens't work like that.

Also start flaming MCos too: she doesn't think the olympics are any place for a baby either and she's right.

Full priced babies at the Olympics?

That's a pity as I was hoping to pick up 3 babies for the price of 2 at the Olympic Baby sale. Maybe the price will fall after the games are over.

I think many attendees will be surprised to find out how cramped the seating will be at some of the more popular events. I think it does make sense to have every person having their own seat. I mean, who doesn't think "oh crap" when they land an airline seat next to someone with an infant on their lap, because actually, they do encroach into your space. They simply can't help it. Well some of these Olympic venues will make Easyjet look spacious.

If they dont have this policy, at what age do they make the cut off for own seat required? 1? 2 like airlines (heaven forbid)?

MN at its best eh, scaring off the OP.........

The anti-baby policy is completely unreasonable -- clearly shows that mums were not involved in devising this policy. I attended several hockey games and opening ceremonies at the Vancouver games with a 3 month old (their policy was you could bring a 0-2 year old, no problem). It was NOT a problem. As a rule, there were diaper changing facilities in all restrooms. And I had bought the tickets before the baby was even a sparkle in his mum's eyes. For those parents who bought their tickets in the Spring of 2011, and now have a baby on the way, the only real option is to forego attending with the baby. That is out and out discrimination and should be challenged for the bull that it is. WHO WILL STAND UP TO THIS DISCRIMINATION?

Unfortunately babies, however young, are still counted as a full person for fire safety purposes - whether they take up a seat or not. Fire safety capacity limits are legal maximums for event spaces. So if the organizers have managed (as they are trying to) to get as many people as possible into events, they will not have any spare capacity to let an unticketed baby in. Whether they overlook it on the day or notes anyone's guess, but an official, high profile event
Ike this isn't going to have an advertised policy that they are going to ignore their control mechanisms.

The Olympics organizers could have kept some tickets back (and raised slightly other ticket prices) to be given away for this sort of thing. I think they should of, but I think it's a close thing to say other people should pay more so that a baby can take the place of a child or adult who would actually get something out of the event itself.

Show jumping is quite a quiet sport though isnt it?I wouldn't want my baby to yell at an inopportune moment, put a horse off, throw it's rider, rider breaks collar bone (isn't that the horseridery injury?) team GB lose gold medal, whole nation hates me (and my baby). Rupert Campbell-Black will never sweep me off to Penscombe to be ravished if I allowed that sort of behavior

What's more, first it's the odd tiny baby in a sling, next it's a line of pushchairs the size of small cars. New (ish) patens do tend to be a bit self-absorbed and unaccomodating. I should know I am one

Jeez have I really been deleted???

The woman called me "cuntface" and I'm not allowed to suggest that she has a wankerish attitude?

FFS

And spotty I made the same point (I am a barrister who used to schlep round the crown courts) but it seems that valid point has been deleted due to the above

"I am aware of that, but the organisers have decided, for whatever reason, that each human being present has to have a seat allocated to them. Madness, possibly, but quite clearly stated on the ticketting website."

Clearly this is to prevent people turning up with their husbands or girlfriends sitting on their shoulders, claiming they wont need a seat. Sheeez.

spot on "wankerish attitude" from her sara
there is no reason that these event cannot be organized in such a way that families feel welcome.
it is not like taking a baby to an academic library reading room, to a challenging classical music event or a formal reception ffs

Incidentally I just attended the finals of the show jumping global champions tour along with my DC's 7,6 and 9mths. The crowd was made up almost entirely of families and DC4 was by no means the only baby.

We left our prams outside, DC's were given bags of promotional gifts and there was a play area with bouncy castles and pony rides for when thebDC's got bored.

Difference is we aren't in the UK and DC's aren't generally treated like a pita.

I am also absolutely amazed that in the UK people, some of which are "parents" themselves, treat children as nuisance. I am a foreigner, albeit in the Uk since 1993 and just cannot get used to this attitude. There is something very victorian in this...

You might find this news link useful.

It is discrimination, pure and simple, and other countries don't seem to have this backwards attitude towards babies and the adults caring for them.

As for 'paraphenalia' - A-whatevernumberitwas - you're doing it wrong, dear! The baby is in a sling. She is breastfeeding it. All she conceivably needs are two or three nappies and some wipes, maybe a spare vest top if the baby's prone to reflux. It'll be summer and warm. All of that lot, slung baby included, fits well within the adult's footprint. Nappies can fit in a modest handbag. Or do you think the Olympic committee should start legislating against the size of bag that parents can carry into events?

It's discriminatory on gender grounds if it prevents breastfeeding mothers from attending the event.

Olympic Committee, watch us, we are taking you on. The arrangements for families have been abysmal, we are all completely hacked off about the whole setup anyway, and we feel utterly disenfranchised. You think the opening ceremony will involve fireworks? Well just watch MN as it gets nearer the blasted Games.

at BoffinMum!

Norks out a la Madame Liberte, gels. Flashmob feed-in.