To think that Olympics people going to work are not more important than anyone else going to work?

[AKMD]

Seb Coe on R4 this morning was justifying the Olympics Lanes, sayign how important it was for:

• IOC members to be able to get to the venues on time, because they will be getting there very early in the morning.

• Athletes to be able to rely on exact travel times between the athletes' village and venues so that they can time their warm-ups and get to races on time.

• Broadcasters to be able to get to venues on time to set.

Please tell me I am not the only one thinking "Eh? Why can't they get up a bit earlier like everyone else trying to get to work? I'd love my employer to set up special traffic lanes for me because I am just soooo important and I'm sure everyone else would too but fat chance." and imagining the roads if we had a lane for each company :o

I don't live in London btu this has irritated me. AIBU?

haha after msrantsalot's posts on pge 1 was going to post that she was bitter after an issue during the egg and spoon race at school and losing to a foreigner - but it turns out she really is bitter!

Pig - I think I'm likely to remember two weeks of hell, with important work deadlines screwed up (not imposed by me, I just have to meet them) and barely seeing ds. And probably being ill for a while afterwards with all the hassle and chaos of trying to get to and from work. I have a medical condition that has become more difficult at the moment. But still need to hold down a job. Which do-able under normal conditions (normal conditions meaning either tubes or trains or both are often delayed, with severe delays really screwing things up at least once a week on average).

Exhaustion from the combination of intense pressure at work + travel chaos eating up all my time and both draining all my energy are very likely to make me ill. And I'm sure I'm not alone. But hey, as long as the bigwigs at the IOC get their special travel lanes and force loads of extra people onto public transport which is already bursting at the seams, what does the impact on the work and family life of millions of hard-pressed people matter?

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that we should be thinking about the impression we are going to give of our country. We have a thriving tourist industry and people want to come to a country where they are made to feel welcome and where things run smoothly. If we make a massive arse of the Olympics and then all shrug our shoulders and say "oh well, didn't want all these foreigners here anyway. Sport is crap." we are just going to look like idiots and damage the image of the UK as a welcoming place to visit.

I also don't get the argument that sports people shouldn't be lauded because all they are doing is running fast/kicking a ball around. Life would be incredibly joyless if we only had time for people who do things that are necessary for survival. A huge number of people are employed in jobs we could do without - fashion designers who make clothes that people want to wear, actors who put on plays people want to see, chefs who cook fancy food that people want to eat, the list goes on. Sports people put on a spectacle that people want to watch and inspire some people to try it for themselves.

I'm sure I read somewhere that one of the big things that separates humans from other species is how complex our play/leisure activities are. You could make the argument that no-one really matters in terms of their job, other than farmers, doctors, soldiers and other traditional and basic roles - but we are a species that plays as well as work.

The British as a nation can be so generous and so supportive, but we can also be terribly grudging and grumpy. I know which image I would prefer to project to the rest of the world. We have been hosted by so many other nations at the Olympics, and now it is our turn to return the hospitality. Whether everyone wanted the games or not, they are here now, so hopefully we can show a bit of that hospitality and generosity.

kungfupannda
I am thrilled by the number of people on this thread who - like me - agreed totally with your last post. There's hope yet!

I hope the Olympics is like the Jubilee, where the moaners will be loud and strong until the event arrives, and will then be taken over by the 'happy factor'. We all have a part to play in 'selling' the UK to future visitors.

Edam. It hasn't even happened yet and already you've decided to believe the worst case scenario.

All the people saying 'miserable fuckers' etc. I guess you a) don't live in central London and/or b) don't have to go to work at usual times.

My journey is stressful enough at best of times and now v. difficult indeed. My husband has to carry on his business in London over the period with vans and deliveries working for him. We can't take a month off.

So, you can see why Londoners like us are frustrated and pissed off when told we can't drive in the zil lanes, or park where we usually do, or get the tube without queuing. It's not just 2 weeks either.

I really don't care if you have your big Sport Fest Sebastian Coe - just don't expect me to be happy about paying for it, accommodating it and getting out of its way.

thepig - I'm going on the official advice from getaheadoftthegames - the site London Transport set up to explain all the arrangements and likely hotspots. I'm not exaggerating, merely explaining how the officials organising this thing think it will affect ordinary Londoners and commuters. The posters claiming it's all a fuss about nothing clearly have no idea at all.

@ dreaming, saying some races are better at running is a fact. Being racist is discriminating against people because of this fact. Or indeed discriminating against other races because they are not as good as this. Its like saying some races have marginally higher IQs than others. That is scientific fact, not racism. It is measurable.

You can not learn to be a fast runner. Yes you can improve with training and hard work but if you're not built to be fast then there is nothing you can do about it and saying that people who are are "heroes" is just rubbish. Respect yes for working to hone their skills .

I live in zone 2 and commute into zone 1 on the jubilee. I start work at 9 and finish at 5 officially (although often in early/work late). I will be trying my best to project a positive image of London to tourists. It will be an inconvenience but one that will last for a fortnight - I can live with that. I do know that for other people it is more difficult though depending on circumstances but it's happening - its not going to be cancelled now and I don't mean to belittle people's concerns but I think we all just have to try and make the best of it - there's no other productive way.

greenplastic - I used to live in Zone 2 and commute into Zone 1. If that was still the case, I'd be mildly irritated by the predicted Olympic disruption and preparing to walk at least part of the journey. It's much harder when you have a much longer journey and each interchange station is predicted to be hellish.

I have to go through either St Pancras or Blackfriars and Earl's Court - am going to try Blackfriars even though official site says likely to be delays as I'm sure St Pancras will be many times worse. Apparently Blackfriars issue will be people diverted from London Bridge due to Olympics happening at the same time as major building work. Earl's Court because there's some Olympic venue round there and West Brompton and Fulham Broadway are also listed as potentially seriously congested. Both of which I have to go through... in an ideal work I wouldn't commute into North London and work in West, but it's not an ideal world.

(Mind you, Jubilee may well be a real pig, in which case I will think very sympathetic thoughts for you...)

My 19 year old DD is leaving home for work at 4.30 am in the morning, as she has to be in early. Olympic connected. Don't think she's particularly looking forward to the early start, but is happy to put up with it because it's a once in a lifetime event.

Oh I don't know. I see why it is important but yes the people working in London should not be heavily disrupted. But they will be and not much we can do about it. DH works in Canning Town and rides a motorbike to work so has to navigate the south circ and Blackwall Tunnel. It will be a bit of a nightmare but they have planned for it the best they can. No point moaning, it is what it is, just get on with it I say :)

GreenPlasticTrees - I use the Jubliee line normally - but I've been told that it's going to be basically out of action for the period - they are expecting hour queues to get on, let alone how busy it will be. I assume it will be the normal case of shutting the tube stations once too many people are inside. I'm going to try to go overland and walk. The Jubliee line is one they are trying to tell people to avoid using at all, I'd suggest you get a good 'plan b' not just assume it'll be a bit busier but that you will be able to use it... (And this is the difficult bit, buses aren't a viable 'plan b' if the route of your bus is the same as an 'olympic lane' route, or goes close to one, as those roads are predicted to be gridlocked, which will have a knock on effect on roads close by. I think I could deal with the tube being out like I do on a 'normal' strike day, it's the fact that the buses are being screwed by this special lanes that's going to make the commute hell, it feels like they've taken out the two main transport options.)

FFS of course it's racist to say certain races are better at running or have higher IQs. How bloody obvious can you get? Why do people still believe in this eugenics crap? Sorry, will refrain now as don't want to derail the thread. As you were.

I know an Olympic driver and apparently emergency vehicles aren't 'technically' supposed to use the lanes though I guess they will stick the finger up to that.if my friend pulls over for an emergency vehicle she risks getting a 'ticket'. I hope the reality doesn't reflect this policy.

Mrsrant
Of course it's racist to generalise about a race..

rants

some races have slightly higher IQ, is a fact????????!!!!!!

Are you joking me?

The dedicated lanes are a condition of the Olympic bid. This is after some athletes missed their events at the Atlanta games. Maybe it would have been possible to accommodate "the bigwigs" nearer the venues - but it isn't part of the remit of LOCOG to build hotels etc and no commercial chain would build sufficient accommodation in that area unless they saw a long term need. So it might Not have been possible.

Another 'like' for kungfupanda. And yes, I do have to commute into London during the Games.

There are hotels a hell of a lot nearer than the West End. There's no need for fat cats to stay in Park Lane hotels and have their own lanes to travel in. These aren't the athletes, they are over-paid officials who have a long and dishonourable history of corruption, btw.

wiki entry includes just a couple of the more notorious cases

the link below doesn't work, this one will re. Olympic corruption

I dont think it would be a good look having the high jumpers waiting for a number 7 bus

i think good move nit letting the minsters get their grubby hands on that lane

The distance runners could race there, the relay team could hand over batons at significant tourist landmarks, the swimmers could head down the Thames - I can see this idea has merits... Although the javelin throwers may well attract the attention of armed response units.

I think that these special lanes are deeply wrong, why should the road travel of a IOC officer or an athlete be considered any more important than a man delivering a ton of bricks to a building site or a woman driving a truck load of cement from A to B.

I thought that the olympic ideal was part of a world where human rights were respected, the core idea behind "human rights" is that all humans should have the same chance at life. The olympic lanes are in my view wrong as they are a grave sin against this ideal.

If the athletes or IOC people want to make sure that they are there on time then I respectfully suggest that they go there using normal transport hours ahead of when they are needed there.