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?

Crikey - some negative people around!!! Thank goodness for positivity from the majority

I believe the olympic lanes came about after athletes missed events due to traffic in the Atlanta Olympics.

So while it's a pain in the ass and I don't really agree with them, I suppose its better than Internationally embarrassing ourselves and going down in Olympic history as the one where Bolt got stuck in a traffic jam, and Ennis missed her race due to jubilee line severe delays.

Cross post with snatch

Angry feet- your dh can get to north Greenwich and then take the emirates airline cable car to royal docks (next to canning town) for a mere £6.80 return

Cable car's great - and you don't have to queue if you've got an Oyster card!

It is good just bloody expensive!! It's £8.40 return without oyster! Though you can buy 10 single trips for £16 which isn't too bad

True. Didn't know about the single trip ticket - thanks.

Kungfupanda - this is not about the athletes, many of whom are staying in and around the Olympic village. I seriously doubt the ridiculous shut down of traffic lanes is for their benefit. Any official so far who has been interviewed about this, has responded with feeble justification for these draconian measures. "The officials have to get up early". Really? Awww bless them. Poor diddums. Because us Londoners like to sleep till noon don't we? I mean we have nothing better to do.

As another poster pointed out, why aren't they staying in hotels near the stadium? Why are they all staying very much in the West End at the other side of the city? Basically because they much prefer to. I mean Stratford? Come on. It may be good enough for the athletes, it's certainly not good enough for the corporates.

Fifteen hundred years ago the Olympics was about the games. Now it's about who can pay the most to have their brand name in the brightest lights, and who will make the most money. The organisers would probably be delighted if everyone in London just bogged off for the duration and stopped getting in their way. If only we could afford to....

Haven't read all posts, but my OH is a London Cabbie and the Olympic lanes have caused lots of hassle. They are not allowed into the lanes to drop passengers off.

When they asked what they are supposed to do if a passenger says drop me here, they were told to 'just do your best' !!!!