To ask how the olympics has affected those in London?

[CinnamonSal]

As the title suggests really! There was a lot of worry and speculation from those who live and/or commute in London about the impact the games would have. Has it been as bad as thought or a bit like the millenium bug and came to nothing?

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo quiet

I live in East London, work in Central London. It's creepily quiet. I don't have to queue for my morning cappucino!

On the downside, when things do get busier it's a lot of tourists and visitors who slow things down by attempting to eat their Oyster cards whilst shaking their heads in bafflement etc. etc., which can be a bit aggravating.

Londoners were moaning like hell before the Olympics that it would ruin their lives. Yesterday they were moaning like hell that the roads were too quiet and trade was down.

Ghost town. I work and live quite centrally.

Well the reason we're now moaning Cogito is because mayor's office totally fucked up by scaring everyone off needlessly - I think retailers have a right to moan as times are hard enough without missing out on a spending bonanza.

My company have been so paranoid about the traffic that we've had meetings for three months and organised flexi time etc - so most of the company decided to go on holiday in fear of the expected chaos, like most other Londoners it would seem!

Face it, Londoners just like a good old complain.

Ditto everyone else. The volume of people is similar to normal, although lots of commuters have been replaced with tourists and Olympic visitors. However, when the athletics starts next week it could be a different matter.... For me, that's the real test.

Weirdly quiet - but I think because of the forward planning everyone is working from home or, as in my organisation, has been heavily encouraged to take holiday during this time.

I also think transport will be MUCH busier next week when all the events in the stadiam start and from now on when the Velodrome has events - so far the events have been spread out, and only the aquatics centre and basketball centre and smaller stadia used in the park.

Doom may yet be upon us

Oh, and the police on the streets are having to ask directions from locals

We drove into London this week, it was the quickest journey we ever had, and the easiet parking.

But I found the trains to be busier.

Tube is busier before 8am than normal (am v busy in work so getting in early) but DH who gets on at circa 8.30 says it's dead quiet. LB and Bank not appreciably busier. Fine on the way home. City is quiet-ish, road EMPTY in the evenings/weekends - marvellous!

Also a good time for free travel (I stress not that I've done it) but going through busy stations the other day guards shouting 'don't look for your tickets just go straight through'. Barriers open all over the place.

I know it reduces queues but was frankly quite shocking!

We heard the opening ceremony fireworks :-D but that's it! My local station's meant to be a hotspot, but seen no sign of it so far.

LOL at 'don't look for you tickets'.

Reports from friends on the commuter runs have reported that the biggest effect so far has been bumping into visitors who stop dead just in front of ticket barriers to hunt for tickets - while all commuters, of course, have handy Oyster card holders to the ready.

And visitors not observing the strict 'stand on the right' protocol on escalators. (Visitors: stand in single file on the R, with your case in front or behind, not next to you, so that people can walk / run up the L)

That's pretty standard for tourists, though. They'll normally be politely but firmly asked to move - unless there's gridlock, anyway.

Oh yes that too Red, they are employing people to yell that instruction up and down escalators too. 'stand on the right! The right! The other right!'