London's Olympic Bid - Anyone care?

[Earlybird]

Anyone have any positive or negative feelings about this? I know it's not until 2012, so it's hard to get excited/upset about something that might happen 7 years from now. Most people I know are ambivalent....

Must say if I were an Olympic organiser, I couldn't award the games to Paris. I'd be too afraid of all the various public sector workers going out on strike at the worst possible times to cause maximum disruption.

Should of been in Brum, can't actually remember why but I know it would have been better than London for all sorts of reasons, traffic and rail/airpirt links and stuff I think.

oh god Nutty no not Brum, we really don't need it!

I hope we get it although I am worried about the cost! Just imagine the beach volleyball in Horseguards Parade as is planned! And if sounds like it would include the whole country. Otherwise why not be able to share it with Paris? The Tour De France had a UK let a couple of years ago.
My main issue though is that the Paralympics has banned people with learning disability which I think is terrible and we'd have a far better chance of getting that sorted if it were here. France is notorious for its lack of enlightendness (!) on autism and other learning disability and was recently taken to task my the European something-or-other over it (can find link if anyone wants).

I think if the Olympics come to London that all offices, schools, etc should declare a holiday for that time....and I'm only half joking.

If there are events taking place all over the city, it will be impossible to move around to conduct a normal life. So, why not let everyone just enjoy it and only go where they choose, instead of trying to fight through impossibly crowded/snarled areas? Make it pleasurable for the athletes/organisers and the city residents too!

I really hope London gets it. We had a fantastic time in Athens last year and I shall sign on as a volunteer immediately if it goes to London.

I agree with Celia and I seem to remember getting the same leaflet - basically, the whole of London pays for it (through some sort of increased rate) but not all of London benefits from it. We are in south west london and not near any of the facilities at all so basically we would be paying for it but not benefitting in any way.

I would be more for it if I thought everyone had to pay for it but it pees me off a bit that some will pay and some won't. Having said that, I think it would be great for the country to host the Olympics - I'm not convinced that London would cope or manage financially though.

Im with FIS and Celia as I live in SW London too. So well end up with the bill ad Sweet FA else.

I live in Wimbledon where they are planning on having the tennis event

• what's new with that - you get overpriced Wimbledon every year

But the benefits aren't just as specific as using the facilities once the parade has died down, are they?
I think London as a whole will benefit from an improved transport infrastructure, and the regeneration of economically disadvantaged areas will have an overall beneficial effect.

In recent Olympics (maybe having learned from what happened in Montreal afterwards?) countries as a whole have benefitted from the wider effeects of the income from visitors, the renewal and regeneration, economic, physical etc.

There is a huge arts festival planned, and lots of satelite activity and investment. I'm all for it, and I would welcome the 'in the international spotlight' to hold our public figures to account in delivering an excellent games with all it's knock-on effects.

It would be EXCITING!

Imagine, all that buzz about the athletics being right here. Fantastic!

i'm in east london & think it would be fab.

as far as Im concerned they can take their Olympics and shove it not to put to fine a point on it. Ive struggled for 5 years to get the deposit on a tiny little place and am now struggling to pay mortgage and Council Tax and if they put up the council tax to pay for the Olympics it might well put me out of house and home as Im not sure Ill be able to afford it. Cant see how placing another financial burden on te shoulders of people who can ill afford it as is can actually benefit anyone TBH.