Saturday, January 28, 2012

Climbing Mount Olympics

When I was leaving the National Gallery on Thursday, I was beguiled by the fountains with their red underlighting. I clicked a picture including the Olympic countdown clock. I didn't intend the flash to go off, but it did, making the whole scene look like night, when it was barely dusk. I think it makes a better, more colourful picture though.


Today a flier came through the door about transport and parking during the Olympics. Apparently the only parking in the Olympic park will be disabled parking. Everyone who has a ticket for an event will get a free travel pass.

So those of us who paid for the whole show, and had no chance of geting tickets (OK, I didn't try, but even so...) will be paying to travel on overcrowded buses and trains while the visitors filling them up will get on free.

Most people will consider that, as we are some miles away across the river from the stadiums, we will be relatively unaffected here. But the light railway system takes 45 minutes at most to go directly to the Olympic site. Plus the equestrian events take place in Greenwich Park, just 4 stops along.

This rankles with locals, as it really isn't suitable. It's too small, and IT'S A WORLD HERITAGE SITE!!! No escape to its quiet green hills and stunning views for those of us uninterested in the whole spectacle. Will we ever get it back the way it was?

Curmudgeons Are Us!
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5 comments:

  1. JoJo1:51 am

    I guess they figure people paid a lot for the event tix so they are waiving the travel fee? I remember looking into going to events in Vancouver and Salt Lake and it cost A LOT of money, esp. if you wanted to go to the primo events like skating.

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  2. val10:30 am

    London traffic and parking are pretty appalling, JoJo, I think they just want to keep people off the roads in private cars. They've just forgotten that public transport is already overcrowded. Actually, did they ever even know? The people who make these decisions travel by chauffeured limo, they have no idea how the plebs travel in the overcrowded cattle trucks.

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  3. vikeau2:54 pm

    Do you think they'll add additional buses and transport for the big event?

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  4. val3:32 pm

    I'm sure that's the plan, Vikeau. Of course, in Londonspeak, that means just avoiding strikes, breakdowns, accidents, cancellations and sickness rather than actually increasing the number of vehicles on an already creaking transport grid.

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  5. vikeau1:10 pm

    Sounds like we have the same transit system. I feel for you.

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