Tuesday 24 July 2012

The Games are coming

Games lanes are everywhere
Driving Embankment (or indeed many Central London roads) you'll see signs like these, or their electric counterparts. Beware. Many roads so afflicted are already blighted by parking (which logic assumes will be suspended) or bus lanes. They will not be happy places to travel.

There are now signposts up for tourists who give up and take to their feet!
Assuming that people will give up and walk (I would if I could) there has been some forward planning and there are 'how to get there by foot' signs to direct you to popular tourist attractions and underground stations.

If you live in an Olympic borough you'll have seen these
These really are everywhere, I've seen them in Deptford and Hackney as well as these in Westminster. They are on pretty much every lamp-post on pretty much every major thorough-fare. The mind boggles at what that must have cost.

Banners come in several varieties, including locational
They come in several varieties, including ones that say 'London 2012' and some (as shown above) that tell you where you are. The lost athletes could have benefited from some of those yesterday!

If you hadn't guessed I'm one of the many that aren't thrilled about the Olympics. From some unscientific polls (asking people I know) the majority for DON'T live in London and the majority against DO live in London.

They irritate me for the following (very sensible reasons):-

1) I don't like 99% of the sports (and in some cases I use that term loosely) played
2) It has dictated when I take my Summer holidays; I drive to work and the closure of Greenwich Park and Horseguards Parade has added 20 minutes to my journey already - I don't fancy a 2 hour commute each way
3) Transport meltdown. Traffic, tubes, trains - it can't cope at the best of times. In 2005 they said that the infrastructure would be upgraded and it would all be fine. Guess what. They lied. Now they want you to work from home, work flexi-time or not drive in London. Do they think anyone drives in London because they choose to? They have to!
4) It is a stupendous waste of money. They couldn't have known in 2005 that a horrendous recession was about to bite, but it did and there are better uses for public money
5) They shut Greenwich Park (well most of it)
6) They diverted the bus that takes me to the hospital
7) They have some utterly ridiculous sponsors - sporting goods/clothes I get, and a few others - but banks, supermarkets - really. Before you ask me in a questionnaire, yes I am less likely to shop there!
8) Did I mention the horrendous waste of money.

The Games are supposed to be about peace, love and international unity (or something like that). If I was the Committee I'd only let countries hold them if they didn't build any new facilities.

Rant over. Let the Games begin.