Oh Dear ! … Well there’s a surprise ! … Someone has just discovered that there will be 3,000,000 extra passengers trying to squeeze onto London’s buses and Tube (subway) trains during the Olympics, and bonkers Boris wants to add a few more by inviting Seb Coe and his ‘gravy train’ mates to enjoy the experience. So who’s going to ride in all those limos along all those dedicated VIP traffic lanes ?
As usual I am beginning to wonder if anyone has a clue about how to avoid complete chaos, apart from coming up with a website giving details about transport ‘hot-spots’ and which advises those poor buggers trying to get to and from work to “stagger” their travel times, alter working patterns and suggests, can you believe ?, that commuters might like to “have a beer” and go home an hour or two later rather than face the crush at the busiest times. Here is part of this ‘Idiots’ Guide’ !
It’s been more than ten years since I struggled to get in, out, and around London during my working day, and it was bloody murder then, so I dread to think what it must be like now, and, as I remember, Friday evening was a particularly bad time to leave the city, so I wonder what ‘bright spark’ had the great idea of holding the opening ceremony on Friday 27th July, one of the busiest holiday getaway weekends of the summer when traffic levels are already around 30% above average. The M25 will be fun !
Oh! .. and before I forget, I see that ‘Bully-Boy’ Bob and his ‘bandits’ are not happy with the latest ‘bribe’ to keep the trains running during the games. Still I suppose that their ‘bonus’ will hardly be noticeable amongst the staggering cost of an event in which most of the country has little or no interest.
I see that there will not be any parking at or around venues, so spectators are being encouraged to travel by public transport, (that is, of course, if it’s running and you can fight your way onto a train) or walk or cycle for bloody miles. Still, at least if you do that you won’t be stuck, sweating in a traffic jam and …
… the pissing rain will soon cool you down.