Could the greatest threat to the smooth running of the olympics come, not from terrorists, but from farmers?

[sandyRoe]

http://www.farmersgua...timatum/48168.article
.

[emmie]

i don't think it will be smooth running - not just farmers, bus drivers, tube drivers, unions, all have some sort of axe to grind, and could disrupt the games without the intervention of a single terrorist. My concern for the games is that while these missiles are being located on the homes of the hoi polloi, it's not beyond the wit to see that if a terrorist action caused the rockets to be fired, that would perhaps have a devastating effect on the buildings concerned and the folk within.

[sandyRoe]

I agree about the rockets, EM10. You'd think they could have been sited in local parks rather than on top of peoples homes.

[missnemesis]

Do the gov. think that terrorists only come in planes? What good is a rocket launcher going to be against a guy with a rucksack full of explosives?

[sandyRoe]

The rockets are probably more of a publicity gimmick than a deterrent to any potential terrorist.
Remember the tanks at Heathrow a year or so ago? They wouldn't have been much use in stopping bombers coming to the airport by the tube.

[emmie]

missn, agree totally, just like the terrorists who blew up the No 30 bus and the tube trains on 7th July, which incidentally is tomorrows anniversary. What a sad thought.

[boxtops]

IMO the chaos likely to caused by the inadequacy of the underground system will be quite enough to affect smooth running, thank you. They're nicking all our high speed trains to shuttle 25000 people a day between Stratford and Ebbsfleet, it's take anyone barmy enough to work in London at this time an extra two hours to get to and from work. Forget the people who pay their annual season tickets, throw travel into disarray for several weeks instead.

[EDDIE51]

I agree with boxtops the underground can't cope with demand now never mind the Olympics. Went to London last week and and at every station there were so many people trying to push themselves on that the driver had to tell some to get off so that the doors would close. There were passengers waiting at every station who just could not force a way on board and were had to wait for the next train. There were arguments amoung passengers about who should get off and who could stay on. It's going to get MUCH worse once the road closures start to allow 'VIP access' on the special 'Olympic Routes' these will be closed to all but official ' Olympic Transport'. My Daughter has been selected as an Olympic Transport Driver she will be driving VIPs to the various events in an official car it will have special ID to use the 'Olympic Routes' and they are closed to all other traffic apart from emergency vehicles.

[emmie]

Eddie as a life long resident i know the problems of the travel system at any given day or night. We have had info about how many vehicles will be passing through part of our area for the officials and it's horrendous if true.

I don't think the underground will cope, it hardly does now. Many lines have engineering works going on over weekends, buses on diversion for any number of reasons, and quite frankly the thought of millions more bodies pouring in fills me with foreboding. I want the games to be good, but fear the disruption for Londoners will bad.

[missnemesis]

Goodness I hadn't realised the date em10. It is indeed a very sad thought and my heart goes out to everyone who was affected by that inhuman act.
Such a waste.

[EDDIE51]

I'll let you know what happens em10, my daughter is starting training and 'route familiarisation' . But she has already been told that as an official driver in an Olympic car she will be using the 'Olympic Routes' and they will be closed to all other traffic except emergency vehicles

[ummmm]

They are spending a fortune. My OH has spent the last 4 months repairing roads for the Olympic torch routes.

[China Doll]

I too think it'll be the transport system that is most likely to let us down. My evening train seems to be cancelled or delayed at least once a week in general let alone when there is an influx, there are never seats on the morning trains (regardless of which one I try to get), and the underground is hideously overcrowded already most days... I just think it's going to be a horrible time. And we're not allowed leave during the olympics either so I can't take the time off.

Hopefully I'll be wrong though and it'll all be fine!

[EDDIE51]

I have a relative who works for Harrods all staff leave is cancelled until September due to the 'Olympic rush'

[China Doll]

I think we're not to have leave from 27/07/12 - 11/08/12 which is annoying as I wanted to be at my nephews first birthday party... more for me than him, he'll not have a clue anyway! And we stay on high alert all the way through the para-olympics as well which is apparently going to be as popular as the olympics. I can't remember when they start though.

[moonraker558]

I don't know why everyone is worried about the terrorist and the Olympics with all this rain were are having who the hell would want to come here anyway.

[cathfromsaron]

when the 2012 olympics were announced i had a sinking feeling, and this has never gone away!

can't wait for it to be over, safely and smoothly of course!

[FredPuli43]

Just waiting for Private Eye to start an Olympics section, where it quotes everyone who drags a reference to the Games into every ad and news item!

It won't be farmers; though why anyone keeps a dairy herd now, remains a mystery; it'll be transport, as said. Cambridge has long had ads in the trains warning us to add two hours to our estimated journey times for the Games, helpfully suggesting that we think of cycling or walking. Cambridge is only 48 minutes, or 50 miles from King's Cross . The M11 from here runs right to the Games area, but the A11, A12 and A13 run right by it. These are the main roads from the East, and carry vast amounts of commercial traffic, particularly from container ports like Harwich. All are at or near overload at peak hours now, as are the commuter trains.

[jno]

I'm not exactly sure why this is all going to be a problem. The trains cope well enough with, for instance, big events at Wembley, Wimbledon or Twickenham. It's going to be like having several of these every day for a couple of weeks. Sure, the crowding will be greater than normal, but not stupendously greater. Those people not actually at an event shouldn't be adding that much to the summer tourist season crowding London already gets.

The roads are going to be a problem, with great chunks of them reserved for Seb Coe; but nobody in their right mind drives in London anyway.

I'm expecting a degree of chaos around Stratford itself, but not a lot elsewhere unless there are major mechanical failings with the Tube (not unknown, of course).

[EDDIE51]

jno I hope you are right but I fear not.

[China Doll]

My dad thinks the same as you jno and I'm hoping he's right. I'm just thinking of places like Lewisham Station which has the DLR so may have an influx and I'm not sure it's up to coping in the same way as perhaps a major central london station would.

Also, assuming everything runs just like it normally does but with a fair few more people, then that would mean that even a small problem with a tube line could esculate quite quickly. Especially during rush hour.

I do actually really hope it all goes well, not least of all because I'll still be travelling in it.