Lola (and whoever else gets affected by huge mass events), I posted some comments here about the impact of the Olympics on our city:
http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/more-iconic-olympic-photo-memories-part-2/

What truly was abit incredulous and totally unexpected was the widespread goodwill, cheering, Canadian patriotism (Canadians are known to be more low-key and short-lived in rah-rah go Canada), HUGE crowds every day during the Olympics downtown where people had a good time. It has gotten alot of Vancouverites buzzing about how we should better manage/reconfigure our public space to encourage more people to meet, chat, more like Europen town hall centres where it's cafe culture, lots of walking and more relaxed. There was also street dancing, some it seemingly semi-planned but kinda neat. http://insidevancouver.ca/2010/02/26/flash-mob-in-the-city-part-2/

People were really good-natured in crowds and lineups throughout our transit system. Transit system really beefed up their staffing to get passenger lineups moving, etc. But then the Olympics is a one-off, once-in-a-lifetime experience that maybe people will exercise more patience.

The police forces and liquor control board worked together to shut down liquor stores intermittedly for 4 days or so during the 2 weeks, on days after a major type of Olympic game (ie. hockey) or a weekend, where people might consume more liquor in open, public streets (which is illegal in Vancouver.) outside of restaurant property. The police were actually requesting people to dump their booze from bottles, coffee cups, down the sewer drains. And most people cooperated. It helped control the level of unruly drunkeness. I'm glad they did this. This would have prevented near riot situations and the crowds were extremely thick in downtown core. I'm also glad we had cooler weather that it was not a hot, muggy summer which would cause people's tempers to flare more easily.

London 2012 Summer Olympics is under pressure, to provide festive, non-violent fun that the crowds experienced here in Vancouver. What do you think? Do you locals would gladly dump their booze if the police issued the same controls in London area during Olympics?

http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/final-olympics-night-snapshot/ She's a well-known journalist that lives in our city and publishes in national and provincial newspapers and magazines.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Vancouver+police+transit+police+bask+bright+post+Olympic+public+relations/2628377/story.html On how well the public and crowds responded to police...alot of people were thanking the police ..and local transit for managing the crowds. I saw a police officer last night high fived with some pedestrians. It's just amazing, we don't see much of the public openly thanking the police for their work--right there on the street and among crowds.

It sound like the Olympics was great for the Canadian spirit. I'm so grateful everything went well for your town. Maybe it just goes to show that people really do need people. Also, when expectations are set by local government, and adhered too, everyone's the winner.

Queuing is a norm over here and nothing would incense the average British person than for someone to "jump queue". So, patience in that regard is pretty much exercised as a matter of etiquette really. Where patience would run out is when and if the public transport system do not rise to the occasion. As it is now, we are already suffering the brunt of disruptions to tube, train and bus services.



Alcohol consumption is a way of life to a majority of people in Europe, Orchid. Pubs are also part and parcel of the fabric of British society and it is highly unlikely that any control over them would be exercised by the police or any regulatory body for that matter. Some drunkeness is par for the course in any festive event over here and it is generally peaceful. Where it becomes unruly is when hooligans (British or otherwise, drunk or otherwise) take to the streets as they often do during football matches but, the police have an excellent grasp of riot control over here. But, drunkeness during the Olympics will be the least of policing concerns. Security is utmost.

I should clarify in most municipalities here in British Columbia and also in Ontario, that it is not legal to buy liquor and consume it in parks, walking down the street (ie. drinking a can of beer), sitting on a public park bench. North America isn't that much different from Europe in terms of volume of alcohol drinking. (except some European cultures might be worse..ie. Russia, etc. I say worse because of high alcoholism rate in those populations, etc.)

What was happening on the first big night here Vancouver was that too many people were buying from the liquor stores and walking out into the streets and drinking it openly. The people were packing in tightly in thousands downtown and the police were afraid alot of unruly behaviour would lead to rioting. The bars and pubs were not shut down. Police wanted people to safely drink confined in those buildings, not out on the street. The biggest difference for these huge packed night crowds every night downtown was that included alot of families with young children and young teens. This not the norm for major hockey or football games other times, other years, since it is the Olympics. One only saw few teens, etc. at games. I know because I used to see the crowds every week, entering the stadium when I got off the commuter train near home after work.

We live near the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies were.

A few years ago, Vancouver had a riot after a major annual hockey game downtown. Alot of drunkeness was involved, property damage to stores, among other things. What amazes some North americans, are large violent riots among spectators (among players is another problem --international problem) at some major European soccer games right at the stadium or spilling into the playing field. I'm glad stuff like that doesn't deterioriate to that extent at most major final match sports games here in North America. But no doubt, the police in various European countries have gotten smarter in their crowd control methods.

The transit system was beefed up temporarily, in terms of staffing and alot more trains, buses running more frequently which still meant 20-30 min. waits during the Olympics. What was more unusual, that many of these people were from the suburbs who normally don't come into downtown often using public transit. The authorities are hoping after this Olympic experience, some people will use public transit more often.

I just realized another reason why the public authorities were stressing people use public transit and actually creating roadblocks for some major roads, was to reduce accidents due to drunk driving. Nevertheless there was a drunk driving car accident of youths leaving downtown for suburbs. 2 people killed, 3 injured. There may have been others. There were enough drunk people still as shown by the nature of medical treatments at our downtown hospitals during the Olympics --despite the liquor purchasing ban for 4-5 days during the 2 wks. However one could buy liquor out in the suburbs. But as soon as one brought into downtown, on those nights, the police asked people to drain the liquor in the sewer grates.

What I did not like was that the police did say they were not going to curb the rise of prostitution that happens...at any Olympics.

For our Olympics, there was an "Olympic" court which enabled arrests of people for lower level crimes..theft, etc. Perhaps you might know better on common/criminal law within international context, but given international visitors (who may be here during the Olympics but instead doing other illegal stuff on side because there were many people visiting that were wealthy, on corporate expense accounts), I got this powerful impression that it would complicated and time-consuming to charge and to hear cases for infractions and certain crimes.

I guess I noticed this (not just because of the sex trade problem when there are international mass events for sustained times) ...because the lead lawyer managing the legal team for the Olympics came from a law firm I used to work.

Not surprisingly alot of the stores did not display the Olympic rings and other Olympic official logos during the Olympics because fear of being sued for trademark/copyright infringement or inappropriate display/use of official logos. The Olympic legal team of lawyers have laid some charges against some firms..

So instead, the stores used neutral slogans ie. Go Canada, Go! Or swathed their windows with the Canadian flag or in red. Even to use the Olympic colours made the businesses nervous.

But aside from the sex trade going on (and probably alot drug trading going on. Let's get real... the international drug rings are a huge problem), it was truly remarkable that people put aside temporarily their impatience when things weren't perfect ..during the OLympics.

London enacted by-laws banning the consumption of alcohol in public transport when the incumbent Mayor of London came to office as weekend binge drinking did give rise to loutish behaviour but, that's as far as restriction goes. Whilst the link was the reaction to the ban, it is strictly observed now and I would presume it would hold for the duration of the Olympics in 2012. It is highly unlikely though that they would restrict drinking in public parks and other open spaces whether the event is family-oriented or not. It would be good if they did as it only takes one lout to disrupt a wholesome affair. As to Olympic venues, I reckon, alcohol would still be served within the premises and those in charge would just have to exercise due diligence as to control.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4043853.ece

International and club football matches over here are generally peaceful although there have been fracas at big fixtures. There's just something about the game that makes people lose their heads. In the same way that streakers are compelled to run buck naked at football, cricket and tennis matches over here.

The latest on the BBC broadcast today was that Londoners would only get to see most of the games on TV as 80% of the tickets will be allocated to corporate sponsors and national team representatives. The 20% will be a scramble between the British and other EU citizens on account of commonality between Member States.

You reckon more folks in Vancouver will start using the public transport system from hereon? They have proposed banning Londoners from using their cars for the duration of the Olympics. I only hope that the public transport system is able to deliver by then. We had a severe disruption to rail services today on account of fire within the vicinity of London Bridge, which pretty much derailed (pun intended) and delayed travel into town.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersp...rs-in-2012.html

Hope the transit authorities plan things well in London area. I know your city's push includes those who can cycle, to cycle in London aread during the Olympics. With some road closures downtown, cycling was actually more peaceful in downtown Vancouver. One just had to understand the different street changes and avoid high pedestrian traffic areas. Not a big deal. I know London has a large active cycling group of different stripes there. (Actually my partner met one of the London cycling leading advocates to talk about their stuff. There's a photograph of me cycling in Vancouver in one of the London cycling magazines. This was about 3-4 yrs. ago.)

Wow, I can't believe drinking booze was allowed on public transit in London. It is not allowed for alot of municipalities at all in British Columbia and Ontario. It happens but the police can lay charges. It's just foreign to see someone secretively swilling away on their beer or bottle of rye on a bus or train..which I've seen the occasional twerp do this since i have used transit alot (commuter trains, buses and subways) over the past few decades. They get glares from other passengers.

I'm so glad that our bylaws outlaw drinking on public transit and on public benches, etc. It's been this way for decades. And also in Ontario. Sure laws get broken, people sneak around, but it is strongly discouraged/frowned upon. Otherwise there will be more broken bottles, garbage and vomit on such premises. Transit drivers don't need to deal with that type of drunk stuff, they have other problems from the public. I see enough of it as a cyclist by the side of roads occasionally. It's enough to deal with soda pop cans, bottles, and other garbage.

I should add that liquor controls are good because it also prevents people from throwing cans and bottles around too in public places. Dangerous. I heard some cyclists who have had glass bottles thrown at them. Also to control the teenagers who are bored and hang out in parks, shopping malls.

As for the tickets, i think there was a reserve for corporate sponsors, etc. What was unpleasant was that the Olympic organizers allowed the ticket scalping to go on. People were allowed to buy batches of tickets and resell at double, triple the prices. And people were willing to buy some scalped tickets. Mind boggling --ie. $1,000 for 1 gold medal men's hockey game as an example of a random scalped ticket.

LOL! Glaring at other passengers who are inebriated or otherwise would be so un-British, Orchid. Folks over here tend to just roll their eyes then bury their faces in books and newspapers.

London is rather short on cycling lanes over here. Although many have taken to cycling, it's still a mad scramble between motorists and cyclists for a share of the road. But then again, if they're proposing to ban cars, they must be planning better provision for cyclists.

There will always be ticket touts in big events but, I doubt whether they'd make good business out of it since all the competitions will have TV coverage. I don't think I'd mind paying $1,000 though if it were the Led Zep reunion concert ticket.

What's the clean up and restoration like to the parks over there in the aftermath?

I'll be away from the forums for a few days and will come back to this thread on my return. In the meantime, I pray all continue to be well with your partner after the accident.