Not terribly impressed......

[BikerGran]

As I'm trying to be a photographer, I thought I really ought to turn out and take some pics of the Olympic torch being carried through our town. So I did.

I thought it was unfortunate that all the huge promotional vehicles rendered the torchbearer rather insignificant - not helped by the chav-type white tracksuit they wear.

Still, I suppose it's some sort of history and I duly recorded it.

The end.

[morrag]

My sentiments entirely Bobbi. The Olympics, fine, but this "Torch" nonsense, fairly modern invention that it is, well, I ask you.......................

[nabsim]

I was disillusioned as well. When it came through Buxton they shut the roads then coaches came to th outskirts of the centre. Everyone got out of the coaches including those riding push bikes then they paraded through and got back on coaches th other side.

If they are going to do it they should be running/walking all the way, make it an Olympic feat not a farce.

[Manky Monkey]

It came through Basingstoke, Hampshire on Wednesday. I'm a Postie there & deliver to the area they passed through. It caused chaos for us, with roads shut all morning & crowd barriers on the pavements. All the surrounding residential roads were full of parked cars & there were buses coming & going from the park & ride scheme they set up too. The people were stood 10 deep along the route with many there for several hours to get the best spots. The local schools gave the kids the day off to watch it, (bet they didn't all go though).
So a whole day messed up. 2 minutes & it was all over. I didn't see it, but the general consensus from those that did was -is that it?
I know it's a bit of history & won't be seen again for many years, but what a lot of hype for nothing.

YouTube clip

The One Show on BBC1 did a piece about the torch bearers from the 1948 games last week. They ran a similar relay but ran all the way, from Dover to London I think. The show reunited half a dozen of the runners. Apparently they were picked from local athletic clubs & had never met before the relay &, having passed the flame onto the next runner, never met again. Bizarrely, the first chap they talked to ran the section from Merrow to Guildford -almost past our front door.
They all still had their 1948 torches. I didn't realise each runner has their own -over 3,000 torches this time around. It's the flame that's relayed, not the torch.

[BikerGran]

But even the torch only becomes their own if they pay for it!

[spanners]

how many tins of gas lighter fuel have they used  

[spanners]

But even the torch only becomes their own if they pay for it!

how much ££  bet its a good investment  to sell on ebay,,,,,

[Manky Monkey]

So who gets the money?

[BikerGran]

Torchbearers were told in March that they will have to pay £199 if they want to keep the torch as a souvenir of their special day.

Think it goes to LOCOG - the organisation that's running the Olympics.

[Manky Monkey]

I assumed it'd go to charity.
Not a sports fan at all, so wont be watching the coverage anyway, but even if I were, the constant barrage of hype, plus every consumer product in the country, from car sales to loo rolls, suddenly sprouting a Union Jack & claiming to be "backing Britain", would put me off watching it.

[BikerGran]

Absolutely.

[spanners]

it passed within 4 miles of our house    i missed it 

[snafu]

I work in north London, basically the whole Olympic thing is diabolical, apart from the traffic problems we will have which is well publicised there are certain affects that don’t get publicised.

So allegedly:-

Local scaffolding company has laid off 75 people because they are not allowed to work certain areas while this fiasco goes on.

Local utility (road menders) company lay off 63 as they are not allowed to work certain areas.

Parcel company has to pass its deliveries in specific areas to another (us company) and pay them to deliver @ 4 times their normal charge. 

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, the Olympics seem to be a bit of a curse don't they. We're constantly told what an honour it is to host them, yet they've almost bankrupted half the countries that've hosted them in the past. Just seems to be politicians hoping to grab some prestige from having them here. How come we have to suffer cuts to every service imaginable, but can find billions for this?
Now G4S, the security company given the contract to provide security guards, have failed to enlist enough people, with up to 50% of those employed not turning up for their shifts. So the British Army's been called in to provide 17,000 men. And 6 domestic tower blocks in central London have suddenly found they've gained ground to air missile capabilities, with missile launchers sited on their roofs.
Sorry, if you're looking forward to it all, but personally I think it's a colossal waste of money. 

[Dslam]

Here here.