McDonald's Olympics

[Perry Vale]

How many traffic signals on London's roads are out of action at any one time?

I don't know, can't say I've ever noticed one to be honest.

How often does it happen on the New York or Paris Metro?

[duncan]

I'm sure that with a bit of research, I could find out, but seeing as both of those systems are smaller and carry less passengers than London Underground, their failure rate will indeed be less than ours.

Also, parts of London Underground are almost 150 years old and was designed with single track tunnels. Therefore, only one train at a time can move along a tunnel and if anything happens be it LUL's fault or the fault of some kind of passenger action, it will stop the trains behind from running.

[Perry Vale]

but seeing as both of those systems are smaller and carry less passengers than London Underground

I expected you to answer like that. I don't see how that has any relevance, personally. A signal failing at Leytonstone has nothing to do with the fact that West Ruislip is a long way away. It's just failed.

Also, parts of London Underground are almost 150 years old...

Again, that's given them 150 years to get a signalling system that doesn't keep breaking.

Sorry, I know you work for them, if I recall correctly, but to me it isn't acceptable. Especially as I get told each year that my fares are going up above inflation for "investment". That makes me an investor, and I'm not happy about it.

[duncan]

I expected you to answer like that. I don't see how that has any relevance, personally. A signal failing at Leytonstone has nothing to do with the fact that West Ruislip is a long way away. It's just failed.

The relevance is that the bigger the system the more chance of a failure occurring.

I'm not gonig to defend the company I work for when there are clearly problems. All I am saying is that I find it a bit unfair to read comments of it being "normal" when it so clearly isn't. Yes, we have our problems, signals fail. Traffic lights fail, computers fail, mobile phones fail. Unfortunately, when the tube fails, it hits the headlines; but when it runs well (which is more often the case) we don't seem to read anything about that. Our passengers cause failures too with the likes of emergency alarms being activated for no reason, doors being held open because they don't want to wait 1 minute for the next train which causes the train doors to fail and the train being taken out of service etc etc. However, it's only the failures on our side that gets reported.

You're not happy with the delays, I get that. Have you ever claimed your fare back under our customer charter? It doesn't help with the fact you are late home, but it goes a small way to appeasing the situation.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Apparently on the Today programme this morning Lord Coe managed to get himself trapped into as good as saying that anyone wearing clothes which advertise rivals to the Olympic sponsors will not be allowed admission!

Words fail me!

[Stuart Wallis]

And there I was thinking there's such a thing as a free market! I feel another vague comparison to Berlin 1936 coming on!

[duncan]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I was told today that if you take food to the olympic park, it has to bee in a clear bag and not still in it's original packaging as that will upset the sponsors.

[Stuart Wallis]

I'm quite sure breathing will upset the sponsors!

[Dave Tudor]

Yeah - oxygen and carbon dioxide have probably got a merchandise deal at the Games!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Yesterday we had an email reminding us that as of this week there are strict legal rules about what can be said in emails sent externally about the Olympics.

[Si Hunt]

I had a chuckle to myself remembering Ants "we coped" post this morning, as they started a news report with the words, "The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were a transport disaster..."

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

If the Olympic opening ceremony is meant to start the Games on Friday, what's the Oplympic women's soccer doing starting today? eh?

[Philipnet]

They had about 40,000 empty seats for the women's soccer, so they decided to put the ceremony back for when the grandstands were fuller

[Anthony Williams]

I had a chuckle to myself remembering Ants "we coped" post this morning, as they started a news report with the words, "The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were a transport disaster..."

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

A short while ago I saw Ade Adepitan carry the Olympic torch across the Millennium Bridge in his wheelchair.

Even for a non sporting person like myself still quite an inspiring sight.

[Anthony Williams]

Well, the first major gaffe of the Olympics has happened - some North Korean football players were introduced using the South Korean flag. Whoops!

[Si Hunt]

I don't blame them for being offended, but wouldn't it have shown great character if after a few minutes and an apology they had said "Okay then. Everybody makes mistakes. No harm done."

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

I don't blame them for being offended, but wouldn't it have shown great character if after a few minutes and an apology they had said "Okay then. Everybody makes mistakes. No harm done."

The problem is that North Korea is a brutal dictatorship that indoctrinates its citizens to hate the South Koreans on an instinctual level. I get the feeling that this is pretty much the worst insult possible to a North Korean.

I understand why they're pissed off, but I really don't think that they're going to show humility and accept an apology any time soon!

[Si Hunt]

It's a great insult yes, but we accepted that and apologised. No lives are lost via an insult. It was accidentally made, and some humility as you say, would be welcome.

It would just have made a nice change for someone to have the grace to be forgiving of a mistake. The clues in the word "mistake" - an unintentional error. The world would be a better place if we didn't harbour grudges or revenge for something that someone didn't mean to do.

Si.

[Jason Thompson]

While that is perfectly true, as Ant said, North Korea isn't exactly the place that breeds that kind of forgiving attitude. To the North Koreans it's an insult comparable to introducing an Israeli team with a swastika next to their names. And considering how much North Korea has been in the news lately with the death of Kim Jong Il, it was a pretty inept mistake to make.

[Perry Vale]

Some sections of the media have been wondering why the Koreans were so "upset". I had to laugh after reading so many things from **** Coe about not wanting to "upset" the sponsors by having spectators drinking Pepsi or wearing the wrong t-shirt or trainers....

[Si Hunt]

Yes, it is a bit of a joke. So busy making sure people don't wear the wrong logo on their T-Shirt so they don't upset some bastard rich mega-corporation, maybe they should have spent more of their time attempting not to offend a whole nation by assigning them the wrong flag.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

The McDonald's advertising campaign for this Olympics (with posters of people pulling funny faces headlined with cutesy titles like 'the Getting-a-better-look-er' and 'the come-on-come-on-er') is absolutely vomit-tastic. Bleugh!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I have to say I've seen better google doodle's than this one for the opening ceremony...

[Stuart Wallis]

Yes, it is a bit of a joke. So busy making sure people don't wear the wrong logo on their T-Shirt so they don't upset some bastard rich mega-corporation, maybe they should have spent more of their time attempting not to offend a whole nation by assigning them the wrong flag.

Si.

And we mustn't forget that only about three days into the Olympic torch relay, the "eternal" flame went out. Only in Britain...