[Good Job Bob]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/13/30...pic-committees

A Vanity Fair article profiling the political journey that Britain took to secure the 2012 Olympics reports that the bid committee went as far as messing with traffic signals to ensure that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) visitors were impressed with the city's infrastructure. In a story that sounds worthy of a political thriller (or a Bourne film), CEO of the London bid committee Sir Keith Mills says that the team planted GPS trackers in each of the IOC evaluator's vehicles, planned their routes through the city, and followed them using London's infamous CCTV system to make sure that they were not hindered by traffic. The operation took place in the London Traffic Control Center and "when they came up to traffic lights... we turned them green." ...

[MIMIC]

Now THAT'S how you suck up.

[makingmusic476]

That's awesome. And terrible. But awesome.

[daviyoung]

Better.

[Ceebs]

And every other city they visited probably pulled the same stunts or more.

[Majine]

I have to applaud such sneakiness.

[dejay]

When bids are often won with massive bribery, I ain't even mad at this turn of events.

[zomgbbqftw]

Bollocks. Fucking shitty Olympics. Going to fuck up my commute and fill London out with tourists who will inevitably walk slower than tortoises.

[SmokyDave]

I think we'll end up losing money on this whole endeavour.

Still, I have to admire the sneaky tinkers.

[Game-Biz]

In order to win, one must rig the game.

[dejay]

Bollocks. Fucking shitty Olympics. Going to fuck up my commute and fill London out with tourists who will inevitably walk slower than tortoises.

Hopefully there will be tonnes of Aussies making up for the pink-skinned hordes of drunk English men and women on Sydney's beaches in 2000!

Seriously, just enjoy the Olympics - they're a lot of fun, with a great vibe.

[SteveWD40]

Would the UK govt do it? sure

could they? I fucking doubt it, they can hardly organize a gangbang on a porn set.

[i_am_ben]

Bollocks. Fucking shitty Olympics. Going to fuck up my commute and fill London out with tourists who will inevitably walk slower than tortoises.

nothing fills me with as much rage as slow walking people in the city.

[Alx]

In order to win, one must rig the game.

They should use this as the new Olympic motto. :D

[Wiseblade]

I see no problem with this. Especially when other cities did far sleazier and more overt things to curry favour for their Olympic bids and World Cup hosting is just a contest to see who makes the biggest bribe.

I think we'll end up losing money on this whole endeavour. Still, I have to admire the sneaky tinkers.

Just imagine how much money we'd lose if we had actually bribed them though.

[Xun]

Ha, interesting.

[EnderWiggles]

Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about this year's olympics? I feel like London was such a boring choice.

[Petrichor]

I live in the area where the games are being held; and the olympics have already transformed it from a crime-laden ghetto that nobody cares about into an area with prospects, facilities, security, and so much more. It's easy for you all to be cynical, but the olympics coming to Stratford has transformed thousands of lives already in one of the poorest areas in the UK which up until 2007 had been ignored by everyone...

....which I'm sure us miserable brits will still somehow see as a bad thing.

[dejay]

Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about this year's olympics? I feel like London was such a boring choice.

As opposed to?

Spain - broke
USA - have it too often as it is
Russia - they're nuts
France - would have been my second choice

[daviyoung]

I live in the area where the games are being held; and the olympics have already transformed it from a crime-laden ghetto that nobody cares about into an area with prospects, facilities, security, and so much more. It's easy for you all to be cynical, but the olympics coming to Stratford has transformed thousands of lives already in one of the poorest areas in the UK... ....which I'm sure us miserable brits will still somehow see as a bad thing.

We'll see how Stratford is once the Olympics have come and gone. It's as easy to think that this event will aid redevelopment as it is to think that it's just a drop in the ocean.

[Petrichor]

We'll see how Stratford is once the Olympics have come and gone. It's as easy to think that this event will aid redevelopment as it is to think that it's just a drop in the ocean.

They aren't going to tear down westfield stratford city once the olympics are gone; or stratford station.

Even if the entire park was demolished (which isn't happening) the games still would have hade a huge effect on the prospects of the area.

[PJV3]

When do they put the missiles on my roof?

[Mecha_Infantry]

lol, quite funny

I don't care for the Olympics being in this country since I didn't get any damn tickets...but I'm all up for the international women coming aboard :)

[ChiTownBuffalo]

As opposed to? Spain - broke USA - have it too often as it is Russia - they're nuts France - would have been my second choice

Psshh...we can't help it if we're one of the few countries that can host a Summer and Winter Olympics everytime they come up.

If I recall correctly, the Salt Lake Winter Olympic committee did a fine job in sucking up themselves. Fidning out which cookies, sexual proclivities, etc the individual members of the committee liked.

[ElectricBlue187]

As opposed to? Spain - broke USA - have it too often as it is Russia - they're nuts France - would have been my second choice

twice in 64 years is too often I guess

[daviyoung]

twice in 64 years is too often I guess

Yeh, there are more than 64 countries.

[ElectricBlue187]

Yeh, there are more than 64 countries.

that can host an olympics successfully? I doubt it

[Rourkey]

twice in 64 years is too often I guess

So 2 out of 16?

[daviyoung]

So 2 out of 16?

Oh I see. He meant literally 64 years (I presumed games). Haha, yes 1984 and then 1996 is far too often.

[dejay]

twice in 64 years is too often I guess

Atlanta and LA were very close together. Really though, I wasn't trying to troll - the US always puts on a good show. Hard to believe that Atlanta was almost 20 years ago, but that's only 4 Olympics ago.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Atlanta and LA were very close together. Really though, I wasn't trying to troll - the US always puts on a good show. Hard to believe that Atlanta was almost years ago, but that's only 4 Olympics ago.

I dunno. I was overseas during the 96 games, and hen those rednecks came screaming out of the tunnels in pickup trucks during the Opening Ceremonies I facepalmed.

That and had to answer questions like "Hey, why does the US let a handicapped person light the torch?"

[dejay]

That and had to answer questions like "Hey, why does the US let a handicapped person light the torch?"

Surely these people didn't deserve an answer.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Surely these people didn't deserve an answer.

They were Koreans. And my family. So I had to.

[SquiddyCracker]

London Olympics doesn't even have a proper mascot that reflect the city and nation.

Two metal blobs?

Should have gone with a fox or a pidgeon instead.

[zomgbbqftw]

Hopefully there will be tonnes of Aussies making up for the pink-skinned hordes of drunk English men and women on Sydney's beaches in 2000! Seriously, just enjoy the Olympics - they're a lot of fun, with a great vibe.

Haha, head down to Earl's Court, I'm sure they will all be out supporting Australia in the summer!

[Napoleonthechimp]

I dunno. I was overseas during the 96 games, and hen those rednecks came screaming out of the tunnels in pickup trucks during the Opening Ceremonies I facepalmed. That and had to answer questions like "Hey, why does the US let a handicapped person light the torch?"

It is an understandable question as most handicapped people are kept in dungeons throughout most of the civilised world. It doesn't matter what handicap you have; can't walk, blind, deaf, terrible at golf... dungeon for you.

[daviyoung]

London Olympics doesn't even have a proper mascot that reflect the city and nation.

You're joking right?



Couldn't ask for a better mascot.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

It is an understandable question as most handicapped people are kept in dungeons throughout most of the civilised world. It doesn't matter what handicap you have; can't walk, blind, deaf, terrible at golf... dungeon for you.

Yeah.

I think the Olympics are amazing to be honest. But this is from someone who has very slim Olympic aspirations at one point.

I might make a last minute trip to London and crash with a friend to check out the taekwondo competition.

[ReBurn]

So this is the upside to the government having eyes everywhere!

[numble]

twice in 64 years is too often I guess

Who had it twice in 64 years?

[ElectricBlue187]

Who had it twice in 64 years?

US
technically its twice in 80 years but I don't think pre-ww2 really counts

[numble]

US technically its twice in 80 years but I don't think pre-ww2 really counts

You seem to be fudging the numbers to make your argument. Why doesn't pre-WW2 count? Jesse Owens doesn't count as an Olympic moment?

[Ceebs]

London Olympics doesn't even have a proper mascot that reflect the city and nation. Two metal blobs? Should have gone with a fox or a pidgeon instead.

Like this was any better?