Olympinonsense

[amateur51]

Having seen that aerial view of applicants' portacabin "living accommodation", it is astonishing to hear it said that such conditions would have been adequate in more "normal" summer conditions. Can anyone imagine having to sleep in metal boxes closely aligned, with very little space between allowing for natural air circulation, after a day's "normal" midsummer insolation?

The normative values being applied here might appear to be softening us all up for portacabins' use as an economical space-saving way to solve the homelessness problem in London.

You are prescient there, S_A. To my knowledge at least once a decade some charmer comes up with the idea of 'housing' homeless people in containers - they're so easy to stack, you see .. and so many of them

Homeless people want housing like the rest of us want housing - safe, secure, affordable. No more, no less.

They may also have support needs but then so do mortgage holders who suddenly get made redundant. There are many reasons why people become homeless - the best way to find out what housing solution would suit them best is to ask.

[Serial_Apologist]

You are prescient there, S_A. To my knowledge at least once a decade some charmer comes up with the idea of 'housing' homeless people in containers - they're so easy to stack, you see .. and so many of them

Homeless people want housing like the rest of us want housing - safe, secure, affordable. No more, no less.

They may also have support needs but then so do mortgage holders who suddenly get made redundant. There are many reasons why people become homeless - the best way to find out what housing soluntion would suit them best is to ask.

Having worked in them and found them to be comfortable enough, air-conditioned, on stilts, and adequately spaced apart, I'd have little argument with portacabins, Ams; but I somehow don't think this is what some within the Powers That Be would have in mind.

[amateur51]

Having worked in them and found them to be comfortable enough, air-conditioned, on stilts, and adequately spaced apart, I'd have little argument with portacabins, Ams; but I somehow don't think this is what some within the Powers That Be would have in mind.

I know several people who speak fondly of having been brought up in post-war pre-fabs, not least because they had facilities that we take for granted now that pre-war mainstream housing did not.

[JanH]

It's quite frightening that G4S not only run some prisons, prison transport, probation, tagging, forensics, asylum detentions centres, asylum housing, etc., particularly when worldwide they have such a dismal record in human rights.

and children's homes allegedly, and a whole lot more besides ..... according to lat's link upthread.

i totally agree anna , it is frightening, to any responsible, sentient person.

It is truly horrifying that this company should have charge of these institutions, etc. Even more disturbing is that retribution is not given when disaster strikes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/17/jimmy-mubenga-guards-no-charges

[kernelbogey]

Nick Buckles and his sidekick have just told the Commons Select Committee that G4S intends to claim its £57m (sic) fee from Locog as 'we have provided a service'.

[ahinton]

It is truly horrifying that this company should have charge of these institutions, etc. Even more disturbing is that retribution is not given when disaster strikes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ju...rds-no-charges

No doubt, but do you have any idea which company could have done these things properly instgead?

[Pabmusic]

It's quite frightening that G4S not only run some prisons, prison transport, probation, tagging, forensics, asylum detentions centres, asylum housing, etc., particularly when worldwide they have such a dismal record in human rights.

I have deliberately avoided commenting on the G4S (Group 4, as they were) cock-up. But when the first private prisons were put out to tender (about 1992, I think), an American firm bid for one prison. Their prospectus described how, in the event of a major disturbance, they would fly armed riot squads from the USA! That summed up the level of understanding that was around then. I suppose it's a little better now but...

[Nick Armstrong]

I think this was basically the plot of one of the episodes of 'Twenty-Twelve" wasn't it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...?newsfeed=true

[Bryn]

I think this was basically the plot of one of the episodes of 'Twenty-Twelve" wasn't it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...?newsfeed=true

"It is believed that those delays were due to the drivers taking a wrong turn, though each bus is equipped with satellite navigation and each driver has been trained. Around 100 bus journeys were due to have been completed by the end of the day."

Given that they had SatNav, I am more than a little surprised that none ended up at the Swan Theatre.

[amateur51]

"It is believed that those delays were due to the drivers taking a wrong turn, though each bus is equipped with satellite navigation and each driver has been trained. Around 100 bus journeys were due to have been completed by the end of the day."

Given that they had SatNav, I am more than a little surprised that none ended up at the Swan Theatre.

Lovely thought Bryn

[Anna]

I think this was basically the plot of one of the episodes of 'Twenty-Twelve" wasn't it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...?newsfeed=true

I posted the Telegraph link yesterday which has the Twenty-Twelve video imbedded (if you move the slider you can watch the whole episode) and of course - it was SatNav that caused it. Next episode tonight of course! 10pm BBC2

[Nick Armstrong]

I posted the Telegraph link yesterday which has the Twenty-Twelve video imbedded (if you move the slider you can watch the whole episode) and of course - it was SatNav that caused it. Next episode tonight of course! 10pm BBC2

<doh> Missed that! You had your invisibility cloak on again Anna! Sorry, will hunt back...

[Nick Armstrong]

We said earlier about Twenty-Twelve and difficulty in separating fact from fiction ....... two Olympic coaches carrying athletes got lost today and circled around London and in The Telegraph report on it they have embedded a clip from Twenty-Twelve where ........... the coach gets lost going to the Olympic Village!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...mpic-Park.html

Quite right Anna, forgive me! I got tired reading about G4-thingummyjig's woes that I gave up on this thread yesterday

Perfect

[Serial_Apologist]

No doubt, but do you have any idea which company could have done these things properly instgead?

The very fact that no one (myself included) has been able to come up with an alternative private provider highlights the Whitehall farce that this whole Olympics set-up was from the very start.

[Northender]

Hang on a minute ....'2012' is the spoof comedy and London 2012 the real thing, right? Or is it the other way round?
As for the ongoing security problems - what's wrong with the suggestion that the chaps and lady chaps who start the races could be issued with pistols that fire live ammo, thus enabling them to double up as security guards?