Blog Post: Will the London Olympics be 'Cheerio' or 'Dreary-o?'

There's less than two weeks until the start of the London Summer Olympics and there's a lot of people who have major concerns about this particular event. Most of them are British and after reading about their concerns, I can't say as I blame them.

I think we've all been hearing about the heavy emphasis on security they are employing at this Olympics. The amount of soldiers, snipers, swat teams, etc, is almost unprecedented. But then, I understand their concern. Terrorist bombings have occurred in London with some frequency and safety has to be a big concern. There are some Brits though who are starting to think that the security situation may be in "overkill" mode. Personally, I go with the cliche, "better safe than sorry."

Aside from security problems, London has the oldest public transportation system in Europe. The "tube" and train systems have been getting overwhelmed lately by the sheer number of Olympics-related people who have already come to the city. I have been in London many times and I think their transportation system is awesome (well, when you compare it to L.A., anything is awesome!). But I never had to ride it when it was packed and I should mention many of the cars are not air conditioned.

Another big problem the Olympics may have is weather. London just recorded their wettest April and May in a century and rain has not gone away. This could be a huge problem because officials are already banning the use of umbrellas at some events. That should be interesting. Can't wait to hear from the disgruntled Americans, French or Germans who don't like to be told what they can and can't do at a sporting event. If rain pours down, how will that affect Opening and Closing ceremonies, not to mention the majority of the events themselves. I'm thinking that the beach volleyball event alone should be a challenge!

I have friends who live within a few miles of London and the Olympic events and they invited me to the games with free accommodations, good company and easy access to tickets (one of my friends there works for American Express). But I declined. I'm not sure why. But suddenly it's starting to sound like one of my better decisions this year. I think I'll be happier watching on TV.