London 2012 Hackney Citizens’ Diary: Day 3
The Olympic commute on the Overground. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
10.00pm: The Hackney Citizen’s undercover security guard writes:
“Being around Olympic athletes all day can make you feel a little insecure. All of the volleyball players are pushing seven foot, two foot of which is calf, and two and a half thigh.
“Both the men and women tend to also be handsome and muscular, and exude an aura of seriousness and dedication that is really attractive. I almost feel bad asking for their passes on the way in, since they are so clearly Olympians.
“They come down from their white coaches like superior beings, bedecked in brand new sparkling team hoodies and jackets.
“On a more human level, what’s also interesting is that a lot of the Eastern European players and their coaches smoke like chimneys. The players come to the door to the smoking area and ask which side their coaches are standing on before the match, then head the other way, out of sight, to smoke themselves. It doesn’t seem to affect their volleyball playing much, though.
“The rudest players so far have been the Italians, and the nicest the Chinese. In fact, every Chinese person I meet is thoroughly pleasant. Chinese property can’t be that expensive, and I already like the food. I wonder how hard it is to learn Mandarin?”
8.00pm: Sarah Birch writes:
“On the first day of the ‘big commute’, trains weren’t quite as crowded as expected”.
All pretty clear on the London overground this morning. Even got a seat at highbury & Islington.
— Lucy Werner (@TheWern) July 30, 2012
@gallaghereditor left home in N16 at 6.35am…was *in* Olympic Park at 7.15am. via bus/Dalston K-Stratford overground. Sun & Monday! Fab!— Helen O’Rahilly (@TellyDubby) July 30, 2012
“News out that the Underage Festival in Shoreditch has been cancelled due to ‘unforseen circumstances’. The quiet streets and under-whelmed local shopkeepers are starting to raise concerns about all the hype over Olympic gold being exaggerated”.
Asked in local shop if they are busier for Olympics. They said no, much quieter. They had taken on extra staff & open 24hr. #citizencurators
— Dee Dee (@deedeesvintage) July 30, 2012
Residents sick of
@wickvillage being used as thoroughfare by Olympic workers put up homemade signs.#citizencurators twitter.com/deedeesvintage…— Dee Dee (@deedeesvintage) July 30, 2012