# Are you afraid of/for the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254 "2012-07-24T16:35:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/1 "2012-07-24T16:35:49Z")
With all the talk recently about how bad security is at the London Olympics, I’ve been thinking. If I actually had the time & money to go to the Olympics, I’d have serious reservations about doing so, since it seems that there would be little to stop a terrorist attack, and that this fact appears to be widely known and appreciated. So what do you think? Does anybody have reservations about these Olympics, and think that attandings them might not be such a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/2 "2012-07-24T16:56:50Z")
No not afraid at all. Even if there is a terrorist attack, the reality is most terrorist attacks are pretty rubbish and you would have to be very unlucky to be killed or even hurt. What happened in Colarado the other day was far more effective than 95% of terrorist attacks. Now if you asked me if I was angry, irritaed, annoyed or similar words about the Olympics, that would be a different matter… ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/3 "2012-07-24T17:12:35Z")
There is no reason to be afraid, even if there is an attack, which is unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/4 "2012-07-24T17:41:47Z")
The talk isn’t really that security will be bad as such, just that the firm contracted to provide security staff admitted a few weeks ago that it would not be able to do so. The result is that the shortfall will be covered by the Army. I’d be more afraid of the hit to my bank balance from the expensive tickets than of a terrorist attack. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/5 "2012-07-24T18:40:00Z")
I take all of the “scare” stuff on the evening news with a grain of salt. For example, frequently you’ll hear about a police raid that captures a bunch of terrorists just a day before they were going to carry out their evil plan. “Wow, that was close, they nearly got away with it,” the anchor tells you. What they don’t tell you is that the cops have been watching them for a long time, waiting until the last minute so they can learn as much as possible about the terrorists’ connections before making the arrest. Likewise, the news folks will scare you about anything else they can, including any wrinkles in the security network for the Olympics. I’m not worried. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Cornholio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Cornholio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Cornholio)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/6 "2012-07-24T20:49:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > There is no reason to be afraid, even if there is an attack, which is unlikely. Why wouldn’t you be afraid if there _was_ an attack? Personally, if there’s bits of suicide bomber, tube train/bus/olympic burger stand, nails and the like flying about, I’m going to be fucking terrified. But that’s _if_ it happens. I think the first person who stands up with his rucksack on and looks like he’s pining to meet 72 virgins might find that the Old Bill’s marksmen are better shots than the Olympic rifle team, and even then, you or I probably wouldn’t get to hear about the full details till long after the games. Look at that twat who leapt out of the crowd shouting “Allahuh Akhbar” and tried to grab the torch the other day - almost totally glossed over on the TV news, and even the good old Daily Mail only put a footnote that someone _thought_ he _may_ have been shouting something about God. (Thankfully, someone else posted an alternative video of the incident, closer to the action, where there is no doubt about it, he is giving it the “Allahuh Akhbar” chant nice and clearly. Spectators even say “Did you hear that? He was shouting Allahuh Akhbar”) When even the Daily Mail are not taking the opportunity to goad the mob and talk of the 5th Column waiting to strike, you know that there must be major pressure from the-powers-that-be to minimise any chance of spooking the public. We will only see now if Mr Plod and the Army are in any extra state of alert than they already would be if they start jumping the gun (so to speak) and capping any Brazilian electricians on their way to work. Again. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/7 "2012-07-24T20:53:29Z")
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be afraid that something bad will happen at the Olympics–especially in light of the recent shootings at the Batman Movie Premiere. There’s a lot of scary people out there, and some of them have guns and aren’t afraid to use them. On the other hand, I think it’s pretty likely that nothing of any significance is going to occur, despite the large prominent crowd. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/8 "2012-07-24T21:01:49Z")
I don’t think it’s any scarier than anything else. Statistically, the most dangerous part of a large public event is the drive over. ---
**Author:** ![Eastblock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Eastblock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eastblock)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/9 "2012-07-24T21:48:29Z")
My biggest fear would be getting ripped off on food and drink! After the G4S farce a lot of the security staff is now military or police so I’d say security is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/10 "2012-07-25T06:40:06Z")
I’ve got tickets to three events and to be honest I feel much safer with army boys doing security than a bunch of missionaries. And I bet the army people will be friendlier too. ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/11 "2012-07-25T06:59:35Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > So what do you think? Does anybody have reservations about these Olympics, and think that attandings them might not be such a good idea? I am very worried. As a matter of fact, this post of mine addresses my concern. > **[Pseudo-Intellectual Junk](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=659726)** > > Sorry - feeling narcissistic. To what extent is care for someone reasonable? International strife. Syria. UN Security Council. Assad. Civil conflict. Israel. Bulgaria. Iran. Tourists. 37 lives - changed. Domestic unrest. Colorado. 12 trajectories... ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/12 "2012-07-25T12:15:25Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I’ve got tickets to three events and to be honest I feel much safer with army boys doing security than a bunch of missionaries. And I bet the army people will be friendlier too. Yes, missionaries are a generally surly bunch, and not so good with the fighting. Unless, of course, you’re talking about exorcising demons. Wait, did you mean _mercenaries?_ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/13 "2012-07-25T13:36:50Z")
The chances of a large scale, organized attack is pretty small, I would hope. What I think is most likely are athletes/visitors getting beaten up by skinheads and such. There’s some foreigner-hating folk in Britain, and there’s going to be a surge of visitors roaming in places that they won’t know aren’t safe. Not a good combo. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/14 "2012-07-25T13:41:05Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be afraid that something bad will happen at the Olympics–especially in light of the recent shootings at the Batman Movie Premiere. > > There’s a lot of scary people out there, and some of them have guns and aren’t afraid to use them. Well, we Brits live in a country where random teenagers can’t go into a shop and buy a gun (or few) with which to rampage, so the recent Batman shootings are irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![FasterThanMeerkats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@FasterThanMeerkats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FasterThanMeerkats)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/15 "2012-07-25T13:45:23Z")
I live in fear that the Olympics will one day be hosted by the city I live in. Mainly because it seems like a colossal waste of money for any host city. Cities should really just play hot-potato to see which one gets stuck with it instead of bidding to get it. EDIT: Admittedly slightly off-topic. Hope it wasn’t too early to digress a bit. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/16 "2012-07-25T13:47:46Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > With all the talk recently about how bad security is at the London Olympics, I’ve been thinking. If I actually had the time & money to go to the Olympics, I’d have serious reservations about doing so, since it seems that there would be little to stop a terrorist attack, and that this fact appears to be widely known and appreciated. > > So what do you think? Does anybody have reservations about these Olympics, and think that attandings them might not be such a good idea? Wow, news reporting really sucks sometimes. The security is NOT ‘bad’ - far from it. The issue was that the private security firm tasked with unarmed security (checking bags and tickets, for instance) failed to recruit enough numbers so the ‘vastly-over-qualified-for-the-task’ military has stepped in to do the job instead. Security will be BETTER. This is on top of the already planned vast police and armed military presence. ‘Little to stop a terrorist attack’? Blimey, even the little security we even know about involves the [navy’s largest warship parked in the Thames](http://www.standard.co.uk/olympics/olympic-news/royal-navys-biggest-ship-sails-up-the-thames-in-olympic-games-security-run-7714484.html) and [missiles on the top of buildings](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9234030/Missiles-stationed-on-residential-roof-for-Olympics.html). London is playing host to 18,000 military personell and 12,000 police officers. I think we’ll be safe. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/17 "2012-07-25T13:52:17Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The chances of a large scale, organized attack is pretty small, I would hope. > > What I think is most likely are athletes/visitors getting beaten up by skinheads and such. There’s some foreigner-hating folk in Britain, and there’s going to be a surge of visitors roaming in places that they won’t know aren’t safe. Not a good combo. Good grief, there’s some significant ignorance to be fought in this thread. London is one of the most multicultural cities on earth. Skinheads roamed the earth in the 1970-80s. Foreign tourists swamp London every single day of the year. Stratford, the host borough of the Olympics, has more ethnic minority residents that white folk. Honestly, there’s some rubbish being talked here! ---
**Author:** ![glaeken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@glaeken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glaeken)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/18 "2012-07-25T13:54:45Z")
If there is someone with the means to pull off an attack of some sort I doubt any reasonable level of security would be enough to prevent it. That’s just how things are when it comes to preparing to defend against someone who is determined to carry out some sort of terrorist attack. We are just lucky that overall these individuals seem to be relatively rare. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/19 "2012-07-25T14:57:22Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be afraid that something bad will happen at the Olympics–especially in light of the recent shootings at the Batman Movie Premiere… That was one wackjob off his meds. Munich was 40 years ago. Atlanta was 16 years ago. Athletes and spectators from around the world as well as Londoners and the security forces all know what to look out for. We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I think it’s safe to say nothing bad will happen, but if something does happen, they are as prepared as they can be. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254/20 "2012-07-25T15:51:24Z")
Just a guess, but I would imagine if I picked my nose within 100 miles of London, hundreds of security people would be grossed out watching me do it on closed circuit TV. I would also venture a guess that anyone who even has a third cousin, twice removed, who may have visited certain countries in the last three years can probably get a secretly filmed hi-def DVD recording of them singing Happy Birthday at that so-called private party they held last week in granny’s flat. Not only is British security most likely working in overdrive, I would guess that the US, Germany, Israel and many other countries are happily feeding pertinent information to those in charge. So, if I were in London, I would probably feel safer there than anywhere else for the next few weeks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-for-the-olympics/629254.md?page=2)