Insanity

[Griffin NoName]

Two weeks prior to the Olympics and the comany providing security have said they are 10,000 security officers short. So the army has been drafted in!!

On the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt*, said it was "completely normal" for a contractor to fail to deliver on a major project.

I can't believe he can get away with saying this. This government is so incompetent it's scandalous.

*he should have resigned over the Murdoch fiasco but he made his PA resign for him

[Swatopluk]

Well, it has become normal. The only thing odd is an official being so blunt about it.

[Sibling DavidH]

Last news bulletin I heard, several buses carrying teams from Heathrow to the Olympic center got lost in London for 4 hours.

[Swatopluk]

Last news bulletin I heard, several buses carrying teams from Heathrow to the Olympic center got lost in London for 4 hours.

Why do you think the German invasion failed?

[Griffin NoName]

Last news bulletin I heard, several buses carrying teams from Heathrow to the Olympic center got lost in London for 4 hours.

Why do you think the German invasion failed?

Re. Olympic buses getting lost, they used that as a spoof disaster in TV spoof Olympics drama "Twenty Twelve" - seems they were spot on --- hope none of the other disasters they spoofed come true.

Apparently now it is more than 10,000 missing security officers, so the police have also been drafted in. Will we get the RAF and Navy next?

I rolled about on the floor laughing helplessly tonight as Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) said something along the lines of "We are the best prepared country for the games, ever" - to which the interviewer replied "what? drafting in the army?"..... Boris is a hoot.

I suppose if failing a contract is normal. then more than one contract for the same things should always be taken out. Expensive way of going about things.

[Swatopluk]

Well, surface-to-air missiles have been installed on some apartment buildings. Not sure, whether the army or the RAF handles them.

[Griffin NoName]

Yes, the people in the appartment blocks failed to get the court to judge in their favour. I suspect it's the army, but at least it is one of their "usual jobs", just unusual places.

[Swatopluk]

I guess the RAF will fly extra patrols during the games.

[Griffin NoName]

They've already been doing that. Lots of practice. Also helicopters. Also, the police have been all over the place in droves. It's like living in a police state. Except for the sillyness which keeps surfacing. Like we have "Olympic" lanes marked out on the roads - only Olympic traffic can use them. But this means all other London traffic has to fit into fewer lanes. So they are worried about gridlock. But, don't worry, they have a back-up plan in case of gridlock. The back-up plan is, anyone can drive in the Olympic lanes.

Last night all the traffic lights across London were rephased to favour Olympic traffic!

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Apparently now it is more than 10,000 missing security officers, so the police have also been drafted in. Will we get the RAF and Navy next?

With some luck some poor sods in Afghanistan/Irak will be recalled to police the city... 

[Griffin NoName]

We don't have any troops in Iraq and the one's in Afghanistan keep getting killed by the Afghan's they are training (police).

More security issues. Only a small percentage of the people the private company had trained actually turned up for work. More police drafted in.

[Roland Deschain]

I now have a full understanding of how people mispronounced Jeremy's surname on radio. Twice.

If it's usual for large government contracts to end in failure, maybe the sensible thing would be to do the following things:-

1) Review and replace all the companies you usually deal with.

2) Review and replace the politicians and civil servants who make these decisions.

3) Completely change the way contracts are put out to tender.

4) Shoot those in charge of companies who do not deliver.

[Griffin NoName]

I vote for the last one.

[Roland Deschain]

I vote for the last one.

That's evil, really evil, but just this once? Who cares, lol.