Vancouverites Flee City to Avoid Olympic Chaos

whatnext · #1 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:13 AM**

Well, I guess the circus has benefitted business, the travel agency business anyway:

Residents flee city to avoid Olympic chaos
Travel bookings up 30 per cent from normal

Canwest News ServiceNovember 5, 2009

Vancouver is expecting a mass exodus in February as many residents flee the Olympic frenzy.

The city is expecting to host more than 250,000 Olympic athletes, officials and spectators for the 2010 Games, while many Vancouver residents are choosing to get away from the Olympic chaos.

Vancouver travel agents are reporting a 30-per-cent jump in people booking trips for February compared to previous years...
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2...508/story.html

Yume-sama · #2 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:15 AM**

I've met some who say they are going away, most are staying.

It would be a better statistic if they told us what the base number for the 30% up is

Most likely a small percent of the population. And who uses a travel agent anymore, anyways? Seriously.

Of course, if your kids are out of school (Catholic?) February would be a GREAT time for that family vacation down South.

nova9 · #3 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:18 AM**

well good riddance. these people have my respect more than the people who would rather stay and ruin it for the rest of us. plus, travelling is actually good for the economy whereas protesting does nothing to help during the recession.

SFUVancouver · #4 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:18 AM**

Good riddance. Plus by booking flights they are helping put bums on seats of the extra Olympic flights the airlines are putting on, and in doing so helping realize the prediction of an Olympic bounce to the economy.

Yume-sama · #5 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:22 AM**

You two are like the same person

Exactly the same post, simultaneously!

GeeCee · #6 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:38 AM**

the funniest part about people who don't like the olympics leaving is that they'll have to deal with all the pre-games hassles such as construction, etc but miss out on the best parts..

touraccuracy · #7 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:54 AM**

i wanna stick around just to take it all in. i think i'll head downtown every single day during the games with my camera just to take photos of it all, meet people, and have a good time.

mezzanine · #8 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 9:12 AM**

^ditto. I still remember expo 86 as a child and have a lot of great memories. there will be many events through-out the city, which is even better than expo, as there was little event programming offsite (IIRC).

Even the world fire and police games last summer put a lot of festivity in local restaurants and events.

I still don't have any tickets to the games, but I am still looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere.

Warts and all, i'm on the ride until the end....

WarrenC12 · #9 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 2:12 PM**

I'm not sure why anybody in this forum gets worked up about it. "Good riddance?" As if these people are anti-patriots because they don't want to deal with the hassle of day-to-day life during those 2 weeks?

Personally I'll be in town, and might head down to enjoy some of the fun downtown, but I'm sure there are some people who's everyday lives will be turned upside down based on where they live or what they do for a living, and so they'd rather be elsewhere. Kudos to them for sucking it up taking what is likely their only annual vacation during this time, rather than complaining about it non-stop.

twoNeurons · #10 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 3:02 PM**

Yeah, no kidding. There's plenty of people who just aren't into big events, crowds, etc. Lots of people can't be bothered with the Olympics. They're just not interested.

nova9 · #11 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 3:23 PM**

SFUVancouver - like minds......hahha

Why 'good riddance'? I see it as akin to people who actually do something rather than sit around and complain. Either stay and get into the spirit or wipe your hands clean of the entire thing and take a nice vacation off (and maybe make yourself some nice money by renting out). I mean, those are not the only 2 options, but they're the ones I'd understand and be fine with the most.

whatnext · #12 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 4:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mezzanine

^ditto. I still remember expo 86 as a child and have a lot of great memories. there will be many events through-out the city, which is even better than expo, as there was little event programming offsite (IIRC)....

If there's one lie that irritates me most about the Olympics is that it will be anything like Expo 86. Expo 86 went on for months, was accessible to most of the public and was of a general interest. Winter Olympics not so much.

Hed Kandi · #13 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 4:24 PM**

All the Nimby's are fleeing, meaning that the only people left will be the Party Animals!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7G1-IR2rrU

WarrenC12 · #14 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 4:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

If there's one lie that irritates me most about the Olympics is that it will be anything like Expo 86. Expo 86 went on for months, was accessible to most of the public and was of a general interest. Winter Olympics not so much.

Agree 100%. Expo 86 was all about participation, like a giant temporary museum. The Olympics is more like professional sports. You can see it live for a high price, but arguably get a better experience from your living room.

mezzanine · #15 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 5:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Agree 100%. Expo 86 was all about participation, like a giant temporary museum. The Olympics is more like professional sports. You can see it live for a high price, but arguably get a better experience from your living room.

granted the admission to expo was less expensive than tickets to the games, but the fairground was the event.

Now, you have programming like the larwell parksite, concord place, david lam park and country's pavilions, like swiss house at bridges, russia house at expo centre being avaiable.

This all hinges on how well VANOC planned the ancillary events. Expo and the olympics are transformative and epochal events for vancouver, and i want to be around to soak it all in...

WarrenC12 · #16 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mezzanine

granted the admission to expo was less expensive than tickets to the games, but the fairground was the event.

Now, you have programming like the larwell parksite, concord place, david lam park and country's pavilions, like swiss house at bridges, russia house at expo centre being avaiable.

This all hinges on how well VANOC planned the ancillary events. Expo and the olympics are transformative and epochal events for vancouver, and i want to be around to soak it all in...

Expo was accessible but not cheap. Bear with me here, but a 1 day pass to Expo was $20, never discounted. In today's dollars that's about $35. Cheaper sure, but not "cheap". Many people opted for a 3 day pass at around $35 in 1986. This is pretty much equivilant to the most expensive museum in the world.

However I've heard a lot of the areas in the Olympic zones will cost admission, which is disappointing. Does anybody have details on this?

Interesting on the wikipedia page, the cost of Expo was approx $800m, with $500m in revenues leading to a $300m deficit, or a pretty bad margin, yet we all consider it a great success now.

subdude · #17 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:35 PM**

Not me. Will be here with bells on.

Coldrsx · #18 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:42 PM**

i would say of those i know it would be 1/3 leaving 2/3 staying...

johnjimbc · #19 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 6:53 PM**

I think this is fine. I'm glad the people who want to leave are doing so, and those that want to stay are doing that.

My philosophy all along has been Vancouverites on an individual basis need to decide to embrace the Games - and all the activity that goes with it - or make other arrangments. I don't blame anyone for either approach, but I also don't see the need to make a big deal out of it. I don't actually buy the argument that a two-week event will destroy someone's life if they can't leave town and don't want to be overly bothered. People adapt to situations much worse all the time. I don't think crowds in the city are going to wreak total havoc on anyone's existence.

It's the same as when I lived in DC and there were major protests or celebrations or peak holiday times in the city core. I avoided the federal mall area unless I was prepared for the crowds, street closings, etc. Being a resident, there were plenty of other opportunities to enjoy those areas without crowds if that's what I wanted.

That's life in the big city, so to speak

.

Yume-sama · #20 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 7:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

i would say of those i know it would be 1/3 leaving 2/3 staying...

How many of those 1/3 rented their house in Surrey to the king of Nigeria for a Godly sum?

The Olympics actually provide people time to go on a good, fully paid for, family vacation. If they manage to rent out their house.