Olympic Torches For Sale

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18142358

So what do people think about this: These people were selected by local communities (In the main) for their services, and as a reward get to carry the torch. They can then sell them on ebay and some have gone already for over £150k. I think this is a disgrace and these people should be made to give their ill gotten gains to charity.

This whole Olympic thing is all about money and making as much money as is humanly possible. The ticketing has been a joke because the sponsors hold the majority of the 'good tickets'. Well they have had to stump up millions to be on the selected sponsor list. There's been nothing but problems with Joe Public trying to buy tickets and we have the controversey about the north south divide, because everything revolves around London, except the sailing and even local councils in Weymouth and poole are charging people to walk/watch from public bridleways. Even council house owners near to the Olympic stadium are renting their homes out at exhorbitant prices. Then we get this torch sale

I'll be glad when this whole affair has gone away

As I understand it, torch carriers are being charged a fee (£200?) to keep the torch when they've finished their stint - If they pay that much for the memento they I suppose it's up to them to do what they want with it. I can't imagine why anyone would pay £150,000 for one

Edit: I should really have read the link before replying - it's £195 to keep the torch (which apparently costs £450 to produce??). I suppose if people are selling them for charitable purposes then that's OK - but for personal gain is pretty shabby

It does seem a bit tawdry. That said the people who have them actually had to buy them, they werent gifts as such. About £200 I think, so I cant see that there would be any recourse as to what they do with them.
Also I read one example, a guy who had leukemia, he sold his for £2k (I dont think many are going for the 150k, be amazed if the person who bid for that buys it at that price) and he is giving 10% to charity and using the rest for a trip to South Africa to see the games being held for people who have had illnesses like him. I have no problem at all with a scenario like that, though Im sure not all of them are of the same ilk.
I cant wait for the Games, best thing to happen to this shithole of a country we live in for ages.

Diggers - if you feel this is a "shithole of a country" feel free to leave

Thanks Davie, but I dont need either your advise or permission to do just that. Ill let you know if I ever do, but I suspect hell might well have frozen over first.

Guess it can't be all that bad then

As far as I'm concerned, why are people being asked if they want to buy the fooking thing. Only because its something else to make money from for the games committee. I would imagine plenty will buy them for a keepsake, but those who sell them for profit just go against everything the Olympics is supposed to represent. I guess by the end of this week, ther'll be that many up for sale the price will be less than they originally paid for them.

So many reasons why this thing is all so very, very wrong

There are a lot worse palces to live, but sadly I think its on the slide, and with this Govt thats only going to get worse and that will happen quickly. Too many self interested people around.
But the reasons for staying revolve first and most importantly around family as neither myself or my wife could take our kids away from their grandparents, secondly friends and thirdly our work.
Its a tad simplistic to think most people can just pack up and go with no consequences.

....anyway, I want to stay for the Olympics. As I said about the only good decision we have made for years. Hopefully the number of people who get behind it will far outweigh those who moan about it. Its happening...enjoy it. That said whether Id feel the same if I dont have brilliant tickets..perhaps not. But it will have negative effects for me, my train comes and goes through LGW and that could be chaos, Ill probably have to walk to and from Victoria instead of getting the tube while its on.....but cest la vie.
For once we will get some visibility on money spent, and hopefully there will be a legacy though no doubt the govt will try and dilute that as well. Anyone who saw the Manchester Games and run this weekend...well 40000 people ran that 10k and thousands more watched the street athletics and thats all on the back of the Commonwealth Games. Big events can have a massive spin off and pull countries together and god knows this country needs to be pulled together.

Diggers - my post may have been a bit of a knee-jerk reaction and if it came across as a bit over the top then I apologize

In my defense I just get a bit pissed off with people constantly running the country down. You may have some reasons to want or need to stay so my sentiments may not apply directly to you, but speaking in general terms I still think that anyone who doesn't like it here should get the hell out. The grass isn't always greener on the other side

No problem Davie. I actually have a great life here, I'm incredibly lucky to live where I want in the UK and Ive seen enough of the world to know most places have their faults.
That said it can be frustrating to live here mainly because we are seemingly so good at shooting ourselves in the foot do often. It should be a great country to live in, in some ways it is, but I fear the next few years could be a disaster.

Why is it a problem? A lot of people are giving it to the charity they work with or similar.

And if some idiot wants to buy it why not let them. Particularly when they are being charged for the thing in the first place.

Also... there must be about 40,000 or the things. They only run 300m each with the torch.

I think that there are 8,000 torch bearers, as it is carried in a vehicle between all the various towns/cities. Watched it come over the Bristol Suspension Bridge via the BBC torch-cam, and it looked quite spectacular.

In the South-West we've had Will-i-am and Didier Drogba carrying the torch - part of the Coca-Cola deal I think.

Drogba, though much maligned , does huge work for UNICEF in Africa so well warrants a torch, not sure about Will I Am though but he seems like a lot of fun and it's all about generating interest.

I happened to tune in to the BBC torch-cam just before Drogba picked up the torch, and the crowds were huge and very excited. I agree that a lot of people are not aware of the other side of his character, and all his charity work.

As each torch bearer has it for such a short time, I don't think the odd celeb is a problem, and it certainly does generate interest, particularly amongst the younger generation - which is a good thing.

Spot on Mary, after all it's meant to be fun !!!