The Olympic Games are underway in Paris, and it’s fair to say that the organizing in France has been lackluster. The Greek men’s water polo team lifted two poorly parked cars out of the way of the team’s bus while traveling back to the Olympic Village. It was just the start of the event’s transportation woes surrounding the long commutes on buses without air conditioning.
The Greek team bus couldn’t turn down a narrow street last Saturday because two cars were parked on top of a crosswalk, too close to the intersection. The Greek team was making its way across the City of Light after its final training session, according to France24. The athletes decided to have some fun despite the pair of obstacles and simply moved the vehicles onto the sidewalk. It took about a half-hour to get the job done, but local residents cheered the team on and let them into their homes for bathroom breaks.
The Greeks were kind enough not to abandon their bus like the skateboarders on the way to their event venue. The athletes decided to skate the rest of the way after their motorized ride was involved in a minor crash and couldn’t continue. The South Korean delegation took more drastic measures over their commutes on hot buses. Six swimmers from the team abandoned the Olympic Village for a hotel closer to the pool. According to Reuters, Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois said:
“At the beginning of the operations we’ve had some problems concerning the transportation of the athletes, especially before the Games started. We’ve taken measures since then with reserve (buses) to serve the athletes in the best possible way and I think the system is now operating perfectly.”
Paris is the spiritual home of the modern Olympic Games, but it won’t adapt to accommodate the monumental event’s needs. Both organizers and athletes are discovering that they are the ones who need to change for the French capital, filthy Seine and all.
