It is “hard to miss Boris Johnson at the Olympics,” as London's
“over-the-top mayor is omnipresent, even for someone used to being the
center of attention,” according to Danica Kirka of the AP. Johnson has
“found a forum like no other, propelling himself front and center into
the lives of those who crack up at his one-liners as well as those who
cringe at them.” Kirka: “Mobbed like a rock star, Teflon-like in his
ability to dodge every gaffe, he is having a moment so Olympian that he
spends much of his time batting off speculation that his next stop is 10
Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister. ... Always acting
somewhat befuddled, Boris plays a quintessentially British character,
the erudite, upper-class buffoon” (AP, 7/31).
UNZIPPED IN VICTORIA PARK: In London, Hannah Furness wrote that on Wednesday Johnson was a "special guest"
in Victoria Park, where he donned a "hard hat and two Union flags as he
attempted to sail down" a zip line in its inaugural ride. But instead,
he "ground steadily to a halt on the wire" and was "left dangling
inelegantly in front of a watching crowd." Johnson "spent around five
minutes hanging comically from the drooping line." Eyewitnesses said
that he "spent the intervening minutes waving his flags and leading the
audience in cheering on British gold medal-winning rowers" (TELEGRAPH, 8/1).
TRAFFIC CHECK AND QUIET STREETS: The AP’s Gregory Katz
noted the traffic in London thus far “is flowing just fine despite the
extra pressure" of the Olympics. With most London motorists “choosing to
stay away or working from home, it's actually less aggravating to get
around town now than usual.” Officials yesterday said that the volume of
traffic “has dropped by nearly 30%... easing congestion that
might have been caused” by the special Games Lanes (AP, 7/31).
In London, Low, Pitel & Moody noted instead of the “widely predicted
tourist boom, London was described yesterday as a ‘ghost town’ as
overseas visitors have been deterred from coming to the capital during
the Olympics.” Hotels, theaters, restaurants, museums and other
attractions “all reported a drop in numbers.” European Tour Operators
Association Exec Dir Tom Jenkins said that there were “an estimated
150,000 foreign visitors in London instead of the 300,000 normally
expected this month” (LONDON TIMES, 8/1). In London, Grace Dent wrote London is “actually TOO quiet” (INDEPENDENT, 8/1).
HELLO LOVELY: In a special to the
FINANCIAL TIMES, NBC’s Tom Brokaw wrote, “In Beijing, the unofficial
motto of the vast Chinese investment in urban improvements and venues
was, ‘Look out world, here we come.’ In London, the message seems to be,
‘Hello. We’re still British. Lovely’” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/1).
