Test Event - Day Four Sunday

Well it wasn't raining as we drove to Hainault station just after 7am - and even at this time the trains were running every 11mins (Sunday at home you're lucky to get one bus let alone six trains an hour!) into London. Went through the usual frisking routine (sixth and final frisk) and rang for the shuttle.  Access through the Aquatic Centre was open and the lift was working it looked like I might actually check-in on time....

Ha Ha - we waited, no shuttle, 'E' from the Boccia competition also arrived (we had met the day before on the shuttle when we had witnessed the one and only 'common sense decision')  Imagine 'E' is in an electric and it was raining, the shuttle stops right outside the door, but the 'jobs worth' on the gate pointed to a gate round the corner! 

(A little aside that many entertain - all these security people, all in high visibility jackets, on gate duty never or rarely spoke - just pointed from behind what ever barrier they were protecting to some other barrier where there was another job's worth who invariably pointed to yet another entrance even further away from your intended destination - if you had gone with this system I reckon that you could have gone all round the park and never got to see an event)

Its a theory, but back to 'E' and her problem - her carer pointed to the entrance (seemed a good idea to adopt the same tactic) shake of the head and a finger waggled at the other gate.  Now it wasn't as if the gate was locked, the security guy eventually came out from behind his refuge thus opening the gate, so why couldn't they go in that way and keep out of the rain - they had the right accreditation, even the shuttle driver couldn't understand the problem when up pops 'She in Charge' - well 'just this once as it is raining!'  This contretemps had taken a good 10mins and then they had to get her wheelchair off the bus - total wasted time c 15mins

Back to Sunday and the lack of shuttle bus,  I rang again 'Oh haven't they got there yet, I give them ring to see we they are' said the very helpful lady in Transport.  Just as my phone rang 'Transport Two' arrived it appeared that the drivers of the shuttle were still waiting for accreditation to open................??  We would have to use the buggy!!!  Good job that the five accessible buggies had been delivered, for by this time there were three wheelchairs and two walking disabled waiting for transport.   This was going to make my day - turkey man was livid, but Transport Two out-ranked him and he had no choice.......... and I sat on one of the seats (seat belt less) and held my chair - he wasn't go to tie me down.  We were joined by a lady carrying three large carrier bags containing beautiful cut glass awards - she had had the most awful time getting into the Park, there is a no glass rule, but these were for retiring hockey committee members and 'approved items', but she still had problems.  She got off at the hockey stadium and the last I saw she was having an argument with security......

The official check-in time and gone - I was late again!  But there were only two scheduled matches and six of us in each team, a bit over staffed!  I got my name on one of the veggie lunches, (best to be prepared!) and spent most of the morning watching rather than working..................... Time to recount the last encounter with officialdom.

For four days I had been going through a door which was a short route to the lift - that meant that for four days the door had been opened for me by the official on duty - I estimated that I had been through at least a total of 32 times (four days x two (one in one out) x four times a day) but it may have been more - on this occasion the official stopped me - I couldn't go through that door - why not say I - wrong accreditation says he - since when I asked?   I have been using this door for four days (it had been pointed out to me as a short cut by 'he in charge') - no 'number two' on your badge he said - more than my job's worth I am responsible for this door, yes dear reader he actually said 'more than his job's worth' and that he was 'responsible for the door'!  I was having great difficulty in not laughing! What was the door likely to get up too?  Had it history of bad behaviour? The mind boggles! 'Heavy Plant Crossing' symdrone had kicked in!

Another joined him, and pointed to the long way around the building. (I was escorted through by his supervisor in the end!) It seems that at some time between 9.45ish the last time I used the door, and 12.30 when I attempted to go back through some one had re-zoned the area................................ on Day Four of the Test Event!  Apparently I could go out through the door but not in and I did just to prove the point!

Memo to self - buy some Letraset numbers for September..........