Lake Placid: boycotting the public

Mass confusion. That was the kindest description which frustrated would-be spectators had for the opening days of the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. Inadequate transportation, lack of information, not enough ticket offices, complex procedures and long waiting lines to get reserved tickets that, too often, turned out to be cancelled. More than one ticketholder stranded in the cold was convinced that the only amateurs at Lake Placid were the Olympic organizers.

Spectators might expect such bungling from Moscow's notoriously inefficient bureaucracy. But no matter how many countries or athletes eventually show up for the summer games, Moscow's organizers won't have to try very hard to top the sorry performance of the Lake Placid Organizing Committee, which seems to have staged an unintended boycott of its own -- a boycott of the public. Even the youngest competitor could have told the committee that it takes intelligent long-range planning to "make the Olympics."

You've read 3 of 3 free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Lake Placid: boycotting the public
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0219/021936.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe
CSM logo

Why is Christian Science in our name?

Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.

The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.

Here, you’ll find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences – a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.

Explore values journalism About us