Olympic torch

[Worker]

How do we feel about runners, supposedly selected for their contribution to the community, selling their torches on eBay and elsewhere for thousands?

Sticks in my craw a bit.

[DulwichFox]

As I understand it, runners do not automatically get to keep their Torch.

They have to pay ?250 to keep it. so it is just a business transaction.

Fox..

[maxxi]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> As I understand it, runners do not automatically

> get to keep their Torch.

>

> They have to pay ?250 to keep it. so it is just a

> business transaction.

>

> Fox..

Exactly... just like the whole bloody charade.

[Loz]

Agreed. It's their torch, they paid for it. If I had one and someone offered me ?5k for it (which seems to be the bidding prices) then I'd hand it over in a jiffy.

[Otta]

What else are you gonna do with it?

[Marmora Man]

As I understand it a lot of the sales (but not all) will be to raise funds for local charities - so the commercial transaction may deliver something more positive than simply personal gain.

[DulwichFox]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> As I understand it a lot of the sales (but not

> all) will be to raise funds for local charities -

> so the commercial transaction may deliver

> something more positive than simply personal gain.

Good Point. This is also true.. So some real good might come from the larger sales where bids are pledged.

Foxy

[maxxi]

what's not positive about personal gain? (on a personal level)

[dbboy]

Try thinking about it in terms of supply and demand, A can supply and a demand exists from B. B is willing to pay A a price that A demands. It's a bit like going to the supermarket, they supply the goods we want and are willing to pay the price they set.

[Applespider]

If they've volunteered for years in the community with their only reward being running 300m with a torch, then if they want or need to sell it, then fair enough. If they've given a couple of hours a week for the last 5 years, then even at ?5K, it's still only ?10 an hour.

It's when the celebs who are running with the torch start selling them that I might get more miffed since they've done little to deserve the chance to carry it.

I did laugh a little at the description of one of the torchbearers. Described as a real Olympics enthusiast who'd been to the Lausanne museum, and then it said he was 13. I mean, at most he can remember 2 Olympiads... a fanatic, really?!?!

[the-e-dealer]

Well the whole justification Olympics bid was about the economic benefit of having it here Why should a few ordinary humble non VIP people make a little bit of cash?

[Loz]

Did you see QT last night? Apparently the Beeb asked LOCOG what they will do with the torches that were not purchased by the runners. LOCOG said they would probably sell them to recoup the costs.