London's New Year's Eve fireworks to be ticketed - £10 each
Discussion
KareemK said:
I was talking about the prestigious global capitals 
I stand to be corrected but I suspect these other capitals treat it as a celebration/festival for their people - free to everyone to enjoy.
Awaits incomming.
Correct, the other large cities around the world put on the celebration for all to attend, free of charge. On a strict first come, first serve basis. It is recommended in NYC for example to arrive in the early afternoon! But that's how things go. I stand to be corrected but I suspect these other capitals treat it as a celebration/festival for their people - free to everyone to enjoy.
Awaits incomming.
Furthermore, NYC accommodates approx. 1 million people for their ball drop, yet see no reason to charge or disrupt the status quo.
I am not sure why we in England feel the need to change everything, all the time.
Adrian W said:
KareemK said:
Once again the Tories manage to discriminate against those families who are not so well off - £50 for a husband, wife and 3 kids, brilliant. And at just the time of year when household budgets are reeling anyway.
A very good point, more elitist b
ksAnd just at a time when the country is grossly overtaxed and only recently stepping back from the brink of bankruptcy during the Great Recession.
The whole event is completely OTT, Capitals across the World compete each year to see who has the greatest grandeur with the biggest sparklers. Stop the event right now and lets get back to some sanity, for example go to the local and get proper pie-eyed smug in the knowledge that your supporting local business 
toohuge said:
Correct, the other large cities around the world put on the celebration for all to attend, free of charge. On a strict first come, first serve basis. It is recommended in NYC for example to arrive in the early afternoon! But that's how things go.
Furthermore, NYC accommodates approx. 1 million people for their ball drop, yet see no reason to charge or disrupt the status quo.
I am not sure why we in England feel the need to change everything, all the time.
It's because people like lamboman100 think "free" equals "communist" Furthermore, NYC accommodates approx. 1 million people for their ball drop, yet see no reason to charge or disrupt the status quo.
I am not sure why we in England feel the need to change everything, all the time.
Bloody socialist New Yorkers.
toohuge said:
KareemK said:
I was talking about the prestigious global capitals
I stand to be corrected but I suspect these other capitals treat it as a celebration/festival for their people - free to everyone to enjoy.
Awaits incomming.
Correct, the other large cities around the world put on the celebration for all to attend, free of charge. On a strict first come, first serve basis. It is recommended in NYC for example to arrive in the early afternoon! But that's how things go. I stand to be corrected but I suspect these other capitals treat it as a celebration/festival for their people - free to everyone to enjoy.
Awaits incomming.
Furthermore, NYC accommodates approx. 1 million people for their ball drop, yet see no reason to charge or disrupt the status quo.
I am not sure why we in England feel the need to change everything, all the time.
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve...
They think they'll close Broadway and 7th Avenue all the way from 43rd Street up to 59th Street, but they will close fewer depending on how many people turn up. It's easy to do this sort of thing in New York because the grid system allows traffic to be re-routed quite easily, and also allows the crowd to disperse very easily afterwards. The Embankment has none of that. I can understand what they want to control the crowds, and this (relatively low) fee seems like a good way to do it.
I know if you're poor then it's going to be a big expense, but if a small child got crushed or fell into the Thames because the crowd was out of control, I imagine there would be complaints.
KareemK said:
Astonishing presumption. 
I live in central london. My taxes help pay for the upkeep of it all and whilst I can afford the £10 many people in less advantageous circumstances cannot. I talk of people in run down council accomodation, of the thousands paying ridiculous rents whilst holding down jobs in the service or public sectors in London who currently get a show but soon won't. Of course I fully expect those who can afford it to be saying "pah, watch it on telly" to those who can't.
"Let them eat cake" eh?
Why are you singling out the public sector workers for particular concern? They wouldn't be anywhere near top of my list as a group. And I work in the bloody public sector. Stop bleating, it's odd that this riles you so. And stop talking about cake!I live in central london. My taxes help pay for the upkeep of it all and whilst I can afford the £10 many people in less advantageous circumstances cannot. I talk of people in run down council accomodation, of the thousands paying ridiculous rents whilst holding down jobs in the service or public sectors in London who currently get a show but soon won't. Of course I fully expect those who can afford it to be saying "pah, watch it on telly" to those who can't.
"Let them eat cake" eh?
fido said:
KareemK said:
It's always "measly" until someone says "ok, give us it then" 
Erm, because it's MY money, not YOURS - geddit? I'd happily spend a few hundred to snort coke off a hookers tits this evening if I were so inclined but I don't expect you to pay for it. Everyone's happy. Money well spent.
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 17th September 22:58
I used to love firework displays until I saw the mother of all displays at a Chinese new year in Hong Kong. It lasted at least an hour and by god did it get boring. I can't magine anything more tedious now. To stand around all day waiting in a huge crowd and paying £10 sounds like he'll. A good firework display should be like sex; one or two seismic explosions over 5 mins is way more enjoyable than a smoky long drawn out marathon that fizzles out with a wimper and which leaves you glad it's finally over.
eharding said:
JuniorD said:
A good firework display should be like sex; one or two seismic explosions over 5 mins is way more enjoyable than a smoky long drawn out marathon that fizzles out with a wimper and which leaves you glad it's finally over.
...but should still cost no more than £10, right? I came back to edit my post to say it should also be free...but you beat me to it!The fact that it's a tenner is not the point
...the point is where charging is concerned it never stays the same. Once they make a charge, there is only one way forward. Nothing stays the same anymore. Will we even be singing Burns' Auld Lang Syne if there is a 'Yes' vote this week?
Nah, the following year it will likely be £15, the year after £20 and so on.
Then the touts will get the tickets (they'll probably have them for this one), they'll be on Ebay at double or more, then it will get elitist, exclusionist etc.
It's the way this country now works.
Ah sod it, sit at home and watch it. Better still have your own extravaganza in your own back garden, with all your friends round, all the kids, have a knees-up, set off your own fireworks with all the dosh saved from not having to travel to the smoke, yeah, some real family fun, loads of food and drinks, 'then' retire inside and as the clock reaches midnight and watch it on the TV!
...and
to Boris.
...the point is where charging is concerned it never stays the same. Once they make a charge, there is only one way forward. Nothing stays the same anymore. Will we even be singing Burns' Auld Lang Syne if there is a 'Yes' vote this week?
Nah, the following year it will likely be £15, the year after £20 and so on.
Then the touts will get the tickets (they'll probably have them for this one), they'll be on Ebay at double or more, then it will get elitist, exclusionist etc.
It's the way this country now works.
Ah sod it, sit at home and watch it. Better still have your own extravaganza in your own back garden, with all your friends round, all the kids, have a knees-up, set off your own fireworks with all the dosh saved from not having to travel to the smoke, yeah, some real family fun, loads of food and drinks, 'then' retire inside and as the clock reaches midnight and watch it on the TV!
...and
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