Not the Only Flame in Town

I know this will sound mean, but I loved how Gavin & Co. tricked the tricksters and left a crowd of lemmings in the lurch at Justin Herman Plaza.

Not that I begrudge anyone wanting to enjoy a historical event / protest / demonstration / sore feet, but did they actually think they'd be able to get anywhere near it after what went on in London and Paris?

Gavin said many times that the route would likely change at any time, so that seems like even more reason to not to count on seeing it.

I watched the coverage on live TV - loved the aerial tour of SF - and when word got out at the Plaza that the ceremony was canceled, a few people interviewed whined about how they'd been there for 9 hours waiting to see the torch.

Nine hours. Nine. Hours. One woman complained that she'd come into the city with her family and now they were going to go home. ??? You can't think of anything else to do in the city with your family?

First, you're with your whole family - that seems like a nice thing. Second, so what if you didn't get to see the torch - go have dinner somewhere. Walk around the Embarcadero. Go shopping at the Ferry Building. Take Bart to Union Square or go see a movie! What a lame ass!

Another woman said she "deserved" to see the torch because she'd waited all day. No one told Heather Fong about this chosen woman at the Plaza. I'm sure had she known, she'd have stuck with the original course.

All the disappointed folks can thank the idiots who thought it was a good idea to lie down in front of a bus. Oh, and you can also thank the city supervisor who thought it was a good idea to LEAD some protesters directly into the route - nice work, asshole.

The protesting is stupid. There's no excuse for what's going on in Tibet, but we're the last country to be telling anyone else how to treat other countries. And stunts that stop traffic or shut down city streets really just piss everyone off and make them totally unsympathetic to your cause.

Want to make a statement? Don't buy or use anything that comes from China. Don't buy China-made clutter peddled at Walfart and other stores. Though that's pocket change compared to the billions they have invested in US companies.

If you're serious, boycott companies with Chinese investment. Barrage your elected officials with letters and emails. Organize peaceful, non-disruptive events to get the word out. Don't ruin events meant to celebrate international competition between athletes who might only get that chance once in a lifetime.

And if you're in the city on a beautiful day, don't complain.