Do not be terrorised by anti-terrorism.

I feel like a stranger in my own City. This is not my London that I live in, it is a town that has been handed over to the security forces. We are a town under threat of a “known unknown” though all evidence that there is a threat is of course a security threat in itself.

The numbers of security personnel needed to guard us against the terrorist threat has tripled

• G4S alone were required to increase numbers of people supplied from 2,000 to 10,000 in two years
• The cycle and towpath around the Olympic complex has been closed 23 days before the games
• We are advised not to drive our cars into central London for fear of gridlock
• We can’t drive our cars into central London because of Games’ Lanes confusing and congesting – an unwelcome replacement for the M4 closure of last week
• I will pay a fine of £135 if confusion or wilfulness or a need to get to my destination gets the better of me and I drive on a road for which my road tax has paid.
• The streets of our capital are further clogged with unmarked security cars – sirens blazing.

Drug-tests, bag-checks, road-blocks!

No fly zones, gun-boats on the Thames, ground to air missiles.

The onus for keeping London going has passed from Londoners to the military.

The culture is now about things not going wrong rather than things going right.

People are frightened not elated – we are scared about not being in the right place at the right time. We are not enjoying hosting this event – we are allowing ourselves to be terrorized by the threat of terrorism.

This morning I receive a threatening e-mail telling me that unless I logon to their website and confirm I have no dietary requirements, I will not get my Olympic tickets and will “fall at the final hurdle”. No telephone number, no signatures – an automated threatening e-mail.

I tell you – this security bullying is contagious everyone’s up to it – it’s the Olympics!

There’s not a lot that can be done, control has been lost and those, like Westminster pulling the plug on Macca and Springsteen, who have been handed the keys to our city, are revelling in their new found powers.

But when these games are over WE ARE HAVING OUR CITY BACK

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