The vast number of empty seats at the “sold-out” Beijing Olympics has baffled television and live spectators since the games began. But the mystery is finally starting to unravel.
With signs in Chinese and translated English reading “Please Tickets,” out-of-country visitors wander Beijing streets in an attempt to get tickets to see the events. Meanwhile, spectators inside have their pick of seats in the largely empty venues.
The reason? According to Chinese bloggers and one of the volunteer ticket sellers, China’s communist regime is deeply worried troublemakers will cause an embarrassing incident at the games.
According to one volunteer ticket seller in Beijing, the regime has been less concerned about the preliminary games and tickets were more easily obtained for those events.
But for the all-important final events no tickets will be available at the box office, the volunteer said, because the government does not know who will be a “troublemaker” or “whistleblower.”
With signs in Chinese and translated English reading “Please Tickets,” out-of-country visitors wander Beijing streets in an attempt to get tickets to see the events. Meanwhile, spectators inside have their pick of seats in the largely empty venues.
The reason? According to Chinese bloggers and one of the volunteer ticket sellers, China’s communist regime is deeply worried troublemakers will cause an embarrassing incident at the games.
According to one volunteer ticket seller in Beijing, the regime has been less concerned about the preliminary games and tickets were more easily obtained for those events.
But for the all-important final events no tickets will be available at the box office, the volunteer said, because the government does not know who will be a “troublemaker” or “whistleblower.”
