Two colleagues and I unwittingly penetrated the supposedly secure Olympic park in Barra, which hosts swimming, gymnastics and other sports.
We had exited the zone from the main press centre on Saturday night to walk to the swimming pool for the night session.
We re-entered the zone without having to go through security, and it truly was unintentional.
It was only once we were inside that we realised we hadn’t been through a security check point, which is hard to miss considering that it resembles those found at airports, with x-ray machines and metal detectors.
But we had a different experience walking into the cycling area at Copacabana earlier in the day.
Police refused to let us enter with the fruits we had bought just minutes earlier from a grocer — “perishable food” is not permitted.
It’s a policy that leaves a bad taste, considering how much poverty there is in Rio; the food gets tossed into a big dirtbin.
And, quite frankly, it’s tantamount to piracy considering how much they charge for snacks and drinks within Olympic venues.
A 500ml bottled water costs nearly R40 and a double cheeseburger R80.
Security lapse at Olympic Park
Two colleagues and I unwittingly penetrated the supposedly secure Olympic park in Barra, which hosts swimming, gymnastics and other sports.
We had exited the zone from the main press centre on Saturday night to walk to the swimming pool for the night session.
We re-entered the zone without having to go through security, and it truly was unintentional.
It was only once we were inside that we realised we hadn’t been through a security check point, which is hard to miss considering that it resembles those found at airports, with x-ray machines and metal detectors.
But we had a different experience walking into the cycling area at Copacabana earlier in the day.
Police refused to let us enter with the fruits we had bought just minutes earlier from a grocer — “perishable food” is not permitted.
It’s a policy that leaves a bad taste, considering how much poverty there is in Rio; the food gets tossed into a big dirtbin.
And, quite frankly, it’s tantamount to piracy considering how much they charge for snacks and drinks within Olympic venues.
A 500ml bottled water costs nearly R40 and a double cheeseburger R80.