Paris 2024: Down With The Olympic Games! Up With Airbnb Prices And Flying Taxis!

Protestors are planning their own disruption competition.

The French are in a feisty, revolutionary mood. And that could spell trouble as preparation for the 2024 Paris games grinds ahead.

And I noted in the last Paris 2024 newsletter, Paris 2024 organizers have launched a massive call for volunteers to work at the games. They need about 45,000 folks. That is already going to be a monumental task for any number of reasons, starting with the application.

Out of curiosity, I started to fill out the questionnaire to become a volunteer, and the first screen cheerfully warns me that I should allow 30 to 45 minutes to fill it out!

In addition to providing contact info, uniform sizes, availability for various events around the country, and skill sets (I have a driver’s license but can not ride a horse), the application takes so long because one must then fill out a questionnaire with 180 questions.

Those questions are real doozies. Perhaps this is a cultural thing, but each question gives you two choices to respond. But as far I can tell, those two responses are not necessarily in opposition to each other.

For example, No. 89 asks: “At what am I the most talented…”

1. Being convincing and getting across my points of view.

2. Establishing new relations.

You have to pick one or the other. But, why does being good at making an argument then make it difficult to establish new relationships? Surely I could do both. Right? Or is this building a masterful psychological profile that will reveal that I have been a closet psychopath my whole life?

Pick one fast because there are still 179 to go. Anyone who has the stamina to fill out the whole thing should get the Legion of Honor medal.

Unfortunately for organizers, there is one group super motivated to run this administrative gauntlet: protestors. Since last year, a group called Saccage 2024 (“saccage” as in “sacking”), which opposes the games for reasons of environmental and economic injustice, has been recruiting their own volunteers from around the world to come to Paris next year and protest the games.

Their latest tactic, according to Le Parisien newspaper, is to sign up as volunteers and infiltrate the games from within in order to disrupt them. Part of their beef is that they find it outrageous that the Olympics, an event sloshing around in money, is relying on an army of unpaid volunteers. Their slogan: “Become an unvolunteer for the Olympic Games of Paris 2024!”

Of course, organizers note that part of the reason for the lengthy application is to discourage such people who aren’t serious about the games. It’s also essential for security reasons to vet all of these people. And because volunteers must sign a charter that legally governs their behavior, organizers warn that anyone who fucks around will find out.

Speaking Of Security…

French lawmakers passed sweeping legislation for the Summer 2024 Olympic Games that includes provisions for experimenting with video surveillance powered by artificial intelligence which has drawn criticism from privacy advocates.

The new law will allow algorithmic video surveillance (AVS) — sometimes also known as automated video surveillance — to be used for any gathering of more than 300 people. The new law has already taken effect and is valid through the end of 2024, according to Le Monde.

The systems do not use facial recognition or any other biometric systems that would identify individuals. Instead, the algorithms allow for rapid analysis of large volumes of video to detect strange movements, unusual behaviors, suspicious objects like abandoned bags, fires, and any other things that could raise red flags, like Americans eating food while they are walking down the street.

Proponents of the AI security system, say it will deliver greater safety, particularly when large crowds descend on the city for the games. By spotting danger much faster, the systems can alert security forces so they can act in a timely way.

The French government of President Emmanuel Macron and Olympic organizers argue the nation must use every tool at its disposal to prevent any major security incidents at the Games.

Critics, including members of the EU Parliament and Amnesty International, say it represents an unprecedented intrusion and has a poor track record of actually deterring crime. These groups worry that the government will find a way to extend its use well beyond the end of the Games.

“This is a massive surveillance tool that allows police to analyze our behavior … and to decide who is normal and who is suspicious based on their own stereotypes,” Noémie Levain, a legal adviser for a French digital rights group told RFI.

While informally dubbed the “Olympics security law,” it actually targets any large-scale gathering, including sporting events and concerts. That includes the Rugby World Cup that France is hosting starting in September.

Let The Capitalism Games Begin!

Here is some news that will no doubt shock you to your core: Operators of Airbnbs are massively increasing their prices for bookings during the Olympic Games. According to Le Monde, more than 1,000 properties listed on Airbnb have already started taking reservations for the Olympics, and in doing so have “inflated their prices, sometimes strongly.”

Citing one listing, the newspaper reported that the owner had jacked up the price from €165 per night for the summer of 2023 to €690 per night during the Olympics. If the apartment is booked for all 23 nights, the owner will make €16,000.

They Promised Us Flying Taxis

The company that operates Paris’ airports says plans are moving ahead to launch an air taxi service for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Solène Le Bris of Groupe ADP, which manages Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports, confirmed the timeline while speaking at an Amsterdam drone conference, according to The Guardian.

“We are trying to launch the first e-VTOL [vertical takeoff and landing] pre-commercial service in the world: that’s our ambition,” she said.

The VoloCity air taxis are designed by a company called Volocopter. The first of five “vertiports” opened last year Cergy-Pontoise to help test the service. Eventually, commercial passengers will be able to board and disembark from the air taxis at these points.

While the service may potentially be revolutionary, its practical impact will likely be limited. The air taxis only have room for the pilot and one passenger. As such, the number of tickets available to the public will be quite limited, and prices have yet to be determined.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency must still certify the air taxi network before it can ferry commercial passengers. If that approval is granted, the vehicles will use the routes already in place for helicopters, according to Groupe ADP.

Even if the air taxi system is small for the 2024 Games, supporters see this as an opportunity to test the public’s reaction to such a service. That feedback may determine whether such air taxis play a larger role in Paris’ transportation future.

In Other Paris 2024 News…

— The Olympic Committee finally made a decision about whether Russian and Belarussian will be able to compete in 2024. Unfortunately, that decision was to decide the matter later. A fun compromise that managed to piss off Ukraine, Russia, and Paris organizers. Meanwhile, an international basketball federation banned Russian and Belarussian teams from pre-Olympic qualifying tournaments, which means they will not be at the Games.

— There is a debate underway in the Meuse, one of the least densely populated departments in France, over its selection to be one of the places where the Olympic Torch will pass through en route from Marseille to Paris. The problem is that the Paris organizing committee has required a budget of €180,000 from each department hosting a stage of the run. That means that the cost per capita for Meuse residents will be among the highest in France. Proponents say the moment in the spotlight will be great for tourism and economic development, while critics say it’s a waste and that the money would be better on sports programs for local kids.

Chris O’Brien

Le Pecq