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DickieDunn

NHL may rethink Sochi

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I guess the problem is, it's not just press sending pictures. It's athletes too.

Putting all of the other things aside. What's your take on the water situation? Do you find that acceptable?

I only have 1 data point about the water situation.

The same pic with yellow water in two glasses.

I have no idea how widespread it is.

When I lived in Russia (nowhere near Sochi), sometimes we would get rusty colored water from the pipes, after the pipes were shutdown for maintenance/repair. After we let it run for 5 min, the water would be fine. I would think the same thing could happen in a brand new hotel building.

However I don't know enough to say one way or the other.

As an aside, in Kirtland, eastern suburb of Cleveland, the water is yelowish and full of iron, but safe to drink. Could be something like that in Sochi too. But again, I would need more data.

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One of the benefits of the Olympics is, ostensibly, to act as positive PR for the host nation in general, and as a sort of two-week tourism promo for the host city in particular. So far, by all accounts, Russia and Sochi do not deserve those benefits. I think bad publicity regarding the awful accommodations is a good thing in that it ensures that future host countries won't try and pull the same nonsense next time.

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I only have 1 data point about the water situation.

The same pic with yellow water in two glasses.

I have no idea how widespread it is.

When I lived in Russia (nowhere near Sochi), sometimes we would get rusty colored water from the pipes, after the pipes were shutdown for maintenance/repair. After we let it run for 5 min, the water would be fine. I would think the same thing could happen in a brand new hotel building.

However I don't know enough to say one way or the other.

As an aside, in Kirtland, eastern suburb of Cleveland, the water is yelowish and full of iron, but safe to drink. Could be something like that in Sochi too. But again, I would need more data.

This is true. If the statement from the hotel front desk was true about dangerous stuff being in there, then that's bad. I don't know how widespread it is either. Let's just say if that came out of my hotel faucet at any point, I wouldn't be in contact with water there for the duration of my stay. I'd rather bathe with bottled Gin.

However, it's not like nobody else has occasional water problems (look at West Virginia right now).

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This is true. If the statement from the hotel front desk was true about dangerous stuff being in there, then that's bad. I don't know how widespread it is either. Let's just say if that came out of my hotel faucet at any point, I wouldn't be in contact with water there for the duration of my stay. I'd rather bathe with bottled Gin.

However, it's not like nobody else has occasional water problems (look at West Virginia right now).

No, that's gonna sting. What you do is dilute gin with tap water 1 to 4, then it is safe to bathe or drink. :)

One of the benefits of the Olympics is, ostensibly, to act as positive PR for the host nation in general, and as a sort of two-week tourism promo for the host city in particular. So far, by all accounts, Russia and Sochi do not deserve those benefits. I think bad publicity regarding the awful accommodations is a good thing in that it ensures that future host countries won't try and pull the same nonsense next time.

Yeah, the lesson being that the next host city better build and fully furnish 5-star hotels for the international press, before they even lay the first stone into the ice rink foundation.

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You can be in denial all you want, and your sarcastic answers aren't winning anyone over.

The fact is Sochi thus far is a disaster. There's not some concerted joint conspiracy effort to taint the World's image of Russia.

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You can be in denial all you want, and your sarcastic answers aren't winning anyone over.

The fact is Sochi thus far is a disaster. There's not some concerted joint conspiracy effort to taint the World's image of Russia.

Say that with a smile, and I'd pay attention. :P

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One thing is clear however, it is rather unfortunate for Sochi organizers that the unfinished hotel rooms have been assigned to people who are in Sochi for the purpose of spreading the word globally about what is going on in Sochi.

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One thing is clear however, it is rather unfortunate for Sochi organizers that the unfinished hotel rooms have been assigned to people who are in Sochi for the purpose of spreading the word globally about what is going on in Sochi.

That is God's own truth.

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I only have 1 data point about the water situation.

The same pic with yellow water in two glasses.

I have no idea how widespread it is.

When I lived in Russia (nowhere near Sochi), sometimes we would get rusty colored water from the pipes, after the pipes were shutdown for maintenance/repair. After we let it run for 5 min, the water would be fine. I would think the same thing could happen in a brand new hotel building.

However I don't know enough to say one way or the other.

As an aside, in Kirtland, eastern suburb of Cleveland, the water is yelowish and full of iron, but safe to drink. Could be something like that in Sochi too. But again, I would need more data.

No, no, no. The water isn't simply rusty or tinted. It is vile and dangerous. The hotel warned not to let the water touch one's face.

Here's a link from HuffPo which is virtually the NPR of the internet (which you cited earlier): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/sochi-hotel-water_n_4731219.html

One thing is clear however, it is rather unfortunate for Sochi organizers that the unfinished hotel rooms have been assigned to people who are in Sochi for the purpose of spreading the word globally about what is going on in Sochi.

They call such people "reporters." I'm pretty sure their job is to "spread the word."

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Honestly, unless one country is singled out for better or worse treatment ..

There is a conspiracy there, that's for sure. But in completely different field, so to speak.

Organizers do not care about Russia image, sports or athletes; they've spent around $50 bln. there for a reason. And this reason resides in Swiss bank accounts of some unnamed individuals.

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I smell empty seats at many of the non-Russian hockey games....Fox Sports

Olympic fans of the world, where are you?

Sochi is (more or less) ready for you to come to its Winter Games. Thousands of athletes, soldiers, journalists and herds of smiley volunteers are in place, eager to help.

So far, though, it seems like the only spectators milling about are Russian.

A train traveling between Olympic sites and downtown Sochi cheerily announces to visitors in English: "We wish you a pleasant journey!" But on a recent ride, its seats were half empty. And a sweep through four train cars found ... not a single foreign fan.

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No, no, no. The water isn't simply rusty or tinted. It is vile and dangerous. The hotel warned not to let the water touch one's face.

Here's a link from HuffPo which is virtually the NPR of the internet (which you cited earlier): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/sochi-hotel-water_n_4731219.html

Let's recostruct the sequence of events according to Ms StClair.

1. Water was turned off during he night in her hotel room. She doesn't mention anything about water quality at this point, so it must have been OK before.

2. She calls down to the desk and someone says to her that the water will be turned on, but not to put her face to it because water containes "something dangerous".

3. Water is turned back on but comes out yellow.

If one is to believe the hotel clerk's assertion, sometime during the night, perfectly good water turned dangerous.

OK, so what might have happened, realistically?

Version 1. Pipes were repaired and some dirt/rust got in them, Will flush in a few minutes and is not dangerous.

Version 2. Pipes broke and raw sewage got in them. That is unsanitary, but chlorinated or fluoride treated water will remove the contamination in a matter of an hour or two, prompting the clerk to warn the guest, in his probably imperfect English, to not put her face in water. He probably meant for an hour or two, but didn't convey his meaning well. BTW, why "touch face to water" is not safe, but washing hands is apparently OK?

Version 3. Some kind of industrial accident contaminated the water beyond the water treatment system's capacity, making water permanently unsafe. If that were the case, don't you think we'd see more about that than 1 reporter's complaint? I tried to find other accounts of unsafe/dirty water in Sochi and failed. All I see in all reports are the same 2 glasses of yellowish water on the same table.

From the 3 possibilities, I'd think 1 or at worst 2 as likely, and the 3rd as totally improbable..

Edited by sibiriak

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Let's recostruct the sequence of events according to Ms StClair.

1. Water was turned off during he night in her hotel room. She doesn't mention anything about water quality at this point, so it must have been OK before.

2. She calls down to the desk and someone says to her that the water will be turned on, but not to put her face to it because water containes "something dangerous".

3. Water is turned back on but comes out yellow.

If one is to believe the hotel clerk's assertion, sometime during the night, perfectly good water turned dangerous.

OK, so what might have happened, realistically?

Version 1. Pipes were repaired and some dirt/rust got in them, Will flush in a few minutes and is not dangerous.

Version 2. Pipes broke and raw sewage got in them. That is unsanitary, but chlorinated or fluoride treated water will remove the contamination in a matter of an hour or two, prompting the clerk to warn the guest, in his probably imperfect English, to not put her face in water. He probably meant for an hour or two, but didn't convey his meaning well. BTW, why "touch face to water" is not safe, but washing hands is apparently OK?

Version 3. Some kind of industrial accident contaminated the water beyond the water treatment system's capacity, making water permanently unsafe. If that were the case, don't you think we'd see more about that than 1 reporter's complaint? I tried to find other accounts of unsafe/dirty water in Sochi and failed. All I see in all reports are the same 2 glasses of yellowish water on the same table.

From the 3 possibilities, I'd think 1 or at worst 2 as likely, and the 3rd as totally improbable..

I seen a few more tweets and stories claiming the problem was more widespread, but all had the same picture.

So whether theyre just using that as the prime example or not, it does seem a little weird that with all the reporters and multiple happenings, that that would be the only picture taken.

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Folks probably aren't going to show up until they absolutely have to. Or something.

Not surprising after all the threats and constant fear, many are going DVR the games and watch them safely at home. I know I will do so that being said, to all the visitors may you be safe and able to watch great games.

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This thread really isn't about the NHL anymore, so I'm going to lock it. Please start an Olympics thread in either the WC or Other Sports to discuss the Olympics. When hockey starts, by all means start a thread in GD about the games.

U.S.A.! U.S.A!

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