Troy Rawhiti-Forbes: Trains are late, but at least the sun's on time

The roads are choked and the underground is packed. Photo / AP

The roads are choked, the Underground is packed, the trains are ... well, we don't know where the trains are.

Barbs are being traded by those "lucky" enough to be wedged into a carriage as the entire world and his auntie seems to jostle for position on the platform.

Welcome to London three days out to the start of the Olympics.

But if there's one thing that is guaranteed to sweep away the gloom and the bad tempers from London it's the appearance of a mysterious, heat-emitting orb in the sky.

Yes, the sun is out and it's glorious - at least for those above ground - and just in time for the Olympics.

Londoners and visitors alike are being forced to tackle new road routes, turns, lanes, and traffic light phases. In the train stations, baffling signs for Olympic transport left people walking around with no idea of where their train actually was, or when it might turn up.

With days to go before the big day, the city is grinding to a halt.

As darkness fell over London last night, a regular parade of ambulances and police cars were seen speeding up and down Euston Road, site of a major Olympics transport hub, suggesting road users are struggling to cope.

But all is not lost - The Daily Telegraph is gleefully covering all aspects of the weather, informing readers that Britons could be enjoying weather "hotter than Hawaii" today, and that director Danny Boyle might have to actually conjure up some fake rainfall during the opening ceremony this weekend.

Of course, it all comes back to the transport. As the temperature rose to 29C, Twitter user @KarenMac-x sarcastically complained that it was "great weather" to be on the tube.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's 2008 silver medal-winning middle distance runner Nick Willis (@nickwillis) has found a can of worms and pulled open the lid, just a bit.

Directing his tweet to Prime Minister John Key and the New Zealand Olympic team, the celebrated runner asked: "Do you think tax $$ should be spent on us Olympians? What do you want in return beyond performance?"

Willis answered his own question in diplomatic fashion: "Sometimes wonder how tax dollars spent on me is a good investment, but I truly hope to return the favour by inspiring the nation."

Less serious is the matter of Boris Johnson's hair, which theSun claims he paid a hairdresser £29 ($57) to style in the fashion of "old-style" Justin Bieber.

A Twitter account set up to share wit from the viewpoint of his hair, @Boris-Hair, received a nod on the newspaper's website yesterday, but it has not seen much love lately.

If the situation doesn't smooth out by the weekend, the one man still championing London's transport might not be seeing any love any time soon.

TWEET OF THE DAY
I hate the "don't get caught out!" Olympics messages on London transport. It shifts blame onto commuters.
@lexcanroar