Op-Ed: Crime and victimless crime at the London Olympics

London - As of yesterday, the Metropolitan Police had arrested 3 people for impersonating police officers and 29 for touting tickets in connection with the London Olympics.

Impersonating a police officer for any reason is always a serious offence; serial killer Ted Bundy pulled this trick on at least two of his victims: Carol DaRonch who survived, and Kimberly Leach, who didn't. It is unlikely any serial killers will be on the loose at the Olympics, but there is of course an ongoing terrorist threat, and with tourists paying £1.60 for a bottle of water and around eight quid for fish and chips, they deserve at the very least not to be duped into handing over their credit cards or some such by one of these lowlife con men. The issue of ticket touting is not as straightforward though. Since the 1990s at least, ticket touts have been demonised; first it was in connection with Wimbledon, now of course it is for what for many people is this once in a lifetime event. Think about this though, were the 29 people on this list doing any real harm, or were they simply attempting to provide a service for consumers, and make a few dollars for themselves into the bargain? Touting tickets doesn't have even the stigma of selling drugs; they are a lawful product being traded in a free market. Check out the short pamphlet In Praise Of Ticket Touting, and see if you don't agree in at least broad terms with the author's sentiment. Consider in particular his observation that if they were not sellling tickets on the black market, most of these unemployables would probably be doing something far more sinister.