Empty roads ‘calm before the storm’
MICHAEL Sinclair aka UberMike loves two things – Uber and the Gold Coast.
So, like me, he can’t understand why it’s day one of the Commonwealth Games and the roads are still empty, the footpaths are clear and the crowds appear even more sparse than usual.
“It’s the calm before the storm,” he assured me. “It must be.”
We drive down the notoriously easily congested strip between Southport and Surfers, over a usually crammed Sundale Bridge and into the smaller back roads where the tram tracks have made traffic tricky. But still, nothing. It’s among the smoothest runs both of us have ever experienced.
Considering we’re expected to welcome over half a million worldwide visitors, it’s eerie and confusing.
But that won’t stop UberMike from getting excited. Yeah, sure, he’s been doing a few airport drop-offs but he’s also already had some impressive passengers too.
“The head of the Canadian team actually. I had him in the car, he left his iPhone,” he told me. “So I returned it of course and he left me a badge.”
UberMike proudly gestures to a Canadian pin he now has on display in prime dash real estate.
“He’s been organising with the Games officials for two years so he’s been quite involved.
“He is very excited and I asked him what do you think of the village? And he said it’s the best one he’s ever seen.
“So that’s fantastic to hear.”
The feedback from the athletes and visitors so far is overwhelmingly positive, according to UberMike.
We just need those tourists to come out of the woodwork.
Perhaps once the events begin the hype will increase, but the city has done all it can.
Now, we wait.