Behind the scenes with the torch - Part 3

The scene downstairs in the hotel lobby, even around the hotel, was remarkably subdued – no protestors in or around. Surprising. Maybe a clue to the day’s later activities?

The San Francisco Chronicle, filled Wednesday with oversized photos tied to the torch story, reported that runners “were ordered Tuesday not to bring their cell phoines along, in order to keep information from somehow trickling to people who might disrupt the event.”

Well, yes but mainly no.

We were told not to bring cell phones.

But that’s because the uniform doesn’t have pockets. We were also told not to bring cameras, backpacks – really, not anything.

We were told all this right before we were given the uniforms – red-and-white long-sleeved shirt, red and white shorts, white socks. We had been told before showing up that we would be responsible for our own shoes; we had been urged, though not instructed, to wear tennis or running shoes, preferably white.

Wristbands and headbands had also been handed out, along with the helpful hint that perhaps those with long hair might want to use the headband to avoid a freakish fire.

Not surprisingly, the sizing of the uniforms proved a mess. I’m 5-foot-11, 158 pounds. I was given a 2XL shirt and 2XL shorts. Chris Duplanty, a rock-solid big guy who was a medalist at the 1988 Seoul Games in water polo, had been given an XL shirt and XL shorts. We traded.

Meanwhile, we also had been given a laundry list of other instructions:

-- Don’t wash the uniform. Wait ‘til after the run to do that.

-- Don’t wear any other identifiable logos.

-- No caps or sunglasses unless medically necessary.

-- The torch, 72 centimeters long and 983 grams in weight, would feel long and heavy. It would be quite all right, a member of the Beiing 2008 staff said, to switch the torch from one hand to the other if it felt too heavy.

-- The top of the torch would get quite hot once the flame was lit. Hold it away from the body.

-- Try hard to complete the segment with the logo on the torch facing forward, we were told. Better for the cameras.

We also were told that the 80 torchbearers would be divided into four groups, runners 1-20, 21-40 and so on. The plan was for each group of 20 to be ushered once the time for the relay got underway to a shuttle van; the van would go along the route, depositing each runner at a predetermined spot. Each spot was approximately .075 of a mile down the route.

There each runner would wait for the open flame to come along.

An attendant would come along and, moments before the flame arrived, turn on the gas canister in the next runner’s torch, then the next and so on.

The method of transferring the flame had a script, too, we were told. The way to do it was to turn sideways, then lower the tops of the torches together as if they were formally bowing to each other.

In prior relays, torchbearers who had completed their runs were given the option of being picked up by another shuttle, or going off with family and friends.

Not this time.

For security reasons, each of us was to get back on the shuttle.