Olympic tickets will include photos and numbers to prevent unlawful ticket sales

With countdown clocks, new subway cars and the too-cute faces of the fuwa everywhere we go, it’s starting to dawn on us that the Olympics really are coming. And soon. Instead of worrying about waiting in long lines at the Bank of China and the possibility that you might not luck out in the ticket lottery, some of us might just be counting on the availability of scalped tickets closer to the Games. Our advice? You might want to think again.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) recently announced that all tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will have photos and other personal identification information included on them to prevent the sale of fake tickets, as well as the resale of legitimate ones. If you've already successfully purchased tickets for the ceremonies, you have until the end of January to report to a Bank of China in person with your passport and submit an ID photo.

This recent move by the BOCOG is a good example of the work that’s being done to keep fake tickets out of the 2008 Games and to make sure the Olympics don’t get hijacked by opportunistic scammers. Including photos and IDs on the tickets can also be seen as a good safety measure for the two large ceremonies, where security will crucial.

It should be noted, though, that there is still no mention on the BOCOG’s official ticketing website of this policy applying to any other Olympic events. Guess you can continue to hope for scalpers to get you those speed walking tickets ... but we wouldn't recommend it.