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  courtesy of the independent
  
  
  
  Cabinet ministers are up in arms after being ordered to use public transport rather than official Government cars to get to events at the London Games, The Independent has learnt.
  
  Downing Street has banned ministers from taking cars altogether, fearing bad publicity if ministers are caught using special Olympic "ZiL" lanes (named after the limousine lanes used by Soviet leaders) while everyone else crams on to the Tube.
  
  Ministers have also been warned they must not take family members to any events where they have an official role - even if they pay for tickets themselves. Instead they will be expected to be on hand at all times to schmooze invited businessmen and leaders who they will have to "entertain" as guests of the Government.
  
  But the strict procedures have infuriated some senior Government figures who claim that the "hair shirt rules" have put them in such a bad mood that the last thing they feel like is being nice to their official guest.
  
  One Cabinet minister told The Independent: "This has caused a lot of ill-feeling and frankly some of us would rather not be going to anything at all.
  
  "The rules are unbelievably draconian. We've basically been told we're on our own and have to look after our guests with no official support and we'll have to go by Tube as well.
  
  "I know they're worried about how it will look if we're seen to get special treatment but at the end of the day we're supposed to be representing the Government. I'd rather be sitting at home watching it on television."

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