# How does the Secret Service prevent long range snipers from getting to the President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859 "2013-01-21T02:28:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/42 "2013-01-22T02:53:50Z")
I randomly stumbled upon President Clinton’s motorcade leaving downtown Seattle once in my mom’s beater Toyota. They were hauling ass, I wonder if they always drive that way for security reasons? We were stuck for a minute by a bike cop along the route or so but it seemed like surprisingly little security (physically) so I wonder if they just didn’t have a publicly known route and used speed for safety. A normal civilian driving that speed on surface streets and not stopping at stop signs would get in big trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/43 "2013-01-22T03:03:05Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I randomly stumbled upon President Clinton’s motorcade leaving downtown Seattle once in my mom’s beater Toyota. They were hauling ass, I wonder if they always drive that way for security reasons? We were stuck for a minute by a bike cop along the route or so but it seemed like surprisingly little security (physically) so I wonder if they just didn’t have a publicly known route and used speed for safety. A normal civilian driving that speed on surface streets and not stopping at stop signs would get in big trouble. They probably blocked off the entire route, from start to finish, for the entire time they were on it. Driving fast meant that normal traffic could resume sooner. People always got pissed when the President came to the Twin Cities because they’d close off the freeway all the way from the airport to downtown Minneapolis. And, really, unless you’re in a parade, if they’re going to block off the road so that only you could drive on it, wouldn’t you drive like a maniac? ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/44 "2013-01-22T03:18:43Z")
> [@grude](#): > > When Obama came to Trinidad for the 5th summit of the America’s? he was going to stay in the downtown Port Of Spain Hyatt: > > [http://0.tqn.com/d/gocaribbean/1/0/C/1/-/-/HyattRegencyTrinidad.jpg](http://0.tqn.com/d/gocaribbean/1/0/C/1/-/-/HyattRegencyTrinidad.jpg) > > (You can’t really see it but the hotel is waterfront and behind it is all the buildings downtown and the offices.) > > At the last minute the secret service decided the hotel was too exposed to sniper attack from the buildings, and rocket attack from the water. So they moved him to the St Anns Hilton which is build right up against a mountain and facing a very large park on the other side with tree cover. I only remember this because of the absolute traffic nightmare the move was with roving road closures etc.😛 > > I think the secret service absolutely takes sniper attack into account at all times. I have stayed there a few times, and if I recall the rumor was that the hotel was not suitable because several of the upper suite floors were full time rented out to some local entrepreneurs who were taking full advantage of the import/export business friendly nature of government employees and politicians who would not let red tape stand in the way of free market selling opportunities. Not sure if the lock down last year cleared them out or not. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/45 "2013-01-22T04:05:05Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I randomly stumbled upon President Clinton’s motorcade leaving downtown Seattle once in my mom’s beater Toyota. I’ll be damned if I’d let Clinton leave town in my mom’s car, even if it was a beater Toyota. Even if he promised to have the seats cleaned… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/46 "2013-01-22T04:16:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > I’ll be damned if I’d let Clinton leave town in my mom’s car, even if it was a beater Toyota. Even if he promised to have the seats cleaned… Well, in Clinton’s defense, he only used it because he misunderstood quite what was meant by “beater.” Wink wink, nod nod. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/47 "2013-01-22T04:43:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, in Clinton’s defense, he only used it because he misunderstood quite what was meant by “beater.” Wink wink, nod nod. And it wasn’t just him, but his motorcade. Quite the party, and what with the “wheels up rings off” mentality of the secret service, I recommend a deep clean and detail of the toyota, or fire. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/48 "2013-01-22T09:08:32Z")
If it had to be somebody I probably would’ve chose Slick Willy anyway. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/49 "2013-01-22T10:14:01Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > At about 2 in the morning, we called the SS and gave them the story. In less than 14 minutes, two SS agents were there at Waffle House with his supervisor. and the SS agents didn’t question you? I’m no lawyer, but when there’s an eyewitness to a crime, he usually gets questioned too. Sounds a bit scary that the SS jumped on a guy just because of an anonymous tip. What if you were a prankster? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/50 "2013-01-22T10:33:20Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > and the SS agents didn’t question you? Of course. This anecdote has been modified from its original version. It has been edited for internet to run in the time allotted, and formatted to fit this screen. We were both cops at the time, told them the deal, then went in later to give statements. I recently spoke with a DNR Range Officer at a WMA range north of Atlanta. The USSS had come to him for help getting to a residence, deep in the North Georgia woods, and somewhat off the beaten path. They needed someone who knew the area, since there were no real roads for miles from this guy’s place. He said OK, but why? He had signs in his yard threatening the life of BHO. He asked how they knew that if they couldn’t get there. They just said “We have satellite photos. We know.” 🆒 You really want to watch what you put on your poster at your next protest! ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/51 "2013-01-22T20:25:24Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Back in 1992, candidates Clinton and Gore were appearing only a block from my office. The building manager thought it would be a really neat idea if we all went up on the roof and watched the rally from there. > > When we got up there, we were greeted by a Secret Service agent who, although clearly not happy about it, let us stay up their and watch. From the top of the roof we could see the tops of a lot of other roofs, all of which were occupied by one or more people (some in uniforms, some in plain clothes) carrying high-powered rifles. > > Maybe they can’t cover everything, but they sure as hell cover a lot. Ronald Reagan visited our campus back in the 80’s and the same thing. Every rooftop seemed to have an agent on it. ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/52 "2013-01-22T20:53:37Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > They probably blocked off the entire route, from start to finish, for the entire time they were on it. Driving fast meant that normal traffic could resume sooner. People always got pissed when the President came to the Twin Cities because they’d close off the freeway all the way from the airport to downtown Minneapolis. > > And, really, unless you’re in a parade, if they’re going to block off the road so that only you could drive on it, wouldn’t you drive like a maniac? Here in Atlanta, when the President comes to down, they do what’s called a rolling road block. It minimizes the disruption to local traffic since the roads are not completely closed down. This is a [link](http://www.11alive.com/video/1511866961001/1/Rolling-roadblocks-planned-for-presidential-visit) to a local news segment on rolling roadblocks used by the President for a recent visit. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/53 "2013-01-23T00:57:55Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Until you’ve actually been at Dealey Plaza, you won’t believe how short the distances actually are. A quarterback could have hit JFK with a decently thrown pass. So Tebow didn’t kill JFK… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/54 "2013-01-23T01:27:34Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > …the SS puts their own spotters on the roofs of surrounding buildings, and they DO have snipers that can make that shot from half a mile. I was at a Clinton appearance at a military base near where I lived, and there was a Man With a Rifle on every rooftop. From what I could see, the scopes were approximately the size of the Hubble telescope. I imagine that those so armed could shoot the proverbial fly off a bull’s ass. I would not have wanted to be a Suspicious Figure anywhere around. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/55 "2013-01-23T13:33:26Z")
Evidently, anyone trying to take out the President not only needs to be a good shot and bulletproof themselves, but they need to be able to defend themselves against a [man armed with a banana](http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/just-look-at-this-sniper-eatin.html) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859/56 "2013-01-23T14:25:54Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Evidently, anyone trying to take out the President not only needs to be a good shot and bulletproof themselves, but they need to be able to defend themselves against a [man armed with a banana](http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/just-look-at-this-sniper-eatin.html) [Fruit bearers can be pretty dangerous](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWCBOsJr-w) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-secret-service-prevent-long-range-snipers-from-getting-to-the-president/647859.md?page=2)