# How often does the president drive while in office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112 "2009-03-20T02:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/21 "2009-03-20T13:45:54Z")
Even in foreign countries he travels in the official limo, they fly it in on a 2nd plane. In 3rd world countries they may even fly in gas and jet fuel to make sure they get good stuff. And if they buy local gas or jet fuel they test it to make sure it is OK. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/22 "2009-03-20T14:12:51Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Jebus – is driving a car around _on private property_ seriously considered that much of a security risk? Maybe stats don’t back this up, but ISTM that boarding Air Force One has a level of danger all its own. > > Yeah, yeah, “planes are safer than cars” and all that. Tell that to my primate brain. Air Force One is orders of magnitude safer than the run of the mill airliner though. It goes through maintenance procedures after every flight that a commercial plane goes through maybe once a year. Any maintenance problems - even a small leak in the third backup to a minor hydraulic system will be repaired before the plane takes off again, or they’ll use the backup plane. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/23 "2009-03-20T14:25:05Z")
Air Force One gets once a year maintenance after every flight? Do they really have time to do that? Sometimes it gets used every day or 3 or 4 days a week. And can they do all that maintenance when the plane is in Europe or anywhere overseas? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/24 "2009-03-20T14:56:27Z")
I just watched part of Barack Obama’s appearance on the Tonight Show from yesterday. He told a story to describe the extent of the “bubble.” The other day, his plane landed in Southern California and from the airplane he could see the fairgrounds where he was to hold a town hall meeting. He suggested that they walk there, but the Secret Service said that it was too far, because it was about 750 yards (about a five-minute walk). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/25 "2009-03-20T14:58:49Z")
But he added that the SS let him walk back to the plane. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/26 "2009-03-20T15:12:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Air Force One gets once a year maintenance after every flight? Do they really have time to do that? Sometimes it gets used every day or 3 or 4 days a week. And can they do all that maintenance when the plane is in Europe or anywhere overseas? I do remember a show on Air Force One that described the painstaking maintenance the plane goes through, and that it’s easily the most maintained and inspected plane on earth. It also helps that there is in fact, two identical Air Force One planes that can be used interchangeably. They also replace parts at the first sign of _any_ wear rather than going through the typical number of cycles a normal commercial jet would go through. In short, they like to play it safe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/27 "2009-03-20T15:29:23Z")
I’ve been overseas and recently was back home in DC and rented a car. It was the first time I had driven in about 3.5 years. By the time I left the lot and was on the highway, I was totally back in my drving mode, including trying to find the clutch on my rental with automatic transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/28 "2009-03-20T15:29:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I just watched part of Barack Obama’s appearance on the Tonight Show from yesterday. He told a story to describe the extent of the “bubble.” The other day, his plane landed in Southern California and from the airplane he could see the fairgrounds where he was to hold a town hall meeting. The town hall meeting was just a cover story. He actually went to the fairground to drive a bumper car. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/29 "2009-03-20T17:06:31Z")
ISTR a story about Clinton making an appearance at a car collectors’ show (or something) and driving some vintage convertible for a few feet. ---
**Author:** ![Drygon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Drygon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drygon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/30 "2009-03-20T17:18:41Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I’ve been overseas and recently was back home in DC and rented a car. It was the first time I had driven in about 3.5 years. By the time I left the lot and was on the highway, I was totally back in my drving mode, including trying to find the clutch on my rental with automatic transmission. Gods, how I hate when I get in my wife’s car and right before I start it, I stomp on her brake pedal and think to myself, “WTF? My clutch feels funny.” I also have to constantly remind myself not to look for the clutch while driving (or bad things could happen). ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112/31 "2009-03-20T17:22:43Z")
[Here](http://www.seattlepi.com/national/67266_bush20.shtml) is a story from seven years ago describing GW Bush having a thrilling time in reverse: > [@](#): > > That doesn’t mean that, with proper coaching from a Secret Service agent, the president can’t back up a 2002 Chevy Camaro at 40 miles per hour, thrust it into drive and do a perfect 180-degree “J” turn just like the pros. > > The maneuver, used by the Secret Service as a means of escape in a tight spot, was one of several hands-on activities Bush engaged in during a 3 1/2-hour inspection tour yesterday of the James J. Rowley Training Center. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-does-the-president-drive-while-in-office/490112.md?page=1)