# Next time just take a taxi, Mr. President **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 17, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552 "2010-08-17T18:51:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/21 "2010-08-17T22:14:29Z")
I used to live in Maryland, right next to Andrews AFB. Quite often, the Secret Service would close off the Suitland Parkway - the major thruway to SE Maryland from DC - when dignitaries were about to go to or from Andrews (POTUS usually flew in helicopter there). There wasn’t usually an official heads-up. But the local news radio station, WTOP, would field calls from commuters that told them about apparent readiness for closing off the parkway. Unfortunately though, there wasn’t a good work-around if you detoured - I-295, Pennsylvania Ave, US-50, etc. were almost always choked up with traffic. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/22 "2010-08-17T22:18:11Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He can’t stop them from going with him, and they can prevent the cab from leaving. Do you have a cite for this? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/23 "2010-08-17T22:25:55Z")
Didn’t Nixon leave the White House to go talk to a bunch of protesting hippies despite protests from his bodyguards? ---
**Author:** ![rowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@rowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/24 "2010-08-17T22:29:16Z")
Luckily I heard about it on the radio on my way to work yesterday…I needed to be in Culver City so I took the 10 West and it was perfect all the way there. If I hadn’t heard about it then I definitely would’ve been stuck on the 405 South…not fun. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/25 "2010-08-17T22:31:20Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I saw the President’s fund raising intinerary yesterday on the regular news websites…Monday: Milwaukee, then L.A…Tuesday: Seattle…Wednesday: Columbus OH., Miami > [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > I don’t get it – he was here in Jersey about two weeks ago, and I was well aware of every stop (All right already – I get it! He’s going to a sub shop!) days before. It would be nice to know generally what part of the city is going to be screwed up and at what time of day. I’m not going to avoid every sub shop in the city. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/26 "2010-08-17T23:18:46Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Didn’t Nixon leave the White House to go talk to a bunch of protesting hippies despite protests from his bodyguards? That was his famous pre-dawn visit to the Lincoln Memorial. He was accompanied by secret service agents (and his valet, Manolo Sanchez, whom I like to picture as Manuel from Fawlty Towers). ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/27 "2010-08-18T00:42:56Z")
Bill Clinton came to town for peace talks when I lived in Jerusalem. The resulting security nightmare gave me a new definition to the word “clusterfuck”. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/28 "2010-08-18T00:54:54Z")
My dear, you had it EASY. My husband got stuck in it, too. It took him 1 hour and 50 minutes to get from Melrose & Highland to the 405, and a big part of that time-waste was going down what turned out to be a dead end street and having to turn around and go back where he’d just come from. How did that happen? **The fucking police directing traffic were _sending_ everyone that way!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/29 "2010-08-18T06:17:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > He can’t just “take a cab”, **like he can’t go to MacDonald’s and snag a burger and fries on the spur of the moment**. Can’t sneak out for a night with the boys at Titties 'R Us. Can’t call in sick and spend the day playing Grand Theft Auto. Most powerful single human being on the face of this Earth, and has less options than I do. Like the man, admire him. Envy him? Noooooo. You know , I could have sworn thats exactly what Bubba did. Declan ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/30 "2010-08-18T06:40:21Z")
Horndog Bill? If he managed to sneak out of Stalag Hillary undetected, he damned sure wasn’t gonna waste time looking for a hamburger! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/31 "2010-08-18T10:54:57Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > > [@elucidator](#): > > > > He can’t just “take a cab”, **like he can’t go to MacDonald’s and snag a burger and fries on the spur of the moment**. Can’t sneak out for a night with the boys at Titties 'R Us. Can’t call in sick and spend the day playing Grand Theft Auto. Most powerful single human being on the face of this Earth, and has less options than I do. Like the man, admire him. Envy him? Noooooo. > > You know , I could have sworn thats exactly what Bubba did. They didn’t show the massive security detail that made those trips possible. ---
**Author:** ![Aquila\_Be](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@Aquila\_Be](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquila_Be)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/32 "2010-08-18T10:55:26Z")
A system of government where the supremo politician has to be treated like a demi god is deficient on so many levels. It’s no better than a very prosperous ancient monarchy, really. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/33 "2010-08-18T11:02:37Z")
> [@Aquila\_Be](#): > > A system of government where the supremo politician has to be treated like a demi god is deficient on so many levels. > > It’s no better than a very prosperous ancient monarchy, really. Presidents are - with good reason - treated not like demigods, but moving targets. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/34 "2010-08-18T11:28:38Z")
Eh, if he has to do a fundraiser, he should fly into Burbank and do it in La Canada Flintridge or something, so the rest of us can get to work. Or he should do it on a weekend or holiday. Not him, specifically. I just live near LAX, so I always get annoyed when VIPs are in town (or political party conventions or WTO meetings or…) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/35 "2010-08-18T14:42:18Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > I used to live in Maryland, right next to Andrews AFB. Quite often, the Secret Service would close off the Suitland Parkway - the major thruway to SE Maryland from DC - when dignitaries were about to go to or from Andrews (POTUS usually flew in helicopter there). Ever since 9/11, I’ve been of the opinion that there should be a swap of National Airport for Andrews AFB. Let Andrews, with its undoubtedly substantially greater capacity than National, become the nearest commercial airport to downtown (and extend the Green Line out there and give it a direct overhead highway connector from the Beltway), move all functions of Andrews unrelated to moving the President, VP, and foreign dignitaries in and out of town to other bases elsewhere, use what is now National for moving the President etc. in and out of town, and construct a direct, secure subway line from the White House to National. National has more than enough capacity to get the POTUS and the poohbahs in and out of town, Andrews would be a big upgrade in capacity over National as a commercial airport, there’d be a lot less need to block DC traffic for the comings and goings of the POTUS and the aforementioned poohbahs, private and commercial aircraft would be kept several miles further away from the White House and Capitol, and other than the cost, it would be a win-win all the way around. So it’ll never happen, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/36 "2010-08-18T15:07:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > He can’t just “take a cab”, like he can’t go to MacDonald’s and snag a burger and fries on the spur of the moment. A friend of mine since childhood was one of the Marines that guard the President during the late 90’s. He, as well as an SS agent I met through him both talk about several times when Clinton did just that. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/37 "2010-08-18T15:18:14Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > The resulting security nightmare gave me a new definition to the word “clusterfuck”. How do you say that in Yiddish? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/38 "2010-08-18T16:44:31Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > > [@Kyla](#): > > > > The resulting security nightmare gave me a new definition to the word “clusterfuck”. > > How do you say that in Yiddish? I don’t speak Yiddish, but in Hebrew it’s _balegan_. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/39 "2010-08-18T23:52:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > > [@AWB](#): > > > > I used to live in Maryland, right next to Andrews AFB. Quite often, the Secret Service would close off the Suitland Parkway - the major thruway to SE Maryland from DC - when dignitaries were about to go to or from Andrews (POTUS usually flew in helicopter there). > > Ever since 9/11, I’ve been of the opinion that there should be a swap of National Airport for Andrews AFB. Let Andrews, with its undoubtedly substantially greater capacity than National, become the nearest commercial airport to downtown (and extend the Green Line out there and give it a direct overhead highway connector from the Beltway), move all functions of Andrews unrelated to moving the President, VP, and foreign dignitaries in and out of town to other bases elsewhere, use what is now National for moving the President etc. in and out of town, and construct a direct, secure subway line from the White House to National. > > National has more than enough capacity to get the POTUS and the poohbahs in and out of town, Andrews would be a big upgrade in capacity over National as a commercial airport, there’d be a lot less need to block DC traffic for the comings and goings of the POTUS and the aforementioned poohbahs, private and commercial aircraft would be kept several miles further away from the White House and Capitol, and other than the cost, it would be a win-win all the way around. > > So it’ll never happen, of course. It certainly would’ve made my neighborhood _more_ quiet. As it is, whenever the mechanics at Andrews fixed a plane, then need to test fire it for a while, they’d taxi it to the back side of the base and rev the jets in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the back side of the base backed up to _my_ back yard. And whenever a jet was scrambled into the DC airspace, it’d usually take off _right_ over my house. I believe I have an answer to why they don’t swap National and Andrews: the runways at National aren’t long enough for the 747s that serve as Air Force One. 757s are the largest plane that can use National. I remember watching them from my office window in Crystal City. The 757s would use most of the runway to take off, then need to ascend at a _very_ steep angle. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552/40 "2010-08-19T20:41:39Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > Eh, if he has to do a fundraiser, he should fly into Burbank and do it in La Canada Flintridge or something, so the rest of us can get to work. Or he should do it on a weekend or holiday. > > Not him, specifically. I just live near LAX, so I always get annoyed when VIPs are in town (or political party conventions or WTO meetings or…) Screw that. I work across the street from the burbank airport. Let them come into ontario. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-time-just-take-a-taxi-mr-president/550552.md?page=3)