# What personal security risks is the a sitting US President allowed to take? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543 "2021-02-09T18:25:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/41 "2021-02-11T15:48:24Z")
A president _could_ jog out the front gates every morning for a 2 mile jog on the same route every time. I doubt he could do it without most of his detail resigning. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/42 "2021-02-11T19:36:27Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > George W Bush flew on an S3 B Viking that made an arrested landing on an aircraft carrier. He was in the co-pilot seat. [CNN.com - Commander in Chief lands on USS Lincoln - May. 2, 2003](https://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/bush.carrier.landing/) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/43 "2021-02-11T19:39:43Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > On their own property they could drive (IIRC Bush the younger drove on his own ranch). But they did not drive on public roads. The SS is not there to protect them from falling off a horse. They are there to protect the president from other people. Bush the elder told Larry King he drove a pick up off road deer hunting. I do wonder how the Secret Service deployed for that. Clinton while Governor and a candidate would go jogging with two black vans behind him. They would be upset if he detoured into the library. He would wave his books over his head to explain where he had been when he went out the door. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/44 "2021-02-11T19:59:12Z")
FWIW: > **[Past presidents agree, this surprising rule is one of the worst parts of...](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/28/presidents-arent-allowed-to-drive.html)** > > Hand over the keys, Mr. President. From that article: > On tonight’s season three premiere of CNBC’s “[Jay Leno’s Garage](https://www.cnbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/),” former President George W. Bush revealed to host Jay Leno that he hasn’t driven a car on a public road in nearly 25 years. > > \< snip \> > > That’s because current and former presidents and vice presidents are not allowed to operate motor vehicles on the open road. > > \< snip \> > > Though the rule is not law, it’s [highly enforced](http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-presidents-can-have-everything--except-the-car-keys-20140506-zr5we.html) by the secret service and all parties seem to adhere. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/45 "2021-02-11T20:14:47Z")
The President is the superior. The Secret Service are the subordinates. They will obey lawful orders. But I get the impression that they can nag worse than your mother-in-law. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/46 "2021-02-12T00:49:14Z")
Queen Liz drives around but probably only on her private land. Once she was walking and a guy asked her if she knew where the queen lived. 🙂 She told him to ask a cop that was nearby. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/47 "2021-02-12T00:59:34Z")
[![](https://cbsnews3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2016/10/06/92277690-7736-4890-9f6a-874c349f0d28/thumbnail/1200x630/2edc41fbac6e664b0af02dd4f8aa27d4/ap-790731093.jpg) ](https://cbsnews3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2016/10/06/92277690-7736-4890-9f6a-874c349f0d28/thumbnail/1200x630/2edc41fbac6e664b0af02dd4f8aa27d4/ap-790731093.jpg) Just 16 years after JFK’s assassination so hard to believe that this was allowed. But Jimmy is still alive 42 years after this photo was taken so all good in the end. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/48 "2021-02-12T02:12:01Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Queen Liz drives around but probably only on her private land. Once she was walking and a guy asked her if she knew where the queen lived. 🙂 She told him to ask a cop that was nearby. There are a couple of public footpaths that run through Sandringham Estate. The story goes that a tourist walking on one of them met the Queen, who was out for a walk with an attendant. The tourist did not recognise the Queen. The conversation is supposed to have gone like this: Queen: Good morning. Tourist: Good morning. Say, do you live around here? Queen: Yes, I do. Tourist: They say the Queen lives here! Queen: Yes, that’s right. Tourist: Have you ever met her? Queen. No. But (nods towards attendant) . . . _he_ has! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543/49 "2021-02-12T02:52:32Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Queen Liz drives around but probably only on her private land. She’s actually a very good driver: Title: **That time the Queen of England terrified a Saudi King while driving him around** (That sounds like she is a bad driver but remember a Saudi King is not used to being driven by a woman…his problem, not hers.) > **[How Queen Elizabeth freaked out a Saudi king while driving him around in a...](https://www.businessinsider.com/queen-england-terrified-saudi-king-driving-2017-2)** > > Queen Elizabeth was known as a car enthusiast, and her enthusiasm once made another world leader nervous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personal-security-risks-is-the-a-sitting-us-president-allowed-to-take/932543.md?page=2)