Motorcades

St. Louis is worked up over the impending traffic headaches sure to come this afternoon.  First of all--and really, of most concern to STL--is the Cardinals game.  First pitch is at 4:07.  The playoffs are what people in town really care about.

But, with his precision timing on display, Pres. Obama is coming to town for a pair of fundraisers.  Naturally, the first is about an hour after the Cards game starts, and its downtown.  Can you say road closures and traffic tied up for the motorcade?  After the first fundraiser, he'll head over to the Central West End for another.  I don't know the timing of the second, but when he moves, the traffic will temporarily stopped for the motorcade to travel through.  One thing that has become well known about this president is that he isn't rigid about his schedule.  If he's late, eh, so be it. 

In DC, the hassle of motorcades was a part of the cost of living and working there.  I saw the Vice-President's motorcade headed to the Old Executive Office Building most days.  Every morning, it would zip down L Street, and then in the afternoon, we'd see it coming back down 20th.  (Vice President Cheney was much more consistent with his travel times than Vice-President Biden.  You could nearly set your watch by Cheney).

Shortly before we moved this summer, I got caught by a motorcade--I'm not sure who it was, some Cabinet Secretary or another--and I thought, "oh it will be good to be done with these..."

I don't expect to get caught up in the traffic today, but it's amusing to be on the side where motorcades aren't an everyday sighting.  Just be prepared to waiting the few minutes till it's passed by, and continue on your way.