Obama's Motorcade: How To Stay Out Of Its Way

Chicago drivers have been adjusting to a new reality since the Nov. 4 election: Wherever President-elect Barack Obama goes, traffic disruptions follow.

Traffic tie-ups also precede his high-security escort from his home in Kenwood to federal offices in the Loop and anywhere else the soon-to-be commander-in-chief may travel, even to nosh on a corned beef sandwich at a deli.

Some drivers are quicker than others when it comes to learning that the absolute worst time for a motorist to appear impatient, menacing, curious or even plain stupid is when the presidential motorcade is passing by.

A few incidents have occurred in which Chicago drivers failed to yield properly to Obama's heavily armed caravan of Secret Service and Chicago police black SUVs and other vehicles ablaze in flashing lights.

It can lead to trouble. And offenders should not count on receiving a presidential pardon.

Read the entire article.

Comments

[poliscibabe]

Had my first encounter with the motorcade about a week ago. Two words, THRILLING and PRIDE! I was thrilled to see the cars and excited that it was in my city. The man that I voted for and contributed money to is in my city preparing for the highest office in the land. Pride doesn't begin to describe the feeling! The only down side was the view of the snipers - very scary!

[poliscibabe]

Sorry, I meant the sharpshooters who are on the look out for snipers!

[wendynyc]

Chicago drivers are hotheads. I'm talking from personal experience.

[ZimboChick]

All the 'hunters' are personally invited to a drag race with the motorcade.­....

[1dogs2]

I'm delighted if the Obama motorcades teach Chicago drivers what flashing lights and sirens mean. I noticed about 10 years ago that drivers began ignoring the requirement that they yield for emergency vehicles.

[DS3M]

yes, ignoring flashing lights is clearly a Chicago problem...

Can we get real here for a second and stop with the generalizations about how great, horrible or indifferent the people, traffic, or buildings of Chicago are? If you live here, comment, great, have an opine. If you've lived in NYC your whole life and have come to visit your cousins in Chicago twice at the holidays lo the last decade, shut up; your opinion is as valid as my opinion of the surface of the moon.

[neenj]

ouch!!

do we need to be so touchy?

[protagonia]

Bald headed white guys are on notice now - STAY FAR, FAR AWAY.

We are ALL looking for you this time.

[Masterbasser]

I'm a bald headed white guy.......­.from Illinois..­....I work for the state of Illinois..­....I voted for Obama....I really love your generalization of 'bald headed white guys'.....­..frankly, it makes you look stupid....­.or are ya just jonesin' for one of us baby...LMA­O

[nubianlegalmind]

As sexy as bald men are, I would bet that she's just jonesin for you!

[Chibikim]

I work across from his transition HQ and I have yet to see it. I would love to though. v__v

[sparkal]

Must be excting to see though....

[bobste]

Comment below: Chicago drivers are aggressive? Maybe when compared to Omaha. Geez, compared to Boston, NYC or LA, Chicago drivers are passive and downright mellow. I've commuted for many years. As a matter of fact, I've run into more than a few presidential motorcades over the years. They shut down the on-off ramps with state troopers and run a caravan down the expressway. I got stuck in it once and got pulled over. No conversation, just a loudspeaker to go ahead after they pulled past me. Also, once I followed the German chancellor and German soccer team and when they got off the O'Hare ramp, I sped down the road and found myself driving right alongside them (they were on the ramp). That's how I found out who they were - by the flags on the front fenders of their mercedes. Kinda cool.

[littlebrowngirl]

Folks in Chicago are notoriously agressive drivers so I am sure that people need to tone down the driving. Also, the guy is all around town so they should get used to it. When Clinton was in Chicago they would just shut down the streets to let him pass. It was a thrill. Since Obama is in town all the time, I am sure they just have to get used to it like we do here in DC.

[DS3M]

I love how the girl from DC can tell everyone else that Chicago is full of aggressive drivers.

And this is so not an issue. As a chicagoan that has errands all through the city, I have not encountered a motorcade or a traffic snarl that could be attributed to Obama. With all of the other traffic issues we have in this metro area, this article is drumming up nothing about nothing...

note Chibikim - works across from transition offices, has yet to see this occurrence­...

[Rog49Thomas]

Public transit.

[roald]

Works for me.

[kgb999]

That would be pretty cool - our president using public transportation .... and a great example to the rest of us.

[propitiousmoment]

Right, let's see how many places we can find for sni pers to hide.

[mercuryguy]

Give way for Da Man

[sammy cole]

It seems to me that during these few short transition weeks...th­e inconvenience of a traffic tie-up for our Next President's security would a THRILL....­.and something to share with family and friends forever.

[DS3M]

No, a thrill was packing grant park with my election night ticket and politics drunk friends

[JimboSlice]

This is why we need a Federal City so we can locate all the important people in one place where the folks are accustomed to dealing with motorcades, and where the local PD is also accustomed to it .... oh wait, its called DC --> get there Obama, you ain't Palin and you ain't Bush, you don't get to work from your hometown, now get going!

[bogues]

He has to be sworn in first and that will not take place until Jan. 20,2009. We only have one President at a time and right now the White House is occupied by the current one, Mr. Bush.

[slinkymom]

I would give anything to be delayed by PE Obama's motorcade. So what if I was late to an appointment or whatever, what a great excuse for being late! :>)

I live to far out in the suburbs to have the honor of seeing his motorcade. Perhaps this weekend while we are downtown seeing Jersey Boys we'll get lucky. One can hope!

[nycelite]

Now he lives in Kenwood. When they wanted him to be left wing radical, he lived in Hyde Park, now that he's just a traffic nuisance he lives in boring Kenwood. I suppose Hyde Park - Kenwood is too long to type out for those houses on borderline blocks.

[Obama4change]

I do not recall all of this focus on Bush every move. Obama's every move is documented by the media and the internet. Too much information on the PE is being publicized and it appears dangerous to me.