Unfortunately, I wasted a good rant at Not Your Sweetie’s blog, but she had the NYC tabloid covers up and I couldn’t control myself. I was there on that “magical” night. And it sucked taxes and lost revenue for those establishments who depend on post theater patrons for their desserts and drinkies before they head back to their hotels/outer boroughs after the commoners version of “date night”. If they could get out of their garage….they were on lockdown too.
Here’s my rant:
DeniseVB
June 1, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Just got back from NYC….my hotel was next door to that theater! Of course the street was on lockdown, with sand trucks blocking 6th ave and Times Square. Also lined with NYPD and SS, bomb trucks, police cars AND snipers on the roofs of all the buildings near the theater.
I was getting back from the South Street Seaport, but allowed to go to my hotel when I showed the NYPD my key. Several guests where standing out front, so I stood with them to “catch the action”. As soon as the “word” was issued they were on their way out of the theater, we were shoved back into the hotel lobby and the doors locked and blocked with baggage carts. The drapes were drawn shut. Phftttt. So I ran out the back door, up 45th to 6th (passing several thousand cops!) I was told to keep moving, don’t stand still. So I did and whipped around to 44th, showed them my key at that end and moved down the sidewalk across from the theater. Very slow (I even added a limp). Still no O sighting. Sigh. Though noticed people locked in the bars (darn their luck, eh?) So I walked up and down the sidewalk with a bunch of people who had the same idea. For another half hour. (My dogs were barking, I’d been walking all day). They finally shut down the sidewalk and my group was shoved up to 6th ave in time for the dozen or so motorcycles to rev up to lead the leader back to the heliport. Saw the top of his car, which seemed to go from 0-60 in a matter of seconds. A blink. President of the People, riiiiight.
So yes, date night probably cost us about a cool mil when you think of the NYPD payroll and vehicles tied up for blocks, maybe miles (he grabbed his ride at Wall Street and that route was closed to traffic).
Not to mention the bars and restaurants closed to post-theater patrons all around Times Square. There was some lost revenue for sure.
I’ll give him and MO their date nights, but at what cost is it worth it to taxpayers? Why didn’t he take her to see Ragtime at the Kennedy Center last month? Great play with that inspirational “black” history edge? And as good as any Broadway show I’ve seen.
Don’t get me wrong, I do respect the President and First Lady’s private life, but when it infringes on ME, I get mad. Also, after the taxpayers’ numbers are crunched, would it have been cheaper to move Joe Wilson’s Come and Gone to the White House? Better yet, a run at the Kennedy Center?
Are the Obamas out of touch, or am I ? Love that Hot Air’s covering this too 🙂
td notices he did keep his campaign promise to someone !
The foreign press was not quite as “slobbery” as the U.S. media. JFK was shutdown leaving many planes circling and idling on the tarmac. Cha-ching.
Stealth Magnolia 