A
Obama stops by occasionally. GW did before him. Clinton came once or twice. Almost didn't vote for GHW the second time because he showed up at rush hour on the way home from work in one of the buildings I needed to pass. (A half hour 6 mile drive became and hour and a half six mile drive.) They shut down part of the roads for them when they come from the airport up into the city.
The Boss clogged my neighborhood one night. (Loud enough that he serenaded while I took a shower. lol) The 2008 Phillies clogged my neighborhood on Halloween night. The Mummer's parade? 12 hours of entertainment. If you have to go out of town, leave the night before and don't come back until it's night out.
BUT, the pope? He's "specialer" than that. We have three bridges coming in from Jersey. Two will shut down, so the only bridge is the one about a mile from us. We won't be able to drive anywhere.
Transportation? Sure. There was a lottery for "pope tickets." 350,000 tickets. 1/3rd of the people who generally come into the center of our town to work. The only businesses that will be open will be commercial (stores and eateries) and motels. Motels are happy campers. Not enough room for everyone coming, so they're opening up the NJ (a battleship) as a B & B. Need a lawyer? Tough. Got problems with your apartment? Tough. You can stay in your apartment that weekend, but you can't leave Center City. Need to see your shrink? Tough. Need a hospital? Better pray you can get to one below or above the Center City without ever crossing through. No vehicles except emergency vehicles. Need a cop? I hope the criminals will be kind enough to commit their crimes on those coming to see the pope, because that's where the cops will be. A woman told the mayor she was expected to have her baby that weekend. He said he'd get back to her, after they figured out what they can do. Want to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, anything in Olde City? Tough. Need to go to City Hall? Hire a helicopter... oh wait. Restricted airspace.
They say they're treating him like a head of state. Whoa! What's the President of the United States -- chipped beef? I guess Prince William and his Dad don't really count as heads of states.
We've had World Series celebrated here. We've had the Republican Convention here. (I waved at the guy they were going to nominate as he drove by while I was out for a walk. Never did see GW, but I waved.) We've had The Tall Ships parade. We had the biggest party in 100 years on July 4, 1976. We have free concerts with the likes of Jazzy Jeff, Beyonce, The Roots, John Mayer, Elton John, Lionel Ritchie, John Legend, and others.
We have never had this mess! If you were planning on going up or down I-95 September 25th-28th and going through Philly, DON'T! They're blocking you, and you can only cross over to Jersey on one bridge.
On a humorous note, I have to see a doctor every other month in Center City. My next appointment was in September, but I don't care the pope is coming, so I forgot to check when he was getting here. I asked the Intern if he knew anything about the pope coming. He got flustered. (Two minutes earlier we were talking about my constipation, and he thought that was okay, but got embarrassed talking a pope coming was past his comfort zone? lol) Then he started yammering about he's not very spiritual. (Glad I wasn't evangelizing. lol) I had to laugh and tell him I just didn't want the appointment when the pope was in town.
The Boss clogged my neighborhood one night. (Loud enough that he serenaded while I took a shower. lol) The 2008 Phillies clogged my neighborhood on Halloween night. The Mummer's parade? 12 hours of entertainment. If you have to go out of town, leave the night before and don't come back until it's night out.
BUT, the pope? He's "specialer" than that. We have three bridges coming in from Jersey. Two will shut down, so the only bridge is the one about a mile from us. We won't be able to drive anywhere.
Transportation? Sure. There was a lottery for "pope tickets." 350,000 tickets. 1/3rd of the people who generally come into the center of our town to work. The only businesses that will be open will be commercial (stores and eateries) and motels. Motels are happy campers. Not enough room for everyone coming, so they're opening up the NJ (a battleship) as a B & B. Need a lawyer? Tough. Got problems with your apartment? Tough. You can stay in your apartment that weekend, but you can't leave Center City. Need to see your shrink? Tough. Need a hospital? Better pray you can get to one below or above the Center City without ever crossing through. No vehicles except emergency vehicles. Need a cop? I hope the criminals will be kind enough to commit their crimes on those coming to see the pope, because that's where the cops will be. A woman told the mayor she was expected to have her baby that weekend. He said he'd get back to her, after they figured out what they can do. Want to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, anything in Olde City? Tough. Need to go to City Hall? Hire a helicopter... oh wait. Restricted airspace.
They say they're treating him like a head of state. Whoa! What's the President of the United States -- chipped beef? I guess Prince William and his Dad don't really count as heads of states.
We've had World Series celebrated here. We've had the Republican Convention here. (I waved at the guy they were going to nominate as he drove by while I was out for a walk. Never did see GW, but I waved.) We've had The Tall Ships parade. We had the biggest party in 100 years on July 4, 1976. We have free concerts with the likes of Jazzy Jeff, Beyonce, The Roots, John Mayer, Elton John, Lionel Ritchie, John Legend, and others.
We have never had this mess! If you were planning on going up or down I-95 September 25th-28th and going through Philly, DON'T! They're blocking you, and you can only cross over to Jersey on one bridge.
On a humorous note, I have to see a doctor every other month in Center City. My next appointment was in September, but I don't care the pope is coming, so I forgot to check when he was getting here. I asked the Intern if he knew anything about the pope coming. He got flustered. (Two minutes earlier we were talking about my constipation, and he thought that was okay, but got embarrassed talking a pope coming was past his comfort zone? lol) Then he started yammering about he's not very spiritual. (Glad I wasn't evangelizing. lol) I had to laugh and tell him I just didn't want the appointment when the pope was in town.
