White House sidewalk to be closed to public permanently - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-whitehouse-security-idUSKBN17M05B?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=58f8175004d301121d63dcfd&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter"]Source[/URL] [QUOTE]The U.S. Secret Service said it would end public access to a sidewalk along the south fence of the White House beginning on Wednesday night. The sidewalk has been closed nightly from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. since 2015 and will now be off-limits around the clock, the Secret Service said in a statement. The closure will "lessen the possibility of individuals illegally accessing the White House grounds," Secret Service Communications Director Cathy Milhoan said. In March, a man scaled a fence east of the White House at night and was on the property's grounds for 16 minutes before being detained. He never entered the White House, the Secret Service said. President Donald Trump was inside the residence at the time of the March 10 incident. The intrusion was the latest in a series of breaches at the White House in recent years. Security has been boosted, including the installation in 2015 of sharp spikes on top of the black iron fence that circles the 18-acre (7-hectare) property.[/QUOTE]

For when you can't publically shoot to kill, just render your surrounding neighborhood an exclusion zone. I mean, the president is one of the most powerful people on the planet but as a Canadian where I can dick about in the Parliment grounds and photo op in front of the PM's house without being questioned. I just find this kind of funny.

Just to think that in pretty much every other developed country in the world, the public can enter a gallery in the parliament building and personally watch their Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet carrying out parliamentary business, with not even glass separating the gallery from the chamber. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [img]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5786398-3x2-700x467.jpg[/img] Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten and then-PM Tony Abbott at the very bottom, in the centre.

This is so goddamn embarrassing.

[QUOTE=BF;52128003]Just to think that in pretty much every other developed country in the world, the public can enter a gallery in the parliament building and personally watch their Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet carrying out parliamentary business, with not even glass separating the gallery from the chamber. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [img]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5786398-3x2-700x467.jpg[/img] Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten and then-PM Tony Abbott at the very bottom, in the centre.[/QUOTE] There's a viewing gallery in both the Senate and House of Representatives where you can sit and watch. While there's no gallery in the white house there's tours going through it constantly as far as I'm aware, not quite the same but it's not like the White House has turned into the Wolf's Lair.

[QUOTE=The Rifleman;52128029]This is so goddamn embarrassing.[/QUOTE] Too be fair it's all about those which keep scaling the damn fence, if people wouldn't scale the fence then you wouldn't have this problem. I imagine it would be easier implement a shoot on sight policy for those dumb enough to climb the fence however it would create more negative PR.

[QUOTE=BF;52128003]Just to think that in pretty much every other developed country in the world, the public can enter a gallery in the parliament building and personally watch their Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet carrying out parliamentary business, with not even glass separating the gallery from the chamber. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [img]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5786398-3x2-700x467.jpg[/img] Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten and then-PM Tony Abbott at the very bottom, in the centre.[/QUOTE] [url]https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/watching-congress-session[/url] ? I mean you can't exactly go into Malcolm Turnbull's house and watch him make a sandwich can you? The White House isn't a legislative building. It's a place of residence and an executive office building. Be glad the public has as much access to it as they do. Imagine having the most important job on earth and having to deal with small armies of tourists marching through your house all the time. (although Trump doesn't have to worry much about that as he seems to prefer Mar-a-Lago)

There's a lot of people that want to kill the President though, and we have a history of President's being assassinated. That's about a 9% chance of being assassinated as a US President (gross oversimplification).

[QUOTE=Marbalo;52128101]Surely this is because of Trumps record breaking low approval ratings. If I was responsible for the Secret Service I would have probably done the same thing. Times are uncertain these days.[/QUOTE] You can absolutely trust every poll involving Trump. Thats why Hillary Clinton is the current president. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;52128138]There's a lot of people that want to kill the President though, and we have a history of President's being assassinated. That's about a 9% chance of being assassinated as a US President (gross oversimplification).[/QUOTE] 4 out of 44 over a period of 230 or so years? I'd hardly begin to say its an unusually high number.

[QUOTE=Anderan;52128076]There's a viewing gallery in both the Senate and House of Representatives where you can sit and watch.[/QUOTE] While you can sit in the house gallery at almost any time after going through a couple of security checkpoints, the senate gallery is a bit more strict. You need a written invitation from one of your senators, and the senate must currently be in session to be allowed in the gallery. I've been in the house gallery once pre-session, but never had the chance to sit in the senate gallery because they weren't going to be in session for a day or two when I was there. It was sort of a PITA to get the invitation because you have to track down their individual office and hope they're there at the time. I got one, but never had the chance to use it, which was annoying.

[QUOTE=Mitchd247;52128272]4 out of 44 over a period of 230 or so years? I'd hardly begin to say its an unusually high number.[/QUOTE] Those were only the successful attempts, there were even more unsuccessful attempts and even more plots.

[QUOTE=OvB;52128118]I mean you can't exactly go into Malcolm Turnbull's house and watch him make a sandwich can you?[/QUOTE] I find this statement a little bit strange considering the White House holds [url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate/tours-and-events]tours Tuesdays through Saturdays.[/url]

[QUOTE=BF;52128003]Just to think that in pretty much every other developed country in the world, the public can enter a gallery in the parliament building and personally watch their Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet carrying out parliamentary business, with not even glass separating the gallery from the chamber. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [img]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5786398-3x2-700x467.jpg[/img] Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten and then-PM Tony Abbott at the very bottom, in the centre.[/QUOTE] It's a bit different. I mean Australia has had like what, one assassination attempt on a pm before? USA had has fuck knows how many on their presidents. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] I mean the closest things we've had to an assassination attempt apart from Arthur Calwell being shot at in 1966 was Julia Gillard getting a sandwich thrown at her

yall sure this isn't a way to stop people protesting next to the white house?

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;52128447]yall sure this isn't a way to stop people protesting next to the white house?[/QUOTE] Nail on the head here.. It's not for security.

[QUOTE=Shadow801;52128466]Nail on the head here.. It's not for security.[/QUOTE] Don't want Trump to look out of his window and get his feelings hurt Not that he'd be there, anyway, too busy going to Mar-a-Lago and forcing all those tax dollars for all those people into his business

[QUOTE=Marbalo;52128101]Surely this is because of Trumps record breaking low approval ratings. If I was responsible for the Secret Service I would have probably done the same thing. Times are uncertain these days.[/QUOTE] My understanding is that it's also because the secret service is spread very thin and overworked due to melania still being in new york and trump's high maintenance lifestyle in general.

[QUOTE=Lambeth;52128642]My understanding is that it's also because the secret service is spread very thin and overworked due to melania still being in new york and trump's high maintenance lifestyle in general.[/QUOTE] The genius! Hes going to hire more secret service, thus giving more jobs to Americans! It was his plan all along.

Man, this blows. I remember standing on that sidewalk when I went to DC during the last administration. It was pretty cool. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Mitchd247;52128272]You can absolutely trust every poll involving Trump. Thats why Hillary Clinton is the current president. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] 4 out of 44 over a period of 230 or so years? I'd hardly begin to say its an unusually high number.[/QUOTE] One day you and the rest of the idiot brigade who seem to have decided that an entire branch of mathematics is nothing more than fortune telling are going to have a rude wakeup call when you ignore some well carried out statistical poll because it hurts your fee-fees and you're going to look just as stupid as the people who gave clinton a 99% chance of winning.

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;52128447]yall sure this isn't a way to stop people protesting next to the white house?[/QUOTE] Wouldn't surprise me. For a demographic that I've seen calling people that don't agree with them "snowflakes" they sure do support a snowflakey president.

[QUOTE=Zero-Point;52129031]Wouldn't surprise me. For a demographic that I've seen calling people that don't agree with them "snowflakes" they sure do support a snowflakey president.[/QUOTE] This doesn't seem very patriotic either.

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;52128447]yall sure this isn't a way to stop people protesting next to the white house?[/QUOTE] I have visited outside the White House three times now, and that sidewalk is used almost exclusively by tourists and visitors. Protestors usually take the other side, or just hang out in the street. This video gives a good image of what I'm talking about: [video]https://youtu.be/VhJ7NmU6lJI[/video] Trust me, this will not stop protestors in D.C. They'd do whatever they want regardless of the rules anyway.

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;52128447]yall sure this isn't a way to stop people protesting next to the white house?[/QUOTE] you already can't protest infront of the WH, theres been a temporary ban on that since 1979

[QUOTE=Araknid;52128425]It's a bit different. I mean Australia has had like what, one assassination attempt on a pm before? USA had has fuck knows how many on their presidents. [editline]20th April 2017[/editline] I mean the closest things we've had to an assassination attempt apart from Arthur Calwell being shot at in 1966 was Julia Gillard getting a sandwich thrown at her[/QUOTE] Nah dude. They almost killed her, set her up to walk over dangerous uneven ground.