Boondoggle

[glatt]

I work in a building not too far from the White House, and on nice days I go for walks around that area. Today, I was noticing all the new security they have in light of the recent new Orange threat level. A new temporary interlocking fence now surrounds the entire place, and several additional cop cars parked here and there were only some of the visible changes.

There's an ongoing construction project in front of the White House to convert the former Pennsylvania Avenue into a sort of park. Lots of construction equipment in there behind the secure fence.

As I walked past one checkpoint entering the construction zone, I saw a security guy checking out a truck trying to enter. I noticed that the poor security guy was dressed like a SWAT officer in all black (not so comfortable in DC in August) with a big vest reading "POLICE Secret Service."

This guy was standing on top of the truck, very quickly opening hatches on the truck with his hands, peering in to each open hatch, and then stomping them closed with his foot. On the side of the truck were numerous signs, like the ones you see on fuel trucks, saying "Highly Flammable", "Gasoline", "No Smoking", etc. The truck has several different tanks, each apparently carrying a different type of fuel, for refueling the various pieces of equipment working in the construction site.

He waved the refueling truck, carrying several tons of various highly flammable and explosive liquids, through to the White House, but I can't take a nail file onto an airplane.

We live in interesting times.