Years ago, I was caught in a "ground stop" of the parking shuttle at CLE, because the entrance road to the airport was closed while the then-VP entered the terminal.

Yes been there done that at ORD. Heck was delayed on I 94- 90 when President was at Purdue.....

I imagine ths is nothing comapred to NYC with UN Heads of Nations going thru.

Movements are closed for 2 hours when the Pres is about, no different to when Kittyhawk is flying. Kittyhawk is the flightname for the UK royal flights.

I would imagine that the White House has the ability to procure the appropriate equipment to move people in whatever way they see fit, and to protect it accordingly. At some point, someone made the decision that effectively shutting down ground traffic into Manhattan during morning rush was a better idea than using the resources at their disposal to safely and efficiently transport the president, and also cause less disruption to us measly citizens.

Since when do the disruptions of us mere citizens come into play? :D

FWIW I share in your pain... Obama's multiple visits to LA are starting to wear thin (not for political reasons, but for the gridlocks caused by rolling roadblocks during rush hour as he travels from LAX to destination by motorcade).

Yes. You and I are on the same page.

I've only had to deal with presidential visits in Atlanta, NY, and DC. As bad as they get there, I can't imagine what LA ends up looking like. :eek:

Here in NY, it's a big deal each and every time the POTUS comes into town, and at times, worst than others like during UN General Assembly. With the NYC Mayoral Election coming up and other key races around the country at stake, already seeing a bump or uptick in fundraising by the party to get to the donor's wallets. Expect him to travel more often and to other key cities for his cameo at fundraisers in the next 6 months - and, the resulting frozen zones, including full shutdown until AF1 is wheels up.

Most of the time, once the POTUS's 747 lands at JFK, he still fly Marine One into Manhattan w. escorts & then driven away via motorcade. The entire length of the FDR Drive and/or WSH is shut down for everybody else, involving a massive & coordinated efforts by numerous PD vehicles. When weather in the city made it impractical to travel by Marine One, then decision is made to move the package on the ground via the motorcade. Plus, there is always going to be backup or contingency options, an escape route for the unexpected.

Disruptions for us, :rolleyes: it's a given for the POTUS - ever heard "them" apologize for the inconvenience. Nah, it's expected and comes with his job title, even though it's the people that elect & put him in that Oval Office.

It reminded me when I was in Jordan touring Petra this March, Obama was also "touring" that day. We were "grounded" and unable to move for around 2 hours...