Delays due to Pope at PHL (Sunday evening)
#16
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
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Just landed MSP-PHL...about 30 minutes later due to the pope. I think it's terrible that things get delayed because of one person and beyond excessive security. For someone who is supposed to be the "people's pope", it didn't seem to matter much to him what he did to Philly this weekend with closing so much of the city down.
September 11 changed everything, better safe than sorry, out of an abundance of caution and won't someone please THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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Posts: 2,039
Yes, the pope himself doesn't make these decisions...but he should know the impacts of them. The shutdown of the city of Philadelphia this weekend was ridiculous and is not granted to any other heads of state on the planet when visiting America.
#18
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
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This sort of VIP procedure also seemed very much in line with the airfield disruptions I've had every time Air Force One has been coming or going as I was at PHL.
As to the disruption to the city itself, it became an over the top law enforcement feeding frenzy, including hugely inefficient security screening at least partially staffed by the TSA (surprise!) but that's likely a topic for another thread.
As to the disruption to the city itself, it became an over the top law enforcement feeding frenzy, including hugely inefficient security screening at least partially staffed by the TSA (surprise!) but that's likely a topic for another thread.