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[jeffandnicole]

Frankly, I've never heard of any ex-President saying that they wanted to do X, but the Secret Service said "no."

I doubt this would really be put out into the public, especially for minor stuff.  "Hey, I should get out and walk in this parade".  "Mr. President, I would advise against that".

They didn't say No, but they didn't exactly open the doors for him either.

If a President indicated they wanted to make a stop, there are Secret Service teams that would quickly scout an area before the President arrived (and we're talking a matter of minutes), and before the President was allowed out of the vehicle the area would be comfortably secured.

More significant stuff would be a matter of policy if he was allowed to roam somewhere, like a mall or something.  But stuff like that normally wouldn't be impromptu trips.

[hbelkins]

Frankly, I've never heard of any ex-President saying that they wanted to do X, but the Secret Service said "no."

Not an ex-president, but I've definitely heard it from a sitting president.

Wasn't it Reagan who took everyone (including the SS) by surprise by getting out of the car and walking for part of the inaugural parade?

[NWI_Irish96]

https://civilservicehq.com/can-the-secret-service-override-the-president/

I can't say this site is 100% credible, but it appears to be. It indicates that the Secret Service does have authority over the President when it comes to the President's security.

[abefroman329]

Wasn't it Reagan who took everyone (including the SS) by surprise by getting out of the car and walking for part of the inaugural parade?

That was Obama.

[Scott5114]

Meanwhile, going to the other extreme, Ukrainian President Zelensky caused a major headache for his staff a few months back, while Kyiv was in very real danger of falling into Russian hands, by popping out of the office unexpectedly to go buy a particular borscht he'd been craving.

I can't say this site is 100% credible, but it appears to be. It indicates that the Secret Service does have authority over the President when it comes to the President's security.

I get the feeling that this is one of those "power in name only" sorts of thing. Yes, the Secret Service has the legal power to tell the President no, but the President has the power to fire the head of the Secret Service, so who really has the power there?

[hbelkins]

Wasn't it Reagan who took everyone (including the SS) by surprise by getting out of the car and walking for part of the inaugural parade?

That was Obama.

That recently? I thought it happened in the much more distant past.

[Big John]

second term:

[Big John]

Apparently, every recent President has walked part of the inauguration route: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/trump-inaugural-parade-walk.html

[Takumi]

^ The article was written before Biden became president, but he did it too.

[abefroman329]

second term:

He did that at his first inauguration as well, I remember watching it live.

[hbelkins]

The only inauguration I can ever remember watching live was Trump's, and that wasn't by choice. I was at a transportation conference that day and they put the speech up on the big screens at lunch.

I tend to tune out speeches by elected officials of both parties and all that overblown pomp and circumstance.

Kentucky state government gets closed down when the governor is inaugurated, mostly because Frankfort is a cluster foxtrot that day and you can't get to a lot of the offices. Out of fairness, they give everyone a holiday, even those who don't work in Frankfort.

Just once, I'd like to see a governor come in and say, "I don't want any of this stuff. No parade, no inaugural speech, no inaugural balls. Time to get to work."

[kkt]

$1 bills shouldn't exist anymore, anyway. Canada, the UK, the euro, Australia, and New Zealand all have 1 and 2 as coins, while their lowest banknote is 5. (Switzerland and Japan go farther and have 5 francs and 500 yen as coins and 10 francs and 1000 yen as the lowest banknote, but I don't think we need to do that.)

All the currencies I mentioned are somewhat similar to the US dollar (New Zealand at NZ$3=US$2 is the farthest away), with some above and some below, except Japan where yen are basically cents instead of dollars.

What makes them right and us wrong?

^This.  Isn't printing paper easier than minting coins?

Yes, but paper only lasts a couple of years in circulation, while coins last for decades.

[Scott5114]

$1 bills shouldn't exist anymore, anyway. Canada, the UK, the euro, Australia, and New Zealand all have 1 and 2 as coins, while their lowest banknote is 5. (Switzerland and Japan go farther and have 5 francs and 500 yen as coins and 10 francs and 1000 yen as the lowest banknote, but I don't think we need to do that.)

All the currencies I mentioned are somewhat similar to the US dollar (New Zealand at NZ$3=US$2 is the farthest away), with some above and some below, except Japan where yen are basically cents instead of dollars.

What makes them right and us wrong?

^This.  Isn't printing paper easier than minting coins?

Yes, but paper only lasts a couple of years in circulation, while coins last for decades.

Many big non-Euro, non-USD currencies have gone to "paper" money that is actually printed on plastic, which of course lasts a lot longer than paper. Both Canada and Mexico have done so; Canada's is said to smell faintly of maple syrup.

[NWI_Irish96]

Meanwhile, going to the other extreme, Ukrainian President Zelensky caused a major headache for his staff a few months back, while Kyiv was in very real danger of falling into Russian hands, by popping out of the office unexpectedly to go buy a particular borscht he'd been craving.

I can't say this site is 100% credible, but it appears to be. It indicates that the Secret Service does have authority over the President when it comes to the President's security.

I get the feeling that this is one of those "power in name only" sorts of thing. Yes, the Secret Service has the legal power to tell the President no, but the President has the power to fire the head of the Secret Service, so who really has the power there?

So I think we got our answer yesterday.

[Rothman]

$1 bills shouldn't exist anymore, anyway. Canada, the UK, the euro, Australia, and New Zealand all have 1 and 2 as coins, while their lowest banknote is 5. (Switzerland and Japan go farther and have 5 francs and 500 yen as coins and 10 francs and 1000 yen as the lowest banknote, but I don't think we need to do that.)

All the currencies I mentioned are somewhat similar to the US dollar (New Zealand at NZ$3=US$2 is the farthest away), with some above and some below, except Japan where yen are basically cents instead of dollars.

What makes them right and us wrong?

^This.  Isn't printing paper easier than minting coins?

Yes, but paper only lasts a couple of years in circulation, while coins last for decades.

Well...if you're going to reply to a very early post in this thread, you might as well have read the entire discussion on the matter that followed.

Sort of an Internet Explorer response:  Loaded the page after every other browser did...

[Max Rockatansky]

Regarding my trip to Mexico I did notice an oddity that was relevant to this thread.  As already stated above I basically saw close to nobody wearing helmets on bikes or mopeds during my trip.  That said, I did see several people on a bike or moped wearing outdoor face masks.  I thought that was an interesting contrast, not enough concern to wear a helmet on bad road surfaces but concern about catching a disease in a well ventilated outdoor environment. 

[thspfc]

Regarding my trip to Mexico I did notice an oddity that was relevant to this thread.  As already stated above I basically saw close to nobody wearing helmets on bikes or mopeds during my trip.  That said, I did see several people on a bike or moped wearing outdoor face masks.  I thought that was an interesting contrast, not enough concern to wear a helmet on bad road surfaces but concern about catching a disease in a well ventilated outdoor environment.

How about a “risk miscalculation”  thread?

[kphoger]

Many big non-Euro, non-USD currencies have gone to "paper" money that is actually printed on plastic, which of course lasts a lot longer than paper. Both Canada and Mexico have done so; Canada's is said to smell faintly of maple syrup.

Polymer bills annoy me.  That's because, when you fold one, the fold tends to become rather permanent.  With paper bills, you can pretty well flatten them out again, but not so with the polymer.  This makes stacking them a more frustrating activity.

[formulanone]

Regarding my trip to Mexico I did notice an oddity that was relevant to this thread.  As already stated above I basically saw close to nobody wearing helmets on bikes or mopeds during my trip.  That said, I did see several people on a bike or moped wearing outdoor face masks.  I thought that was an interesting contrast, not enough concern to wear a helmet on bad road surfaces but concern about catching a disease in a well ventilated outdoor environment.

How about a “risk miscalculation”  thread?

Could be to avoid bugs and debris?

[kphoger]

Regarding my trip to Mexico I did notice an oddity that was relevant to this thread.  As already stated above I basically saw close to nobody wearing helmets on bikes or mopeds during my trip.  That said, I did see several people on a bike or moped wearing outdoor face masks.  I thought that was an interesting contrast, not enough concern to wear a helmet on bad road surfaces but concern about catching a disease in a well ventilated outdoor environment. 

I suspect there are a few things at play here:

(1)  Mexicans seem to be much more willing to abide by mask rules, even if they don't agree with the rules, than us Americans.  I've personally witnessed this firsthand in several contexts.  For example, while I was waiting outside a grocery store there one busy evening back in March, I decided to count how many people I saw coming in or out of the store without a face mask, and I counted a grand total of zero.  Another example:  at an outdoor church service, behind a closed gate and out of view from the street, in a congregation full of conservatives, pretty much the only people I saw who didn't wear a mask even at the very beginning of the service were the elderly (others at least started out wearing them but took them off later);  I think those elderly folks were the type who just do whatever they want all the time anyway.

(2)  It's possible that helmet laws are not strictly enforced, and Mexicans only seem to care about traffic laws that are actually enforced.  I'm guessing there isn't a law for bicycles, but I'm not sure what legal framework mopeds operate under:  that is, I'm not sure what if any motorcycle-related traffic laws apply to them.  Similarly, I don't think I've ever seen someone wearing a helmet while driving around on a four-wheeler.

(3)  Face masks are cheaper than helmets.  If you look closely, too, a lot of the helmets you see in Mexico are actually just hardhats.

[webny99]

I can't help but wonder if people's greater exposure to sickness and disease in lesser-developed countries makes them more willing to abide by health guidelines.

[Max Rockatansky]

I can't help but wonder if people's greater exposure to sickness and disease in lesser-developed countries makes them more willing to abide by health guidelines.

Specifically with Mexico, disease is more generally an accepted part of life. 

[webny99]

Motorcycles.  I think they are a useful gauge for how risk-averse a person is.  Someone willing to ride a motorcycle on a regular basis in the United States, in my observation, has a high tolerance for risk or a low appreciation of risk.  And I'm not even talking about the jags who do wheelies or ride dirt bikes off jumps or whatever. Simply driving around in traffic on a motorcycle is far more dangerous to the individual than if they were in a normal vehicle.  Even more so if they don't wear a goddamn helmet.

So in my mind, it's like "Yeah I go hiking by myself, but it's not like I'm getting there on a motorbike!"

Great point and could not agree more! I have never been on a motorcycle and have no interest in ever doing so. It's just a recipe for something bad to happen.

My distaste for motorcycles and motorcycling in general increased today after an incident that occurred this morning. I was on NY 262 heading west, and came upon a pair of motorcycles. After several miles, I established that their cruising speed was around 62-63 mph. As it happened, my preferred speed was a bit faster than that, around 70 mph, since was in a bit of a hurry. So, I pulled out to pass as soon as there was a long passing zone and an ample opportunity to do so.

By the time I was completing the pass, we had reached a very slight curve in the road and I could see traffic approaching a ways in the distance. Meanwhile, the motorcycles had started accelerating, so I accelerated too, to around 80 mph, to ensure I could complete the pass, which I did. After I moved back to the right, one of the motorcycles came right up behind me, clearly agitated, and tailgated me for a half mile or so while approaching traffic went past. (Good thing for him, I'm not one to brake check, although in hindsight, I should have put my hazards on.)

By the time the oncoming traffic had cleared, we had approached two more cars. I pulled out to pass the first one, and the motorcycles followed, the first one still tailgating. After passing the first car, I moved back to the right. The motorcycles went roaring past me and the second car, pulling a wheelstand as they passed. I maintained 70 mph as I passed the second car, and momentarily caught back up to the motorcyclists, one of whom looked back and gave me a little wave, as if to say "bye-bye". They sped up again, but would eventually slow back down to 65 mph or so, which continued as I followed them through Byron and most of the way to Bergen. Near Bergen, they passed a string of four vehicles led by a slow camper, and I soon lost sight of them.

The camper turned off at the end of NY 262, and I continued down NY 19 to NY 33 to I-490. Not far down I-490, I again saw the same two motorcycles in the distance, and eventually caught up to them as I was cruising at just under 80 mph. I again pulled out to pass and they sped up to match my speed, rode along side me for a while, and eventually roared off. At the next exit, a red Mazda entered the highway and merged well in front of me, then easily overtook the motorcycles a moment later with no problem at all. I caught up to the motorcycles again by the time they exited at NY 531, so I rolled my window down and waved as they went over the overpass.

Even though I don't feel I did anything wrong here, I was certainly distressed and annoyed by the interaction which brought a sour ending to an otherwise delightful Saturday morning clinching trip.

[NWI_Irish96]

Motorcycles.  I think they are a useful gauge for how risk-averse a person is.  Someone willing to ride a motorcycle on a regular basis in the United States, in my observation, has a high tolerance for risk or a low appreciation of risk.  And I'm not even talking about the jags who do wheelies or ride dirt bikes off jumps or whatever. Simply driving around in traffic on a motorcycle is far more dangerous to the individual than if they were in a normal vehicle.  Even more so if they don't wear a goddamn helmet.

So in my mind, it's like "Yeah I go hiking by myself, but it's not like I'm getting there on a motorbike!"

Great point and could not agree more! I have never been on a motorcycle and have no interest in ever doing so. It's just a recipe for something bad to happen.

My distaste for motorcycles and motorcycling in general increased today after an incident that occurred this morning. I was on NY 262 heading west, and came upon a pair of motorcycles. After several miles, I established that their cruising speed was around 62-63 mph. As it happened, my preferred speed was a bit faster than that, around 70 mph, since was in a bit of a hurry. So, I pulled out to pass as soon as there was a long passing zone and an ample opportunity to do so.

By the time I was completing the pass, we had reached a very slight curve in the road and I could see traffic approaching a ways in the distance. Meanwhile, the motorcycles had started accelerating, so I accelerated too, to around 80 mph, to ensure I could complete the pass, which I did. After I moved back to the right, one of the motorcycles came right up behind me, clearly agitated, and tailgated me for a good 1/2 mile or so. (Good thing for him, I'm not one to brake check, although in hindsight, I should have put my hazards on.)

By that time, we were quickly approaching two more cars. I pulled out to pass the first one, and the motorcycles followed, the first one still tailgating. After passing the first car, I moved back to the right. The motorcycles went roaring past me and the second car, pulling a wheelstand as they passed. I maintained 70 mph as I passed the second car, and momentarily caught back up to the motorcyclists, one of whom looked back and gave me a little wave, as if to say "bye-bye". They sped up again, but would eventually slow back down to 65 mph or so, which continued as I followed them through Byron and most of the way to Bergen. Near Bergen, they passed a string of four vehicles led by a slow camper, and I soon lost sight of them.

The camper turned off at the end of NY 262, and I continued down NY 19 to NY 33 to I-490. Not far down I-490, I again saw the same two motorcycles in the distance, and eventually caught up to them as I was cruising at just under 80 mph. I again pulled out to pass and they sped up to match my speed, rode along side me for a while, and eventually roared off. At the next exit, a red Mazda entered the highway and merged well in front of me, then easily overtook the motorcycles a moment later with no problem at all. I caught up to the motorcycles again by the time they exited at NY 531, so I rolled my window down and waved as they went over the overpass.

Even though I don't feel I did anything wrong here, I was certainly distressed and annoyed by the interaction which brought a sour ending to an otherwise delightful Saturday morning clinching trip.

I find that same phenomenon often with cars. They want to go slower than you want to go, but they also don't want you to pass them.

Just last week on I-65 I was behind a car that was passing a string of trucks while cruising at a steady 72 mph. After clearing the last truck he sped up to 76 but refused to move over to the right. When I attempted to pass on the right, he sped up to at least 85 mph to prevent it, and was back down to 72 upon reaching the next group of trucks to pass.

[Max Rockatansky]

During Day 1 of the Philadelphia Meet traffic was thick on the Vine Street Expressway.  Two bikers passed much off the slowed traffic via lane splitting.  At the time it didn’t strike me as a big deal given lane splitting is so common in California.  I got to thinking afterwards what the rest of the people slogging through traffic thought of lane splitting, I’m sure their opinions vary greatly to mine.