This is offtopic, but it caught my eye. > President Obama’s visit here in August 2010, for example, forced the closing of a major thoroughfare, unleashing grid

This is offtopic, but it caught my eye. > President Obama’s visit here in August 2010, for example, forced the closing of a major thoroughfare, unleashing gridlock on the entire west side of the city. Is it really necessary for the passage of one person to cause so much delay for everyone else? Why would a thoroughfare close for the president, anyway? Security?