"I work on boats, but mostly I'm retired." At 7:00 am, two days before a visit by the President of the United States of America, I was more than suspicious. I was the point person as an outside consultant, for one of my clients, who happened to need someone to interface with the various agencies handling security and the visit. I was talking to the company's front desk staff when this unassuming late 50-ish gentleman came into the building wearing khaki's, a summer cotton shirt and a windbreaker. He didn't show ID, explain why he was there, or why the business card he gave to me simply said his name, an address in Florida and the word "Boats." on it. "I'm just going to take a look around, you don't need to worry about me. I can find my way. Mark will be in a little later." I asked what I thought was a reasonable question, "Are you with an agency or are you affiliated with the government?" "Oh no, I am mostly retired, just do some volunteer work." Interesting to me. It's a shame that there wasn't any need for volunteers in Florida, so they were expanding their volunteer skills to Indiana. This probably sounds like an oddity, a silly moment in a day. It was just one of a basket of silly moments in a two-week period. When your company or location is selected to be visited by the President for whatever reason, machinery goes into place that is often unconsidered by the average citizen. I will break them down into a few categories: Things you know: 1. The airport will have flights suspended, canceled or rescheduled for a window of time when the President will be landing or departing 2. The route to the location will be closed so that the vehicles will drive uninhibited and at a faster rate. This includes highway patrol, US marshals, secret service and of course the limos to protect and seal the ramps 3. The media will be there because they fly with the President, but they come in their own transport from the airport Things you might know: 1. There are multiple limos so that people do not know which one of them has the President 2. The area that the President speaks is sealed when he is in the room. No one in or out. Period. Lots of weapons on the security personnel that you can see. Many you cannot. 3. The President has a photo schedule. Certain people are photographed with the President in order. That is all. The President tries to stretch this number of photos like mothers at a wedding, but is usually gently dragged away because of schedules. Things you probably do not know: 1. Sharpshooters are on every building within a half -mile of the speaking site for at least 8 hours prior to the visit 2. Points of entry and exit must be able to be entered and exited at no less than 35 mph regardless if it is a warehouse, manufacturing plant or open field 3. Advance team for any visit is on the ground two weeks prior and works out all details to the 60 second increments from the President's original departure to landing at this site until departure from this city
Who was the guy from Florida, semi-retired who handled boats? I watched him all day out of the corner of my eye. I saw him walk by Mark. He didn't say a word. He just gave a short nod and Mark did the same. Odd. Mark is a laughing, chatting guy. He makes the whole process very easy for a company that is trying to operate while a team of between 5 and 25 moves in and out of the company doing their jobs of security, courtesy and preparation. Nods with boat-man. Hmmm. I came through the break room about 11:30am and wound up face-to-face with boat-man. He looked me straight in the eye and asked, "How long are you going to watch me today?" I said, "I don't know, probably until I figure why you are here." "I'm sure you have a lot of things more important than that to do, why don't you spend your time on those," was his response, unblinking eyes and a clear but a very direct tone to his voice. At that moment it struck me that he was absolutely right. There was a Starbucks nearby and I had not checked the list of new items. I walked as quickly as I could to my car and headed over there. I did not want to miss out on any of the "before noon" specials. I definitely did not want to be near boat man. Four hours before the President is to arrive, the facility is sealed and a pack of German shepherds is led through the building. I say a pack because as I was watching a couple go through the front door, I could see some more going through a door at a far corner of the building and a couple more were sticking their heads out of one of the dock doors. It was a convention of German shepherds from what I could tell. Because we were outside at sunrise, it gave clear view of about 5 buildings within 800 yards to almost a mile away. There was movement on each of them. I thought about going to breakfast to kill some time, but of course the parking lot was sealed, so were the cars. That means you could not go in your cars or near them. I do not know what the restroom issues were for those people developing a high level of discomfort. I would imagine that not being able to leave or go inside for a long time would become a problem. In fact, they let us back into the building after 90 minutes and then resealed the building. All of the people who were going to be present for the President's speech did go through a security screening and metal detector as they were coming into the building. On time, in a roped-off receiving area, you could hear the entrance of three limos coming up loading ramps at high speed, stopping quickly and doors opening and closing quickly. A small off-stage reception room had been created so that the President could meet the hostess and family for the event, thank them, and take pictures. A quick exchange of the introductions and that was prep. Presidents are not just a little good at this, they are great at this. You would think that the President and the hostess were old friends and that he had been following the growth of this company since its inception. His gratitude for all things related was exuberant. This company linked to the core ideals of the principles of his administration. Thank you all and that was that. Reception area, photographs, brief goodbye, gentle tug, into the limos and out the doors at 35 mph, picking up speed. After that one day, I never saw the boat guy again. I suppose because we are a land-locked state, the boat guy decided that there just wasn't much of a market here. Besides, the President did not seem that interested in the real estate, we only saw him around the next election time and he went to a different location.