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PCIntern (16,063 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 07:04 PMKeeping people updated as to the Pope's visit in Philly: To preface this brief post: someone I know well told me today: I'm thinking about renting out my house for the Pope's visit - they tell me I can get between 4000 and 5000 dollars for the weekend. It'd be perfect for clergy: there's a church less than a block away and a playground across the street. Anyway...they're talking about building a four-mile eight-foot fence around Center City for the adventure of a lifetime. Most of our 'rapid' transit won't be stopping at the usual stations in Center City during this onslaught AND one would need to buy a pass to get on and off. The Regional Rail as we call it will be curtailed in many respects and here comes the best part... There are many buildings within the zone which require 24 hour maintenance or emergency maintenance. One individual whom I know who is in charge of a building told me that once the engineers enter the building they cannot leave and re-enter if the building is deemed significant...whatever that means. He went into some detail which I don't feel comfortable posting on a public forum. Suffice it to say we have quite the National Security Red Zone coming here which I believe is unprecedented in the US of A, at least implemented in this fashion. All the roads are being repaved down here in town and enormous amounts of money are being spent to upgrade sidewalks and intermediate areas. The electronics installed on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway are obviously state of the art AND for the first time ever, there are landmark signs every so many feet indicating the exact quadrant one is located in. We have been told to shut down completely on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday inasmuch as virtually no patients would be able to get to our office easily - certainly not those from out in the suburbs. Monday probably won't be any better as three million people will be trying to get out of town all at the same time. You know: we just had the President here with all of the usual appropriate security and it hardly disrupted a thing unless you were caught in the motorcade blockages for a few minutes between his speech locales. But this is like something from one of those movies...not certain if it's an apocalyptic film or a fascist film but I'm not liking this at all one bit. Not one bit.
KamaAina (64,455 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 07:08 PM1. Dafuq? I remember going to the papal visit in SF in 1987 with Mom. The popemobile drove right through Golden Gate Park. We rode Muni to within two blocks of the park. But, three million people?! I don't believe John Paul II drew a tenth of that to SF!
PCIntern (16,063 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 07:15 PM2. you cannot imagine what's going on here... all Pope, all the time. I STILL think he's going to announce the existence of alien life on other planets... just kidding....sort of...
monmouth4 (834 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 08:10 PM3. Heh, bet he could give Bernie and Hillary a run for their money....
MH1 (14,169 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 09:10 PM5. I'm excited for his visit but a bit anxious about all the transit and security stuff Thing is, Pope Francis is probably at least 10 times as popular as President Obama. At least it seems that way. Anyway I know we'll get through it and for the city it is the experience of a generation.
Raine1967 (8,063 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 09:24 PM7. The DC region is preparing for a lot of people as well. IF I have friends that want to come in for the visit, I will offer them our guest room. I don't thin you will have to worry about that level of security — what you describe seems a bit over the top. On the other hand, at least a Pope visit in getting infrastructure done! The pope is visiting DC after Philly, right?
PCIntern (16,063 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2015, 07:04 PMKeeping people updated as to the Pope's visit in Philly: To preface this brief post: someone I know well told me today: I'm thinking about renting out my house for the Pope's visit - they tell me I can get between 4000 and 5000 dollars for the weekend. It'd be perfect for clergy: there's a church less than a block away and a playground across the street.
