Inauguration Day...banned items
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
December 22, 2008 12:00pm CST
I heard a short news story on CNN about items that will be banned from the parade route on Inauguration Day. Things like strollers, coolers and backpacks. I really don't know how D.C. is expected to enforce these restrictions since there will be millions of people in town and limited police presence. Visitors with small children are going to have strollers with them. I can imagine the uproar that will follow once the first officer tries to tell a parent that they have to relocate away from the parade route because jr. is in a stroller. The same goes for people wearing backpacks. If you're coming to town for the day...or for just one night...you're more likely to have the things you brought with you in a backpack rather than dragging a suitcase around. Come to think of it, suitcases are probably banned, too. I did some checking on the web but don't see the story anywhere yet. I realize that security is a consideration but isn't this going a little overboard?
3 people like this
10 responses
@starr4all (2863)
•
22 Dec 08
Just another reason not to go. I'm sorry but a stroller? Get real. I have a one year old. Try going places without a stroller.
2 people like this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
22 Dec 08
Evidently they never had to carry around a cranky baby.
2 people like this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
24 Dec 08
First I can't see anyone that would want to take a child that still needs to be transported in a stroller in that type of crowd. This would be different than say going to an amusement park where people are on the move. You are going to have millions of people, elbow to elbow.
For those that think its crazy that a stroller is banned, when was the last time you saw someone using one? If you will remember correctly a baby was just one of the things that it was used to transport. The strollers are used as mommy's purse. They are packed with enough to be considered luggage. Usually there is enough snacks, water and juice to last the family for the day. The stroller is used for a make up bag, a changing table etc. My point is that there can be plenty concealed in a stroller. I don't think the point is the baby but the other things that might go undetected.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
22 Dec 08
I thought the stroller ban was a bit odd. Do they think someone is going to throw one? Or maybe Junior is in the perfect position to hurl half empty bottles of juice at people. 
2 people like this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
22 Dec 08
Ah yes, the deadly binky! They have these straw things that go in a baby bottle with a rubber piece that fits up in the nipple so the bottle doesn't have to be tipped. If the kid squeezes the nipple it squirts. A perfect weapon! 
2 people like this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
22 Dec 08
This kind of excessive garbage is just stupid. It isn't limited to inaugurations either. I went to a Buccaneers game a few years ago and was told I couldn't enter with my camera case. Now, this is a case that holds my tiny digital camera that is maybe 3 inches wide. The camera case was more like four inches long. I asked the guy "What threat could this case possibly be? You can see my camera is the only thing that fits in here." He said "You could hide a knife in there." Some logic. As if I'd need a camera case to hide a knife that could easily be in my pocket, waistband, sock, or shoe. But hey, these are the stupid rules they enforce.
I just walked away as though I was bringing it to my car and instead put it in my pocket and walked in by a different gate.
2 people like this
@Citizen_Stuart (2016)
•
23 Dec 08
It sounds like a lot of fuss over very little to me. No offence meant, but it seems to me that you Americans make an awful lot of fuss when you swear in a new president. You're only hiring a bloke to do a job of work for the next four years, but it looks more like a coronation!
1 person likes this
@jeffsback2223 (156)
• United States
22 Dec 08
After 9-11, Nothing is considered overboard. And after that journalist incident, Bush would ban shoes if he could get away with it. Lets stop kidding ourselves for 10 seconds here and address the problem. I'm not going to get into the whole conspiricy theories but wether or not 9-11 was staged, it was used as leverage to pass all kinds of unconstitutional laws and previsions. The governments gotten too big for its britches, they need a good spanking and downsizing. They need to stop treating every American citizen like terrorists. that include banning strollers or backpacks.
2 people like this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
22 Dec 08
Most citizens don't think like terrorist. The only thing I know a stroller is good for is a baby.
2 people like this
@Scribbles (40)
• United States
22 Dec 08
They should have added shoes to that list.
.....
Oh wait. I forgot that this was Barack Obama's Inaugural and not Dubya.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
24 Dec 08
I'm not surprised about the coolers and backpacks, especially if they're over a certain size. I didn't think strollers made sense until I read some of the other posts and I suppose if someone had something bad in mind they could put a lot of things in a stroller. I don't know but I don't think I'd want to take a child small enough to ride in a stroller to something like that with all those people and in what probably will be very cold weather.
These days there are lots of things I think may be going too far but I guess you can't be too careful and there are lots of crazies in this world. They should have tables or something set up along the parade route where people can leave things that aren't allowed.
Annie
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
23 Dec 08
I would consider it overboard but, with all the people Americans that have said many times that the president elect should die well I guess they aren't going overboard. If there weren't so many stupid people in the US they probably wouldn't have to go to such extremes.
1 person likes this
@camomom (7535)
• United States
28 Dec 08
That's just nuts!!! I have 2 small children and if I wanted to go and bring them with me, I sure as heck would have, not 1, but 2 strollers with me. They'd have to arrest me before I'd agree to carry my kids around. That's just crazy!!!
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
23 Dec 08
Well I guess it's a bit overboard... but it's better than banning all Muslims and Arabs. haha. They're just trying to make the day as safe as possible, and without big objects to hide anything in or under, the day will go much more smoothly.
1 person likes this
