Exasperated Metro riders and traffic-jammed drivers may be interested to know how the imperial Vice President, Joe Biden, got downtown this morning: At 9:25 he raced through panicky motorists on Massachusetts Avenue with the aid of screaming sirens, 9 motorcyle outriders, three police cars, four Secret Service SUVs, and two limos — one of which presumably carried the Veep. Northbound traffic on Mass Ave was blocked from Dupont Circile to Florida Avenue until the Biden cavalcade turned right on 23rd Street, racing a few more blocks to Washington Circle, which was also blocked off for His Honor’s convenience.
Vice President Cheney used to zip by at 7:34 sharp, with the same sort of escort, but it was comforting to know he was keeping working man’s hours. As for security, Cheney showed his concern one morning by turning on the light in the back of his limo, where he could be seen contentedly reading a newspaper. How much all this costs, and what sort of message it sends to the plebians, is anybody’s guess. A modest suggestion: Send two Diamond cabs to the Veep mansion, put Biden in one, use the other as a decoy, and get downtown for $20 — without all the fuss and muss.
