Posted on 09/25/2015 6:51:43 PM PDT by Dave346
Philadelphians and visitors to the city woke up on Friday morning to a world of barricades and tight security measures as authorities prepare for Pope Francis' weekend arrival.
Fencing blocked off areas starting just east of City Hall, requiring people in that area to walk north to Cherry Street, where security checkpoints were set up, if they need to get inside the perimeter.
Maureen Shaeffer and Ruth Schanbacher, who both came from the suburbs to go to work, didn't know each other before Friday morning. But they bonded over the tricky security measures.
"We've been brought together through adversity," Shaeffer joked after the pair passed through a TSA checkpoint at Broad and Cherry streets.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Schanbacher said.
Schanbacher said she found the list of prohibited items confusing — she questioned whether that referred to all secure areas or just the Parkway, where only ticket holders will be able to enter during the weekend's events.
She got her answer quickly.
"I had to throw away my mace though," she said. "I forgot and left it in my bag."
About 10 blocks south, aluminum barriers flanked curbs on both sides of Lombard Street stretching toward the Schuylkill River. At each corner, sets of National Guardsmen set up command posts ready to watch over and guide the expected masses of people.
People trickled through here and there at the base of Ben Franklin Parkway as law enforcement officers — from Philadelphia cops to FBI and Homeland Security agents — kept a watchful eye on the area.
Shaughn Howery of Fishtown made is way through a checkpoint at 15th and Cherry streets, also headed to work. He said the security measures didn't faze him.
"It was fine. It was like going to an airport," he said. "It does look very weird."
I’m staying far away from the city this weekend.
TSA checkpoints?
Imagine if you owned a gun store in this huge perimeter...
Out of business for the next few days.
Any little 5 yr olds gonna run up to the pope...again?....or has there been enough of that now?
What!?? The open-borders, no-weapons Pope
Needing all this?
Doesn’t want to meet some Black Lives Matter guys?
“I need protection” he says, “you lowlifes fend for yourselves.”
Well, he does live in a rather exclusive, gated community.
I made it to work and back today but going home was a pain as they had started to do the cattle shoots and metal detectors that appeared to secure nothing. It is a police state with national guard everywhere. don’t appear to be armed. There are 10,000 portabpotties. I think the streets department got the memo and misread where it said the pope is coming and they read it as “ the poop is coming” so the ordered 10,000 porta-potties. They line every street in center city. I’ve got lots of pics.
Rope-a-pope?
Christ was willing to associate with Publicans and sinners.
What’s with the Pope. Can’t hang?
Why is he going to Philly?
There are local police at every suburban train station. I think there were credible threats for philly. There is no way I would go near center city. I’m about 3 miles from the city line in a tiny town and streets here are closed off because there is a train station. Good practice for marshall law, too, come to think of it.
It’s a big Catholic convention
Ping
That reminds me of Pope Soap on a Rope.
I can’t remember if it was a real souvenir or a Saturday Night Live gag.
I did see a shirt once that simply said “Pope John Paul George Ringo”
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