[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by heydj

I recently returned from the Netherlands after finishing MBA from Rotterdam School of Management. While there the Dutch Prime Minister came to the college for a lecture. I was highly impressed the way he traveled from Den Haag to Rotterdam, absolutely no inconvenience to the common people!

Thanks. He often travels to parliament by bicycle and so do many MPs and ministers as well, or they take public transportation. Bus, tram or train. Years ago, whilst we still lived in the Netherland my wife was shopping in the Hague. She was at "the body shop" in the Passage for those who are familiar with the Hague. Its a shop that sells things like shampoo and bath foam and that sort of stuff. She accidentally bumped into a lady. So she turned around to apologize to be facing then queen Beatrix who was doing a bit of shopping herself. They had a little chat and both ladies moved on to do their shopping.

At this day and age it can not be helped that these sort of public figures do need additional protection and security, but in the Netherland it can be done in a relatively low key way. The Dutch don't like authoritative figures, have little notion on hierarchy. We have an expression, "doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg". Roughly translates as, just be yourself, that is peculiarly enough. Being the queen, the PM, or a Dr, or a CEO does not give you any status in the Netherlands. Any Dutch person will regard any other person as his or her equal. No matter who they are. You just might be holding a different job. So what?

Mind you, I saw a documentary some time ago and it is just mind boggling the amount of threads the American President gets on a typical day. Cant blame them for taking all these measures. Although it does beg the question why the leader of the greatest nation in the world needs protection from so many people.

Originally Posted by embee

Hi RedTerrano,

Posting some pictures regarding Air Force One.

Just an anorak fact: This plane is not called Air Force One. Air Force One is a call sign for whichever plane the US president happens to be flying in! When we still lived in Kansas City, President Obama passed a law that saw many airfields loose their "manned" towers. As a pilot, I was very much opposed to that particular bill. So I actually wrote a mail to the White House inviting President Obama to come on a flight with me in my Cessna, to experience first hand the difference between a manned and unmanned towered airport. Obama did not take me up on my invite, but if he had, my little single engine, two seater Cessna, would have had the call sign Air Force One for the duration of the flight with him onboard
Jeroen

[embee]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Mind you, I saw a documentary some time ago and it is just mind boggling the amount of threads the American President gets on a typical day. Cant blame them for taking all these measure. Although it does beg the question why the leader of the greatest nation in the world needs protection from so many people.

Jeroen

President Barack Obama is the target of more than 30 potential death threats a day and is being protected by an increasingly over-stretched Secret Service. He is the most threatened President in history.

Since the President took office in 2008, the rate of threats against the president has increased 400% cent.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by embee

President Barack Obama is the target of more than 30 potential death threats a day and is being protected by an increasingly over-stretched Secret Service. He is the most threatened President in history.

Since the President took office in 2008, the rate of threats against the president has increased 400% cent.

To my point, there appears to be a lot of folks whom might disagree that the USA is the greatest nation in the world and feel compelled to take physical action against it leader.

Historically, very few nations declare themselves "the greatest nation on earth". It used to be pretty common for the more communist orientated nation to make such swooping statements. My American friends always got very uptight when i pointed that out to them.

We loved our years in the USA and I wouldn't mind spending some more years there either. I would not want to live there forever or retire there. But anybody that proclaims to be living in the greatest nation needs her/his head examined as far as I'm concerned. No matter what nation you live in. Its fine to celebrate your nations successes, but I don't know of a single nation that also has a long and wide variety of topics where they don't do well at all.

But then again, I'm not an American nor a communist, so I have a bit of a biassed view of the world we live in i guess.

Jeroen

[mahesh_sn]

Originally Posted by vinair

Look at the car's dimensions! Those huge tires and the doors seems to come from a bank vault!!

The Beast has eight-inch thick body armour plating and five-inch thick bulletproof windows

Ever since the assassination of President John F Kennedy who was riding an open top Lincoln Continental, the United States has pulled out all stops to make every succeeding Presidential vehicle virtually impenetrable. The Beast is no different with its eight-inch thick body armour plating and five-inch thick bulletproof windows which insulate the President from all sorts of threats including chemical attacks.
Its doors weigh similar to those on a Boeing-757 aircraft. The eight-tonner runs on shred and puncture resistant Kevlar-reinforced tyres with steel rims underneath which ensure that the vehicle does not come to a halt even if its tyres get damaged. Even the fuel tank is covered with a special foam that negates any possibility of an explosion.
The Beast, based on a Cadillac DTS is the first Presidential limousine not to have a specific model name. The vehicle is an amalgamation of features sourced from different vehicles under the General Motors brand with its chassis, doors, headlights, side mirrors and door handles having different origins.
Despite the oft-cited declarations of invulnerability, the 'moving fortress' is not as invincible as it would seem, with the car showing a penchant for breaking down for unknown reasons several times in the past. During the President's state visit to Israel in 2013, the car broke down and had to be ingloriously towed away atop a truck.
Environmentalists also scoff at the vehicle's predilection for consuming fuel at a very high rate giving a mileage of 3.4 km per litre.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/world/movin...t-2061035.html

[ritz3645]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks
Jeroen

Dear Jeroen,

Two situations,
1) In Netherland, MPs or ministers take public transportation, or Bus, or tram or train, a relatively low key way (well its their own country so maybe).
2) If any foreign President/ head/PM visits your home country the Netherlands, there will be security, you do not expect him to travel like a commoner or well like its their own country.

This was with reference to your details of USA President Bill Clinton visit.
Also he having pancakes and not a juicy burger/ steak in Netherland should make the home country happy.

Not sure but my experience with Mr. President, on Cruise ship Disney Wonder, was when Mr. President Jimmy Carter sailed with us.
The only messages to us was to address as Mr. President.
And he visited everywhere like any normal cruiser will, except that there were those guys around him and they had telephone like wires from collar to ears. They will never interrupt anything but just shadow from a distance and keep talking in those telephone like wires.

Another time the Senior Bush family also sailed with us.

[embee]

Just came in....
As per ndtv news, The Beast has Arrived in Delhi. It has arrived in a special aircraft and are parked at Delhi's international airport.

Here are 10 facts about the Beast:
It looks like a Cadillac, but that is it. It is not really a derivative of the Cadillac DTS as it seems, since it only borrows styling from that model. Underneath the limo exterior is a Chevrolet Kodiak - which is a medium sized truck (sort of the same size as our Tata 407, but more sophisticated)!

Anyone can buy an armoured limo. Yes BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz even sell those in India. The Beast goes well beyond regular armouring with an 8-inch thick body plating and 5-inch thick bulletproof windows. The car itself weighs 8 tonnes.

The doors swing on special heavy-duty hinges as they weigh as much as doors on a Boeing 757 aircraft.

The massive weight needs every horsepower the 6.5 litre Duramax diesel engine can offer. The Beast uses this diesel truck engine since it can take to varying purity levels of the more commonly available fuel type globally.

It's a 7-seater - yup just like all "family MPVs"! So this one can accommodate POTUS, his driver, chief Secret Service agent and four others too.

Goodyear makes special Kevlar-coated run-flat tyres for the Beast - to withstand puncture and even run when shot out.

The fuel tank is covered with a special foam that prevents any impact-related explosion. It's boot has special oxygen tanks and firefighting equipment.

In the event of a chemical attack, the car cuts off outside air completely, and keeps the cabin supplied with breathable air until it is safe to open the doors again.

Night vision cameras, teargas cannons and a shotgun are standard on the Beast. It also houses a special compartment to hold pouches of POTUS' blood type.

It runs with Washington DC plates - everywhere it goes

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by vinair

Look at the car's dimensions! Those huge tires and the doors seems to come from a bank vault!!

Do I see leaf springs!!! I think I do. lol.

This is like a truck shaped like a car, literally.

[akshaymahajan]

I kid you not, but this guy should visit India more often. Delhi is an amazing site today.
The number of police personnel on the roads is mind blowing, even though the barricading is a pain during traffic hours.
The dividers are being painted, the road signs being cleaned, the hedges trimmed, every inch being swept, and even the street lights are being painted silver.

A safe and clean Delhi! Aah only if it was for the Bharatvaasis!

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by embee

Here are 10 facts about the Beast:

Kitna deti hai? 8 mpg. ~3.4 kmpl.

And the car has its own transport aircraft - a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Looking forward for some snaps.

[embee]

Obama's Cadillac One


Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...it-London.html

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Kitna deti hai? 8 mpg. ~3.4 kmpl.

And the car has its own transport aircraft - a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Looking forward for some snaps.

The vehicle fuel efficiency is about 8 miles per US gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg) which is roughly around 3.4 km per litre.

The limousine is airlifted for domestic and international use primarily by a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. Below is a picture of the limousine being unloaded.


Wikipedia

One more detailed picture of the Cadillac


http://images.indianexpress.com/2015...fourwheels.jpg

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.


Google Images

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.


Google Images

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.


Google Images

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[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by ritz3645

Also he having pancakes and not a juicy burger/ steak in Netherland should make the home country happy.

It did not make me, or most Dutch happy at all. It was a huge inconvenience, thousands of people got stuck and could not get home for hours.

The one guy that was very happy was the pancake restaurant owner. He maxed out on free publicity and to date he has endless photographs and newspaper clipping all over his restaurant.

I don't believe public officials or anybody for that matter, should inconvenience such a large number of people or me. I appreciate the need for security, but why not go to a remote place where you don't bother me?

Jeroen

[avingodb]

I still wonder how they could not anticipate the speed-breaker in Ireland. And to top it off, it was the gate of the U.S. Embassy!

[embee]

As per TOI, the UP police have finalized the security plan during POTUS visit to the Taj Mahal. The police said that on January 27 at 2 pm, Obama's plan will land in Agra airbase and then his cavalcade will travel 11 kilometres by road to reach Taj Mahal.

"To tackle any untoward incident, anti-missile system will be stationed in and around Taj Mahal and along Yamuna Expressway. All communicable frequencies will also be jammed in and around Taj Mahal and Yamuna Expressway,".

From Agra to Noida, there will be heavy police presence and paramilitary forces have been deployed. Yamuna Expressway and adjoining villages and areas will turn into fortresses.

For security reasons, the government has decided to close Taj Mahal on January 27 from 9 am to till he leaves, for general public,". The police and paramilitary force will also conduct an intensive drive to scan each and every point of Taj Mahal.

Originally Posted by embee

As per TOI, the UP police have finalized the security plan during POTUS visit to the Taj Mahal. The police said that on January 27 at 2 pm, Obama's plan will land in Agra airbase and then his cavalcade will travel 11 kilometres by road to reach Taj Mahal.

==> UPDATE: Just in from TOI:- The much anticipated visit of US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to Agra has been cancelled as per Uttar Pradesh government officials.

A government spokesman said that the presidential visit "for all practical purposes was over".

The US president will be leaving for Saudi Arabia from New Delhi on January 27.

While Obama has retained the programme of his address to a select gathering in Delhi on January 27, a visit to Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal has been cancelled as the US president will leave from New Delhi for Saudi Arabia whose king Abdullah died on Thursday night.

[avingodb]

I am not sure if the forum allows this but here is the link to my article on expectations from Obama's Delhi visit published in Thursday's Marathi Paper Loksatta (sorry non-marathi BHPians!)
http://epaper.loksatta.com/c/4335434

I am going to write one in English after the visit and will share that too if its all right.

[embee]

As per TOI, there will be CCTV eyes on every blade of grass in central Delhi....

Central Delhi is under hawk-eye surveillance, thousands of CCTV cameras scanning every inch of ground around Rajpath and adjoining areas ahead of Republic Day.

The R&AW, IB, NSG in conjunction with the US's CIA have been working round the clock to sanitize the zone. Around 45,000 Delhi Police personnel are ensuring non-stop surveillance and monitoring.

Highest Security Cover for R-Day..


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/45998435.cms