My classmates and I were informed yesterday morning that Vice President Joe Biden will be visiting our school today.
Because our building contains enough flammable materials to level half of the campus (it IS a welding shop, after all) no one is allowed to occupy the building while he is visiting from mid-morning to early afternoon. Since that is most of our class time, and since we cannot weld or even enter the building, we have been given the day off.
After this announcement was made, there was silence. There were no cheers, no “wow!” or “cool!” or other positive responses towards the veep’s visit. In fact, over half of the class expressed disbelief that we were going to be held back from our welding practice so that a politician could make a campaign stop. A half-dozen guys were actually pissed off about it because they had chosen this particular day to either take a certification test or prep for one tomorrow.
While our class is short in the “female” demographic” (we only have one in a class of 40), we are pretty well rounded in every other demographic (age, race, economic background, etc.).
When you can piss off a “diverse” group of 39 males and one female with a single photo-op, you know you’re doing something wrong.
Myself, I’m not very upset about it. I am testing for a 3/8″ plate TIG certification next week. I practiced the first three days of this week so far and will continue on Friday.
Additionally, I’ll be going out for a dry run job interview today. It’ll involve a fabrication test, so I get to weld either way.
Plus, when I get home later today, I can turn on the TV and see Sheriff Joe make his daily gaffe. Then, on my lunch break tomorrow, I can go and stand in that exact spot and laugh about it some more.
So, if the shop and building are cleared of class mates, who will provide the adoring crowd for the prince’s visit?
“…Then, on my lunch break tomorrow, I can go and stand in that exact spot and laugh about it some more.”
Unless his gaffe involves any of the explosive materials mentioned.
As for adoring fans, they’ll probably just bring their own. Only this time in welding aprons and coveralls instead of the lab coats they had them wear for the Obamacare photo ops.
All of the airspace will be closed as well. The impact on the local economy of these visits is ridiculous.
Years ago, I was trying to drive out of the parking garage of the Houston Galleria. The cars in front of me were stopped by police. First lady Hillary Clinton was shopping somewhere inside, and so the street was blocked. I reparked and tried to go back into the mall, but the police weren’t letting anyone in/back into the mall. Walked to a restaurant, wasted time, came back, streets still blocked. Three full hours before they let us drive out.
One of my dreams, if I ever got into politics big enough to get a security detail, would be to take an unexpected and unplanned side-trip to a gun show just to watch all the squirming among the suits and grins among the unwashed rabble.
Gorram nobility.