Wally
Wally GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
7/3/11 2:01 a.m.

He's riding around in a million dollar state of the art fortress on wheels and they can't get the man a magnet that will stay on the car on the highway?

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110702_On_Obama_s_visit__presidential_seal_blew_off_his_limo_on_I-76__it_later_was_recovered.html

On Obama's visit, presidential seal blew off his limo on I-76; it later was recovered

There's nothing quite like that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you just know that you've lost something important.

It happens to people all the time - especially travelers.

Some folks leave a favorite T-shirt behind in a hotel room. Others drop a set of keys at the airport.

Just ask, ahem, President Obama. Seems the big guy lost a magnetic presidential seal that was affixed to the side of his limousine as he wrapped up a fundraising visit to Philly on Thursday.

The seal flew off the side of the limo and whipped by motorists in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 76, where it was presumed lost . . . until shortly before noon yesterday.

That's when a veteran Philadelphia police officer found the seal on the side of the highway, near the Montgomery Avenue exit, while he was assisting the driver of a disabled vehicle, said Cynthia Wofford, the special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Philadelphia field office.

"The officer was a part of the presidential motorcade the night before," Wofford said. "It was turned over, so it wasn't so obvious, but he found it for us."

Wofford said members of the motorcade saw the seal fall from Obama's limo as it traveled on the expressway.

A handful of law-enforcement officials tried searching for the seal in the darkness on Thursday to no avail.

"We're very grateful. It's in my office now, but it will be shipped back to Washington, D.C.," Wofford said.

The Police Department declined to identify the officer.

Obama's presidential seal has made the news at least once before,

On Oct. 5, 2010, as the president was addressing Fortune magazine's 2010 Most Powerful Women Summit at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., his speech was interrupted when the seal on the front of the lectern clattered to the floor.

The president paused, peered over the top of the lectern, and said: "Oh, goodness," then added, "That's all right. All of you know who I am."

integraguy
integraguy SuperDork
7/3/11 6:56 a.m.

How embarrassing.....first, the presidential limo is "hung up" during the tour of Europe a month ago, and now this. I guess even when you're the owner of the car that transports "THE most powerful person on earth", you will occasionally have a few "mishaps".

triumph7
triumph7 Reader
7/3/11 8:02 a.m.

When I saw the title of this thread I was going to ask what the seal had to say about it.

Stealthtercel
Stealthtercel HalfDork
7/3/11 10:54 a.m.

So... the Seal is attached with a magnet because if somebody else besides the President grabs the car for a coffee run, it would be improper to have the Seal in place? Because after the warranty runs out and it's time to trade it in, the car shouldn't be identifiable? Because sometimes it's better to keep a low profile in a twenty-car motorcade?

I'm having trouble with this whole concept.

fifty
fifty Reader
7/3/11 10:59 a.m.

Wally FTW!

Joke teller said: The mechanic looks up at him and says, "Hmm... Looks like you've blown a seal." "Oh no," laughs the penguin, "That's only ice cream."
DoctorBlade
DoctorBlade HalfDork
7/3/11 11:02 a.m.

No No... the proper come back is...

So I pulled into a Shell station; they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay, pal?"

Link to Lyrics

Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
7/3/11 11:29 a.m.
Stealthtercel wrote: So... the Seal is attached with a magnet because if somebody else besides the President grabs the car for a coffee run, it would be improper to have the Seal in place? Because after the warranty runs out and it's time to trade it in, the car shouldn't be identifiable? Because sometimes it's better to keep a low profile in a twenty-car motorcade?

Probably so that he can change vehicles and make it official whichever one he's in. Or also give them the option of removing it so that it is a bit less conspicuous. Maybe slap the seal on a different limo to mislead people. Sure, he's in a 20 car motorcade, but they'd have to know which car to hit.

Stealthtercel
Stealthtercel HalfDork
7/3/11 11:43 a.m.

Meanwhile, my local 16-year-old says that if the Presidential limo were REALLY cool it would have the Seal on a panel that could rotate into position when needed, like the Green Hornet's licence plates.

alex
alex SuperDork
7/3/11 12:28 p.m.

^^ We have a winner.

Tom Suddard
Tom Suddard GRM+ Memberand SonDork
7/3/11 1:04 p.m.
Stealthtercel wrote: Meanwhile, my local 16-year-old says that if the Presidential limo were REALLY cool it would have the Seal on a panel that could rotate into position when needed, like the Green Hornet's licence plates.

If it did that, where would the rocket launchers go?

keethrax
keethrax HalfDork
7/3/11 1:48 p.m.
DoctorBlade wrote: No No... the proper come back is... So I pulled into a Shell station; they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay, pal?" Link to Lyrics

Thanks for making sure I didn't have to look that up.

daytonaer
daytonaer Reader
7/3/11 2:41 p.m.

I'm no expert, but from the pictures I have seen, they stick the magnetic "seal"/emblem over a gun port on the door, so it makes sense to me to have it "mobile"

Joshua
Joshua Reader
7/3/11 4:52 p.m.

I don't see why it's such a big deal? I highly doubt the President himself was the one who put it on the car so why do they try and make it sound so personal?

 "Just ask, ahem, President Obama. Seems the big guy lost a magnetic presidential seal that was affixed to the side of his limousine as he wrapped up a fundraising visit to Philly on Thursday."

It's pretty disrespectful IMHO.

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado SuperDork
7/3/11 6:52 p.m.

The LEO's a better guy than I am..I woulda taken it home and taken a picture of it stuck on my fridge before I gave it back.

EDIT: Or better yet, on every car in the fleet! "Why, yes..that is the President's VW Golf.."

DoctorBlade
DoctorBlade HalfDork
7/3/11 7:19 p.m.
keethrax wrote:
DoctorBlade wrote: No No... the proper come back is... So I pulled into a Shell station; they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay, pal?" Link to Lyrics
Thanks for making sure I didn't have to look that up.

It's one of my favorite songs.

Osterkraut
Osterkraut SuperDork
7/3/11 7:46 p.m.

Well damn, you'd think he'd just have given the SEAL that shot Osama a medal or something...

Rimshot.

JoeyM
JoeyM SuperDork
7/3/11 9:00 p.m.
DoctorBlade wrote: No No... the proper come back is... So I pulled into a Shell station; they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay, pal?" Link to Lyrics

...one of my favorite songs from the Dr. Demento show.

internetautomart
internetautomart SuperDork
7/3/11 9:25 p.m.

I'll bet the magnet was made in China....

Rufledt
Rufledt HalfDork
7/3/11 9:37 p.m.

I'd say duct tape it on too, but I saw a magnetic number plate that was also taped on fall off. Drywall screws would be my answer. Self tapping-into-armor-plating screws.

If drywall screws can keep the trim on a '92 Buick, they can keep the Presidential seal on a limo.

oldsaw
oldsaw SuperDork
7/3/11 9:37 p.m.
JoeyM wrote:
DoctorBlade wrote: No No... the proper come back is... So I pulled into a Shell station; they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay, pal?" Link to Lyrics
...one of my favorite songs from the Dr. Demento show.

How about the actual video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l1GvDWtccI

Of course, that seal would never have blown off if the car was in The Slaw Lane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyI9VxOtFX8&feature=related

fasted58
fasted58 HalfDork
7/3/11 9:47 p.m.

If I found it I'd keep it for my fridge or stash it for future $$

finders keepers

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
7/6/11 5:43 a.m.
Article said: it later was recovered

That thing would be hanging on my garage wall in a heatbeat!

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 Dork
7/6/11 8:20 a.m.

Lipstick on a pig?

DoctorBlade
DoctorBlade HalfDork
7/6/11 8:32 a.m.
How about the actual video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l1GvDWtccI

It never occurred to me that they made a video for it. Wow.

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