So my hubby was on his way to work Thursday morning about 7:45 - 8:00 AM in the nasty cold and icy weather headed for Tysons Corner. He turned left from Cedar Lane onto Gallows Road and before he could even make it to the second light he encountered a little "quasi-motorcade". First car (furthest from him) looked like an unmarked police cruiser - bubblegum machine, lots of antennas and darkened windows and all that. Second car (the 'protected' car) looked pretty near identical except it was a different color and no bubblegum machine up-top. Third car was actually a huge SUV with some big suited-up goon sitting backwards in the cargo area staring down all the traffic behind them and trying to intimidate. Hubby said that they were driving about 15 mph!! Then - two of the cars ahead of him tried to pass the "motorcade" and the SUV started swerving between both lanes and blocking each attempt. At the same time as the SUV starts swerving all over the road, 2 more huge suited-up goons start leaning out the back windows shouting and shaking their fists at the attempted passers.

Finally, my husband was able to make his turn off of Gallows onto a side street, but the motorcade carried on as if they would cross Route 7 and hit International.

So - the question now is - WHO was in that middle car?????????

could be anyone. cold be a foreign official, you name it.\

i work a block away from the white house. see this stuff every other day.

gets old after a while

Could be anyone. You see this stuff all the time in this area. Did you just move here?

"bubblegum machine" WTF?

And another thing. For something that you did not see you sure seem to have a ton of facts about it.

Not difficult to repeat information given to me by my husband.

Downtown, yes I agree, you see it all the time especially if you're only a block away from the White House. It isn't as common here in FFX County though! Yes, I've seen a REAL motorcade many times, but that is precisely why I phrased my question the way I did as this seemed much less "official".

Seriously - no reason to bash me. If you think I'm stupid for asking, just ignore it! I'm simply a curious (long-time) resident of FFX and thought that someone on this board might be able to shed some light on exactly who was in that car!

Oh and pardon me for using a slang term - bubblegum machine" - which I grew up using. Again, no need for the bashing!

Unfortunately...most on here feel the need to add insult and profanity into every conversation. I suspect it is a young male crowd with a little bit too much testosterone and insufficient gray matter.

This happens in DC all the time. Used to be reserved for really high ups like the President but then everyone got to feeling they were just as important. Next thing you know even the mayor of DC started having motorcades. I think I am important so that makes me important.
More of the let them eat cake attitude that our elected officials have today.

If I read you right it was three cars in all. Couldnt have been anyone too important for that few of cars. Maybe a department head needing to get to Tysons for an early bird sale.

I've seen motorcades like that around here before. I've always assumed that it had something to do with that National Counter-terrorsim Center over off of International Drive. The CIA also [supposedly] has offices in the office park behind the Galleria. It's not an every day occurrence, but I've seen it a few times. I've never seen them shout or shake their fists at other drivers, that's pretty hilarious.

Also, I doubt you'll find out who it was. I don't think they'd announce something like that.

As stated several times above, the protectee could be just about anyone and the "goons" were most likely Secret Service or US Marshall Service. I saw a similar caravan nearly every morning on Cedar Lane turning towards Fairfax on Lee Highway when I worked in Tysons and always wondered who was inside.

I have several friends in the Secret Service and was surprised to learn the scope (not specific details, obviously) of people and positions in the metro DC area receiving protection. Paul McNulty, former Deputy AG, had children at our high school and his security detail at school events was pretty visible - similar to what you are describing.

"bubblegum machine"

Who the hell is your dad? Joe Friday?

It was me making a Starbucks run.Sorry the boys were rude

It was a foriegn official coming from Tiffany's.
I have seen that alot. It is usually an Asian.

or an indian.

I don't know who it was, but I got stopped on I66 the other day for a similar motorcade. They were escorting a fallen hero to Arlington Cemetery. Traffic was stopped on 66 right after Nutley St. while a long line of motorcycles and cars headed into the city. I can't recall the guy's name, but it seems that stopping traffic is no big deal anymore, so blocking is pretty mild.

That is all

It was EJ on his way to work.

That was Meade on his way to his next show.

The guy who makes the doughnuts. Apparently he over slept. FFX county was rushing him to the nearest Dunkin's.

Fairfax Hospital is on Gallows... maybe it was someone coming from there.

Vince Wrote:
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> Unfortunately...most on here feel the need to add
> insult and profanity into every conversation. I
> suspect it is a young male crowd with a little bit
> too much testosterone and insufficient gray
> matter.

You are such a retard! What FUCK type of post it that? Now back to my World of Warcraft!

most likely a foreign official goons you describe sound likee DSS Diplomat Security Sevices for the U.S. Secretary of State, They have to baby sit alot of dignitaries, usually they're nice guys to chat with not usual Fed pogues.

Suburbanite Wrote:
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> I don't know who it was, but I got stopped on I66
> the other day for a similar motorcade. They were
> escorting a fallen hero to Arlington Cemetery.
> Traffic was stopped on 66 right after Nutley St.
> while a long line of motorcycles and cars headed
> into the city. I can't recall the guy's name, but
> it seems that stopping traffic is no big deal
> anymore, so blocking is pretty mild.

I was driving to the Jacksonville Airport last year and an large number of police motorcycles, cruisers, and a swat van were escorting a limo. The motorcycles sped up to get to the next few lights to stop all traffic so the limo could sail on through the lights without slowing down. It was ridiculous.

When I finally made it to the airport, I asked a security guard what the hell was that all about. The security looked at me like I was insane. "Gene Simmons of Kiss was in that limo" he said.

Should we stop traffic for foreign dignitaries or Gene Simmons?

I don't know this for sure, but I heard that there was a major VIP traveling through Tysons that morning. My cousin works for the secret service and I saw him yesterday. Turns out he was actually on that detail. Kind of interesting actually.

He couldn't really tell me too much but did say the party in question was a lone gentlemen in his mid to late twenties. He was on his laptop furiously typing throughout the entire trip. Dressed impeccably, head to toe in luxurious garments of which the brands my cousin could not even pronounce. He mentioned the motorcade was headed to the toll road and the dignitary was dropped off at a luxurious high-rise office building in Reston. Supposedly his name was EJ

I give credit to Fenty from DC. He stopped that stupid crap a few months back. Now he drives himself around.

Before you had the crack head commander Barry running all over town. Gets me to the crack dealers Jones and step on it!!