In old television commercials…the Maytag Repairman was the loneliest working guy around because the company’s appliances were so durable they did not need repairs. Then, are US Secret Service agents in Chicago the second loneliest folks at work?
Maybe.
There is a detail of agents assigned to guard the Hyde Park home of the Obamas. On Election Night 2008, Secret Service moved into the neighborhood to protect the Obama residence. Cement barricades went up. Surveillance cameras appeared. Signs were posted warning that a walk down certain streets would make you subject to a search.
It’s understandable. Americans want their First Families protected. That means their house gets protection, too.
The bonus for the neighbors is…they now live in one of the most secure areas in the country.
We ran into neighbor Dale Charletta while he was walking his “Hyde Park poodle”…the local nickname for a Rottweiler.
Thanks to having the President nearby Charletta says, “This became the lowest crime district in Chicago. From medium crime to almost none.”
Another neighbor, Robert Taylor chimed in, “They don’t let any suspicious behavior go on very long. They will tell you you need to stop that.”
The ‘they’ Taylor refers to are the Secret Service agents.
And as the name implies, the agents are rather secretive about what they do. We called to ask some questions about generally what is done to make sure that the Obama home has the same level of protection as the White House. We were told that we should “go have a look for yourself”.
So, we did.
Three minutes after we arrived…just outside the secure area…an agent approached. He asked who were were and what we were doing. The agents also reminded us to stay across the street from the secure perimeter.
But that might have been as busy as that agent was in some time…because the Obamas haven’t been around.
Their last overnight visit was a year ago. The First Family flew back to Chicago right around Valentines Day 2009 for a brief visit home. The President and First Lady hit the town…going out for a romantic dinner for two at one of their favorite restaurants.
Since then, the President made an un-scheduled one-hour return to the house last July while in the city to attend a pair of fund-raisers.
That’s it.
The rest of the time the Obama home has been un-occupied…except of course for the Secret Service agents keeping watch.
It doesn’t sound that busy or exciting. To be honest…to this reporter…it sounds down right dull.
But it could be worse. They could work in the Maytag repair shop. Watch reaction here..