Bush Shuns Copter, Rides Truck Home
WASHINGTON — President Bush, noting the shutdown of non-essential government services, forsook his helicopter and limousine on Monday and returned from Camp David in a small four-wheel-drive truck--which got stuck in traffic.
Despite a police escort, Bush’s truck and the other 11 vehicles in his motorcade were halted behind a half-mile backup at a construction site on the heavily traveled Capital Beltway, about 10 miles from the White House.
That wasn’t the only mishap for Bush’s motorcade on its trip here from the presidential retreat in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland.
Along the way, a tire blew out on the accompanying Secret Service “war wagon,†and the heavily fortified station wagon had to pull to the side of the road. Agents toting machine guns hopped out, commandeered a Park Service police car and used it to rejoin the motorcade.
The President opted for the 90-minute drive because of the partial government shutdown, an aide said. She said it was cheaper to drive than to take a helicopter as usual.
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