The Prince and the Duchess Come to Town

"Don't drive in to work tomorrow," my SIL warned me at brunch yesterday.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Prince Charles is hosting a luncheon at the Ferry Building," she answered. Her office is in the building and she then told us about the security measures being put in place. "There's FBI, CIA, Secret Service, MI-3 or 5 or whatever the British security is," she said.

Sure enough, there were barricades this morning around the entrance. At lunch time, the plazas in front and across the street were empty. The restaurant was deserted. And there were police cars prominently parked for a block in either direction, from several Bay Area cities.

The first floor of the Ferry Building has several commercial shops as well as restaurant and a cafeteria. I wonder how much revenue they lost since their regular customers were not allowed inside during lunch hour. I noticed that there was a lot of traffic where there usually isn't much and, judging by their horns, the drivers were a bit more impatient.

On some level it must be a bit galling to realize that people are more peeved by the inconvenience of your visit than honored. And that organic farming is not high on most people's list of social concerns.

In other words, that you are completely useless, even though you are the Crown Prince of England.