The White House has issued new information clarifying its flip-flops -- or rather, clarifying that flip-flops are forbidden.
signs have popped up at various White House entrances -- including the press entrance and the staff and visitors' entrance at the southwest gate -- along with e-mails to staff members, to remind everyone, particularly tour groups, that, even in these times of sinking poll numbers, proper attire is to be maintained.
The e-mail reminder was all in capital letters. It advised that there would be no jeans, sneakers, shorts, miniskirts, T-shirts, tank tops and -- with boldface added -- "NO FLIP FLOPS."
Dress code for staff? Make it tophat and tails. Dress code for reporters? Sure; it's a working environment.
Dress code for tourists that outlaws standard tourist attire? That's a bit odd. Especially because they apparently don't tell you about it until you've reached the front of the tour line. At which point you have to leave, change your clothes, and come back.
I actually have a hard time believing the White House would do that, so somebody please debunk this if possible. The White House web page explaining the tour rules doesn't mention any clothing requirements. It also mentions that tours must be arranged through your member of Congress, so perhaps would-be tourists get alerted to the dress code sometime prior to their arrival.
And overall -- is the sight of casually dressed citizens touring a building that belongs to them really so unbearable that it must be banned?
Goofs.
White House, politics, midtopia
5 comments:
Geez. What's wrong with requiring that visitors show some respect and don't act as if they are going to the beach??? Would bathing suits be okay with you as well???
I visited the White House last year and as I recall, they do send information as to the proper dress, etc. I did wear Tennis shoes, however, and so did my 80 year old mother-in-law because when you walk a lot, you need good walking shoes. But we also wore nice sportswear. No one said anything to us. Everyone else seemed to be dressed appropriately too. I cannot imagine anyone coming in there in flip-flops!!
JP5
BTW, what's really interesting is now you see these guys---dressed in all black and walking around on the roof---with what looks like AK-47's over their shoulders. I zoomed in and got them on some pictures I took last year. Good to see the WH is being so well-protected.
JP5
It's highly unlikely they're AK-47s. But anybody who attempts a frontal assault on the White House would be pretty stupid. Would have been pretty useless, however, if Flight 93 had made it to its destination.
True---on the Flight 93 comment. That's why those American passengers were such heroes!!
I'm not sure what kind of guns it is. I'm not a gun expert, but they look like military-type guns slung over their shoulders.
It's a bit sad, though. I guess we've always had such security there, but I never saw it before when I was there. Perhaps they WANT to be more visible now.
JP5
I visited the white house in jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes. I also met the president wearing that. Didn't give me any gruff.
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