No Guests
Security is a natural enough concern, with so many international politicians coming to town, so I guess having the police check out your balcony for assassination sight-lines makes a little sense (but very little; common sense arguments abound). Still, can they really outlaw guests? Maybe I’ve been planning a big dinner party for the September 8-9 weekend, all my friends and relatives on their way, invitations sent, RSVP’s received, wine chilling in the fridge, deposit down with the caterer. . . . You’re really going to cancel my party? Are you worried a guest might bring an RPG? Play at Lee Harvey Oswald?

Inserting APEC into my living room is pushing the friendship.

(When Al Gore was visiting the 92nd Street Y, I had a phalanx of motorcycle cops sitting under my window for about two hours, running their engines, until the fumes were more than even I could stand - and I was a smoker back then. When I went out to complain, I was subsequently prevented from re-entering my building until Al had moved on. I got a very polite apology from the Secret Service in the end. And probably a case file.)