I wonder if the Secret Service have a protocol for this? In a fairly low-tech glitch to Obama’s visit of the Irelands, his super-limo beached itself leaving the US Embassy in Dublin. We’ve all had that feeling before, driving over a severely angled parking ramp or such, waiting for the car to scrape. The longer the car, the worse the problem.

By the sounds of the horrible clanging sound at the beginning of the video, the official Presidential Limo becomes horribly stuck, much to the delight of the Irish crowds.

The Presidential Limo is nicknamed “The Beast” – and for good reason. It’s actually built on a truck chassis, with ridiculously thick steel plated armour, sculpted to look a bit like a Cadillac. It has things like spare shotguns hidden in the doors and enough oxygen to last a few hours, in case everyone around the big guy is killed and he has to wait for back up. The limo is flown with him around the world, and given that this is the President’s first trip outside the USA since the killing of Osama Bin Laden, security is tight.

I imagine this will make the news later this evening.

By the way, rumour has it that when Obama has a pint of Guiness later today, the keg will have been flown in with him from the USA, for safety concerns. Now that is just silly.

Full video here, and detailed image of The Beast below.

Click image for full size