Will Massive Security For Papal Visit Cause People To Think Twice About Coming To Philly?
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Will word of a possible security fence discourage people from attending the events in Philadelphia when Pope Francis comes to town this September? A top tourism official in the city remains optimistic.
Talk of an eight-foot security fence, long walks and no driving from river to river may prove to be too high a hurdle for some considering attending the Pope's public events.
But Meryl Levitz, president of the tourism agency Visit Philadelphia, predicts many more will endure:
"I think there will be far more people who say 'it is worth it' and are willing to put up with whatever it takes than those who say that it isn't."
The Secret Service also doesn't plan to reveal the exact street closures and the boundaries of the Papal security zone until early September.
"We would love to know everything," says Levitz. "But I think we all have to accept that's not going to happen. As one person told me, 'Meryl, we're the SECRET Service'."
The absence of info may fuel rumors, but Levitz says right now no information is better than misinformation.
