President's visit prompts street closures

SEATTLE — The signs are all there.  This was no ordinary Sunday in downtown Seattle.  There are the street closed signs.  The no parking signs, too.

"There's no parking downtown, not nowhere. Anywhere."

Kelly Gaddis drove around for 20 frustrating minutes.

Did you get a space? I asked.

"I did get a space but I had to fight for it," Gaddis replied, laughing. "Not literally."

He had to fight because streets are closed off or parking is restricted around the Westin Hotel where President Obama is spending the night. Closed are Virginia Street from Fourth and Sixth avenues and Fifth Avenue from Lenora to Stewart streets.

The monorail won't run for 12 and a half hours, resuming Monday morning -- after the president has left.  Metro buses may have to take alternate routes, too.

>>> Downtown Seattle traffic impacts during President Obama's visit

And then there was the swarm of Secret Service sgents .

And all the Seattle police officers walking the streets. The sight of so many patrol cars had Seattleites asking us a lot of questions.

"What's going on with all the police cars parked down on Fifth here?" asked Catherine Sacre of Seattle.

You noticed them? I asked.

"I did," Sacre replied.

"Kinda talked to somebody and they mentioned somebody special's coming," said Fidel Perez of Seattle.

Do you know who that is? I asked.

"No, I don't," he said. "That's why I'm asking you, to see if you knew."

The president's coming, I told Audubree Brown.

"Really?" he said. "Obama coming downtown? Oh!"

And these downtown Seattle streets won't get back to normal until the president leaves Monday morning.

KIRO