At All cost question.

I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

You could make the same argument in OTL about Princess Diana, her driver was drunk and on drugs. She wasn't an ambassador on official business, but still was a VIP.

saber964 wrote:I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

saber964 wrote:I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

You are interpreting this in the light of our present-day situation. Is there any text evidence that other Honorverse diplomats feel the need for close-in 24x7 security? Aside from Graysons, whose armsmen are a cultural thing?

saber964 wrote:I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

Ah, a question about he awful book! But this isn't part of the awful bit in my opinion.

Ambassador Webster had security guards. Webster's personal bodyguard was killed as well. And the rest of Webster's security team promptly killed the Haven ambassador's driver.

Daryl wrote:You could make the same argument in OTL about Princess Diana, her driver was drunk and on drugs. She wasn't an ambassador on official business, but still was a VIP.

Well, she and her boyfriend got driven by the driver for the nightclub iirc. Sometimes getting something for free isn't a bargain.

dscott8 wrote:

saber964 wrote:I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

You are interpreting this in the light of our present-day situation. Is there any text evidence that other Honorverse diplomats feel the need for close-in 24x7 security? Aside from Graysons, whose armsmen are a cultural thing?

Not really about the current RW situation but ambassadors in friendly law abiding countries like Canada or Japan or Singapore have trained drivers and at least a bodyguard to keep the local media and riff raff at arm length. But in unsafe and dangerous countries the security gets a lot higher.

dscott8 wrote:

saber964 wrote:I have a question about At All Cost?

What was the Havenite Ambassador doing with a civilian driver of his limousine?
I mean seriously, an ambassador out with a civilian driver provided by a limousine service. At a minimum an ambassador would have at least one or two bodyguards plus a escape and evasion trained driver. Plus the driver would never get out of the vehicle in case the situation goes to hell and the VIP has to evacuate the area in a hurry.

You are interpreting this in the light of our present-day situation. Is there any text evidence that other Honorverse diplomats feel the need for close-in 24x7 security? Aside from Graysons, whose armsmen are a cultural thing?

Well look at Honor she flies around Manticore with an armored air-limo with a two stingship escort from the Queens Own regiment with orders to be smoking fireballs before anyone gets into range of the Duchess. Now admittedly the Duchess has survived one public assassination attempt on Manticore and is a close personal friend of the Empress, which gives her a leg up on getting extra protection.

saber964 wrote:
Well look at Honor she flies around Manticore with an armored air-limo with a two stingship escort from the Queens Own regiment with orders to be smoking fireballs before anyone gets into range of the Duchess. Now admittedly the Duchess has survived one public assassination attempt on Manticore and is a close personal friend of the Empress, which gives her a leg up on getting extra protection.

Having The Queen's Own provide stingships for Honor's escort obviates the need for two-tone green over green stingships from the Steadholder's Own of the Harrington Guard. At least in Manticore.

Fox2! wrote:

saber964 wrote:
Well look at Honor she flies around Manticore with an armored air-limo with a two stingship escort from the Queens Own regiment with orders to be smoking fireballs before anyone gets into range of the Duchess. Now admittedly the Duchess has survived one public assassination attempt on Manticore and is a close personal friend of the Empress, which gives her a leg up on getting extra protection.

Having The Queen's Own provide stingships for Honor's escort obviates the need for two-tone green over green stingships from the Steadholder's Own of the Harrington Guard. At least in Manticore.

Well it would be like a state governor flying in helicopter with a AH-64 Apache gunship escort.

saber964 wrote:Well it would be like a state governor flying in helicopter with a AH-64 Apache gunship escort.

Not really. It would be like POTUS being escorted by an F-15 or two during times of war.