Things for looking up:

During my vacation I walked past a U.S. Consulate office. A car was just parking at the curb in front. I noticed two odd objects leaning against a wall. Each consisted of a large mirror (about a foot square) attached to a broom handle at a wide angle. A man picked one up, and I was curious to see what he would do with it. He held the mirror near the ground at the back of the car that had just parked, obviously checking for any suspicious object that might be attached to its underside. Suddenly I had a great urge to walk quickly away.

On my way back I again passed the U.S. Consulate office. An insert in my right shoe had gotten painfully out of position and I needed a place to sit down, take the shoe off and adjust the insert. Large circular planters outside the consulate looked like a good place to sit, but I think if I had removed my shoe there, I would have been tackled.