Federal Reserve Direction

I encountered this street sign while walking past the Federal Reserve today.

Really? I can only use those two streets?

Apparently, if you get this close to the Federal Reserve, you are subsequently only allowed to walk on one of two streets.  Don’t even think about walking down to Lakeside or up to Euclid.  It’s Superior or St. Clair for you!  I’m curious about what this sign says about society.  The sign could have said “sidewalk closed” and assumed that pedestrians would have found a way around.  Or the sign could have side “sidewalk closed, Superior and St. Clair are available,” which would have left the pedestrian the option to choose one of those two streets, or even other streets (e.g., Lakeside, Theresa Ct., Euclid, Vincent).  But, the sign didn’t just announce the problem (sidewalk closed) or provide alternatives.  Instead, it dictated the only two streets you were allowed to walk on.  So, just on principle, I reversed my path and took a different route.  Yes, I’ve been waiting for the secret police for the rest of the day…