This is what threw a wrench in my perfectly planned spot. Minutes before the parade started
a line of CERT (basically citizens trained to support in emergency situations) people lined up right in front of me across the road...

The police on the west side of Michigan Ave were backed up by at least 10 feet off of Michigan Ave down Chicago Ave - behind people and out of the way
so that people who had been standing there for over two hours in front to get a good view could actually see,
but for some reason the CERT people on my side were standing about five feet into Michigan Ave.

I couldn't get clear shots until the buses were almost even with me, and then still ended up having to shoot between heads,
and while the buses weren't going very fast, they weren't going that slow, either.

I switched to continuous shooting mode and was glad I did - it was they only way I had a chance to maybe get a few lucky shots.

I wouldn't have been so peeved if the CERT folks weren't taking cell phone pictures and videos just like the rest of us.
A lot of people were yelling at the CERT people to move, but why would they? They had a great spot. Grr.