Machines | Tons of security Dump trucks protect NY Thanksgiving parade

Tons of security: Dump trucks protect NY Thanksgiving parade Why the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Is a 'Dream' for Brands ILE- In this Sept. 24, 2015 file photo, a police office stands guard at a loaded dump truck that serves as a barricade along the perimeter of St. Patrick's Cathedral before the arrival of Pope Francis in New York. More than 80 city sanitation trucks will be used at intersections and other strategic spots along the 2.5 mile Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade route to create an imposing physical barrier to terror. "You can ram a New York City Sanitation Department sand truck with a lot of things, but you're not going to move it," said John Miller, the New York Police Department's top counter-terrorism official. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) Why the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Is a 'Dream' for Brands NEW YORK — Fans of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade who come to see the soaring SpongeBob and Snoopy balloons may get a far less heartwarming sight this year: giant dump trucks filled with sand. More than 80 city sanitation trucks will be used at intersections and other strategic spots along the 2 ½ mile parade route to create an imposing physical barrier to terror. The trucks weigh about 16 tons empty and up to twice that with sand. "You can ram a New York City Sanitation Department sand truck with a lot of things, but you're not going to move it," said John Miller, the New York Police Department's top counterterrorism official.