I couldn’t avoid the crowds as I tried to make my way to a Heat/Wizards game over at the Verizon Center. These were the crowds I had to put up with at Metro Center.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74zpnMwHxM[/youtube]
Now this is why I stay away from the Cherry Blossoms.
"McGruff!" courtesy of Flickr user crashmaster007
Is DC crime so bad that even The Crime Dog becomes a victim? I was on Gmail and fellow DC Blogger and loosely related associated Meggie Poo had a link to a hilarious story in The Post. Apparently a Metrobus driver walked up to Crime Dog McGruff and punched him in the face. Unfortunately for the driver it wasn’t any old person in the costume but a DC Police officer. The driver fled scene on his Metrobus but was quickly pulled over and caught. When caught the driver explained that he assulted the mascot, “to be funny.”
I’m not going to lie, if I saw a video of someone punch The Crime Dog I’d probably laugh. However it was Metrobus driver , on the job,who pulled over his bus then saw the dog and decided to punch him. I really wouldn’t think about doing something that stupid if I was in uniform on the job. Would you? I have to say chalk this one up to another stupid crime. I also have to laugh at the fact that he punched an officer, not some average Joe, and will proabbly face stiffer charges. So remember if you decided to punch a mascot- he could be a cop.
Even though the it may have been traumatic to be one of those kids who saw the Crime Dog a victim of a crime in front of you, at least the Dog showed that crime doesn’t pay.
WTOP is reporting that 68 year old woman fell on the tracks and was struck by a metro train at 9:30 this morning. Thankfully she’s still alive.
The bad news for inauguration goers (other than the obvious fact that we don’t want anyone to get hurt) is that Metro Center and Gallery Place stations are shut down (as in you can’t get in or out there) and that the crowding is so bad people cannot get in or out of the trains. Metro suggests Farragut North or Judiciary Square as stations to get out and then walk to the mall from-but at this point, if you were thinking of heading down there-the less metro you use the better.
Right now I’m going to say I’d rather get up late, walk to my TV or go to a watch party, and enjoy the ceremony. To me it looks like a hassle to even try and get into town.
Those were the words I wrote in my last post, as I decided at the time I wouldn’t try to go on the mall.
However something funny happened. I made the decision confident that I was falling into the position held by many other of my friends. However upon talking with them on Inaugural plans I found out that I am actually one of the few. All my friends know the risks and perils but still intend on giving it the old college try on Tuesday. (more…)
"Clinton_inauguration_1993_crowds" courtesy of Flickr user dpape
Did estimates of up to 5 million people scare you from coming out to see the Obama Inauguration?
Well how about 2-3 million? Does that number sound more appealing to you?
Inauguration officials are now revising earlier estimates of Inaugural attendees by half. According to the Washington Post, “turnout could easily reach 2 million, officials said, far outstripping the 400,000 who attended the 2005 inauguration of President Bush.”
It doesn’t surprise me that only 400,000 people came out to see Bush swearing in again. I wonder how many of them were protesters.
The WP article notes that 5 million people may come into the DC Metro area, but it seems unlikely that the entire 5 million will actually make it to The Mall and parade route. So does that mean that a fallback plan of watching the festivities at a local pub may not be smart? Trying to fight through the other 2 million that came into town but didn’t want to go the extra mile to be there in person may make leaving my house a nightmare no matter what I do.
I also wonder if this story will entice even more people to try and see the events in-person. Next thing you know we really do have 5 million people in DC because they thought, “5 million people? No way! But 2 million people… maybe I will try and make it in…”
Now for some more Inaugural news.
Obama’s playing the part of Lincoln very well
"Lincoln Bible" courtesy of the Presidential Inaugural Committee
So the Obama’s got the Lincoln train ride thing down. He’s also kicking off Inaugurapalooza with a concert at the Lincoln memorial. And of course we all know Obama’s from the “land of Lincoln.”
He wants to make sure we get the whole Lincoln metaphor down with his decision to use the Lincoln bible to take his Inaugural oath. The bible hasn’t been used in over 150 yearsm since- you guessed it- Abe Lincoln used it. With the announcement the Lincoln bible came out for a little photo op and CBS has some video of it on display.
More Inaugural Weekend Details
It looks like the Inaugural committee has released some more details on the events that weekend, here’s the latest details from the Presidential Inaugural Committee:
Sunday, January 18th
No new details on the welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial except that it will be in the afternoon
Monday, January 19th – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The President-elect, Vice President-elect, and their families are going to honor Dr. King through various community service activities. The earlier reported youth concert at the Verizon Center will be held that evening.
Tuesday, January 20th – Inauguration Day
"the president's own" courtesy of Flickr user happy via
The festivities will start at 10 A.M. but officials say that if you have tickets that you should try and get into the areas around 9. Remember that there’s no overnight camping on The Mall and that you can’t stake a parade spot til 7 AM.
Musical groups to perform include The United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and The San Francisco Girls Chorus. John Williams will conduct an ensemble including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.
Here’s a the current rundown of the ceremony:
President Obama will escort President Bush to a departure ceremony then attend a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
The Inaugural Parade will march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. Here’s a preliminary list of parade participants that have been invited.
Wednesday, January 21st
No new news on the prayer service that will take place that day.
How cushy is an Honorary Co-Chair role?
The committee has also announced their Honorary Co-Chairs which include former President Carter, Clinton, and Bush (the first one.) Mayor Adrian Fenty and Colin Powell are also on the list. While I don’t know what exactly an Honorary Co-Chair does at the Inauguration- I bet he/she will have really good seats.
Talking about seats I was showing a friend around DC last night and we visited the White House where we saw the VIP Grandstand still under construction.
The work looks top notch and there’s a round frame at the top- probably for the Presidential Seal. I also noticed glass partitions installed in the front and center rows. I bet those are probably bullet-proof. There’s also another grandstand structure opposite of this one. That’s probably as close as I’m going to get to the parade- or anything Inaugural for that matter.
More Inauguration Links
The Inauguration Committee on Twitter: http://twitter.com/obamainaugural
Volunteer for the Inauguration: http://www.pic2009.org/page/s/volunteer2
"dc united fans" courtesy of Flickr user jamescalder
Mass transit- it’s transportation for the masses.
The very definition of the word is going to be realized during Inaugural Day weekend when the millions of people that is expected to come out will try out the city’s Metrorail system to get to and from places. It goes without saying that you might experience some delays. I’m not talking about delays that happen when there’s a Nationals game and a Wizards game occurring at the same time- I mean delays that may just may make you dodge the Metro system altogether.
While preparations are being made which includes rush hour service for 17 hours (4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Inauguration Day) lines are expected to be long. General advice includes spending more time around the city so everyone isn’t rushing the system at once; and if you live within 2 miles- just walk. Doesn’t it sound scary when mass transit advises you not to use mass transit?
Well for those that are planning to take the Metro should prepare for fees- WMATA has announced that they will be charging rush-hour rates while providing extended rush hour service. For those that want to park can expect a $4 fee. Typically fares are reduced and parking is free on Federal holidays- however this is clearly not a typical Federal holiday. WMATA is raising the fees in order to cope with increased costs that will be expected with Inauguration.
In other news my excitement over DC’s decision to extend bar serving hours to 5 AM has waned with the D.C. Council’s decision to roll it back to 4 AM. The amended bill now only extends the alcohol serving hours to match similar hours done during New Years. Also the law does not supersede agreements bars may have with local neighborhoods– so that means not every bar will be able to stay open late if they have a deal to close sooner with the neighbors.
I’m not too too disappointed- I mean who is really going to be out drinking til 5 AM? I think those that are should be able to cope with the extra hour of sleep this bill now gives them. I can see myself going out til 3 AM- then getting out of there before things get too dodgy.
Earlier I wrote about the Newseum being open for Inauguration and noting it’s advantageous location. Well it appears that now word has spread and the Newseum is now sold out of tickets for Inauguration Day. Looks like you going to have to find another museum to haunt before your 12 hours of drinking.
"DC: Lincoln Memorial" courtesy of Flickr user wallyg
Another item I wrote about earlier was the Inaugural Kick-Off which is now revealed to be a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There will also be a Children’s concert at the Verizon Center. Both events will be free- check out the Committee website for more information.
With all these events shaping up- where will you go to the bathroom? Well it looks like that there will be over 5,000 Porta-Potties on the mall ready to relieve the masses. While most people would be worried about bathrooms on The Mall- I want to let everyone know that WMATA has also decided to close all their bathrooms during the Inauguration and will also be setting up Porta-Potties where it can outside stations.
I don’t know what will be more chanllenging- finding a way to get there or finding a place to pee?
"Acela train sign" courtesy of Flickr user Savannah Grandfather
We all know that Joe Biden takes the train from Wilmington to Washington DC every day– if you don’t then you’ve been living under a rock.
If you have been you’ve also missed a whole lot more than that.
If you haven’t read my friend’s post from yesterday it looks like President-Elect Obama is taking a page out of his running mate’s playbook. The Inauguration committee has just announced that Barack Obama and Joe Biden will kicking off the inauguration with a series of events being held in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. The two will travel by train and will end their pre-inaugural rock tour in Washington D.C. After all, there’s nothing like a little train ride to hype up the already hyped Inauguration. I do however like the idea of spreading Inauguration out beyond the borders of Washington D.C. I wonder if this means the millions of people that will descend upon D.C. this year will try and hit up Baltimore on their way down. They could use the support.
Whether or not you decide to follow Obama on tour before the Inauguration, the only place you can’t be before Inauguration is The Mall. Several Federal officials have announced that overnight camping will not be allowed on The Mall. Also if you are going to try and stake out a spot for the Parade you will not be allowed to do so until 7 AM that morning.
While we are talking about things we can’t do- I just found this Washington Post article that discusses transportation options around Inauguration. It’s a good guide to refer to for anyone thinking about coming out for the swearing in. I’m very disappointed to hear that bicycles will not be allowed within the security cordon that has yet to be determined. That was going to be my strategy for avoiding the Metro. It seems as if walking is the best way to get anywhere- even in and out of the city. I can see it now, a scene straight out of Cloverfield, thousands of people trying to find an open bridge to walk across to escape DC.
Taken, on Iphone, between Crystal City and the Airport. Yellow Line to Huntington, Doors Closing.
I hope you’ll forgive the Moulin Rouge inspired title, but it fits.
How do I know tomorrow is a holiday? I mean other than getting the day off and, you know, being passingly familiar with a calendar? Well-
Most workday mornings involve me getting on Metro at the Crystal City stop and “reverse commuting” to Old Town. This ensures not only an empty seat, but usually enough room to lay down and play scrabble against someone else on the floor. Not that I would.
This morning? The height of travel frenzy (at almost 10am by the way!) as those using the Ronald Reagan/Washington National Airport were making their way (bags and all) to stand in line to get on a plane and fly home.
I actually had to stand on the way to work. If I wanted to do that, I would work in the District! :-P
All of this by way of saying-safe travels and happy holidays from me (and probably all of the DC Metblog crew).
Metro’s new Red and White Signs indicating you are in a “we can look in your bags” zone.
According to The Washington Post, Metro announced it intends to conduct random bag inspections of passengers using the system. Five to eight Metro Police officers (along with a bomb sniffing dog) are now fully trained and ready to show up and start looking in the bags of Metro Rail and Bus users. The checks won’t happen at all stations or happen all the time but only “when transit police determine that circumstances- such as an elevated threat level- warrant heightened vigilance.”
I, for one, have some serious concerns about this program. Truthfully, my thoughts on all security check-points can be mostly summed up by George Carlin’s discussion of “Airport Security” (Lots of foul language by the way)-but I’m not a complete idiot. I realize that we live in a post-9/11 world and that there are people who would like to do some serious damage to our Nation’s Capitol. But:
This of course is just one view. Maybe I’m missing something? Agree? Disagree? What do you think about Metro’s new Bag Searching Policy?
I’m not a bus person.
Neither was Ludacris in the film “Crash”. Growing up in suburban New England, the bus was never a big part of my life and I’m more of a Metro person now that I live in the city. I do occasionally enjoy the DC Circulator when my friends drag me on it (thanks Cynthia.)
However lots of people do ride the Metrobus and this past week people riding on the U8 line might have noticed an upgraded ride taking them to their daily grind. According to the Washington Post, the new sleek buses will be outfitted with amenities like vandal-resistant seats (cause I hate it when I have to sit on a gang symbol) and handhold straps (in case the vandal-resistant seats do get vandalized.) Right now WMATA is phasing them in slowly and hopefully we can see them in action on the 5A route that runs between L’enfant and Dulles.
I think the busses look really great and maybe it’ll make riding the bus cool enough that maybe I’ll even do it. Has anyone out there seen the new busses yet?
