The Huge Inaugural Crowds

[WarEagle]

Scary article about the expected crowd. This says you might should stay home on both MLK day and the inaug. day (19 & 20 Jan). Hopefully most of you have those days off anyway. Also buy extra bread and milk (and beer).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/09/dc-nightmare-looms-from-inaugural-crush/

[guess88]

Scary article about the expected crowd. This says you might should stay home on both MLK day and the inaug. day (19 & 20 Jan). Hopefully most of you have those days off anyway. Also buy extra bread and milk (and beer).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/09/dc-nightmare-looms-from-inaugural-crush/

sounds like prime time to make a profit selling drinks from a cooler!!

[HAWGZHEAD]

I heard on a radio show someone did some math with the square footages of the mall and the people expected to be attending and it gave them an area of 1.25 sq ft of standing room lol.

[AliBabba]

I am thinking of renting out my condo ... I've heard places the size of mine go for over $3000

[hail2skins]

Let the good times roll

[akhhorus]

I am thinking of renting out my condo ... I've heard places the size of mine go for over $3000

I know someone who lives in a house right on the red line in MD who got 20,000 for the week.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

I know someone who lives in a house right on the red line in MD who got 20,000 for the week.
WTF? Thats just like winning the lottery. Lol

[WarEagle]

I saw a segment on CNN today. The city hasn't yet said where they're going to park the 10,000 buses expected for the event. I wouldn't be surprised to see some parked in RFK stadium as well as around it. For point of reference, the Pentagon has about 8,700 parking spaces. For cars.

[akhhorus]

WTF? Thats just like winning the lottery. Lol

There's condos in Crystal/Pentagon City going for 10k for the week. Its nuts. Every hotel room within 100 miles of DC is booked. They're expecting 4-6 million people.

[guess88]

There's condos in Crystal/Pentagon City going for 10k for the week. Its nuts. Every hotel room within 100 miles of DC is booked. They're expecting 4-6 million people.

My worry is that if I were spending 10-20k to stay somewhere for a week, you better damn well know I'm stealing and breaking something.

[AliBabba]

My worry is that if I were spending 10-20k to stay somewhere for a week, you better damn well know I'm stealing and breaking something.
I'm counting on getting someone other than you then

[guess88]

I'm counting on getting someone other than you then

If there's one like me, you know there can only be more!!!

[WarEagle]

Do they still have that revolving restaurant on top of the highrise in Crystal City? So cool! I'd just rent that place out and watch the inaug. from there. I sure wouldn't stand in my alloted 1.5 sq ft of space on the Mall.

[RedskinsDave]

I gotta buy more bullets.

[RedskinsDave]

So now they're closing all of the bridges to D.C. from VA and are telling everyone to take Metro. I can't laugh any harder at how miserable that's going to be.

[BIGREDSKINSFAN1963]

other than the police,emts,and firmen,is the rest of the government gonna be closed on inaguration day?

[fent]

other than the police,emts,and firmen,is the rest of the government gonna be closed on inaguration day?

the fed wasn't 4 years ago. a lot of the congressional offices didn't even let their staff off work to go since there are so many constituents in the office that day.

and to Dave's metro point, i can recall being stuck on platforms unable to get on a train just because of a couple hundred people trying to get on after work...good luck getting on one of those trains if you're not at the farthest stop on the line.

[WarEagle]

other than the police,emts,and firmen,is the rest of the government gonna be closed on inaguration day?

I thought most nonessential federal (and mil) personnel in DC metro got that day off. Just because they want to keep the traffic down. Many of the Beltway Bandits follow suit. The place is supposed to shut down for this.

Any official civil service guidance? It comes the day after the MLK holiday.

[hail2skins]

So now they're closing all of the bridges to D.C. from VA and are telling everyone to take Metro. I can't laugh any harder at how miserable that's going to be.That is funny. Metro can't even handle normal, daily commuters.

[hail2skins]

The federal government has been given that day off. It's still going to be rough the next couple of days following the inauguration. I was planning to go but I'm keep my butt at home now.

I should go to the metro to see if someone wants to rent my guaranteed parking pass. LMAO :D

[RedskinsDave]

If people know better, they will get on at stops on the ends of each line, like Vienna and Springfield.

I honestly cannot see the justification of closing the bridges to any traffic. They do realize that the hotels and restaurants will be at capacity and their employees will have to get to work. What about businesses in Georgetown where there isn't a stop? This is pure idiocy. Enjoy your change people......

[PyroGenic]

If people know better, they will get on at stops on the ends of each line, like Vienna and Springfield.

I honestly cannot see the justification of closing the bridges to any traffic. They do realize that the hotels and restaurants will be at capacity and their employees will have to get to work. What about businesses in Georgetown where there isn't a stop? This is pure idiocy. Enjoy your change people......

I guess they hoof it from Foggy Bottom or walk across the bridge from Rosslyn

[BIGREDSKINSFAN1963]

i really feel for all you guys that have to drive on or near the beltway.the last time i saw the skins play was 1991.we got up and left for the stadium by 10.just outside of bethesda where we stayed the previous night,we ran into a huge wreck.normally we would have gotten to the game by 11am or so,well we walked in during the middle of the national anthem around 1 pm.no sooner had we sat down,than the game started.like i said,god bless you guys for living near and around those 8 lanes of insanity it's a remarkable thing to do day in and out.

[PyroGenic]

Does anybody know when, exactly, they're going to be shutting down the bridges? I'm playing music that entire weekend, the day before, and on inauguration day in the district, and I REALLY don't want to have to lug instruments around on the metro with a bunch of tourists. I've already committed myself to misery on the day of the inauguration, but the if they close the bridges on say, Monday night, my discontent may spill over to other days, and that'd suck.

[RedskinsDave]

Well this was all posted before they decided to shut down 395 and 66 inside the beltway. This is going to be a cluster-**** at epic proportions. Was there no thought given to those of us who couldn't give a damn?

If security concerns are this great, then I am sorry you have to cancel it. Make it a ticket only event at Fedex and only inconvenience the people who want to go there.

[PyroGenic]

Wow... so basically everything north of the mixing bowl in springfield and 66 near gallows is going to be shut down? Beautiful. I'm asking for more money lol

[RedskinsDave]

I'm guessing that Arlington Blvd (50) and Van Dorn will be bumper to bumper all day and night. I haven't heard one single thing inconveniencing the Marylanders, other than making them live in Maryland of course :D

[WarEagle]

My bro-in-law's law firm down here closes each inaguaration day so everyone can stay home and watch history. I think that's a good idea - especially for employees in the national capital region.

I actually think the poor economy is going to keep the crowds smaller than anticipated.

[PyroGenic]

My bro-in-law's law firm down here closes each inaguaration day so everyone can stay home and watch history. I think that's a good idea - especially for employees in the national capital region.

I actually think the poor economy is going to keep the crowds smaller than anticipated.

I think the idiotic way they're handling this entire thing will make the crowd smaller than anticipated.

[fent]

I think the idiotic way they're handling this entire thing will make the crowd smaller than anticipated.

there's no way the metro can handle all those people, especially now that they're shutting down everything inside the beltway. boy am i glad i'm not there anymore, otherwise i'd be sleeping in the office the night before. there are going to be some pissed off folks that came from all over trying to see this thing that won't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting to the mall in time.

[Patrick]

This day is going to be unreal. We got reports at staff that Metro is planning to make trains that fill up at the outer most stations "Non-Stop" express trains down to DC. How stupid is that. Closing down bridges, main roadways ........ This is going to a very screwed up day of getting around in the Metro area. ................ AND WHAT could make it worse ..... SNOW..... Yep - 2" or more and this place will just be one huge parking lot. I will LMAO for sure.

[JasonCampbell]

This day is going to be unreal. We got reports at staff that Metro is planning to make trains that fill up at the outer most stations "Non-Stop" express trains down to DC. How stupid is that. Closing down bridges, main roadways ........ This is going to a very screwed up day of getting around in the Metro area. ................ AND WHAT could make it worse ..... SNOW..... Yep - 2" or more and this place will just be one huge parking lot. I will LMAO for sure.

Maybe they should hire these guys to get the full capacity of the trains:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSVQ9T6pHjg

[PyroGenic]

This day is going to be unreal. We got reports at staff that Metro is planning to make trains that fill up at the outer most stations "Non-Stop" express trains down to DC. How stupid is that. Closing down bridges, main roadways ........ This is going to a very screwed up day of getting around in the Metro area. ................ AND WHAT could make it worse ..... SNOW..... Yep - 2" or more and this place will just be one huge parking lot. I will LMAO for sure.

Well, it seems like for where around I live, anybody that's trying to get into DC is going to drive to Vienna, where the Orange Line begins/ends in Virginia, so that they can have a seat and not have to deal with trying to cram into overcrowded trains. Regardless, I have to get 17 guys into DC to play for the inauguration that day. This is starting to sound like a sick joke.

[RedskinsDave]

John Thompson made a very good point on today's show. While I am not a fan of Obama's in any way I certainly appreciate why some older folks who sacrificed a lot see his inauguration as a great day for them. Thompson commented on the security and the amount of walking people are going to have to do. He then asked, what about the old folks who can't go those distances? There are people who sat in the back of buses and who weren't served at lunch counters and there are also plenty who were discriminated against but served their country in wars. If there isn't anything and everything being done to make sure people like that aren't assisted it would not just be a shame, it would be a crime.

[WarEagle]

All 300 or so remaining Tuskegee Airmen have been invited. They're getting excellent seats up front, under the podium.

[RedskinsDave]

All 300 or so remaining Tuskegee Airmen have been invited. They're getting excellent seats up front, under the podium.

Sure, for publicity. What about the 85 year old grandmother who wasn't in a famous aviator unit?

[Patrick]

John Thompson made a very good point on today's show. While I am not a fan of Obama's in any way I certainly appreciate why some older folks who sacrificed a lot see his inauguration as a great day for them. Thompson commented on the security and the amount of walking people are going to have to do. He then asked, what about the old folks who can't go those distances? There are people who sat in the back of buses and who weren't served at lunch counters and there are also plenty who were discriminated against but served their country in wars. If there isn't anything and everything being done to make sure people like that aren't assisted it would not just be a shame, it would be a crime.

I heard this yesterday too and behind him 100%.
The way I see it - this is a very important and special day for ALL African-Americans. That CAN NOT be emphasized enough BUT for those who are of the senior group (70s, 80s, 90s) I can’t even begin to fathom the emotion they are feeling. And I couldn’t agree more with John Thompson about not having some sort of special accommodations for them (or a lot of them) close to the area where Obama will be sworn in. It just seems wrong to me.

[PyroGenic]

I guess security trumps accessibility in this case.

[RedskinsDave]

I guess security trumps accessibility in this case.

That's not the point.

[Keino]

John Thompson made a very good point on today's show. While I am not a fan of Obama's in any way I certainly appreciate why some older folks who sacrificed a lot see his inauguration as a great day for them. Thompson commented on the security and the amount of walking people are going to have to do. He then asked, what about the old folks who can't go those distances? There are people who sat in the back of buses and who weren't served at lunch counters and there are also plenty who were discriminated against but served their country in wars. If there isn't anything and everything being done to make sure people like that aren't assisted it would not just be a shame, it would be a crime.

I heard this yesterday too and behind him 100%.
The way I see it - this is a very important and special day for ALL African-Americans. That CAN NOT be emphasized enough BUT for those who are of the senior group (70s, 80s, 90s) I can’t even begin to fathom the emotion they are feeling. And I couldn’t agree more with John Thompson about not having some sort of special accommodations for them (or a lot of them) close to the area where Obama will be sworn in. It just seems wrong to me.


While I agree with the spirit of your comments 100% it is simply a logisitical nightmare to try and accommodate all of folks 60 years old and older who want to attend and witness history in-person. Having a place for the Tuskeegee Airmen is a nice gesture. Watching it occur on television will be just as emotional and will be safer to boot. Frankly, I think it is a special day for all Americans. It's a huge step in moving beyond issues of race.

[MONK_in_HOF]

I've got an ominous feeling about this event. Cramming that many people into a city that already has congestion issues is a recipe for disaster.

Those going better be prepared for a day of inconvenience. Lots of very slow walking, freezing temperatures and limited restrooms. No thanks, I'll pass.

[PyroGenic]

That's not the point.

It's still impacting what's happening here, and I'm guessing that it's the explanation behind why it's going to be harder for people to make it to the inauguration. I think taking all these precautions, like closing the bridges, is a little more than what's needed, but it's an understandable position to take for this inauguration and social climate we live in.

If you think about it, would you be really all that surprised if there was an assassination attempt on Obama? I know I wouldn't. I know that racism is alive and well in this country, even if it is on a much smaller scale, and it'd still be a tragedy to have to deal with something like that ever again. Even if racism isn't what spurs an assassination attempt, the huge amount of people and publicity has to be an attractive target for purveyors havoc and terror.

I don't agree with having all this excessive security, mainly because it makes my life unnecessarily uncomfortable, and I definitely don't condone depriving a race of witnessing a pinnacle of success for them, so, yeah. That's my stance on that issue.

[WarEagle]

Must remind you that HBO has exclusive rights to air the Springsteen, Bono, and others concert from the Mall on Sunday afternoon, so if you get tired of the game you can switch back & forth.

[JasonCampbell]

Must remind you that HBO has exclusive rights to air the Springsteen, Bono, and others concert from the Mall on Sunday afternoon, so if you get tired of the game you can switch back & forth.

And isn't that free for everyone? Do I just change the channel to HBO and I'll get the feed?

[WarEagle]

And isn't that free for everyone? Do I just change the channel to HBO and I'll get the feed?

Don't know.

[JasonCampbell]

Don't know.

If you don't have HBO, just change it to that channel and you can watch it.

[CarMike]

If you don't have HBO, just change it to that channel and you can watch it.

Did they do this for Bush? No need to answer. I already know the answer.

[JasonCampbell]

Did they do this for Bush? No need to answer. I already know the answer.

Who do you mean, they? Didn't Obama (or his people) get all this organized?

[Biggie]

Did they do this for Bush? No need to answer. I already know the answer.
I don't think Bruce Springsteen was going to headline a concert for GWB.

[CarMike]

I don't think Bruce Springsteen was going to headline a concert for GWB.

THANK GOD

[CarMike]

Who do you mean, they? Didn't Obama (or his people) get all this organized?

HBO/Liberal media

[WarEagle]

It looked fun but cold out there. I think the president and his inauguration staffers design exactly what they'll do the weekend before the swearing-in. They want to get the public involved. This one was pretty elaborate.
U-2 comes on at around 80 minutes into the 2 hr show. They were fantastic.

[CarMike]

Wow, just read where this "party" is four times more expensive than the old most expensive inauguration.

[akhhorus]

Link (http://culture11.com/blogs/theconfabulum/wp-content/uploads/image/DSC_1005.JPG)

Lol.

[akhhorus]

Did they do this for Bush? No need to answer. I already know the answer.

To be fair, Dubya had Ricky Martin as the headliner for his pre-inaugural concert in 2001 and Hillary Duff in 2005 lol.

[hail2skins]

Link (http://culture11.com/blogs/theconfabulum/wp-content/uploads/image/DSC_1005.JPG)

Lol.I think that sign was in Dupont Circle. If not, there was another one like it there near the Big Hunt. Saw one like it on the way to Buffalo Billiards the other day

[WarEagle]

Lots of visitors invading the Mall monday, waving at news cameras. Hope it ain't too cold for them on tuesday. Best view will be on TV. If anyone here intends to venture into D.C., share the experience with us please.

[hail2skins]

Currently, the Red Line is shutdown. This is one of the more popular lines for folks that don't know. It is being reported that someone was struck by a train. Not sure if it was a worker or commuter.

[akhhorus]

Currently, the Red Line is shutdown. This is one of the more popular lines for folks that don't know. It is being reported that someone was struck by a train. Not sure if it was a worker or commuter.

A woman fainted and fell in front of a train at Gallery Place.

[WarEagle]

DC looks beautiful on the Sony HDTV down here. Crisp sunny day.

[JasonCampbell]

DC looks beautiful on the Sony HDTV down here. Crisp sunny day.

I laugh at all the people freezing, unable to see anything and watching it on a jumbotron while I sit in the comfort of my home on my HDTV

[hail2skins]

I laugh at all the people freezing, unable to see anything and watching it on a jumbotron while I sit in the comfort of my home on my HDTVI don't think anyone who went would say they missed anything or that the weather affected them. They just wanted be there live.

It is an experience. I went to Clinton's inauguration. Mind you I didn't have to deal with what they're dealing with today but it was an experience I won't forget.

I switch from Fox to CNN because Fox wasn't broadcasting in 16:9. They should be ashamed.

[PyroGenic]

A woman fainted and fell in front of a train at Gallery Place.

So that's why it was closed down... ick.

[WarEagle]

So that's why it was closed down... ick.

A later report (on Drudge) said she was okay. Taken to the hospital. I was in the front car of a subway in Boston when it hit and killed a line worker on the Longfellow Bridge. The crew and MBTA cops were visibly shaken up.

Beautiful inauguration today. I hope Sen Kennedy is okay. He had a seizure during the lunch, per Fox News.

[hail2skins]

I had some cousins who tried to go. They left my mom's place around 5am this morning and walked down to the mall. My mom is about 11 blocks from the mall. It was so packed, by then they couldn't get in.

[hail2skins]

I was expecting to see a friend of mine who plays with the Pershing Own. Just got a quick glance of him. He's one of the drummers who plays with the Herald Trumpets who performs the Presidential Fanfare. They showed them lining up in front of the reviewing stand before they (CNN) went to commercial.

[JasonCampbell]

I had some cousins who tried to go. They left my mom's place around 5am this morning and walked down to the mall. My mom is about 11 blocks from the mall. It was so packed, by then they couldn't get in.

Wow, that's insane.

[hail2skins]

I actually think that the security folks and organizers were extra cautious and didn't let as many in as they could have.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

I had some cousins who tried to go. They left my mom's place around 5am this morning and walked down to the mall. My mom is about 11 blocks from the mall. It was so packed, by then they couldn't get in.
A few of us stayed at my Aunt's place in SE and took the bus to get closer to the mall and just walked. We didnt have tickets, but just wanted to be a part of the crowd. We were hoping to catch it on the trons, but no dice. Even folks with tickets were getting turned away.