My Inauguration Adventure: Part Deux

Originally posted on nsipress.com

The Walk

Exiting Union Station was not a big deal despite the large number of people. Upon emerging, however, it became clear that most of them had no idea where they should be going. The Capitol Dome is clearly visible from that location, and many people started heading straight for it. This was the right thing to do for Yellow ticket holders, and the right general direction for Purple ticket holders, but totally wrong for anyone else.  I know that at least some of these people were in for challenges,  because I overhead some talking about cutting across the Capitol lawn to access the general standing area of the Mall.  They clearly had not been paying attention to any of the abundant communications coming out about security.  Oh Well.

The map to the right shows the route I necessarily took:  it’s the crudely drawn green line.  The red dashed line is the security perimeter, with very few points of entry, and a LOT of law enforcement.  It was already getting crowded, and the feeling of being crowded was intensified by being restricted to the sidewalk.  This was a rule that law enforcement took very seriously.  Anyone trying to cross or otherwise walk in the street was barked at sternly.

I was moving at a pretty good pace, as best I could, because I had so far to go and was growing concerned about the possible crowd accumulating at the Blue Gate Security Screening Area (marked on the map by a blue star).   There was a stiff and biting wind blowing from south to north, so I was happy to turn West as soon as possible.

They were letting people through the perimeter on C street, so I lined up with the group waiting to get through the bottleneck.  This was not the best choice,  because just a couple blocks ahead the line for the Orange Gate Screening Area, just south of  the Rayburn office building, was backing up.  There were plenty of people like me who were heading for either the Blue or Silver areas, and like me would have benefited from a glance at the map.

This group of us made it south on NJ and then west on D street.  The point at which we left the secure area was either a breach or a deliberate attempt  to deal with people like me.   At this point the perimeter was established by those waist-high aluminum fence-barricades.  My friend Sarah calls them “security gestures”    Two or three of these had been moved aside to allow us through, and on to destroy the shrubbery growing on the collection of traffic islands between Washington Ave and 2nd Street.

I took this picture soon after arriving at my spot in line – about 5:45am.  These are the early risers and enthusiasts who got there before me!

It’s worth noting that this was a jubilant, celebratory crowd.  Very different from other large crowds I’ve been in with the possible exception of Lambeau Field crowds

Everybody was laughing, joking, and being very friendly and helpful.  There was a palpable sense of community and not a trace of racial tension:  no chips on shoulders, no nervous tension  -  it was all very conspicuously absent.   With a crowd that large, the feeling was amazing.

This incredible feeling and sense of community was a very good thing,  because the security screening process itself was not going to start until 8:00am.

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