Okay I tried to be nice and post up some tips to make things easier. But after looking at the Secret Service restrictions(see below)...the event has now turned into a weird form of hazing...or an elimination round for Survivor.
"These are some tips from a DC resident. I decided to write this after reading a rather snotty version in the washington post, that basically said "get out of the way of the locals". Thats not very helpful.
So I've compiled a few bullet points below. Also, at one point I tried to get specific with the plans, but then realised that everyone is going to be doing something a little different and that even I don't know exactly how everything will play out. What I can do, is let you know what to avoid and how to plan for the worst."
Okay I had to edit this, I just looked at the stupid restrictions.
see list below.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:
Firearms and ammunition (either real or simulated)
Explosives of any kind (including fireworks)
Knives, blades, or sharp objects (of any length)
Mace and/or pepper spray
Sticks or poles
Pocket or hand tools, such as "Leatherman"
Packages
Backpacks
Large bags
Duffel bags
Suitcases
Thermoses
Coolers
Strollers
Umbrellas
Laser pointers
Signs
Posters
Animals (other than service animals)
Alcoholic beverages
Other items that may pose a threat to the security of the event as determined by and at the discretion of the security screeners
I'm not sure if any of the recommendations I made below apply to the gathering on the Mall. If it does...you may want to pack light and just hunker down. That list is fairly restrictive.
JUST IGNORE ANYTHING WHERE i TELL YOU TO BRING SOMETHING...YOU CAN'T BRING ANYTHING.
"
Section I: The Basics of survival on the Mall:
First off, if you are not privileged enough to have tickets to the parade or the swearing in, don’t feel bad. Those tickets seemed almost invincible to most everyone here. As in most cases, you gotta know someone who knows someone in order to get in on that action.
- you should approach this event like a day camping trip. Despite DC being a modern city of the 21st century, the area surrounding the Mall is at least a mile away from any decent concentration of food and service shops.
- this one is a shocker. Inaugurations are pretty damn boring. Bring a book, bring hand held video games for the little ones, even a deck of cards.
- I should have put this first. Wear thermal underwear/long johns. Even if the weather only calls for it be in the 40’s, long periods spent out in the cold and you’ll eventually begin to feel it no matter how tough you are. DC winters are comparably mild, but they can be just as miserable if you underestimate them. Its definitely a damp coldness here that tends to wring the heat from your body.
- Make sure you are waterproof. I distinctly remember being especially miserable at the 2001 inauguration parade amidst a freezing rain storm and the spectre of an oncoming GW Bush administration. The only thing I had at that time was a cotton carhart jacket that served as a thermal equivalent of a wet towel.
Section II: transportation.
This is where my advice drifts off into the arbitrary. Even though I know what streets and metro stations will be blocked off. I can't anticipate what exactly will happen. What I can promise you is
- You'll be doing a lot of walking, Expect to be walking anywhere from 2-4 miles that day.
- Metro-rail subsection:
-get your metro passes in advance, get plenty of money on them
-parking at metro? Carry cash in single bills..payment is cash only
-when on escalator, stand to the right...let the impatient people pass on the left.
-you need your metro passes to exit a station, make sure you've got them in hand
-don't freak out if the train fills up before you get on, trust me its miserable being jammed in those things and your better off waiting 10 minutes for a less filled one.
- Don't let the locals get you down. Some of them can be quite dour and anti-tourist, just ignore.
- make sure you know what metro stations will be closed
http://www.wmata.com/...
- If you happen to be staying in the suburbs of Maryland/VA, definitely look into making use of commuter rails. The Virginia Railways Express drops you off right by the mall on L'Enfant Plaza...and its nicer, the cars have potties and the VRE extends all the way out to fredricksburg.
The same goes with MARC, marc trains criss cross the state of maryland and are a good alternative to METRO.
http://www.vre.org/...
http://www.commuterpageblog.com/...
- Cars...you're pretty much screwed. I have no idea what this will look like. Most likely you will be forced to park very very far from your destination.
Section III
Post innauguration.
If you had plans to find a charming restaraunt in DC after the innauguration and do not already have a reservation. I might suggest you have a few back-up plans set up in reserve...and located in the Suburban Maryland or Virginia. The city is going to be chock full of b-list celebrities, upper crusters, and their extended families. So your best bet may be an Applebees in fairlakes, fairfax.
"