Perhaps you heard about the thousands of people who didn't get into the inauguration even though they had tickets? I am one of those people. I have to believe that this was diaried before today, but I just got home and want to vent about my experience. IMHO everything about the event was pure fail. I'm sure those of you (smarter than me) who watched on TV were thinking "2 Million...what a success!"...Wrong! (I'm trying so hard not to caps lock this whole thing).
For those of you who know DC, my girlfriend lives in DC. Works on 17th and Rhode Island, but we spend most of our time in Adams Morgan and the Black Cat. Basically, as far from downtown as we can get (I don't live in DC so I don't know the town from the back of my ass). The point is, we don't go around the Mall much, probably like most of the people there.
Anyway, here is my pathetic story. And for those of you who think I blame the new administration for this are completely wrong...I blame Diane Feinstein wholly and completely.
Monday. I went to pick up my tickets. My tickets were held at the Rayburn building, although this debacle is not specific to this particular building. Apparently, the House office building made no attempt to accomodate the 250,000 people who would show up for tickets. I fully recogonize that security is a prime issue, but the House builidings (I can't speak to the Senate buildings) had no more than two metal detectors that everyone had to walk through. The lines to get in to each building circled and entire city block. I was absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of foresight. In fact, the Rayburn building had four UNUSED metal detectors sitting out in front of the entrance. As if to say "Yeah, we could've been prepared for the masses...but let them eat cake (or stand unexpectedly in the cold)". That is my whole problem for this...I thought that I would be standing in lines inside a heated building. I fully expected the lines to be long, just not outside. The letter I received from my congressperson said nothing of long lines outside to get the tickets, just long lines on Tuesday. Duh! (More on that soon).
I do have to say this, the people in line were fantastic. They were Americans. My girlfriend has a disability and out of nowhere this gut shows up to take her to a place where she can sit down and wait for me to get through the line. However, there was no direction. Nobody really knew what to do. There were no signs telling you were to go, there really wasn't anybody directing us to which line we should stand it. There were many people around me who got in a differect line because they thought it might move faster. I don't know if it did, but I do know that the people around us were gracious and kind.
After we got into the Rayburn building it took us 15 minutes to get our tickets and get out. No lines. Whach kept me thinking of the four unused metal detctors just outside the building. That fact tempored my contept for our Nation's Capital.
Tuesday. We left taking the Metro at 8am knowing that a 20 min. ride would take us at least twice as long on this day. There were seemingly arbitrary closings of train stations. From where we were coming we need to transfer at L'Enfant station. After sitting in station for 15 minutes we were told that L'Enfant station had been re-opened. When we reached Chinatown, we were told that it was closed (as well as every station past this point).
I would like to say that this was not because of security issues. At the stop prior to Chinatown, L'Enfant was open. BUT, the two closest stops for us were closed, so we got off and started to walk.
I would just like to say that if you weren't there you cannot imagine the sea of humanity. There was no way to turn from the tide...period. I lived in Chicago and have attended the Taste of Chicago when a million people have been there on a single day. It was nothing like this.
Once we started flowing there were the vendors. Selling hand warmers, Obama hats, Obama shirts, Obama buttons. You name it, it was being sold. What set me apart from this crowd was that I had tickets. Most of these people didn't. My girlfriend and I turned away from the massive crowd and found another.
I know what Armaggedon looks like. I looks like a bunch of people walking with no purpose. Streets completely blocked off, no cars, people walking to whereever they need to go. But no one to direct them. I ended up in a dead end. I fortuitously found a Secret Service Officer (who probably was sent there to talk to idiots like me, but man, he was awsome!) who told me exactly what to do and where to go. And I know you're wondering how I know this guy was Secre Service...it's because it plastered all over his bullet-proof vest. Anyway, he told us to backtrack and go down a tunnel. So I followed his directions, and he was correct.
I found us on 395...yes the expressway. We, were walking along the tunnel that transports most people past the Capital building. On that day, we were walking towards it. Thousands of people. I wish I could sell some story of solidarity. I wish I could tell you there was a chant, a message of hope, of change. We just wanted to know were in the hell we were going. We did get out of the tunnel and saw our first vague sign. It said "Silver and Blue that way, Purple and Ornage and Gold another". We followed the directions. I would also like to add that we had to ask multiple people to find our way.
We suddenly realized that we were in a line. I belive we were on 3rd street (possible 4th) but I could see the entrance banner from where I was standing. The really weird thng is that the city had pullled busses up and parked them really strangely. There was one bus that looked like it had run out of gas and was just sitting in the middle of the street.
Another interesting side-note. There was an officer, I don't know if he was DC Police or Federal, but he kept screaming (and I do mean screaming) for people to stay off of Federal property. What property you ask? Some partition that seperated the foliage from the sidewalk.
I wish I had the words to describe the mass of humanity that I witnessed. I've been to the Taste of Chicago when a milliion people are present. This was nothing like that. This was, simply put, unbelievable. Here was a man screaming "Get Off My Wall!", but I knew it wasn't his wall, it was my wall too. It was that person's wall who was walking on it. The people "in voloation" were waliking on a Federal Wall. Most liketly it is a wall the their grandfather helped build. I can understand security, but I can't understand gererations of hatred.
Anyway, I (we) were 100 feet away from the gate and we knew we wouldn't get in...it was already 11:00 AAM. We saw probably hundreds (I suspect there are thousands) of people who didn't get into the inauguration.
Thousands of people who don't get in. Who waited through draconian methods to get tickets. I don't know about you, but I blame the organizers, I blame Congress.
PS I went to a wonderful Leebanese Restaurant to watch the inauguration...they all cheered when he took the oath (although I cheered at 12 noon for the Constitution.)