Escalators? Nope. Plan to hoof it on Jan. 20

WTOP Radio website ^ | December 7, 2008 | Adam Tuss, WTOP radio

[muawiyah]

WASHINGTON -- Plan on taking Metrorail to the inaugural ceremonies on Jan. 20? Be ready to hit the stairs.

The transit agency says it expects to shut down and lock numerous escalators at high volume stations on the day of the inauguration. ..................... Metrorail is preparing to carry upwards of 1 million riders on inauguration day, a mark that will easily shatter the all time record high of 854,638 riders set this past summer.

[TNCMAXQ]

I hope most people who don’t know DC are aware of the problems, and that they might not get the best view. Some outfit in the local paper here was advertising some sort of escorted bus tour. They are lodging in Lancaster, PA! Not exactly close to DC. I guess the bus leaves Lancaster early on the morning of the 20th for DC. For the inaugural, it says something like bus drops you off at Metro. View the ceremony at the national mall. Not exactly first class VIP treatment, sounds like.

[muawiyah]

The escalators they were talking about are those serving the Natinal Mall. That'd be 12th and Penn, L'Enfant Plaza, Smithsonian ~ backing up a quarter to half a mile there are another dozen stations where you could get off and kind of ooze your way toward the Mall.

Two million people would fill the Mall, end to end, and cover Independence and Constitution Avenues.

Three million people will fill all the open space between State Department, the Potomac River, I Street and the Capital front.

Four million will create panic. I don't think they could actually get five million in and out in under 2 or 3 days.

[SolitaryMan]

Imagine all of the liberals whining that the escalators aren’t working.... it’ll make your ears bleed.

[JohnBovenmyer]

The underground railroad won’t be the only RR that fails. The rest rooms won’t handle 5x record capacity well. But that’s ok. It will just make Pelosi feel at home.

[dalereed]

Why would anyone here want to see the thing get inaugutated in person or on TV?

[Drango]

, you’re a bit late. I usually change over to winter air in my tires just before Thanksgiving.

sure doesn't everyone change their air for Thanksgiving...then again for Christmas and then once more for New Years? The change on January 20th is preparation for Groundhog Day Feb 2nd...

[muawiyah]

To see the parade. There's a big parade. Afterward good old what's his name is taken from the Capitol to the White House in a closed car safe behind the bullet proof glass.

No one goes just to see a politician.

[EggsAckley]

Lucky you. That’s the day I have to touch up the dye job and my hair AND wash the dog.

[muawiyah]

Metrorail is noteworthy for being short on toilets. The designers didn’t want nasty old toilets messing things up so they didn’t build many of ‘em. Then, you had to get the station manager to unlock a door to get to them.

[meowmeow]

I hope they shut down Rosslyn!

I live VERY close to a Metro Station. Any car that blocks our driveway - even slightly - is going to be towed.

[LibFreeOrDie]

They all want DC Metro's souvenir fare card:

[muawiyah]

Probably not ~ all the cops in the metro area are going to be working at crowd control. You’ll get that car towed about February, if not later.

[Petronski]

Can’t make it....all of my brown and black shirts will be in the wash that day.

[redhead]

"I have no desire to watch that on TV, much less travel there to see the crowning of The One."

Yah, I have a stack of movies I will be watching. Including Hellboy II, (again!) Prince Caspian, Wall-E, I Am Legend, Iron Man (again!), and for dessert, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (again!). So, I'll be busy.

[PapaBear3625]

Four million will create panic. I don't think they could actually get five million in and out in under 2 or 3 days.

Four or five million Obama supporters in a confined space sounds -- "interesting". Best place to be on Jan 20 is far away from DC.

[muawiyah]

just checking on hotel rooms. They say there are 1000 rooms available in the DC region, most at $1,000 per night (and virtually all of them with a 4 day minimum stay). I have a tent and you can use my bathroom to freshenup ~ $250 per day, 3 day max. (/sarc) See: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=780&sid=1539390

[Mark was here]

History repeats it self. This will be a repeat of the Obama supporters when they were in the Super-dome in New Orleans after a patch of rough weather.

[Bahbah]

Why would anyone here want to see the thing get inaugutated in person or on TV?

LOL. Hi, dale. I know I don't. I will have a number of movies recorded to watch that day, non-stop.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

This article may be of interest to those Freepers, or their family members, or friends, who actually want to come here in January to "see" this event.

ONLY if they are Daily Kossak or otherwise, far left moonbat,lurkers would this be of any interest.

I can't believe any "REAL" Freepers would subject themselves to this dog and pony show unless they have latent masochistic tendencies.

I refuse to even watch it on TV,though I will tune in occasionally just in case there is some sort of chaos.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I work in the DC area, and this is going to be one big mess!