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Inauguration Insanities
January 17, 2009 ( life | politics )
So, I realized in talking to on of my old Austin friends that DC is really it's own unique snowflake right now. Let me share the insanity which is the Inauguration.
We're closing all bridges from VA into DC. Take that for not funding the Metro system more, VA! If VA residents want to share the celebration, they get to drive around through Maryland or *gasp* take public transit (Virginians are known for driving - a lot). Also, for any tricksy outdoorsy-type Virginians, the Coast Guard is dispatching over 40 boats to patrol the potomac against kayakers. Really.
We're shutting down huge portions of downtown to secured-access, no cars, etc. It will be a great, if cold, day for pedestrians and bikers - the local bike advocacy group secured a deal with the City to offer a free Bike Valet program for bike riders. The street in front of our house is a designated pedestrian pathway, and they're going to tow all the parked cars from it on Monday night.
My work building is within a "lock-down" area, so I'll have to have my secure-entry card, photo-ID, and be on a pre-approved list if I want to get inside on Tuesday.
Which is fine, because Tuesday is a DC-only federal holiday. Everything is shutting down.
Except for the Metro, which is operating very extended hours (opening at 4am on Tuesday!) and ... bars, which got an emergency ordinance passed to allow them to stay open and serving booze until 5am all weekend. So - monday night, party until 5, then take the metro to stand in line for the inauguration security checkpoint drunk! (note: not my current plan)
They're setting up ~6 jumbotrons along the National Mall between the museums and the Washington Monument to rebroadcast the event.
I mean, all of that is crazy enough, right? It goes deeper. All the craft vendors at Eastern Market are selling Obamabelia, there's a store downtown that /only/ sells Obamabelia, and each and every random street-vendor, who usually makes their money from emergency umbrellas, ties, and hats, is selling obama hats (with blinged-out glittery Obama faces, etc.).
We were doing some emergency stock-up shopping at the local Safeway last night. They had photo-on-icing obama cookies (we bought some), cakes, and patriotic-themed cupcakes, and were blasting orchestral versions of classic American jingoistic songs - you've never shopped until you're selecting avocados to the tune of "Johnny Comes Marching Home" by a full orchestra)
Everyone's trying to cash in - people are trying to rent their homes out for extravagant amounts on Craigslist (http://dcist.com/2009/01/has_the_inauguration_rental_bubble.php), and despite the posted "prostitution free zone" (http://dcist.com/2009/01/dc_tries_to_ban_prostitution_for_in.php), there's also a hot trade of dates-for-ball-tickets (http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/01/inaugural-ballers.php).
Half of DC is battening down the hatches and not even planning to venture out, the other half is getting ready for a 4-day-long bacchanalia.
Good times.
Posted by griffjon at January 17, 2009 11:57 AM
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