The inauguration of Barack Obama was a historic event, that caused millions of people to flock to the national mall on January 20th. Unfortunately the occasion was spoiled by the fact that Washington
D.C. became overwhelmed and couldn’t handle the crowds.
The hundreds of volunteers, DC police, and national guard members were all told different directions, making it difficult for people to make their way towards the mall. After waking up at 5am, I wasn’t able to find a knowledgeable security personnel until about 8am. In the end I was forced to walk under the I-395 Tunnel to get close to the mall.
Despite having a silver ticket to the swearing in ceremony I wasn’t able to get into the National Mall until 11am, after DC police kept me in a holding pen with thousands of other people for two hours. I wasn’t the only person with a ticket to have problems. Numerous individuals with tickets to specific viewing areas were unable to get to the mall, prompting Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Ca) to launch an investigation. Leaving the mall became problematic as the security layout meant that thousands of people were all forced to exit the mall through the same gate. Furthermore, street closings meant that you were forced to find a way home that didn’t involve Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hopefully, the next inauguration will be a little bit more thought out.
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