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The Purple Tunnel of Doom
The Purple Tunnel of Doom
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Today at 10:02am | Edit Note | Delete
So sit right back and hear a tale and tale of a fateful trip. That started from Baltimore and almost ended in a pit. So it seems that the D.C. police directed everyone and their mother to the 3rd street tunnel for processing through security. That is exactly where our group was directed that morning. What ended up happening was that purple and silver ticket holders for seats at the inauguration were also sent there creating a crowd of biblical proportions, confusion, and chaos, and overwhelming security issues. Then one of the metal detectors broke, slowing down the processing. How Vicki, Ron and I managed to get through is beyond me. The rest of our poor group did not gain entrance through. There was pandemonium and stampedes, trampled people, injuries, and a whole lot of disappointed ticket holders. Thus, the tunnel has gained the title The Purple Tunnel of Doom by the press and a facebook group that has sprung up.
I want to point out that we asked at least four cops where we should go and each time we were directed through the 3rd street tunnel. We were not permitted to continue our trek in front of the Capital building, though another member of the SHS group told me later he just kept walking on by and was able to successfully enter the National Mall that way. Just goes to show that you can pretty much do what you want to do if you have the balls to do it...just like when I went to New York on New Years Eve and gained entrance to the main event.
There was a real wench in the crowd at the 3rd street tunnel. A woman sitting in her wheelchair. You probably are thinking I am a rotten person for picking on a handicapped woman but hear me out. That woman sat there playing it up for hours--her two daughters kept fighting with one another and bumping into me. One was a teenager and the other was about 7. The 7 year old was very whiny. Well, when the crowd finally starting surging forward as they opened up the security gates, the woman stood up, switched places with the 7 year old and pretended the girl was a pathetic little crippled girl. The oldest daughter pushed ahead of her mother and this debacle, and when the mother called out for her we told her that her Mom didn't want her to get too far ahead. She replied, "I don't really care about her...she is the one who brought a wheelchair that she doesn't need."
About 3 minutes later, when the police were desperately trying to sort out the mess they had created by shouting in bull horns for Purple and Silver ticket holders to step out and come with them...there were several people who were suffering in the elements. We watched one lady be carried out of the tunnel by the medics. She was unconscious. There was another elderly person suffering what appeared to be heart trouble and I was asked to retrieve a milk crate that was stuffed under a police cruiser that I was shoved up against for the person to sit on. And then low and behold, the woman who had faked her daughter's handicapped went waltzing by pushing her "poor pathetic wheelchair bound daughter" and accompanied by her teenager. The crowd hissed and tried to tell the cops she was faking it but they did not pay attention. She breezed right through security as she obviously planned. As the child of a man who has struggled with a disability most of his life that just disgusted me.
So, I guess in the future, view anything cops say with suspicion and try to be more clever than the next guy.
Share
Today at 10:02am | Edit Note | Delete
So sit right back and hear a tale and tale of a fateful trip. That started from Baltimore and almost ended in a pit. So it seems that the D.C. police directed everyone and their mother to the 3rd street tunnel for processing through security. That is exactly where our group was directed that morning. What ended up happening was that purple and silver ticket holders for seats at the inauguration were also sent there creating a crowd of biblical proportions, confusion, and chaos, and overwhelming security issues. Then one of the metal detectors broke, slowing down the processing. How Vicki, Ron and I managed to get through is beyond me. The rest of our poor group did not gain entrance through. There was pandemonium and stampedes, trampled people, injuries, and a whole lot of disappointed ticket holders. Thus, the tunnel has gained the title The Purple Tunnel of Doom by the press and a facebook group that has sprung up.
I want to point out that we asked at least four cops where we should go and each time we were directed through the 3rd street tunnel. We were not permitted to continue our trek in front of the Capital building, though another member of the SHS group told me later he just kept walking on by and was able to successfully enter the National Mall that way. Just goes to show that you can pretty much do what you want to do if you have the balls to do it...just like when I went to New York on New Years Eve and gained entrance to the main event.
There was a real wench in the crowd at the 3rd street tunnel. A woman sitting in her wheelchair. You probably are thinking I am a rotten person for picking on a handicapped woman but hear me out. That woman sat there playing it up for hours--her two daughters kept fighting with one another and bumping into me. One was a teenager and the other was about 7. The 7 year old was very whiny. Well, when the crowd finally starting surging forward as they opened up the security gates, the woman stood up, switched places with the 7 year old and pretended the girl was a pathetic little crippled girl. The oldest daughter pushed ahead of her mother and this debacle, and when the mother called out for her we told her that her Mom didn't want her to get too far ahead. She replied, "I don't really care about her...she is the one who brought a wheelchair that she doesn't need."
About 3 minutes later, when the police were desperately trying to sort out the mess they had created by shouting in bull horns for Purple and Silver ticket holders to step out and come with them...there were several people who were suffering in the elements. We watched one lady be carried out of the tunnel by the medics. She was unconscious. There was another elderly person suffering what appeared to be heart trouble and I was asked to retrieve a milk crate that was stuffed under a police cruiser that I was shoved up against for the person to sit on. And then low and behold, the woman who had faked her daughter's handicapped went waltzing by pushing her "poor pathetic wheelchair bound daughter" and accompanied by her teenager. The crowd hissed and tried to tell the cops she was faking it but they did not pay attention. She breezed right through security as she obviously planned. As the child of a man who has struggled with a disability most of his life that just disgusted me.
So, I guess in the future, view anything cops say with suspicion and try to be more clever than the next guy.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Washington D.C. Inauguration Day
Okay...so here's the deal. We awakened at 1:00 am and showered and loaded our suitcases on the equipment truck which was being driven to Jersey by another volunteer. Then we said goodbye to the kids who were full of energy and nervousness and departed for Washington D.C. at 2 am. Me and Vicki rode with Patti, Tina, Dave, Christine, and Ron in Dave's minivan. We arrived in Silver Springs Metro Station outside of Washington and parked in the parking garage. it was already cold and we bundled ourselves in layers then took off for the metro station. We had already bought tickets ahead of time and there were lines already. We got onto one train and had to disembark because some stupid people broke the doors trying to jam in...this happened a total of three times!!!!! We had to disembark three times and get onto another train. Finally we arrived at Union Station by 5:00 am. We stayed there long enough to use the restrooms and departed for the intersection of D street and 3rd...where we had to go through a long ass security checkpoint. We waited in lines crammed shoulder to shoulder with other like minded non-ticket holders for several hours until they began to process us through cattle pens. They permitted 50 people at a time to go through the checkpoint. We marched along like little penguins shuffling in baby steps, waddling from side to side and pushing our neighbors in front of us until we reached the checkpoint. I have to admit I was shoving Ron into Vicki (who was in front of us) and she kept yelling back for the crowd to stop pushing, but it was really me because I wanted to get outta there. I pushed us up rather quickly and then got us through. We had to unzipped our coats, prove we had nothing of risk, and be patted down by secret service. Vicki tried to go through several times because of that. Unfortunately Paul, Vicki, and I were separated from our other buddies as well....They experienced a frightening event when the crowd was told the National Mall would no longer take any more people...Mind you it was already full with millions of people by 8 am!!!! The crowd surged forward and broke through the barriers in anger, sweeping dozens of people off their feet and stampeding. Several people were injured and Christina, rightfully so, was shaken up and they retreated. They went to a different checkpoint several minutes later--on 13th street--and got through easily. they actually ended up in bleacher seats for the day down the street from us.
Vicki, Paul, and I went down to Constitution Avenue with the Capital building clearly rising up in awesome fashion to the left of us. We could see the grandstand, the flags draped over the porticos, the crowds of dignitaries and hear the bands playing for the crowds. We were there and it was amazing. We stood along the barricades that were lined with police from all over the United States. The ones from Texas were the kindest and most helpful--even volunteering to take photos for us! We stood in this location because we were right beyond the fringes of the ticket holding crowds and watched and listened live, in person, as the oaths of office were administered to the VP and President Elect. We also watched as President Bush departed via Marine One. It was incredible to hear the millions of people cheer the new president...and impossible not to get emotional or caught up in the excitement of making history.
We then moved down to the corner of Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenue where we had an ideal location for watching the parade...which started very late because there were Senators dropping left and right at the luncheon...plus the Capital Police told us that Obama cannot be on time for anything...kind of like Clinton was...so no big surprise that everything ran late. The crowds were a bit peeved by this because by then the temperatures had dropped significantly, the sun was not warm at all, and the winds had picked up. There was absolutely no food or drink permitted into the checkpoints and except for tiny snacks...and there was no vendors to sell it there. That meant millions of people stood for hours on end with no food or drink in the bitterly cold elements. I sat down on the pavement, covered up my head with my hooded jacked, tucked myself into a ball and took naps. Vicki kept kicking me and nudging me awake because she was afraid I was falling into hypothermia and would not wake up...She was also concerned because I hadn't had anything of substance to eat or drink because we mistakenly believed that food and drink would be available since they were not permitting us to bring it in. Well...I am much tougher than Vicki thinks and I was managing to survive. In fact, I preferred sleep to being awake because then I was not so aware of the freezing cold. At least at Times Square I could dance with the ladies from Japan to stay somewhat warm and energized.
As the hours wore on it became increasingly difficult to ward off the shivering and the aches in our joints. by the time the parade started we were all shivering. Our cameras could not even take clear pictures because our hands were shaking so bad. We endured another hour and half of that kind of shivering and cold because our students were marching in the second division. The marching bands and military units were impressive to say the least and we at least could enjoy the parade despite the cold. As soon as the Sanford Marching Band marched by us--to our complete delight and excitement--we departed the city. Vicki and I had a tough time walking as our muscles and joints were so stiff and unable to bend. We met up with our fellow commuters and left the city, grateful for a warm minivan and the prospect of food. We heard as we drove out of the city that a student of ours had collapsed from mild Hypothermia (she is all right) and that a couple of others had fallen out of step with the band and were taken care of as "official stragglers" by the U.S. secret service. They were taken to warming tents and held until the end of the parade and processed back to their bands eventually.
Everyone has made it back safe and relatively sound. It was an amazing journey for all of us...made, perhaps more memorable and poignant by the willingness of millions of people to endure the elements to watch the swearing in of our 44th President who, regardless of our personal politics, has inspired us with his speeches, captured our hearts with his beautiful family, and summoned the hope of all Americans that tomorrow might be a brighter day NOT because of who he is but because of who we are. Today as blacks, whites, latinos, gays, straights, Democrats, Republicans, Muslim, Christians, Jews and so many others stood together, side by side, turning our hopeful eyes towards the symbols of our country's freedom; placing our faith in a man many of us did not vote for; we were all one people who are stronger for our diversity and differences and who are truly the most powerful country on Earth for those reasons alone.
It has been a wonderful experience for me, all the other adults, and of course the students to have been able to participate in making history. It was worth every single minute of this trip and as crazy as it sounds I would do it again...and again...and again...just to be able to say, "I was there."
Vicki, Paul, and I went down to Constitution Avenue with the Capital building clearly rising up in awesome fashion to the left of us. We could see the grandstand, the flags draped over the porticos, the crowds of dignitaries and hear the bands playing for the crowds. We were there and it was amazing. We stood along the barricades that were lined with police from all over the United States. The ones from Texas were the kindest and most helpful--even volunteering to take photos for us! We stood in this location because we were right beyond the fringes of the ticket holding crowds and watched and listened live, in person, as the oaths of office were administered to the VP and President Elect. We also watched as President Bush departed via Marine One. It was incredible to hear the millions of people cheer the new president...and impossible not to get emotional or caught up in the excitement of making history.
We then moved down to the corner of Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenue where we had an ideal location for watching the parade...which started very late because there were Senators dropping left and right at the luncheon...plus the Capital Police told us that Obama cannot be on time for anything...kind of like Clinton was...so no big surprise that everything ran late. The crowds were a bit peeved by this because by then the temperatures had dropped significantly, the sun was not warm at all, and the winds had picked up. There was absolutely no food or drink permitted into the checkpoints and except for tiny snacks...and there was no vendors to sell it there. That meant millions of people stood for hours on end with no food or drink in the bitterly cold elements. I sat down on the pavement, covered up my head with my hooded jacked, tucked myself into a ball and took naps. Vicki kept kicking me and nudging me awake because she was afraid I was falling into hypothermia and would not wake up...She was also concerned because I hadn't had anything of substance to eat or drink because we mistakenly believed that food and drink would be available since they were not permitting us to bring it in. Well...I am much tougher than Vicki thinks and I was managing to survive. In fact, I preferred sleep to being awake because then I was not so aware of the freezing cold. At least at Times Square I could dance with the ladies from Japan to stay somewhat warm and energized.
As the hours wore on it became increasingly difficult to ward off the shivering and the aches in our joints. by the time the parade started we were all shivering. Our cameras could not even take clear pictures because our hands were shaking so bad. We endured another hour and half of that kind of shivering and cold because our students were marching in the second division. The marching bands and military units were impressive to say the least and we at least could enjoy the parade despite the cold. As soon as the Sanford Marching Band marched by us--to our complete delight and excitement--we departed the city. Vicki and I had a tough time walking as our muscles and joints were so stiff and unable to bend. We met up with our fellow commuters and left the city, grateful for a warm minivan and the prospect of food. We heard as we drove out of the city that a student of ours had collapsed from mild Hypothermia (she is all right) and that a couple of others had fallen out of step with the band and were taken care of as "official stragglers" by the U.S. secret service. They were taken to warming tents and held until the end of the parade and processed back to their bands eventually.
Everyone has made it back safe and relatively sound. It was an amazing journey for all of us...made, perhaps more memorable and poignant by the willingness of millions of people to endure the elements to watch the swearing in of our 44th President who, regardless of our personal politics, has inspired us with his speeches, captured our hearts with his beautiful family, and summoned the hope of all Americans that tomorrow might be a brighter day NOT because of who he is but because of who we are. Today as blacks, whites, latinos, gays, straights, Democrats, Republicans, Muslim, Christians, Jews and so many others stood together, side by side, turning our hopeful eyes towards the symbols of our country's freedom; placing our faith in a man many of us did not vote for; we were all one people who are stronger for our diversity and differences and who are truly the most powerful country on Earth for those reasons alone.
It has been a wonderful experience for me, all the other adults, and of course the students to have been able to participate in making history. It was worth every single minute of this trip and as crazy as it sounds I would do it again...and again...and again...just to be able to say, "I was there."
Washington D.C. Day 2
Today we awakened early and ate breakfast a local eatery which was fine. Then we left early for D.C. We arrived at Union Station by 9:30 and there was organized chaos for about a half and hour as we helped the kids find bathrooms, places to buy disposable cameras and waters, etc....Then our group split off from the others and hopped on the subway. We made three different connections and walked with immense crowds of people to the National Mall where Obama was scheduled to appear at 2 pm. There was an inaugural kick off with superstars like Bruce Springsteen, Jonas Brothers, Beyonce, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Aretha Franklin, etc...and of course Obama and his wife and kids and the VP. We had a long distance view of the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool (same shot as in Forrest Gump when Jennie runs into the pool). The kids were really excited about that! There was security like you would not believe with snipers on rooftops and humvees, mounted park police on Clydesdales, and military helicopters buzzing overhead. It was pretty exciting to see Marine Helicopters bearing the VIPs to the Lincoln Memorial...In an couple of days those same helicopters will be called Marine I and hover onto the White House lawn bearing the new president to his new home.
The kids were really great and enjoyed every moment of the day...One girl kept saying, with tears in her eyes, "I can't believe that I am witnessing history!" I have to admit one does get caught up in the historical aspects of what is taking place here. The crowds exude excitement and hope that cannot be denied or waved away. We are here and we are part of history in the making and that is pretty damn cool. The day was long...there was a lot of walking and the kids and adults were all pretty darn tired. The hotel was completely silent shortly after we pulled in and disembarked from the buses.
We have another early day tomorrow as we head to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then an Air and space museum at Dulles International Airport...there is supposed to be a space shuttle there! Then out to eat before returning to the hotel for a very early night because the band is leaving by 3 am for check in at the Pentagon. Poor Mr. D, Val, and Christy will have all the kids to themselves per order of the U.S. Military and the rest of us are on our own as we head to the city in personal vehicles and subways to fight the crowds and stand in the cold for hours to witness the swearing in and the parade....we are preparing ourselves mentally and physically with sleep and warm clothing. It will be long johns, long sleeved shirts, fleeces, wool socks, hats, mittens, and warm jackets. Fortunately for me, I have experience at this kind of stuff...and it is cold but not as cold as New Years...I will keep you all posted on the events as they unfold.
The kids were really great and enjoyed every moment of the day...One girl kept saying, with tears in her eyes, "I can't believe that I am witnessing history!" I have to admit one does get caught up in the historical aspects of what is taking place here. The crowds exude excitement and hope that cannot be denied or waved away. We are here and we are part of history in the making and that is pretty damn cool. The day was long...there was a lot of walking and the kids and adults were all pretty darn tired. The hotel was completely silent shortly after we pulled in and disembarked from the buses.
We have another early day tomorrow as we head to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then an Air and space museum at Dulles International Airport...there is supposed to be a space shuttle there! Then out to eat before returning to the hotel for a very early night because the band is leaving by 3 am for check in at the Pentagon. Poor Mr. D, Val, and Christy will have all the kids to themselves per order of the U.S. Military and the rest of us are on our own as we head to the city in personal vehicles and subways to fight the crowds and stand in the cold for hours to witness the swearing in and the parade....we are preparing ourselves mentally and physically with sleep and warm clothing. It will be long johns, long sleeved shirts, fleeces, wool socks, hats, mittens, and warm jackets. Fortunately for me, I have experience at this kind of stuff...and it is cold but not as cold as New Years...I will keep you all posted on the events as they unfold.
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