Can Mall Be Filled For an Inauguration? 4 Million May Try It.

[Mari333]

District and federal officials are preparing for as many as 4 million people for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, a crowd that would be three or four times larger than previous big events on the Mall.

Only a fraction of those people will be close enough to get a good look at the action. But officials are planning extra JumboTrons at the Mall and along the inaugural parade route so that spectators can feel a part of the historic day.







http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/17/AR2008111703672.html

[ColbertWatcher]

1. JumboTron appreciation thread!

That is going to be one great sight.

I wish I could go.

[TygrBright]

2. I think people are forgetting what DC weather is like in late January.

A million would still be impressive as allgetout. I don't see four million.

Interesting, though.

speculatively,
Bright

[Historic NY]

4. Hey a little breezy and cold, its history they're coming to see.

[NutmegYankee]

17. Oh the horror

This is history in the making, and people are going to wimp out because it's "cold"? Damn, come visit New England, with a nice 2 degree morning and a nice 30 mph wind blowing in off the sound, and I'll show you what cold is.


Southerners...:shrug:

[hootinholler]

19. LOL. Yeah it could be 70 or it could be 20

Rather unpredictable in winter, it all depends on the fronts.

-Hoot

[HughBeaumont]

23. I'm from Northeast Ohio. I go to DC at least 8 times a year.

Trust me. It's like fall compared to what I'm used to.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. We will be among the throng that makes up that number

I'm guessing more like 1 to 1.5 million.

The Mall is maybe a quarter mile wide and 2 miles long. All open space. How may people will that hold?

[Hissyspit]

5. Me, too. Watch the D.C. forum for a DU get-together.

[intheflow]

11. I'm desperately trying to figure out how I can get there.

I have a place to stay, but no transportation--can't take the 6 days off from work it would take just to drive there and back. :( And it's far, far too expensive no matter if I fly or drive. But I'm hoping for a little divine intervention--surely the Universe wouldn't have let me go to both angry Bush inaugurations only to deny me an the joy of Obama's inauguration!

[TahitiNut]

21. It's not all open space anymore.

The WW2 memorial cuts a wide swath. Back when they put the Vietnam(sic) Veterans Memorial on the Mall, one of the major complaints was the space it'd take from the "people's mall." Its design as an escarpment did much to assuage that complaint. Not so the Korean War Memorial or the World War Two Memorial which consume space and deflect pedestrian flow enormously.

[Stinky The Clown]

22. All true ....... but as a percentage of the space, they're all quite small.

And apart from them, it really is flat, open space except for the tree grove that is proximate to the VN and K memorials.

Then there's the reflecting pool. Which, In January, may be frozen.

[aquart]

6. 4 million? What is that in port-a-potties?

Because you know there aren't gonna be enough.

[Hissyspit]

7. Bring your own:

http://urinebag.com/how-it-works/emergency-use.html

[aquart]

24. Mother of God! These things exist????

Shudder.

[progressoid]

12. Stadium Pal!!

http://www.stadiumpal.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBdymtyXt8Y

Nothing like a piping hot, 32 ounce bag of urine strapped to your leg!

[dysfunctional press]

8. good luck getting hotel rooms.

lots of people will be sleeping in their cars and in busses.

[Posteritatis]

9. Lots of others will probably just eschew sleep

You know there's gonna be a few long-term roving parties after that. ;)

[dysfunctional press]

13. they'll still have to sleep sometime and someplace.

especially those that have a multi-state drive home afterwards.

in 2000, we had to drive back through a blizzard.

[mwei924]

10. Crash with anyone you know within driving distance.

[dysfunctional press]

14. that would be nobody, afaic.

i'm getting too old for the long distance no-sleep road trips...in 1981(the same year as seen in the holiday movie '200 cigarettes') my then roommate and i drove from west of chicago to new york city for new year's eve...we drove straight thru, and got into nyc about 4am dec 31...we spent the day seeing the city, watched the ball drop in times square, and then hopped back in the car about 3am and headed home. i never slept from when we left home until we got back.
i'd probably have a stroke if i tried that now- although insomnia has been kicking my ass lately.

[opihimoimoi]

15. 6 to 7 million will suprise everyone.....They will come to see the MAN and JOE

:toast:

[MrScorpio]

16. I've been to three inaugurals

The last thing I would want to do is hang out in the Mall.

[Truth Teller]

18. Wow. Can the Mall really hold 4 million?

I've seen it and it's enormous, but 4 million?

[Are_grits_groceries]

20. I was in DC years ago when they had a huge July 4th celebration.

They estimated that about 1m people were there. I can't imagine 4 million.
They will stress every system in DC and the surrounding area.
They will have to put jumbotrons in Loudoun, Prince William, Fairfax,
Arlington, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.