Comments on: At the Inauguration

By: Katharine

Katharine — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:36:59 +0000

“I didn’t expect or suspect the deep serenity of the crowd.”

Nor did I, but it was definitely there. Even at work, with the crowd gathered around the television, there was a deep, anticipatory silence … kind of a reverent joy or relief. Applause afterward, but even while filing out of the room, there was peace — not even a murmur until we reached the elevator.

By: Peregrinato

Peregrinato — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:42:30 +0000

The angry couple was in the line at 12th street–a line either to get to the Mall or the Parade Grounds. (I’m not sure which, we moved on.) The snippity woman was on the Mall with us, and we were very close to the Washington Monument. I should point out that snippity woman’s attitude was exceeded by the graciousness of another woman who said, “please tell your friend there’s a spot next to me with a very good view.”

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:14:55 +0000

@Peregrinato. Were you closer to the front? That’s where most of the stories of hard feelings I’ve heard come from.

By: Peregrinato

Peregrinato — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:09:00 +0000

Sadly I had a few run-ins with not-so-polite people. When my party stopped to converse and figure out our plans one couple began screaming at us for trying to cut in line. When a deaf friend was moving around to try and get a better view of the jumbotron’s captions, a woman said with a very unkind voice, “can your friend please stop moving? he’s in my way.”

But other than a few people whose sense of privilege was greater than their sense of common humanity, though, most people were really nice to each other.

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:10:19 +0000

That’s a tough one. There wasn’t the level of merchandising I would have expected and very few costumes. Very few protesters for that matter: a handful of bullhorn-wielding preachers and a few calling for George Bush’s arrest for war crimes.

But the best swag? One reporter had a microphone emblazoned with BBC on three sides; that was pretty nice.

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:39:10 +0000

Thanks for your observations especially as someone who only had a short distance to travel. I love the image of everyone being so quiet that you could hear them being polite Actually Americans being quiet and polite is a pretty amazing thing. What I want to know was what was the best / craziest swag that you saw.