Untitled Document

There And Back Again: An Inaugural Adventure

On January 20th, I got up at 4:00 AM to prepare for the Inauguration event. Previously I had spent days planning out the route I would take to the inauguration. I would get off at Metro Center and walk across Pennsylvania Avenue at the crosswalk indicated on the Washington Post map at 7th Street. I chose to get off at Metro Center in order to avoid the crowds near Union Station and other metro stations.

I got off at the Metro around 7:07 AM.

The crowds were relatively good in the Metro stations. I applaud Metro for handling it well. But the moment I got off the Metro, that was when the problems began.

Located along 12th Street and E were to checkpoints for “Silver Tickets.” I had a silver ticket, but I was not told that the entry was for the parade until I was halfway in the line. I had asked three people if this security checkpoint was the entrance to get to the Mall. They told me that I could get to the mall by crossing the street. I told them I had a ticket for the inauguration and they told me I could get to it through that checkpoint.

In front of us, the security gate with 3 scanners.

So I entered the checkpoint at: 7:30 AM It was the first of many poorly planned areas. The concept behind this checkpoint was to pack people together into a large group, have them enter though two entryways of an iron barracade, and then proceed through 3 metal detectors. There were no portable johns around the area, only in the area that you entered after the checkpoint. I finally exited the checkpoint at 10:30 AM after preventing a small girl named Taylor from being crushed by the pushing of the crowd. Six of us stood around her and held our ground in the crowd’s mad rush towards the gate. Even grown adults were getting crushed. Every ten minutes we would move a few inches closer to the gate.

The crowd behind us.

After I left the checkpoint area, I walked down to the supposed 7th Street crosswalk, only to find that it had been shut down. I asked multiple police officers, Secret Service men, and volunteers for information. One of them sent me to the 14th Street crosswalk that I found out never existed. Another tried to send me to the 3rd street crosswalk with the vague “but it’s closing soon.” I felt like a mouse in a maze as I navigated the labyrinth that was the barricade into streets and out back to the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalks, spending precious time to reach the gate for the silver tickets. I eventually found two other older black gentlemen who also had silver tickets and forced our way through a crowd to reach a volunteer to ask him how we should get across Pennsylvania Avenue. Pointing over towards an obscure area, he told us we should go talk to the Secret Service agent. The Secret Service agent directed us back to the volunteer after telling us he didn’t know anything. DC Police littered the edges of Pennsylvania Avenue, standing around. I asked at least fifteen policemen during the course of this time for instructions. A park service official I asked told us he didn’t know a single thing. Finally a volunteer told me that the 7th Street crosswalk would be opening at exactly 11 o’clock. I pressed him for more details about getting admitted for my ticket, and he told me I would be granted access. During the wait for the crosswalk to open, I asked three Secret Service agents about getting to 3rd Street (where the entrance for the Silver Ticket station was located.) They all told me I could get there and my ticket would be accepted. At 11, the crosswalk opened after a good 20 minutes of the police standing around and the crowd rushed through on both sides of the street. It took me approximately 7 minutes to cross the street because of the audacity of the Secret Service to create a two way street of pedestrians that was four yards across.

People gathering to cross 7th Street at 11 o'clock.

Once I made it across Pennsylvania Avenue, I began my journey four blocks down to 3rd Street. It was about 11:13 AM at the time. I reached 3rd Street, only to be greeted by a DC cop who told me he clearest, most accurate, understandable piece of information from an official I had heard all day: No, you can’t go in. I showed him my ticket along with ten other people. He still told us we could not go down 3rd Street to be seated. He did not give us a reason when we asked. He told us the Secret Service was in charge and shut down. Several people had silver tickets, some had blue and others had purple, but none were let in. We talked to a Secret Service agent who came up. He would not tell us anything either. I complained to him that other agents had told me I would get in. The crowd started chanting “WE HAVE TICKETS!” But it did nothing. Meanwhile throughout this ordeal, a father and his young daughter were allowed to cross the street as well as a family of four.

Crossing Pennsylvania Avenue.

Pennslyvania Avenue.

We got stopped here. This was the end of our trip.

Being turned down by DC Police.

The conflict attracted CNN’s Brian Todd who interviewed us. We pressed him to interview the police officers and the Secret Service who rejected us, but they wouldn’t talk to him.

Update: I actually got on CNN for two segments that were aired for a few weeks! Will post the video in the near future.

Brian Todd interviewing the rejected ticket holders.

I eventually ended up taking pictures from far away and got several shots of the crowd. And I know for sure that there was space for Silver Ticket holders as indicated by this satellite photo: