Lessons learned at Inauguration
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of three articles documenting the reporter’s personal experience during the days leading up to the Presidential Inauguration.

By Melissa DeLoach
Senior Reporter

WASHINGTON — For me, my view at the Inauguration was not of the president, but the row of toilets lined up in front of me. I stood on the muddy grounds of the Capitol hoping that I would not sink. Around me was a cross-section of America: rows of mink coats, ringing cell phones and children sitting on their daddies’ shoulders with binoculars trying to catch a small glimpse of the president.

There was neither a script nor a program for me to follow along the process of the ceremony. I didn’t have Tom Brokaw or Bob Schieffer giving me the play-by-play. When Clinton’s helicopter took him from the Capitol, I had no idea what was going on.However, the people around me — educated Washingtonians — did as they cheered him farewell.

Special to the Skiff Protesters of the presidential election results march alongside the inaugural parade route Saturday in Washington, D.C. after the swearing-in ceremony of President George W. Bush.

The people that make up the District of Columbia and its surrounding community are probably the most well-informed group of people I have ever met in my life. At some point in the day almost everyone reads a newspaper like The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal.

They also listen continuously to news talk show programs like “National Public Radio.” Again, this is everyone in the heart of the district. And they don’t just read for their own personal knowledge, they discuss and debate with one another.

In the Capitol gift store, two store clerks were discussing the John Ashcroft hearing going on in the adjacent Russell Senate Office Building. My cab driver even asked me what I thought about the attorney general nominee as we were listening to the hearing live, at his request.

This doesn’t happen everywhere. This is D.C.

Another D.C. personality is the public transportation system, the Metro. Riding the subway everyday from Alexandria, Va. to the district each day was an adventure. It had nothing to do with the driving of the train, but rather the wide array of people I was able to meet and talk to at each stop. Because it would take me an hour to get to downtown D.C. each day, I became a frequent user of the Metro.

I cannot think of any place other than the subway where there’s such a wide variety of people represented. Riding by my side were people from all walks of life — be it skin color, profession, age, income or social class. From businessmen, students at George Washington University and retirees, the Metro is something that all Washingtonians share.

I spent the morning and evening commutes listening, talking and watching the actions of people. From what I gathered, more people ride the subway than drive into the city. And it’s very economical. I bought a $25 pass that allowed me unlimited access for a week. With the price of gas as high as it is, we could all benefit from riding the subway.

What struck me most about the subway is the pride the attendants take in making sure the facilities are clean. As I sat to eat an apple on a long journey back to my hotel, a lady stopped me from taking my first bite.

“You better put that away,” she said. “Or you might be arrested.”

“Arrested?” I asked.

“Yes.” On the subway, there is a zero-tolerance rule that prohibits eating, drinking, music, pets, etc. The lady told me about a Washington Post article a couple months back about a 13-year-old girl who was arrested for eating her McDonald’s french fries in transit.

“They just handcuffed her and brought her down to the station… they don’t want the subway to look as bad as New York,” she said.

Needless to say, I put the apple away and made sure to warn everyone else from out of town.

Melissa DeLoach
m.d.deloach@student.tcu.edu