Inauguration Musings- Getting to work
If I was still working at the Holocaust Museum and scheduled to work Tuesday, I'd be so screwed.Yes, January 20th is a Federal holiday, however, holiday or no, some people have to get to work. Think about all the places that will be open or have to be open Tuesday. Closer to the action are the museums, and the Holocaust Museum is only closed on two days, Yom Kippur & Christmas. I take it that the Smithsonian Institutions' museums are the same, minus Yom Kippur. So there are the security, janitorial and exhibit area personnel who have to show up. Then you've got restaurants, coffee shops, hotels with waiters, managers, and other staff who need to get in. And silly question, will the Gallery Place Bed, Bath and Beyond be open? The movie theater?
Getting to work in the core inauguration area is an obvious bear. What of the other parts of DC that depend on workers who commute from Virginia? Hopefully getting from MoCo, or Ward 9 (aka PG Co) won't be that bad.... with VA traffic diverted to Maryland.... Metro overloaded. It will be interesting to hear, with the bridge closures and the predictions of heavily trafficked roads, what the impact of the day will be for parts of the city far from the downtown area.
But right now, I'm so thankful that I'm no longer a Visitor Services Representative at the Holocaust Museum. I remember trying to get home after the Million Man March. The entry to the Smithsonian station (Ag Building side) was so blocked with people, a blockage that wasn't moving, I turned around and walked across the 14th Street Bridge. I wouldn't have that option, the 14th Street Bridge will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists from 2am to 7pm on the 20th, according to the Washington Post.
Labels: employment, inauguration
posted by Mari @ 8.1.09
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