US Presidential Inauguration 2009 | INFJ Forum

US Presidential Inauguration 2009

ZenCat

Waving Sage
Oct 4, 2008
2,607
102
195
A Hippie Commune
MBTI
INFJ
Enneagram
Recently 2
My husband announced today that he intends to take a vacation day next Tuesday, and that we will be keeping our son home from school, to spend the day together watching the Inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama.

I was a little shocked, and completely delighted, as my husband is not even a US citizen, but he's fallen in love with this country, and is extremely moved by the hope Mr. Obama has stirred in so many of us.

This is a guy who only ever took a sick day from work when he broke his neck in a car accident, and he's been working 7 days a week (mostly away from home) since July, so it's a pretty big deal. And we never keep our son out of school unless he's got a fever over 101.

I'm really looking forward to a day with my men, dogs and cats, on the sofa in front of the big TV with a bunch of hors d'oevres, watching history unfold.

Anybody else have plans?
 
I think the Presidential Inaugural Committee is making a big mistake in not listening to the Portable-Toilets Trade Group. They're only going to have about one-third of the toilets that they'll need. As Ms. Carroll said, "It's going to be an ugly scene."
 
I hadn't heard that :eek: That's INSANE!

I did hear on NPR the other day that the expected crowd would result in something like 4-6 people per square meter. The guest warned that anybody going there should expect to be in virtually constant physical contact with other people at all times... for hours. And now... not enough bathrooms???

The horror. The horror.
 
The committee plans to have 5,000 portable toilets available. That is supposed to be enough if the crowd is numbers no more than one million people, and all 5,000 toilets are occupied at all times (maximum efficiency of use, that is, which of course never happens). Of course we know that the demand for toilet usage goes up and down over time, and out of 5,000 toilets, some will get full or otherwise become out of order. Furthermore, the crowd is expected to handily break the previous record of 1.6 million, and could reach 4 million.

I predict that at least one person will die as a result of a dispute over the use of one of the portable toilets (by trampling, or individual combat). We'll see.
 
Also factor in all the elderly and children in the crowd, who will have increased bathroom needs... and the cold temperatures... and the fact that they've extended the hours of operation for all the bars in D.C. for the week...

Fingers crossed we're pleasantly surprised by the news, but it's certainly a worrying concern.
 
ZC, kudos to your hubby for a very good plan!
 
at first glance, i thought this:

I think the Presidential Inaugural Committee is making a big mistake in not listening to the Portable-Toilets Trade Group.

was a joke.

then i realized it was quite sad.

i'm obviously not in america (yet!) but i'm excited for this too!
 
Screw that! (6 people per square metre)
 
Screw that! (6 people per square metre)

Seriously. The very thought of that makes me think of straight jackets and large doses of tranquilizers and years in a padded cell.

My first day at my new job in Manhattan when I was about 30... Grand Central Terminal at rush hour. I got off the train was catatonic and paralyzed for about 5 minutes before I figured out I could move if I only looked at the ground. It was TERRIFYING. I adapted, eventually, but OMG it was not easy.

Very happy to have my big sofa and loving family and my TV to participate in this particular event.
 
Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -Please don't die -
 
Man...I haven't even thought of that. Could you imagine the numbers? There could be millions of people descending on DC. Do they have enough secret service to cover that kind of a crowd? Or police? Firemen? Oy...I can't imagine.

And that's not to mention the stinky of millions of poopy people. And their pets. And babies.
 
UR MAKING IT WORSE!!!!!!!!!!
 
Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...
 
Oh my God I would rather die than be there. What the heck are those people doing for accomodation? I heard the whole thing was costing something like $200 million dollars. Could that be right?
If I was there I'd get in a porta potty line up right away!
 
Either that, or make a run on the store for Depends...
 
LOL I don't know what would be more memorable seeing Obama's inaugration or crapping your pants for the first time since you were a baby!:pound:
 
I don't know, I've been to shows where I couldn't find the bathroom for the life of me, but for the two or three hours I was there I held it.

But then again a show and a Presidential Inauguration, are two completely different kinds of parties.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheLastMohican
Yeah, my husband can hold it for like... days.

I can not. Me: Gotta go... No Bathroom: Epic puddle
 
I wouldn't want to be the day after clean up crew!
 
Ewww...sanitation better get triple time for this one! And you know it'll be like December 31st on Times Square. Or the latest and greatest XBox/PS3 game release. Or the latest and greatest Batman movie. Folks will be lined up *hours* (if not days) to get a good "seat" for it.

Unwashed, stinky, poopy people...for three days!

*Cringes*:m035: