DC Metro (buses/trains) should give free ridership on Inauguration Day.

[Bertha Venation]

They've already announced they're turning off the escalators.

Discuss.

[KamaAina]

1. Huh? How are people supposed to get into Dupont?

Those escalators are nearly 200 feet long (per Wiki)!

I see nothing of the sort here:

http://www.wmata.com/inauguration

[charlie and algernon]

2. yeah, i see shutting down the escalators as a terrible idea

Dupont's not the only station with incredibly long escalators, that's going to be hell for the elderly, handicapped and those who just aren't athletic enough to climb that many stairs.

[Shakespeare]

3. Yeah, I rather doubt that, too.

The very, very rare occasions Dupont's escalators were off (when I was on/off at that stop) were nightmarish for me, because I get vertigo when descending steep surfaces like that. :scared:

[Bertha Venation]

6. I heard about it on the local news radio, WTOP.

But y'd think Metro would put it on their site!

[TZ]

8. From what I heard....

It might not be all Metro Stations, just the high traffic stations...

[LynneSin]

9. I was in DC once when the DuPont escalators were down

That was a horrible walk

[madinmaryland]

4. Are you going in to the inauguration?

Not sure if I am or not. Don't think my wife and daughter will be going.

[Bertha Venation]

7. Oh, honey, hell, no!!

No, we'll be in Florida, on a trip that's been planned forever. :bounce:

[madinmaryland]

11. I think we are going to FL for Christmas. Driving down!

[Bertha Venation]

14. Fantastic!!

I hope it's a great trip. :hug: I'm so happy for you!

[seemunkee]

5. Good idea on shutting down the escalators

Keep people from getting smashed and someone getting pushed off the platform. Hope they have the sense(yeah I know I'm talking about the WMATA) to do it on a station by station need.

[Dangerously Amused]

10. This is probably a dumb question but WHY are they turning off the escalators?

I imagine it is for some safety reason. Is it because if someone falls while getting off they will be trampled, or something?

[Chan790]

12. Or something.

I would guess it's so they don't have altercations between natives who are trying to go about their daily lives and tourists who don't know that they'll get trampled/shoved/verbally-accosted if they don't stand to the right so that other people can pass on the left walking up/down the escalators. This is a everyday issue in DC, but the inauguration is going to be that x1000.

If you turn them off...people just naturally use them like stairs without incident.

Edit: It's not a dumb question at all...the more times word gets out about escalator etiquette, the more people will know and that will hopefully reduce incidents.

[kwassa]

13. It would make sense to shut off the "down" escalators when people are leaving

The stations become totally blocked up with people, with long lines/crowds outside. Feeding people into that on escalators could be very dangerous.

Having been through the commuting hell of the Fourth of July fireworks twice, the best thing to do is to go for a walk for a couple hours, find a nice place to eat, anything but try to get on the Metro.