A DC Novelty
Tonight a scene played out in front of us that I’m sure is unique to the nation’s capital. As we drove south on 6th street headed for home after work, we were stopped at the intersection of 6th and Pennsylvania by a policeman on a motorcycle that was parked diagonally in our way. To our left was a picturesque view of the Capitol, lit in all its glory. Between us and the Capitol was another line of traffic that was halted by a police cruiser docked in the middle of the road. At least a half-dozen police vehicles were within a one-block radius, and there was a palpable sense of ’something’ in the air. We’re certainly not native Washingtonians, but we’ve been here long enough to know precisely what that ’something’ was. While the car idled, we sat and waited, knowing that the streets were locked down so we might as well enjoy the show. Seven minutes later, we had an up close view of our tax dollars at work as a motorcade rumbled by. I’d only be speculating if I said it was the President’s (I’m not sure if he’s even in town), but if it wasn’t Obama in one of the 24 - yes 24 - vehicles that drove by then we’re hemorrhaging money and resources even more foolishly than I thought. That said, for that uniquely DC experience, I was happy for once to sit in the District’s snarled traffic mess.