Photo by Wayan

For those hardy DC residents who are flying into Dulles Airport on Tuesday, a whole other level of transportation madness awaits them in the taxi line. Talking with the Washington Flyer cabbie tonight, I learned that Dulles cabs will only take passengers to the Falls Church Metro.

Even though taxis are allowed on 66, the hacks are scared of getting trapped in the moving security cordons and overall gridlock that’s bound to plague the District. So Washington Flyer, as an organization, has told them to stay out of the District.

One more way that Inauguration Day is becoming Escape from New York day.

Are you safe DC?
Originally uploaded by tbridge

I love cool apps for the iPhone that are out there for our city. The Post’s Going Out Guide, or Open Table or some of the others I’ve played with.

But then I saw Are You Safe DC?. I don’t know quite what to think about this one. Sure, having the crime statistics for your current location can be nice if you’re in an unfamiliar part of the city. And, I applaud the use of open data formats to track and geolocate a specific location, but couldn’t this be taken way too far?

This could be awesome, or it could be used to justify all manner of lame and petty behavior of people to not go into neighborhoods they see as “too dangerous” or “too crime-ridden.” No word on price or availability yet, but with the specific mention of the Inauguration in the page, I’d hope it’s out before Sunday’s concert starts the festivities.

Photo by Wayan

Tonight’s trip from Terminal C to the Main Terminal of Dulles Airport made popsicles out of tired passengers.

The people mover heater could not compete with Mother Nature’s icy breath, so we all saw our breath instead. And I’ve never seen a people mover empty so fast.

CCTV warning
Originally uploaded by seanbonner

Judging by the Twitterstream, there are a ton of tourists already in DC for the Inaugural, including a number of decently internet famous folks. We’d like to send a special welcome out to Metroblogging‘s own Sean Bonner, who’s here from LA for the Inauguration. Thanks for stopping by, Sean, hope you have a great time in our town this week.

Inauguration, 1913 (LOC), courtesy of The Library of Congress

Flickr’s has a blog posting up highlighting a number of pictures of past Inaugurations, in particular a bunch just added to the commons today by the Smithsonian. It’s neat stuff and worth a look.

Obama Flip Flops
Originally uploaded by needlessspaces

Just seen in Union Station.

Those are flip flops. (It’s like -6 degrees outside, FYI.)

I think this is what you call overkill.

That is all.

”
courtesy of ‘*kaetzchen’

I’m cold. You are cold. DC is cold. But most of us have homes. Remember those who don’t today.

If you see homeless persons who are outside in freezing temperatures, you can call the hypothermia hotline to have them picked up by a van and transported to a local shelter. For more information, call the shelter hotline 1 (800) 535-7252.

‘Preparations’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

WaPo just alerted me that I can receive Inauguration survival alerts – to my inbox, my blackberry or by text. HELLOOOO INFORMATION AGE, nice to meet you, my name is Katie. I in fact, have an inbox, a blackberry, and a cell phone to receive text messages, so load me up! WaPo warns that we could “get up to 30 messages on inauguration day”. Which begs the question, how informed is TOO informed? Then again, come an emergency, I might desperatley want those 30 texts. Just as long as they’re nothing like Alert DC. In which case, I’ll stay in the dark ages, thankyouverymuch.

‘Gluttony’
courtesy of ‘CraigGrocott’

Since you’re not cold enough, DC, Baskin Robins is giving away free ice cream today. Cause they didn’t get the memo that I literally turned into an ice cube on my walk to and from the Metro today. Ignoring today’s freezing temperatures, you can head on over to Baskin Robbins to sample ice cream that won’t cause your personal trainer to hemorrhage, or push you over your daily calorie limit.  Baskin Robbins introduces BRight Choices, the  company’s selection of low-calorie, low-fat, and sugar-free ice creams and frozen yogurts. But there’s a catch. You’ve got to prove to them you’re worthy by flashing proof of your gym membership to get your free scoop.

Let’s just hope that’s not the only time you’ll use your membership card this month.

‘Street Sense, Washington DC’
courtesy of ‘chip py the photo guy’

High off the soy-ink fumes from multiple print runs and overpriced sold-online editions of the election day issue, The Washington Post has a new venture. How better to wring money out of the ever-shrinking paying reader pool than to attempt to sell $10 box-ads to the inauguration day issue?

Place your personal message of congratulations to the new President in the pages of the Historical Inauguration Day edition of the Washington Post and online at washingtonpost.com

Seriously? Who’s going to buy this?

Better question: Think they’ll accept the following ad? “Hey jeanyus, you could have sent a $3.50 hallmark card to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave with a $0.47 stamp on it and still be $6.03 ahead.”

That’s a hypothetical – I’m not spending the $10.

‘You Look Nice Today @ylnt’
courtesy of ‘Lucius Kwok’

Author and Petworth resident Eric Nuzum wrote last week about his experience with being called for jury duty in DC and it’s got some amusing gems in it. However his conclusion about how to determine guilt or innocence seems reasonable enough to me.

Actually, that was the excuse I was going to use to get out of service: my “deeply held belief” that anyone who would wear a denim jacket with a plaid shirt had to be guilty of something–why not convict him of this?

photo courtesy of SanFranAnnie

According to a recent Washington Post article, you’ve got until January 20th to sell your Obama related merchandise before the heavy hand of the law snuffs out your money making machine.  Washington lawyer Gregory Craig is representing president-elect Obama and it will be his job come noon on January 20th to stop “the commercial exploitation of his client’s image”.  This includes the selling of  “Obama can openers, Obama chocolate chip cookies, Obama chocolate bars” to name a few things.  I’m personally wondering if this also includes the buying and selling of artwork that contains his likeness (such as the Shepard Fairey image above)?

Folks, you’ve got less than a week to sell your supply of Obama thongs, lollipops, and beer cozies.  I suggest putting the whole lot on eBay or selling them for half price on the Mall this weekend.  Jail is not a very fun place to be (unless you’re OJ).

‘Fat Albert’
courtesy of ‘Daniel Zana’

You’re like school on a Saturday Inauguration Day: No Class!

George Mason University was a little slow to the party, but presumably enough people asked the administration “exactly how am I supposed to get to class without Rt 66 or 395?” GMU has decided to close the Arlington campus entirely and cancel classes (but keep the campus open) at Fairfax and their other ancillary locations. So if you were planning on going to the first day of classes on the 20th: Don’t.