Inauguration Notes for Attendees

The team that is planning Barack Obama’s inauguration just put out an advisory for anyone with tickets to the swearing-in ceremony, and here’s the bottom line: This won’t be a picnic.

The swearing-in isn’t just a 60-minute ceremony but a day-long commitment, requiring planning ahead and looking at a map to design your exit strategy.

The advisory says that ticket-holders should arrive at least three hours before the ceremony begins at 11:30. The place will be jammed. Streets will be closed and so probably will the bridges and major roadways into the district, unless you’re on a special bus. If you’re already staying within two miles of the Capitol, you should walk to the swearing-in. If you have special needs (like, you can’t walk), you’ll still have to walk, or use a wheelchair.

There will be “drop-off” points for people with disabilities, but “traffic conditions and restrictions may make reaching these drop-off locations extremely difficult.”

More bad news for these folks: “There will be designated areas for people with disabilities in each of the ticketed seating areas on the Capitol grounds, however these areas are limited in size and available on a first-come first-served basis. Persons in wheelchairs or utilizing walkers should be aware that they will need to move across bumpy surfaces, grassy areas, and possible icy areas (depending on the weather).”

If you’re coming by Metro: “Be prepared to wait for space on a train for long periods of time, during which you will have to stand in close proximity to several thousand people. Many Metro escalators will be closed due to crowding and individuals will need to climb Metro stairs or wait to utilize the small number of elevators at Metro stations.”

If it’s raining? You can’t get through security with an umbrella. Bring a hat or poncho.

And if you’re on medication, like insulin, that you need to take at regular intervals, bring it with you. You’ll be there for many hours.

The advisory paints such a grim scenario that you might think the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which issued the advisory, is trying to discourage people from coming.

Not so, says Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the committee. They just want people to have a realistic sense of what to expect.

“We want people to understand that if they try to come, these are the obstacles that will unfortunately exist and they should plan accordingly and use their judgment about whether it’s something they want to do,” Ms. Florman said.

“If someone is going to spend the day in traffic or stuck on the subway or on the wrong side of a bridge, they’ll have a worse time than if they stay home and watch on TV,” she added. “We’re trying to be honest and realistic about the difficulties we anticipate.”

This advisory is just for the 240,000 people who have tickets to the swearing-in ceremony, but many of the same precautions apply to those without tickets who are going to the Mall, where more than a million people are expected, or along the parade route, where hundreds of thousands of early birds will gather.

The weather in Washington in January is usually quite cold and often rainy or snowy, the advisory cautions. “Please think carefully about whether you can stand outside in cold weather in a large crowd for up to six hours, and whether you are ready for long delays getting home afterwards.”

And finally, there’s this, for anyone who thinks they will be able to instantly share their experience with friends and family via cell phone: “Be aware that it may be difficult to talk or send pictures from your cell phone, according to wireless companies. Please use text messaging to send critical messages.”