Originally Posted by
boneshake
Oh, come on. I've been to plenty of crowd events in DC and only one has had any kind of problem like that (even when I wasn't close enough to see it, I'm talking about media reports later). I've been to two inaugurations, the Million Man March, the fireworks, and about 20 or 30 marches and events on the Mall. This is not 1968, and it's not a neighborhood block party.
The only time I've been in a crowd in DC where there was a scary moment was a Klan parade on Pennsylvania avenue. The protestors were very pissed at the Klan (as they should be) and I stayed on the fringes. But I expected that at a Klan rally.
Haha...ok, but the KKK deserves a good riot!
The thing that scares me about DC events, aside from full-blown rioting, is all the crime that can and often does take place. Pick-pocketing is very easy at these crowded events and then, because the police become concentrated in one area of town, crime in just about every other neighborhood goes up. I have a place in NW DC (Petworth) and whenever there is a major event downtown our crime skyrockets. I've seen minor disagreements at July 4th events turn into fights right there on the Mall. In addition, things aren't as well-controlled as everyone leads the public to believe. Not for me. IMO, there is just too much potential for trouble and I'd rather stay far away from it. I also have a problem with my tax dollars going to finance so much of this hoopla, but that's another frustration I'll have to work out in another forum
