Gridlock galore ahead of Obama's inauguration
Updated on 20 January 2009
Felicity Spector braves sub-zero temperatures, a swarming throng and gridlock to watch crowds gather for Barack Obama's inauguration speech.
It was not even four in the morning and already Washington's traffic was in gridlock. All yesterday evening and into the night hundreds of concrete barriers were lowered into place, metal fences were put up, roads were blocked off.
Along Independence Avenue, a huge trail of buses sat bumper to bumper, the flashing lights of police cars throwing kaleidoscope colours above.
As we snaked slowly along a road to nowhere, waved more and more off course at each intersection, perhaps it might have been better to catch the Metro, which promised a full rush hour service starting at four.
By 4.30am even the subway trains were jammed - and there was nowhere to park at out-of-town stations: one Metro worker reported lines of 20 to 30 minutes long.
With temperatures well below zero, crowds were already gathering at the Mall, some huddling in blankets to protect themselves against the harsh wind. Long lines built up at one entrance which didn't even open until seven but no-one was willing to give up their place in the queue.
Trying to cross the Mall itself was a complete nightmare: everywhere we tried, secret service agents blocked our path: the security sweep was well underway.
Finally, around the edge of the Newseum, a way through - we slipped between a gap in the fencing and broke for freedom.
With temperatures well below zero, crowds were already gathering at the Mall, some huddling in blankets to protect themselves against the harsh wind.
By dawn, there was a steady stream heading towards the giant viewing screens, every corner sporting a makeshift stall or two selling T-shirts, flags, hand warmers, badges. 'Get your official programme! I was there - where were you!'
It's still more than two hours before Obama takes that oath of office, in front of the Capitol building, then his speech, expected to last just 20 minutes long.
He's got a lot riding on a single speech, even for a man who became famous through his oratory.
His team have been studying the greats, from Lincoln to Roosevelt and John F Kennedy and as Obama admitted; his own political hero is hard to beat.
"There's a genius to Lincoln that is not going to be matched", he told ABC.
"The main task for me is to try to capture as best I can the moment that we are in and then to project confidence that if we take the right measures that we can once again be that country."
It is for these words that the millions are gathering: for these words that billions more are watching around the world.
Obama's already made history simply by getting to this momentous day - now his first words as America's first black president will go into the history books too.
