What To Expect On Sunday In DC

If you’re heading to Washington, D.C. on Sunday for the big Obama Inauguration National Mall Concert, please be prepared for security like you’ve never seen before.

The scheduled 90-minute event will begin at 2:30 p.m. with HBO televising it at 7 p.m. in each time zone.

Plan on getting there bright-and-early because gates open at 8 a.m. According to the USA Today:

Security officials are bracing for a preview of the inauguration Sunday when 500,000 people are expected to fill part of the National Mall for a free concert featuring Bono, Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen.

(snip)

Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said 500,000 people are expected to show up for the event. If so, that is about a quarter of the number of people who go through security at 450 U.S. airports combined in a typical day, according to Transportation Security Administration figures. The TSA has 2,200 screening lanes throughout the country.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee said spectators will funnel through five entrances and face pat-downs and metal detectors. Among the banned items: backpacks, thermoses and bottles.

“People that go to Bruce Springsteen concerts don’t normally think a lot about security,” security analyst Randall Larsen said. “Everybody is going to want to carry a thermos of hot chocolate or hot coffee.”

It is unclear how many screening lanes each concert checkpoint will have. Spectators will face lighter and faster screening than air travelers, said Brian Jackson, a security expert at the RAND Corp.

But, Jackson added, “Clearly, there are going to be some major throughput concerns. The folks going down there are going to have to be patient.”

Another complicating factor is the weather. With temperatures forecast to be in the 30s Sunday — slightly below normal — spectators will be wearing heavy coats that are a security nightmare because they can conceal weapons. “Everybody will look like a suicide bomber,” Larsen said.

The cold could ease crowds by keeping people away. Or it could worsen them by causing everyone to show up at the last minute to avoid waiting in the concert area for long, Jackson said. Gates open at 8 a.m. ET. The concert starts at 2:30 p.m.

And yes, President-Elect Obama will be in attendance at the event.

Last 4 posts by U2isABLE

• U2360 Mayhem in Montreal - July 9th, 2011
• Empire's U2 Movie Mash-ups - July 7th, 2011
• Sesame Street Does Spider-Man: Grover, Bono and SpiderMonster - June 14th, 2011
• Even Better Than The Real Thing - May 24th, 2011