Just as thousands of Inauguration goers started pouring into the city this evening from near and far, major traffic gridlock and transit delays mired the afternoon commute.

All we can say to the out-of-towners, welcome to your capital! … where the stewards of your Republic have mastered the art of gridlock, delays and general frustration.

First up, a man in a mud-speckeled red van tied up traffic throughout downtown as he engaged police and Secret Service in a drawn-out face off a block from the White House. He threatened to blow his van up with 15 gallons of gasoline he claimed were inside. The man surrended peacefully by 8 p.m., but the damage was already done. 14th and 15th streets were shut down in the vicinity of New York and Pennsylvania avenues, locking up critical roadways through downtown.

Second, this DCist is now just realizing just how patient the good souls of Virginia can be when rail lines heading to the other side of the Potomac are clogged. (Photo of sort of crowded metrorail car that wasn’t part of Tuesday’s transit problems by Drew McDermott.)