NBC Washington has obtained, via a FOIA request, video surveillance of a L’Enfant Plaza escalator collapsing during the Rally to Restore Sanity weekend. The video shows the brakes failing and riders flying off the escalator, some getting stepped on and falling on top of each other. Several injured during the incident had to go to the hospital. Watch the video after the jump.
A bit of pleasant news surfaces from the sprinkling of tribulations after yesterday’s rally. 69-year old Gladys Germain has been found after going missing among the bustling crowds, last seen at approximately 3 p.m. near 7th Street. The U.S. Park Service had labeled this as a critical missing case as Germain has dementia. Now that this story has a happy ending, has anyone seen my missing contact?…
Photo by Michael DeAngelis. Good morning, Washington. Hope you’re recovering from your rally and Halloween festivities. Drink plenty of water to nurse that hangover. Oh and, happy Halloween day! >> Good luck to all of the Marine Corps marathon runners, who are already well under way in their 26.2 mile run. Here’s a reminder of all of the road closures you’ll have to contend with because of the race. >> How many people were…
Well, it’s finally here: the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. It appears, even at 8:30 a.m., that the crowds are already starting to pack in along 3rd Street and on the Metro. So will the crowd, estimated at 200,000 people, actually be that huge? Will there be a Bruce Springsteen performance, as many have rumored? And for the love of all things holy — will there be enough portable toilets to go around? DCist will have a crack team of correspondents on the scene today — including, but not limited to myself, Heather Goss, Eddie Kim, Brett Gellman, Alicia Mazzara, Martin Austermuhle, Ian Buckwalter, Kyle Gustafson, Missy Frederick, Elisabeth Grant, Kelly Rand, John Fleury and Valerie Paschall — to record, via the magic of Twitter, the things that they are seeing, hearing, and feeling, as well as any other sensual experience which the Rally will provide.
Want to join in? Tweet along with us — use the hashtag #feardcist and your tiny communiques will appear alongside ours in the real time ticker below. Don’t forget to check out our basic primer if you haven’t already — and everyone have a sane and/or fearful day.
Worried about food options while you’re rallying for sanity? Yeah, there aren’t great restaurants around the mall. However, no fear: DC’s food trucks have you covered. Pleasant Pops, Fojol Brothers, Eat Wonky, DC Slices, and Sang on Wheels have all announced their intentions to serve food around the mall….
Photo by ekelly80.So DCers, lest you forget that next weekend will be a mess of Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally goers, Halloween revelers, and general madness, we have a round-up of what people are talking about a week before: >> Of course, there are some interesting ads on Craigslist regarding the rally: this person is looking for a place to stay, and don’t you fear – they haven’t been arrested or anything. This woman bought…
Jon Stewart’s Rally To Restore Sanity now has a place on the National Mall. In the Frequently Asked Questions page of the rally’s website, the location for the event is revealed as “the far eastern end of the National Mall between 3rd Street and 7th Street, known as East Seaton Park and Henry Park.” D.C. residents will be really familiar with the location — it’s where Screen on the Green happens every summer. (Though we imagine there will be a bit less HBO Dancing at the Stewart rally.)
