How to properly be a hobo for a day

[general_kill]

Obama's inauguration is less than a week away and the event is expected to draw record breaking crowds. Millions are expected to flood the D.C. area. I feel like I need to be there in person for the historic moment. Missing this opportunity would be like missing MLK's "I have a dream speech". It's just one of those things that defines a generation.

My plan is to take the train from philadelphia to D.C. on Monday night/afternoon and camp there overnight. I have never done this sort of a thing before and I was curious if any of you have ever camped out in public before waiting for something and if you have any tips for me. I'm not sure if I want to bring a sleeping bag and sleep overnight or just bring lots of red bull and pull an all nighter.

So please share your experience and any helpful tips you may have.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

You should know that it is forecast to be INSANELY cold this coming weekend. Take that into account.

 

[Shekwan]

Idolatry is all it is. Have no part in it is my advice.

 

[Masquerouge]

From the sound of it (and the cold weather) pulling an all-nighter should be a lot easier. You should be able to find a lot of people in your same situation with which to pass the night.

good luck to you, and I hope it will be worth it

 

[Bigfoot3814]

Get some gloves with the fingertips cut off. Not only are they functional, they capture the essence of hobo.

 

[West 36]

Stuff newspaper between your 17 layers of what you claim to be jackets and what ever is left of the shirt you left home in. Ask people for change, claim your a war veteran, discuss the weather, God's love, the problems with government, how aliens took your once great life away, and make sure to use the worse English imaginable while doing it. Wear either an over-sized beanie or a cap for a championship that the team DIDN'T win. Carry your belongings in a shopping cart loaded with plastic bags so that people mistake you for a moving trashcan. Be insane.



Oh wait that's homeless people.



Jump on a train and play the banjo while on board, singing tales of some freaky things that happened out west or in the south. Steal food, preach, kill a few people, that should do it.
THEN take the tips I laid out before.

 

[Bllasae]

You should know that it is forecast to be INSANELY cold this coming weekend. Take that into account.

About -45 C where I live is what it's supposed to be.

 

[downtown]

You aren't going to be able to camp there. There are a zillion cops out this week, and you're going to get caught. Find a friend, or a friend of a friend, or a YMCA, or sleep in your car, or something else. Don't try and sleep outside.

I'm attending, but I'm crashing at friend's houses. Also, you prob. aren't going to be able to see the actual swearing in without a ticket (although you can do just about everything else without one)

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

About -45 C where I live is what it's supposed to be.

Who cares? I'm talking about Washington, not the Great White North.

 

[Rashiminos]

The coming cold front was a particular topic of discussion in today's class.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The coming cold front was a particular topic of discussion in today's class.

9 degrees F forecast for St. Mary's on Saturday night. :brrrrrrr:

 

[Gogf]

I'm not sure if pulling an all-nighter before the expected historic moment is a great idea.

 

[Gogf]

By the way, do we know how many people are expected to be there?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Millions, to be sure. DC has been preparing for this since Election Day; I was walking around town before Christmas and they already had bleachers and crowd stands set up and being constructed (especially this huge ass wooden thing on Penn. Ave.), signs announcing new traffic patterns for the weekend of Inaguration, and banners across the street celebrating it.

 

[silver 2039]

I'll be going to D.C. for Obama's inauguration also. I'm going by bus with the democrats of my university. Its free so its good stuff.

 

[Phlegmak]

9 degrees F is so easy to tolerate. When it goes negative, then it that's a bit chilly.

 

[mangxema]

People who are going... I demand pictures!!

 

[silver 2039]

Dude we should have an impromptu CFC meetup.

 

[FriendlyFire]

O_o

Americans are really happy to have compete comprehensible sentences once again.

 

[general_kill]

You aren't going to be able to camp there. There are a zillion cops out this week, and you're going to get caught. Find a friend, or a friend of a friend, or a YMCA, or sleep in your car, or something else. Don't try and sleep outside.

I'm attending, but I'm crashing at friend's houses. Also, you prob. aren't going to be able to see the actual swearing in without a ticket (although you can do just about everything else without one)

Hey downtown, I'm glad to hear you are attending and you seem to know more about the event than me. Can you tell me some of the events I can attend besides the actual swearing in ceremony? Will there be a speech by Obama?