Washington D.C. Warning or Danger Tips by matcrazy1

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART (SOUTHERN

FACADE)

1. Closed Smithsonian's museums
A few of numerous museums I wanted to visit in October 2004 were closed due to extensive renovation. Let me say about the National Museum of American Art and National Portrait Gallery which are going to open on 4 July, 2006 (the Independance Day) and Arts and Industries Building which was "closed in preparation for renovation."
Check up-to-date infotmation on Smithsonian Museums webpage or ask the Smithsonian Information Center in the Castle.

2. No FBI Tours
FBI Tours is undergoing extensive renovations and is closed until further notice. Updates here

3. The White House Tour
It's difficult to go through all necessary formalities (months in advance) to take that tour. Details here.

4. The Capitol Tour
It's easy to take but please keep in mind that there are fixed hours of these tours. In my case, I was sold a ticket for the tour which started a few hours later. Tickets were sold exclusively in temporarily ticket office put by Garfiel Memorial (SW of the Capitol Building; metro station: Federal Center SW) in 2004.

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Phone: +1 (202) 633.1000
Website: http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu
Other Contact: info@si.edu

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Heightened Security:

Don't forget to leave your handgun at home!

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Updated by matcrazy1

on Jan 8, 2006

ME AND CAPITOL POLICE CAR

As you probably know, gun ownership is regarded as one of basic human and civilian rights by most Americans. I was talking a bit about it with a local waiter in Gergetown's restaurant who complained about inefficient and let me quote him "silly gun control introduced in DC by US Congress against its citizens, the law enforced despite negatibe opinion of local city council and despite the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution."

Let me explain. Handguns had been outlawed, carrying guns (concealed or not) was prohibited, and all guns and ammunition had to be registered in DC. So, leave your handgun at home whenever you travel to Washington, DC unless you want to be arrested. There are a lot of various armed forces in downtown DC including federal, capitol police, Smithsonian museum guards and others.

I noticed in DC that the topic of gun rights and gun control arouses strong emotions in DC. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." It's still debated whether that gun control in DC and ban on handguns is a violation of the 2nd Amendment protections on bearing arms. I don't know.

The easiest way to find out is to carry your hand gun around and get arrested. Once arrested you go to trial. Well, it will have to be more than one trial if you are convicted. You will have to "appeal" your case all the way up to The Supreme Court - that is the court that interprets the Constitution and it has the final word on interpretation of all laws and of the Constitution itself. Any volunteers? :-)

Anyway, I can easily agree with my interlocutor that strict gun control laws in DC can't be effective as it is relatively easy to obtain guns in neighboring states (and maybe in DC as well :-) with laxer gun control laws, especially Virginia. Indeed, the ban itself didn't lower high levels of gun violence in DC.

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Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_States

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Warnings Or Dangers:

Lines, lines, lines

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Written by matcrazy1

on Dec 22, 2005

LINE TO THE NAT'L MUSEUM OF THE

AMERICAN INDIAN

There is no entrance fee to all museums I have visited in Washington. But there are long lines to some of them. There is no possibility to buy a ticket for fixed hour or next day except the one for guided Capitol Tour (I did it in the morning and was invited for 1 pm). I had to wait especially to enter the National Archive (about 1 hour) and some 20-30 min. to enter the Holocaust Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. The last one had been just opened. In the first day we skipped it because of the very long line.

My advice is to choose one more popular museum for each day and go to visit it before the others come, say at 8.30 am if it's Smithsonian museum (they open at 9.00 am). Anyway, waiting in a line was not that bad as I had a great company of VT-ers. Talks, watching people and taking pictures made it bearable, even relaxing.

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Warnings Or Dangers:

Closed sidewalks and streets

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Written by matcrazy1

on Dec 22, 2005

SIDEWALK CLOSED!

There are quite many closed sidewalks in Washington, DC. First of all due to renovation works but due to safety requirements as well. Eastern grounds of the Capitol Hill were under renovation works, fenced and closed for visitors. Some sidewalks around the White House were closed as well which forced me to walk additional mile or so. The same was around the Washington Monument still closed for renovation in 2004.

Cement slabs were put across some streets close to the Capitol Hill and the White House. Generally, as I noticed, all important federal buildings to prevent possible terrorist attack by a speeding truck loaded with explosives were surrounded by cement slabs. No wonder. Later, in Oklahoma City, I saw computer simulation and could compare different results of truck's explosion inside the attacked building and outside.

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Heightened Security:

Security and prohibited items

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Written by matcrazy1

on Dec 22, 2005

METAL DETECTOR IN MUSEUM OF

AMERICAN INDIAN

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in Arlington just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, DC, security has been heightened in Washington. From a visitor's point of view it has some advantages like lowering high crime rate in DC and better feeling of personal safety day and night. However the heightened security means some inconveniences for a visitor as well.

First of all whebever you want to enter any museum including all Smithsonian museums and the Holocaust museum or any federal building including the Capitol Building (guided Capitol Tour) and the Supreme Court building be prepared for speedy hand-check of all bags, briefcases, purses and containersand you bring and for usual pass through metal detectors. Keep smiling, stay in a line to security check-up and don't bring items forbidden not to slow the proceedings. Keep in mind that, like in US airports, there are no public checkrooms or lockers to leave the unwanted items and luggage.

RULES
The rules and list of forbidden items not allowed to bring vary a bit from place to place. Do not bring:
- bag lunches
- alcoholic beverages
- any sharp items (including any knives, screwdrivers, scissors, nail files, corkscrews etc.)
- firearms
- pepper spray, and Mace (generally any aerosol containers)
- tripods (unless you get a permission)
- pets
Size of luggage: "large daypacks, backpacks or luggage" is not allowed (no umbrellas for example), to the Capitol Building any bag larger than 14" wide x 13" high x 4" deep is prohibited. Urszula had to keep her small city backpack in hand to enter some museum as it's not allowed to carry anything on the back.
Food and water: small plastic bottles of water are accepted unless they are open but NO bottles in case of the Capitol Tour. No tins, cans. Details here

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Website: http://www.si.edu/visit/security_and_policies.htm

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Heightened Security:

Pictures of FBI building and others

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Written by matcrazy1

on Dec 22, 2005

FBI BUILDING

by matcrazy1 , 3 more photos

I took pictures of various federal buildings but in front of the FBI building I asked a policemen whether I could take pictures. And in case of that building I do recommend to do it to avoid possible problems. The policeman who stood in front of the Department of Justice entrance, on the corner of Pennsylvania Ave, and 9th St. asked us not to stay too long with a camera pointed at one place. Well, the whole area around is monitored by spy cameras. No wonder, this building has been playing the key role in fighting terrorism since September 11, 2001.

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Phone: +1 (202) 324 3447
Website: http://www.fbi.gov
Other Contact: +1 (202) 324 1016

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Warnings Or Dangers:

Expensive food and no choice

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Written by matcrazy1

on Dec 23, 2005

FOOD KIOSK

Washingtom is the US capital and one of the wealthiest metropolitan areas in the USA. Thus I expected to face up to very high prices there.

NO CHOICE
First of all I was dissapointed about no choice of food to eat or buy along the over 2 miles long National Mall. Despite millions of visitors there are no restaurants but numerous small food kiosks and fast food "restaurants" usually with no tables. There is crowded (lines) food court (no good food there) in the National Air and Space Museum. It's unusual in the USA. There is something wrong with local business and free market in the heart of the federal city. I imagine underground city (there is no place above ground) full of small restaurants, both local and chain ones, expensive and economic ones. Just a dream...

DRINKS
Generally I buy only mineral water (no sparkling). It was called cold water (or bottle soda - sparkling one) in Federal's English and cost $1.50 and was NOT ALWAYS cold. Well, it's $0.5 less than in most expensive Williamsburg, Virginia but some 3 times more (!) than in Wal-Mart when I used to buy larger quantities of bottled water. Hmm... the problem in DC is that bottles are prohibited to enter the Capitol Tour. In Smithsonians museums they are allowed but luggage should be small (in hot summer one needs many bottles to drink each day) and once Urszula was told that the bottle should be originally closed. Simply, you have no choice but to buy some water in DC or to die from dehydration at least in summer.

FOOD
The kiosks offer limited choice of hot fast food: so-called Polish sausages ($2 - $3), Polish hot-dogs ($1.5 - 2), chili dog ($2), half smoked (it's a sausage in a bun, $2), cheese pizza ($2.5), egg rolls ($1.5) and pretzels ($1.50). They sell ice-creams, chips, sometimes some fruits and sweets as well.
Hmm... I didn't like it but pretzels and half smoke worked the best for me. Skip these meals with word Polish in names, you may start to think wrongly and unjusty that it's Polish food. Welcome to Poland :-).

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Warnings Or Dangers:

They close early or very early

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Updated by matcrazy1

on Jan 8, 2006

GVC closed and no hours displayed!