Purple Tunnel of Doom explained

Purple Tunnel of Doom, 2009
Place:I-395 3rd Street Tunnel
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates:38.8897°N -77.0144°W

Purple Tunnel of Doom was the name ascribed to the I-395 Third Street tunnel in downtown Washington, D.C., where thousands of holders of purple tickets lined up to witness the first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. Ticket colors corresponded to assigned viewing areas. Many were not admitted, despite having stood in line for hours.

History

People were directed into the Third Street tunnel by police, but were not allowed to exit.[1]

Among those who missed the ceremony were Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels,[2] San Mateo County Supervisor Warren Slocum,[3] daughters of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the Legislative Director for Lamar Alexander,, staffers for John Barrasso,[4] and foreign policy advisers[5] and multiple members of staff from the Obama campaign.[6]

News reports put the total number of purple-ticket-holders who were denied entrance to the inauguration at between 1,000 and 4,000.[7] Pictures show a lack of law enforcement or event personnel, and an overall bleak situation without basic amenities such as wayfinding or facilities.[6]

Similarly affected were blue-ticket-holders on the south side of the Capitol. Thousands of ticket-holders waiting outside the Blue Gate – in and around the triangular area bordered by C Street, 2nd Street, and Washington Avenue SW – were denied entrance as a result of a massive gate management failure.[8] [9] Terrance W. Gainer, the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, stated that it appeared that the breakdown had occurred because there were more purple and blue tickets for those sections than bulky people in coats would permit.[7]

The experience in the tunnel has been chronicled in numerous videos posted on YouTube, and in detailed accounts by The Huffington Post.[10]

On January 22, 2009, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies said that blue-, silver-, and purple-ticket-holders who were not admitted would receive copies of the swearing-in invitation and program, photos of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and a color print of the ceremony.[11]

Lessons learned

A multi-agency study was led by the Secret Service.[12] [13]

For Obama's second inauguration, the tunnel was closed.[14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Surviving the Purple Tunnel of Doom. 14 April 2013. NBC 4. January 21, 2009.
  2. Web site: Mayor Nickels didn't get into Inauguration . Klein . Stephanie . January 21, 2009 . mynorthwest.com . May 11, 2013.
  3. Web site: I Watched The Inauguration on TV Just Like You . Slocum . Warren. January 21, 2009 . warrenslocum.blogspot.com . May 11, 2013.
  4. Web site: Inaugural woes have members ticked . Bruzzese . Sarah . January 21, 2009 . . May 11, 2013.
  5. Web site: The purple tunnel of doom . Lynch . Marc . Marc Lynch . January 20, 2009 . lynch.foreignpolicy.com . May 11, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130629073254/http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/01/20/the_tunnel?wp_login_redirect=0 . June 29, 2013 . dead .
  6. Web site: Cursed Purple Tickets (or, how I worked for two years to get Obama elected and then couldn't view the Inauguration). Barackoblogger.com. June 19, 2010. January 9, 2009. https://archive.today/20130117155332/http://www.barackoblogger.com/2009/01/cursed-purple-tickets-or-how-i-worked.html. January 17, 2013. dead.
  7. News: Officials: Too Many Tickets for Blue, Purple Areas . Sheridan. Mary. January 20, 2009. . May 11, 2013. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance W. Gainer estimated that several thousand people with blue and purple tickets could not get into the designated sections.
    “It does appear that maybe there were more tickets in purple and blue than bulky people in coats would permit,” he said.. https://web.archive.org/web/20190518140205/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/inauguration-watch/2009/01/officials_too_many_tickets_for.html. May 18, 2019. live.
  8. News: Purple, Silver, Blue Ticket Holders Turned Away . January 20, 2009 . The Washington Post. May 11, 2013. l
  9. Web site: Thousands -- Including Me -- Shut Out of the Inauguration: Heartbreak at the Blue, Silver, and Purple Lines . Brown . Dan . January 20, 2009 . . May 11, 2013.
  10. Web site: Purple Ticket Turmoil Explained: What Happened On Inauguration Day . Linkins . Jason . February 23, 2009 . . May 11, 2013.
  11. News: No Consolation: Parting gifts for blocked ticket holders. Stabley. Matthew. January 28, 2009. WRC - TV (Washington, D.C.). May 11, 2013.
  12. Web site: 'Purple Tunnel of Doom' Report Released . Christopher . Tommy . 2009 . . May 11, 2013.
  13. Web site: Inauguration planners seek to avoid repeat of 'purple tunnel of doom' . Yager . Jordy . December 19, 2012 . . 11 May 2013.
  14. News: Inauguration committee takes steps to avoid 'Purple Tunnel of Doom' ticket fiasco . https://web.archive.org/web/20130122204611/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-19/local/35929710_1_ticket-fiasco-metal-detectors-inauguration . dead . January 22, 2013 . Gowen . Annie . December 19, 2012 . . May 11, 2013.

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