America's Finest

Oh goodness it is quite chilly now. We are corralled in a hamster run along Pennsylvania Avenue with no way out. Intending to get in a spot of sightseeing after the Inauguration Ceremony finished, we soon realised that we were meant to stay put for two hours until the parade started. Which is now running fifty five minutes late. Tut tut Mr Obama.

I have been amusing myself by flirting with America's Finest. Forces from all over the States have sent officers, who are lined up down the Avenue in their divisions and who are as cold and bored as the onlookers . So far, we have met the

North Carolina Highway Patrol (I suggest this may be a good day to break the speed limit in NC judging by how many Highway cops they sent), Greenborough NC's cops, some rather lovely guys from The National Guard in full-on desert fatigues & balaclavas, a couple of Uniformed Secret Agents (tautology there I feel), and a very sweet Officer Lopez from the Border Patrol in Texas searched me on the way through the security checks.

The ones I really want to meet are from Rhode Island who look like they have escaped from The Producers, in brown riding boots, britches, and wasp waisted & belted brown leather long line jackets. Although the Tactical Squad from Birmingham, Alabama could give them a run for their money in some rather natty skin tight blue trousers and butch cropped bomber jackets.

Still, for all the light chat with the security forces, it's hard to forget why they are all here. Every high building in sight has a couple of counter snipers in position, and all the policemen have black nylon sacks attached to their trouser legs which don't, as I suggested, contain sandwiches, but gas masks.



Photo: The Barrister

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