Saturday, February 09, 2008

No More Room


Hillary staffer sending the crowds away.


A friend waiting to get in.

I waited in line for more than an hour, and fully expected to get in, even as I realized many would not get the chance to see the former First Lady. When I had come less than 20 feet from the door, a Clinton staffer appeared with a bull horn to send people away. The fire marshal would only allow 700 people into the building, no matter how much the crowds protested. As a consolation, they offered to take people by shuttle to the Girls Scout building a few blocks away, where they would watch Hillary speak via closed-circuit television.

Many reluctantly agreed to remove to the overflow venue, while others simply wandered away, back to their homes and jobs. For my part, I decided to wait at the door. I pressed my way forward and waited for the crowds to clear. After another 30 or 40 minutes, four people exited the building and offered their spots to anyone nearby. A fireman then agreed and started counting heads. Without hesitating, I jumped forward and got in the door by the count of two.

If for no other reason, I was thrilled to get in and witness this historic event in person.

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