By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Members of a group of bus riders who traveled to Washington, D.C., from Salisbury said the presidential inauguration was the experience of a lifetime.
“For me, it was an amazing adventure,” said Derrick Foxx, one of the organizers of the trip that left the K-mart parking lot on East Innes Street about 8 p.m. Monday.
“Everyone on the bus was excited.”
Foxx said the horror stories he and other bus riders had heard about the backup of traffic outside D.C. turned out to be unfounded. He said they arrived in Springfield, Va., a Washington suburb, about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
From there, they took the Metro into Washington. Foxx said the group of about 45 ate breakfast, then arrived at the National Mall about 8 a.m.
It was cold, Foxx said, with the temperature in the low 20s, but the day was anything but unpleasant. Foxx said the crowd grew thicker as the hour for Obama’s inauguration neared.
“It got jam-packed,” he said.
Foxx said estimates are that as many as 5 million people crowded D.C. for the big event. He said they couldn’t get close to Obama to hear his address, but said Jumbo-trons and loudspeakers situated around the mall made it easy for attendees to witness all that was taking place.
Foxx said they saw part of the parade, though members of his tour were a good distance from the parade route.
Foxx said one of the biggest problems facing the group stemmed from the rush to get back on the Metro once the inauguration was complete. Millions of people all trying to board a subway at the same time can be a bit overwhelming, he said.
About 8 p.m. Tuesday, Foxx called the Post to report that the bus and its riders were safely on their way back to Salisbury.
“It has been a glorious day,” he said.