by Jack and Wendy
Living and working in DC, Jack and I mingle with tourists on a frequent basis. It’s great to see visitors enjoying their trips to our city. As frequent tourists ourselves, it can be entertaining to observe behaviors from the perspective of locals. Here are a few random tips for the Washington DC tourist:
When riding escalators in the DC area, stand to the right, walk on the left. I don’t think this is the biggest deal, but some people do. And they LOVE pointing out the error. I often wonder if they are really in a big hurry, or just enjoy being bossy. It’s DC, so it could be either – a good part of the population are former hall monitors.
While DC may not be as friendly as some cities, there are many who will stop to help with directions or take a photo of you with your friends. Just please be careful stopping short in the middle of a sidewalk to stare at a landmark, blocking the whole path for those around you.
When it’s running well, the Metro is convenient, and fairly easy to use. But have a backup plan in case there are delays or shut downs for repairs. Because that’s been happening a lot lately.
Watch your stuff. Once I was walking behind a school group on a busy downtown block. A chaperone was chatting away while her unzipped purse swayed on one shoulder strap. As we waited to cross a street, a student reached her hand into the woman’s bag and quickly fished out a wallet. The woman kept talking, totally oblivious. “Look,” the teenager scolded, waving the wallet around, “I took this right out of your purse because you weren’t paying attention.” The chaperone looked appropriately startled. Hopefully the lesson was learned.
Walking around the National Mall and visiting the Smithsonian Museums never gets old, even during peak tourist time. It can be overwhelming, so pace yourself and prioritize the things you most want to see. Sometimes I’ll overhear a tourist raving about her DC visit on a mobile phone, or someone exclaim to his travel companions that seeing this or that national treasure made his trip. I’m always amused by the kid who is absolutely done with sightseeing and is sacked out in a stroller or arms of a parent, or even on a museum floor.
On a Sunday afternoon a few years ago, Jack and I watched as an intoxicated museum visitor weaved his way in and out of a large turnout at a popular exhibit. “MOVE,” he would exclaim periodically, for some reason expecting an opportunity to study the pieces on the wall with no one in his field of vision. It was March Madness and he was decked out in his team’s logo. Perhaps after watching sports in a nearby bar he suddenly thought, “You know what I could go for right now? The Hokusai exhibit at the Sackler Gallery.” We didn’t stick around for the confrontation between the drunk art aficionado and the security guards. Again, pace yourself.
Watch where you park. The district has some idiosyncratic parking regulations you should be aware of. Rush hour: the main arteries in and out of town restrict parking from 4-6:30pm every weekday. The fine is $150 and they will often tow your vehicle to the closest side street for an additional $100+. So if you roll out of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum at 5:03pm on a Wednesday and the sweet ride you parked on Independence Ave. at 3:30 (“awesome spot dude!!”) is gone, you’re in for about 3 bills to the D of C…thanks! Look for your car around the nearest little back streets or call the “in case of towing number” on that sign you should have read before parking. Kinda like a scavenger hunt with an increasingly profane narration.
So maybe some positive insider parking tips (still read the signs for limitations/instructions before you park, as these are subject to change). Rock Creek Park in Northwest has about 5 parking lots from the Maryland Border to Georgetown where you can drop your car for the day, but you are a Metro or cab ride away from the National Mall, downtown and a bit of walk to Metro and cabs. Perhaps check that bus schedule after all.