I was fortunate enough to be in Washington DC for both the Inauguration and the Women's March on Washington. Both events involved thousands upon thousands of people crowding the streets of DC hoping to be part of an important historical event, but they could not have been more different. Every step along the way was a virtual mirror image of the other event.

Breakfast

Inauguration Day: I enjoyed the continental breakfast in my hotel at about 7:30 that morning.It was significantly busier than the previous days.Everyone was wearing red, white, and blue. “Make America Great Again” hats were the most common article of clothing, worn by nearly a quarter of breakfast goers.People were very focused on themselves and their own groups and would not hesitate to cut in front of you for the last piece of sausage.The groups mostly kept to themselves except for a grandmother with her grandson who noted my cat ear hat and asked if we were there for the Women’s March too.

March Day: I arrived in the breakfast room at about 7:45 to find it bustling with women in pink and purple.Nearly half wore the now-famous pink pussy hats.People were working at tables, getting their signs ready for the day.Everyone talked to everyone else, curious to know “Where are you from?How far did you travel to get here?”Stories were shared among total strangers.One woman had a vest covered front and back in buttons reading “Make America Kind Again” and her goal was to see how soon she could give them all away.

Public Transit to the Event

Inauguration Day: My class caught our hotel shuttle to the Metro station and hopped on the first train, which arrived at its usual scheduled time.We shared the car with half a dozen other passengers, leaving most of the car empty.

March Day: Shortly after I got onto the platform at the Pentagon City station, Metro closed the platform temporarily to allow it to clear.People were arriving at the station faster than the trains could carry them out.The trains arrived back to back, already near capacity.Every time a nearly full train opened its doors, the waiting crowd cheered even though we knew we wouldn’t be able to get on it.Finally, I was able to board the third train that arrived and was offered a seat by a young marcher.We were stuffed into the train and more people got on at each stop.We cheered every time another group squeezed onto the train.During the trip, more people shared their stories, showed each other photos, joked about adding each other to their Christmas card lists.Upon arriving at the station near the event, nearly the entire train disembarked and flowed like a human river towards the march location.I was shoulder to shoulder with the people all around me as we shuffled along in a slow-moving mob, but everyone was still smiling and friendly.No one was pushing their way through.

Nearing the Event

Inauguration Day: Attendees shouted at a small group of protesters.“It doesn’t matter ‘cause we won” and “I can still shout louder than you” were some of the popular retorts. Near the entrance when the crowd got thick near a narrow entry, it got rather ugly.People were pushing and crowding people with small children and were reluctant to let those in wheelchairs pass through.I found that the more expensive the coat, the more likely a person was to try to push their way in front of others who were waiting.Cashmere overcoat?He’s gonna feel like he should definitely be in front of you.

March Day: I never actually made it to within earshot of the rally speakers.There were just too many people.The closer to the rally, the tighter people were packed in.At any given time, I was in physical contact with at least three other people.However, no one was pushing.Wheelchairs moved through the crowd as soon as they were noticed.Children were given extra room.People had signs expressing a wide variety of views, from Black Lives Matter, to water rights.Anti-Trump and pro-women were by far the most prominent.And yes, many of the signs were derogatory towards Trump with references to his hair, his “tiny hands,” and his orangey appearance.Signs called him a racist, a sexist, and a fascist.

At the Event

Inauguration Day: If I were to describe the general conduct of the crowd it would be “self-centered middle schoolers.”People pushed through crowds to get themselves to a better position.They put children on their shoulders, blocking the view for everyone behind them.One of the more conservative students in my class interviewed several attendees for a project and in the interest of fairness, addressed both conservative and liberal ideas.His subjects often answered his questions only to badmouth him the second his back was turned.As the former Presidents and First Ladies entered, they booed loudly for Hillary Clinton and as the ceremony began, they booed everyone who wasn’t clergy or Trump.When President Obama entered, a group began to sing “Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye” like a bunch of twelve-year-olds who have never been taught not to be a sore winner.I have never been more disappointed in a group of adults before in my life.It was even more heartbreaking since many of them were behaving this way in front of their children.

March Day: I never actually made it to the rally, the crowds were so heavy, so my experience was more on the fringes.I found a pack of locals and kind of orbited the crowd, staying away from the heavily congested areas.I followed a Pride flag adorned with a skull and crossbones and a group who proclaimed themselves solidly in favor of gay pirates.I followed the gay pirates all the way to Chinatown where they bought me cocktails and looked up photos of other marches around the world.

Leaving the Event

Inauguration Day: As soon as the inaugural address was complete, the crowd started to leave in droves.Road closures due to the parade meant it took a long time to get to the Metro station and several people again felt they were too important to wait in line like everyone else.Once there I was able to get on the first train where a young Trump supporter offered me his seat.

March Day: Even as I walked away from the event, more people were arriving.I rode an empty train back to my hotel.People lingered.They stayed around the city much longer than they did after the Inauguration.

Bottom Line

The energy was just so much different at the Women’s March.It was friendlier.People seemed much more helpful and kind.They were more willing to chat with a stranger and find a common bond. At the Inauguration, the feeling was “We won! You lost!” At the March, it was “Let’s do this together!”