Tuesday, December 30, 2008 6:22 AM EST
By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer
When Barack Obama won the presidential election, Cheryl McVickar of West Vincent, a self-described "super volunteer" at the campaign's Phoenixville office, was psyched to go to his inauguration.
Then she began to read stories about the crowds and chaos expected for the Jan. 20 ceremony in Washington, D.C.
"It was like Chinese water torture," she said. "I was going to go, come hell or high water. But as I heard more and more about how record-breaking the crowds would be, I thought, no, I won't go; It doesn't make sense to add to the masses."
Officials anticipate more than a million people will flood the nation's capital to watch the inauguration, and they warn those who plan to attend to prepare for slow going and plenty of inconveniences.
Many roads in the city will be closed, and it's possible people arriving by bus will flood the city's transit system, setting a record for the most passengers the city's underground rail system has carried in a single day.
For Bill Scott, a former West Chester borough councilman, no amount of scary predictions will deter him from continuing what has been a lifelong tradition.
"I'm going to go if there's a blizzard," he said. "Every time a Democratic administration replaces a Republican one, I go to the inauguration. I've been to four inaugurations in my life, starting with John F. Kennedy."
He said that when, at age 15, he went to Kennedy's inauguration, he did have to contend with a blizzard.
"I walked down Pennsylvania Avenue in knee-deep snow," he said. "It was so cold I was almost ready to die."
But he said it was worth it. He ended the day at the inaugural ball, sitting in the box of U.S. Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, a future vice president and friend of his uncle's.
"I was delirious," he said.
Scott predicted Obama's inauguration is more likely to be like Bill Clinton's, which he said was cold and crowded but ultimately manageable.
Democratic County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, who got her tickets as a reward for serving in Pennsylvania's Electoral College earlier this month as an Obama elector, said she, too, will not be deterred by predictions of crowds and chaos.
"I try not to worry about things until I have to," she said. "I'm thinking of taking the train down the night before and staying with relatives in the area."
Others agreed with McVickar.
Patrice Proctor, a Coatesville Area Democratic Committee leader and chairwoman of the Valley Board of Supervisors, said it didn't take long for her to decide going to the inauguration wasn't an option.
"I got to thinking about the mob scene; that's too many people for me, personally," she said. "I also can't stand cold weather, so I thought the best seat where I can see most of the event will be on my couch watching TV."
Proctor said she already feels she's done her duty to the president-elect.
"I did what needed to be done," she said. "I helped him get in there. I'll continue to help him. But I just can't put myself under that type of stress."
To contact staff writer Dan Kristie, send an e-mail to dkristie@dailylocal.com.