Pre-Inauguration Frenzy Mobs D.C.

ABC News’ Stu Schutzman reports: On a normal work day, this company town is already about as buttoned down as it gets. But nothing about this week is normal. The company I’m referring to, of course, is the world’s biggest bureaucracy. And in this pre-inauguration frenzy, standard business suits have given way to black tie and ball gowns. Last night, the lobby of the Mayflower hotel felt more like a giant penguin colony. As I entered the elevator, a gentleman dressed to the nines asked me if I knew what floor the Maryland Ball was on…I thought, "do I look like I know what floor the Maryland Ball is on"? And as ABC Producer Alice Maggin noted, if any animal rights groups were there the fur would be really flying because virtually every woman she saw was wearing a fur coat…not very PC in DC. But speaking of the hotel, aside from the mob scene inside, it is extremely convenient for us, situated directly across the street from our DC office. No motorcades or masses of humanity or closed streets and bridges to deal with getting to work. And that even trumps inauguration talk in this building as in "how do I get to the office"? "I went home last night," said one ABC News local staffer, "put my kid to bed then came back and slept here." The discussion of street closings is mind numbing — "Florida was closed so I tried New York which was closed but Rhode Island was briefly open and on and on…" Name the state and its DC street counterpart is probably impassable. In fact the little side street outside ABC is closed because Vice President Elect Biden is also staying at the Mayflower. Whenever he comes or goes an armada of Secret Service agents and other law enforcement in force on this block lock us in the building. But one reassuring note, they have a ton of vehicles parked outside and they’re all SUVs…there may be hope for GM yet!