Hey Dan

My adventure in DC has been an interesting trip so far. I bought a metro pass and have met some strange people.

There was this one guy on the first day the thought the DC metro rail authority was out to ruin his day. Seriously, he thought they planned their action to maximize the amount they would annoy him. He kind of latched on to me at a station and would not go away. Oddly he was not really creepy, more just geekier, in that conspiracy theory kind of way. He kept checking the GPS nav system on his phone. It was the type that keeps telling you “turn right 500 yards.” That is what it kept doing while he was riding on the metro rail… on the metro rail. Like he could turn right in 500 yards.

Today a little old italian lady from DC sat next to me and flirted the whole trip. She was with her daughter and son-in-law who were headed back from a trip. I got to hear all about where she had work and how it was just like where I work. She ask me if I was married and seemed a little put out to hear the news. When I ask where her accent was from instead of telling me Italy or the town she said “I from Romeo and Juliet.” She expected me to know where that was. She patted my arm when I got the answer correct (Verona). Her stop was the one before mine. As she got up she congratulated me again on being married and rejoined her group like I was nothing to her.

I had a strange and mildly heated conversation with a DC policeman. Apparently it is illegal to take pictures of federal buildings. Yes I got caught taking a picture of a federal building. The sunset was reflecting in the glass windows of the building next the White House and I took a picture. This is when the policeman walked up and told “you should watch yourself that is a $500 ticket.” Yes, they told me to watch myself. I had a moment of WTFO! Fortunately the moment passed and I realized I was talking to a police officer who might take their job seriously. This might not be a good time to point out the irony of this it being a code red or whatever alert and me standing within sight of where the leaded of the “free” (with proper permit only) world. I was standing about 200 yard from a pack of 30+ tourist taking pictures of the White House. I tired to find the law, but every time I google it to look I think I might be monitored by satellite or the metro rail or somebody. This is DC after all!