In a Jam
We may not yet rival Los Angeles for pollution and traffic, but Washington, D.C., seems to be trying hard. Local news stories abound about a "rush hour" that barely crawls, about dangerous levels of traffic on the city's beltway, and headache-producing congestion at the entry points and parking lots of National Airport.
Janie Blakely, our Sojourners receptionist, commented on a frustrating traffic experience a few nights ago: "Just when you thought you discovered the thousand points of light, you find out you're caught in a 500-car traffic jam."
What a Trip
Washingtonians are proud of our famous Mall, a chunk of open space that stretches from the Capitol building to the Lincoln Memorial. In warm weather it is the site of volleyball games and frisbee competitions - sometimes large political rallies - or just a place to sit on a bench and watch everyone go by. On those rare occasions when it snows in Washington, the city's cross-country skiers congregate there. But in snowless, wintry weather, the only appeal is the many art galleries and Smithsonian Institution museums that line it.
A group of teenagers apparently couldn't believe what they were hearing when their teacher announced "a field trip to the Mall" one school day. Expectations were dashed when they landed on a chunk of earth in downtown Washington. A few of the wandering souls approached Sojourners member Barb Tamialis and asked, "But where are all the record stores and movie theaters?"
Gross National Product
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