Riding The Metro On Inauguration Day

Possibly the first button exchange in Metro history happened this morning on the Red Line.

Days of dire warning. Of crowds, of traffic snarls, of jammed Metro cars.

At 5:50 a.m. this morning, I approached the Shady Grove station stop on the Metro with trepidation.

But the ride was anything but a grind. What I witnessed was an indescribable celebration. Enormous crowds, as advertised. But unlike the usual mornings of sleepy folks on their way to work, the Red Line — from Montgomery County, Md., into the nation's capital — was filled to capacity with old and young, black and white, all smiling, all cheering, all wide awake, all taking pictures. Chants of "Obama!" would go up every few minutes.

I looked at all the faces, and wished I had access into their deepest thoughts. Many elderly African-American women, dressed in furs, some with tears in their eyes. I couldn't help but wonder what they have seen in their lives, if they ever envisioned this moment.

Young families, many with young children. I smiled at the kids and they smiled back. I wondered what they were thinking, and would they remember this day the rest of their lives.

The local government announced that 207,335 passengers were on the Metro as of 7 a.m.

It was still dark out when I got off the train. It's 8:37 a.m. now, the sun long up in the sky. It's cold, very cold, but no one is complaining. The lines of people, of cars, heading down Massachusetts Avenue toward the Capitol are just enormous. Chanting, singing, waving flags and wearing buttons.

Full disclosure: I traded an NPR pin for the Obama button shown above. It was from a woman and her young son, who took a bus from Iowa for today's ceremonies. The transaction took place on the Metro. It is believed to be the first button exchange in Metro history.