Intense Tourist Season Predicted

Although early May in DC typically sees only mild tourism in comparison to the innumerable throngs that swarm the city in July, this year’s high early tourist quotient smells of an unusually intense tourist season. Yes, I said the tourists smell. Walking to Union Station on Friday, the smell of wandering tourists and perfume-crazy teenage girls was wafting toward me, warning me of what could only be explained as an onslaught of school groups. From Iowa, Indiana, Texas, Florida, Nebraska, yea even Mississippi, they have come. They come in matching t-shirts declaring their home state and marching band, sometimes even their names (does anyone else think this is odd?). They come wearing fanny packs and bearing metro maps.

But, I digress. I can’t help but wonder if the large early numbers are an indication of suffocating tourist conditions yet to come this summer. I know I was new in town last year, but it didn’t seem so intense in May. Perhaps I was too busy soaking up the sun that was much warmer last year than it is so far this year (NOT that I’m complaining!) to notice them flooding by, waiting for each other in front of the only working smarttrip machine and taking pictures in front of every government agency. (Do they really put those pictures of them in front of the Department of Transportation in their scrapbook?) But, really, how do you miss 5 groups numbering more than a hundred each? And, it’s not like they’re going to discreetly walk single-file on the right side of the sidewalk. No, they fill up the entire sidewalk at Union Station so that anyone daring to go upstream must apologetically shuffle by on the edge.

So, the point is this – it’s not going to get better folks! The tourists will continue to pour in this summer. The commute will have to be extended by at least five minutes to account for direction-giving and escalator standing. They will continue to come and see their beloved capital city and we, the residents, will adjust….sometimes with a knowing smile, sometimes with a begrudging curse under our breath. For the record, though, I really am glad the tourists come. It is good for our city, our economy and helps keep our attractions free so I can take advantage of it the rest of the year. If only we could figure out how to let them know that people actually live here! Here’s to an unusually intense tourist season. May your patience be long, your directions concise and your commute short!