Originally posted by Djdoubt03
Sorry I haven't updated this thread in a while. I have no more info from my father on this. So who knows.
But On an interesting side note WTOP the local news radio station for the DC area keeps telling everyone to carry a portable radio to the inauguration because cell phone systems will be down. And WTOP will broadcast important information.
Is this because of so many people jamming the lines? Or is there going to be mass chaos as speculated by my father?
[edit on 1/17/09 by Djdoubt03]
This is my first post ever on these forums, I'm more of a reader than a writer, but I think that a topic like this warranted my input.
First off, to the original poster. The reason that the cell phones are being shut down is because sheer amount of people that will be at this historic moment in American history. With a large quota of people chatting, sending texts, and taking pictures on their phones in a small area, the bandwidth will be taxed and a system failure could occur. The satellites floating around weren't designed to handle every phone taking up bandwidth at at the same time. Think of it this way, do they send a spaceman up in orbit to cater to every new phone they sell on a daily basis? No. This is just a safety precaution to assist the secret service and military personnel. Evidence that our cell phone network isn't as reliable as you think it is, was during the blackout in NYC where people put too much of a burden on the system causing it to fail.
Second, are there people out there that hate the President Elect and want to do something about it on inauguration? Probably. But remember this, the Pope, who might be just as hated by radical Muslims as a President of the United States, made his first trip to America. It was our secret service that provided security for him, and even made it possible for him to give Mass at Yankee Stadium. I have faith in the Secret Service and our military to protect our President on this very special occasion.
Finally, there are far better things to worry about. Our economy is in shambles, we are in a war that I think we should of not been in in the first place, and there is even more unrest in the Middle East. This should be a time of celebration and embrace for the future, not fear of it. It should be a time that we as Americans reclaim the work ethic that built the foundation of our nation, and work together to rebuild what we have lost. Just enjoy the moment for what it is, so that when you become a father yourself, you can tell your son that you were alive for this historic occasion.
