Community Chat

[golding76]

People Are Standing In A Miserable, Miles-Long Line To Say Goodbye To Queen Elizabeth  (MSN.com)

Considering the hundreds of thousands expected to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, it is a blessing that the Brits know how to queue up and, in general, respect a queue.

[beckyb1012]

I wish they could have done the train like they were able to do for King George VI.  But I heard they were really concerned about safety for all.   I was so moved all day watching President Bush's train.  This is so sad.

[golding76]

Got a kick out of this comment from a Brit regarding the possibility of extending the queue from seven miles long to 10 miles long to accommodate the increasing number of mourners:

What happens when the queue exceeds 10 miles long? Do we form a queue for the queue? We're British, we queue. It's who we are, it's what we do.

[patbz]

I waited in a  six hour line to get into Capitol Rotuna  in 1963 to pass by Kennedy's casket.  That line was at least 5 mi long, 5 across on a very cold November night.  Everybody was so quiet and respectful and the soldier right behind me had come from Germany to pay his respects.

[Linmo]

What a tribute to such an amazing woman!

[golding76]

patbz, I was in line with you.  Small world.

There were probably several days for paying our respects, but I do not remember that exactly.  I do remember the quiet.  We were gutted emotionally.  We went at night, as I recall.

While waiting, a friend from high school passed by.  Since our high school was only an hour's drive from D.C., the occurrence wasn't exceptionally rare, but it was strange.  We were in college at the time of the assassination of John Kennedy.

[patbz]

@golding76 : I went to Montgomery Blair H.S. and was a sophomore at University of Md. Several of us went the first night and it was so cold! Where did you go to school?

[golding76]

At that time, I was a junior at the University of Maryland.   I lived in Montgomery Hall Center.  You?  It would be a hoot if you were in Montgomery Hall, too.  I had a friend in Montgomery Hall West and East.

[If I give my high school name, it will give my hometown name.  Maybe too much information.  You know, that old mosaic thing...]

It would be interesting to know how many times our paths have crossed, Pat, and we did not know it.  I started on my master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania.  Were you there, too?

[Tinkrbl44]

On tonight's news I could have sworn they said the wait in line was approximately 30 hours .... could that even be possible ... or likely?   

[patbz]

@golding76 :

I was in the Pi Phi house and often walked right by your dorm. I got my Masters from Ball State so no match there! I loved living in suburban Maryland back then; so much to do and so many places to go