After Historic Day, Historic Cleanup

Crews working into the wee hours hauled away at least 130 tons of garbage after America’s largest, and messiest, outdoor bash Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. With trashcans removed for security precautions, inauguration attendees littered the National Mall, leaving it looking like a rendition of Disney's Wall-E. Obama gear, American flags, handwarmers, newspapers, and even vendor tables were left behind.

“When all those people were there, you didn’t realize how bad it was,” says a city spokeswoman. “But once they left, we saw the work ahead.” While the Obamas hit the dance floors, cleanup crews used street sweepers, leaf vacuums, and compactors to contain the trash. Then workers hit the grassy expanse on foot, using spiked poles to snag remainders. (More Washington, DC stories.)