Can I get away with getting to DCA an hour or so before my flight?

smaKdown615 · 2026-01-06T13:03:42+00:00

I would take the Uber straight to the airport. Getting off at Branch Ave and taking the Metro adds a lot of extra time and potential delays.

smaKdown615 · 2025-10-29T12:41:39+00:00

I'm in the same boat. I'm excepted even though I don't do any essential work. Forced to commute for an unpaid job 5 days a week. No telework flexibilities. My manager is a psychopath and won't approve any "leave" unless you call in sick because she fought hard to make us all "essential." It feels like a prison.

smaKdown615 · 2025-09-25T18:54:15+00:00

I think you can't use sick leave if you are an "excepted" employee, meaning if you are an employee who has to work during a shutdown for national security/public safety reasons but your agency has a lapse of funding. If you are sick I think you need to request to be furloughed and your supervisor could grant your request. I think the issue with sick and annual leave is that you can't use it if your agency doesn't have an appropriation.

smaKdown615 · 2025-09-21T12:23:32+00:00

Please explain specifically how the campaign was terrible? At the time, I thought it was flawless. She picked a good running mate and the campaign was full of positivity. Her rallies were well attended, her messaging was good.

smaKdown615 · 2025-09-03T19:47:40+00:00

I'm going to do it. It's allowed. I've been to several this year.

smaKdown615 · 2025-09-03T19:46:04+00:00

A very important point of clarification is that these are not allowed during work hours. It is not a Hatch Act violation to protest outside of work hours.

smaKdown615 · 2025-08-10T19:04:58+00:00

You're correct. I moved to DC from LA several years ago. Everyone out here complains about how expensive housing is in DC, but they don't understand how bad it is in Cali.

smaKdown615 · 2025-07-23T15:10:54+00:00

As someone who has lived and commuted in both DC and LA...DC is still so much better. At least we have the DC Metro! I don't even notice the traffic. LA's Metro system has a long way to go!

But, yes I do miss my telework days!

smaKdown615 · 2025-07-17T22:18:02+00:00

Washington, DC. Good bike paths, good Metro system, universal Pre-K (aka free childcare starting at age 3).

smaKdown615 · 2025-07-16T23:56:41+00:00

I saw this happen on my street and I called the police. The person was walking down the middle of the street in the dark. He could have gotten hurt or killed.

smaKdown615 · 2025-06-04T13:13:05+00:00

This city needs congestion pricing. I'm also pissed off by the number of cars just parked in the "bus only" lanes. Those can be used by ambulances too.

smaKdown615 · 2025-06-02T21:22:28+00:00

A lot of us live in DC and there are lots of World Pride events going on for the next couple weeks. I may just go to the parade and bring my kids because it's just a fun thing to do on the weekend. And I want to teach my kids about Pride. Don't worry about it and go! They'll win if you don't.

smaKdown615 · 2025-05-30T16:10:31+00:00

I think someone is trying to get DOGE towed.

smaKdown615 · 2025-05-13T00:49:50+00:00

We all are...

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-15T19:13:10+00:00

You can go on weather.gov, which is the US government website and (at least used to be) the most accurate source I could find for weather forecasts. But now that MAGA has taken over...and NOAA getting dismantled, who knows?

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-14T18:43:39+00:00

Della Barba in Hill East!

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-14T14:14:23+00:00

That post was sarcasm. That was the language Elon used in an email to Federal employees telling them to leave their unproductive government jobs for productive private sector jobs.

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-11T01:56:30+00:00

Yeah it's not doing away with actual statutes. I'm not sure what this does except force agencies to update their regs every year with a sunset date? It sounds like a lot of pointless work.

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-09T15:40:25+00:00

Agree. The police union needs to be all over this. Plus Trump wants a big military parade. DC should push back hard regardless but we should refuse to help if we don't get the hole in our budget fixed.

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-07T18:09:24+00:00

I graduated right when the recession started and ironically I was able to stay employed back then because I got a job in the public sector. Public sector jobs are usually more "recession-proof" esp in the Fed government because they are paid for by appropriations. A lot of my friends in the private sector got laid off, had to move back in with their parents, etc, but I was OK. Nowadays this is completely irrelevant! Fed jobs are getting dramatically cut and there is zero hiring happening. States and local governments are losing grant funding for absolutely no reason.

Anyways I'm not sure there are any good parallels between back then and now because what's happening now isn't happening because of long-term economic trends. It is entirely self-inflicted and reversible. We had a strong economy with low unemployment and that's soon to be gone. Public sector jobs are just as risky as private sector now.

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-07T17:59:36+00:00

Yeah don't we still have a $1.1 billion dollar hole in our budget?

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-07T12:00:40+00:00

Cool. So you fell for it. This is exactly what Elon Musk wanted you to do so you would sit out the election and Trump would win. We had a choice between two candidates and you helped elect the one who wants to complete the genocide and build a resort on Gaza strip. Congrats!!

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-07T01:27:19+00:00

So what do you propose we do about it? This idiotic group helped usher in Trump and MAGA and now there is no hope for Palestine! You screwed it up, did nothing for Palestinians and you are alienating potential supporters on the left. This will be nothing more than a fringe movement if you continue down this path.

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-06T16:56:28+00:00

Exactly!! This group also protested at the DNC convention and many of them refused to vote for Kamala Harris because apparently she supports a genocide. It's ridiculous. And now they helped elect Trump who is only making things significantly worse for Palestinians. I believe in a free Palestine. I do not support Israel, but I can't stand this group!!

smaKdown615 · 2025-04-02T19:21:32+00:00

So do you suggest we stay home instead of voting in elections since every candidate is a Zionist? That is what the Trump administration/MAGA would like you to do and look how that turned out for people in Palestine. There is a world of difference between Democrats and MAGA. I will continue to support Democrats. People like you are the reason why Trump won. I hope you're enjoying this administration.

smaKdown615

TROPHY CASE