An Amazing Event Not to Be Here For

She had heard crowd estimates of 6 million. The worst-case forecast actually had been about 4 million, and authorities now think it could be half that. Still, the woman cited the story in November of an employee who was crushed by a mob of shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Long Island, N.Y.

"I think it's going to be something like that," she said, identifying herself only as Sam. "It's going to be very, very scary. I'm not going to risk my life for it."

She said she voted for Obama but is content to watch his inauguration on television. She, too, was seeking a getaway swap via the Internet.

In Florida, Gil Langley, president of the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said: "Anytime you're talking about bringing 10,000 motor coaches to one place, there are going to be people who don't want to deal with that. This is of a scale that I don't think [the District] has seen in a while, if ever."

Whenever you have a "mega event," he said, "you always have a group of people who live in the community that want to be elsewhere."

Inauguration officials said there is little reason to be fearful. The U.S. Secret Service said it has seen no evidence that crowds will be even 4 million.

"I don't think there's any reason to be afraid," said Special Agent Malcolm D. Wiley Sr., an agency spokesman. "We try our best to lessen the impact on the community, understanding that most of the events will take place in a pretty localized area."

In addition, audiences at such events, including past Obama events, have been joyous and peaceful "because the crowds are generally celebratory in nature," he said.

Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, noted that the District is accustomed to hosting large public events. "Most folks are used to having people from around the country pretty much year-round," he said.

"People are coming together to be a part of history and share a common experience," he added. "I think a spirit of community is going to prevail here."

William A. Hanbury, president of Destination DC, the city's tourism corporation, said: "I don't want people to be afraid to come. The whole Obama campaign was about . . . 'let's be as inclusive as possible.' "

Still, Garrett Whitmore, 29, a management consultant who lives in Penn Quarter, is looking to go skiing. He, too, would like a house swap.

"It's not that I'm not interested," he said. "I've been here for two inaugurations in the past. Even for the two [recent] Bush inaugurations, there were too many people in town. I'm a realist. It's just going to cripple the city. I'd rather not be here for that."

As for history, "maybe you'll see Obama for all of 30 seconds," he said. "I don't know how historic it will be to stand on a corner behind thousands of people."

Sharon Foster, 38, an employee of the Justice Department, is seeking to get her family to a place such as Florida for the inauguration in exchange for their four-bedroom home in Waldorf.

"Our first preference is for somewhere nice and warm and toasty," she said. "We're even willing to go to Vegas and have some fun."

A native of the D.C. area, she said she, too, had attended past inaugurations. This time, she said, "we can watch it on TV just the same and get a better view and be warm."