There are a few lessons that I learned from this experience (my first quake):
1) I need to create a non-bladed, backup PSK. I left my PSK behind because Capitol Police are very leary of blades. Luckily, I didn't need it, but I sure felt vulnerable without it.
Welcome to your first quake! So when you said Capitol Police don't like blades, do you mean the police in DC in general, or just around Capitol Hill? Do they allow scissors, even the safety kind for kids? Some sort of cutting tool seems necessary.
Da Bing